Photo taken by @ShotsByLee for RESPECT. Magazine

A little over a year ago, I moved out to San Diego, California. I was in the midst of what I believed would be a long relationship and on top of that, San Diego was the perfect place for me to go cultivate my new career, which was in Music media. Not only was SD a must for any major Hip-Hop tour, making it ultra-easy to constantly connect with artists, but the city had a crazy underground scene beginning to pop off. Spear-headed by RCA’s newest signee Rob $tone and his rowdy 1207 clique, who opened my eyes to the scene, Daygo had a laundry-list of up and comers who were just scratching the surface of their potential. From Malik Burgers, Deezo and Fred Burton, to John Givez, MaZhe. and more; San Diego had an exciting crop of hungry emcees that all displayed different styles, but had a distinct sound that was unique to the city. Though all of the above artists have put the city on in different ways – Rob has a double platinum record – I’m not sure that any of them carry the long-term potential to be king like Chula Vista resident Rossi Rock.

If you were to hear Rossi before you ever seen him, which is rare nowadays, his initial appearance might surprise you. Sounding like a more polished and complex Dom Kennedy with a splash of Wale’s tone and word-exaggeration – with the potential to be better than BOTH – Rossi looks nothing like he sounds. While through his lyrics you can gather that his Hispanic heritage means a lot to him, unless you’re a psychic, the last thing you would expect to see would be a burly 6’2 man with a thick beard, black Tecate jean-jacket, and pants cuffed up at the ankle – okay you might’ve gotten that one. My initial reaction to seeing him is well documented, so I won’t go into that, but the dude has a clear image. And it’s this image that has quickly transformed Rossi from, “he’s up next in the city” to “he’s up next, PERIOD,” all which was validated at Queen Bee’s, a small but cozy all-ages venue in North Park, San Diego on Saturday night.

Photo taken by @ShotsByLee for RESPECT. Magazine

What was disguised billed as the Pony release show, was actually a celebration of Rossi’s signing to Private Club Records, an independent label led by brothers MadeinTYO and 24Hrs. The opening line-up included fellow PC signees, Noah Wood$ & MyNameisPhin, and Suav City reps Saucalini & Sebby OG, who also hail from SD. While all of the openers had moments on stage that captivated the crowd – especially Sauce and Sebby, who seem to be where Rossi was a year ago, just oozing with potential to takeover – the whole show was just a buildup in anticipation for the man of the night, who then came out and murdered his set.

Noah Wood$ by @ShotsByLee for RESPECT. Magazine

Buoyed by recent success from his latest EP, Pony – his first with Private Club – Rossi stood tall, knocking out hit after hit, playing crowd favorites like, “Scarface”; “Tell Me” and “Kelly Green.” Although the Pony tracks got the crowd jumping – “Kelly Green” was nuts – Queen Bee’s went absolutely ape-shit when Rossi started playing tracks from his debut project, Agassi. Maybe it was the fact that Rottweiler had a clothing shop pop-up during the show, but it seemed like, when Rossi played his ode to the brand, the whole building had just taken a 5-hour-energy capsule—and that was just the front-end of a deadly back-to-back-to-back of jams thrown at us by Rossi that also included, “19&55” & of course, “That’s My Lady.” I’m not sure I can properly explain how rowdy it was when Rock let that track ring, but I can say this: by the time the song was on its 3^rd encore, Rossi didn’t have to sing ONE word.

Photo taken by @ShotsByLee for RESPECT. Magazine

I attend many local hip-hop shows in my spare time and I can honestly say I haven’t seen that kind of crowd reaction for a cat without a major national buzz since…. well last year. I remember in the exact same city, maybe about 10 miles away a year ago having that same feeling watching Rob $tone and 1207 at Soma for his sh

ow in celebration of him signing to RCA Records. Both of those artist showcased a genuine happiness for the blessings that were coming their way. Both artists savored the moment and didn’t let one second slip by. Both artists had San Diego ROCKING to its core. But  only one is Rossi Rock, and if I had to put my money on any single artist from the coastal city, it would be The Main Chambelan, but that’s no slight to Rob – who again, has a double platinum record – or the rest of San Diego. Rossi’s just that damn good.

Check out Pony, the latest EP from Rossi below and check out the gallery of flicks from the night as well, all taken by Lee Hernandez.

Suggested Articles:

San Diego Native Rossi Rock Releases New EP & Announces Signing with Private Club Records

RESPECT. Premiere: Rossi – “Rottweiler”

The post RESPECT. Recap: San Diego’s Rossi Rock Brings Everything Full Circle at Private Club Celebration Show appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photo by @THEUALIFEATYLE

As you all may of noticed – or not – we chose not to put out a rendition of With All Due RESPECT. last week. The reason, you ask? Within the past two weeks, we’ve received not one, not two, but three phenomenal albums from Brooklyn torch bearers Stro and Joey Badass, and of course King Kendrick Lamar. Recently, Joey hopped on Twitter to talk about his disgust with this generation’s attention span when it comes to music. Now, I’m well aware that the attention span of this – my – generation is shorter than Isaiah Thomas, but c’mon guys. There’s no way on God’s green earth that you all have fully digested and accurately assessed these three projects. Stro’s Grade A Frequencies is a debut album filled with trial, tribulation and the realization of dreams coming true. Joey’s, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is simultaneously a politically charged middle finger to the government, as well as a testimonial from the those who are underrepresented, & Kenny’s DAMN. – surprisingly – may be the least “woke” of the three, but without a doubt offers up the best music. Whether you’re looking to turn up – “DNA”— wind down – “From Me” – or figure out the world’s issues – “Land of the Free”; there’s no DAMN. reason why you shouldn’t be enjoying the Grade A Frequencies put forth by these poets and feel like an ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$. Okay… That was corny. Before I ruin my cool, check out this week’s With All Due RESPECT. featuring The Underachievers, Las Vegas newcomer Rob Falco and more.

Photo by @noahwoodsmusic

Noah Wood$ – “Roaches (Feat. MadeinTYO)”

Checking in first on our list today is Los Angeles native Noah Wood$ and his soon-to-be-viral hit, “Roaches” off of his most recent project, The Hot Box. Featuring fellow Private Club Records signee — & noted Uber denouncer – MadeinTYO, it’s hard not to envision, “Roaches” being Private Clubs post “Uber Everywhere” hit and Wood$ becoming the next up in the crew. The track is carried by heavily tropical synths and drum patterns that instantly make you think of palm trees, Backwoods & California. Mesh the Venice Beach vibes with some hashtag worthy lines – “Can’t hold me back, say that I’m whack but I ain’t going,” & “Diamonds hitting them folks, aye” – and you get what could possibly be a Soundcloud summer smash. If recent history tells us anything about Soundcloud smashes – ahem, Mr. Tokyo – Wood$ should be in for some newfound fame. Check out, “Roaches” below and be sure to keep an eye on Wood$, as well as Private Club, who is killing it right now.

Photo by @JohnGivez

John Givez – “Cookout”

Sticking with the California theme, we head out to Oceanside, but on a much darker tip, for Southern California John Givez‘ sobering track, “Cookout.” Right off the bat, I thought it was brilliant how Givez let the Hispanic cats bring in the song. If you grew up in California, particularly anywhere near beach weather, then you know how crucial cookouts are to the culture. The Cookout, also a C L A S S I C  movie – don’t @ me – is where all politicking goes down. Whether you’re grubbing, hollering at some hunnies, or settling a confrontation; the cookout is where it happens, and Givez captures this essence perfectly. When the cats at the beginning talk about how they’re mad for not receiving an invite, you can almost feel the tension rising before Givez takes over with his offbeat cadence and dark testimonies such as, “Niggas cheffin’ up real beef, niggas never gon’ realize/ Killin’ niggas that are healin’ niggas, it’s the main reason that we still die,” to the tune of distorted drum breaks and a chillingly looped vocal sample. Although, I’m not 100% sure that, “Cookout” will be the song to propel Givez to the masses, it’s the track the best captures all of the qualities and talents of an artist that I am 100% will be celebrated on a national level, with or without this track blowing. Peep the song below and be sure to get hip to John Givez.

Rob Falco – “One997”

Have you ever wondered what it would sound like if Tyler, The Creator, Eminem & Danny Brown babysat a young white kid for years and in that time nurtured him into becoming an emcee? If somehow those clusterf*ck of events occurred, they’d most certainly come out the lab with Las Vegas native Rob Falco. Now, I’m not saying Falco is currently on par with any of those greats, but if his newest track, “One997” – an ode to a more simple time, with better fits — is any indication, he may not be as far off as we thought. Coming in off of his recently released, Takis EP, the WADR veteran showcases his ability as a wordsmith, and then some. Whether it’s the quirky wordplay, “Dark man baby, no light/ tryna get the whole pizza no slice,” or his woes disguised as boasts, “All I do is smoke weed, I don’t make no friends,” Falco leaves you with many expamples why his Takis EP should be played at high levels. Check out the track, highlighted by a onslaught of crazy bars draped in an even wilder cadence from 1:16-1:27, below and be sure to give his EP a listen.

Photo by @DonKrez_

Don Krez – “FRONTLINE (Feat. Pouya, Issa Gold & Getter)”

Look, unless you’ve been under a rock lately, you’ve heard about the scene bubbling out of Florida, particuluarly the south. Granted, you might’ve been put on to the area due to some negative news surrounding it’s biggest star, XXXTENTACION, but he’s far from the only attraction down south. Miami DJ/Producer Don Krez, who is firmly apart of this movement, seems to have his ear to the streets though as he recruits South FLA staple, Pouya as well as Issa Gold and Getter for the action packed, “FRONTLINE.” Set to the backdrop of HEEEEEEAVY synths and explosive sounds, Issa & Pouya effortlessly trade bars with one another on this track in a way that can make you forget they’re both part of groups in hopes that they start their own. “This fame started with fake/ no conversation less niggas eating like 30k over date/ no Grammy nomination but nigga my hotline ringing like Drake,” rhymes UA’s Issa Gold on the final verse while Pouya opens it up with his signature cadence, firing off bars like, “Don’t need no one to defend me, my soul is feeling real empty/ these hoes don’t make me too happy/ but I’ll f*ck ’em anyway.” With productions like this under his belt, expect for Don Krez to enter the upper echelon of the DJ pyramid sooner rather than later. The Miami native is already getting set to headline a Las Vegas festival. Check out the track below and remember where you heard it first.

The Underachievers – “Cobra Clutch”

You know, listening to “FRONTLINE” got me to thinking. “Wow, Issa is killing this sh*t. Wait! What’s up with UA?” After releasing last year’s, It Happened in Flatbush, The Underachievers stayed relatively quiet for most of late 2016 and early 2017. Or so I thought. A quick visit to the Beastcoast duo’s Twitter page led me to the release of two singles, “Gotham Nights” and “Cobra Clutch“, both in preparation of their new album, Renissance coming later in 2017. The latter, is a scathing yet easily enjoyable song that feels like authentic New York. This track sounds like if Fast & Furious made another movie in New York, but made The Rock wear Timberlands and let Joey Bada$$ replace Ludacris. AK & Issa go tic for tac, with AK showcasing a more progressed and in pocket flow than in previous works, while Issa plays the role of verbal acrobat, kicking off bar after bar. The underground legends followed up the two singles with the recent released, “Head Right,” keeping the momentum going in anticipation for the album. Check out the ode to the classic wrestling move below and be sure to pre order Renissance, which is slated to be out May 19th.

There you have it! Did we miss anything? Did we forget your favorite underground artist? Let us know in the comment section!

Suggested Articles:

WADR (4/12)

WADR (4/5)

The post With All Due RESPECT.: 5 Songs You’ve Been Sleeping On (4/26) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

With successful acts such as MadeinTYO, Royce Rizzy, and Salma Slims leading the way, The Private Club now presents us with a brand new collaborative EP from two more of their members, Noah Wood$ and MynamePhin.

Containing just 6 tracks in all, The Green Room provides us with a chance to get familiar with Wood$ and Phin without having to dig through any filler. Standout tracks like “Low Key Function,” “Still,” and “DFWI” show us the ability of the two emcees to not only feed off each other’s vibe, but to exhibit their knack for illustrating their personal narratives with ease. Noah Wood$ and MynamePhin will also appear on the upcoming Private Club EP, set to arrive later this summer.

Listen to their latest offering below and feel free to give us your thoughts.

https://soundcloud.com/theprivateclub-382844997/sets/green-room/

Suggested Articles:
Ciara is Scared that Future Might Kill Russell Wilson
Listen to Chance the Rapper’s “Fool Wit it Freestyle”

The post Noah Wood$ & MynamePhin Release “The Green Room” [EP] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.