Photo by Don Crosley

“When you do the knowledge behind the idea of perestroika, it all boils down to reconstruction. And that’s a concept we all relate to, whether it be socially, politically or consciously.”—O.C. on the meaning behind the title of his new collaborative album with Apathy

Despite the political drama between the U.S. and Russia, there was always something special about the Russian people and their culture that inspired Apathy. The gifted rapper-producer grew up in the Cold War era of the ‘80s and has been fascinated by the Soviet Union’s mystique ever since. So when he and O.C. connected at an Organized Konfusion show some years ago, it was inevitable that the two would unite for their concept album, Perestroika.

Both wordsmiths have worked together previously—where O.C. appears twice on Ap’s 2016, Handshakes With Snakes—but Perestroika is a celebration of what a collaborative rap record should sound like. Their rhymes are complementary in every sense, whether they’re tackling serious issues on the title track, or showing love for their fans on “Globetrotters.” The merger of both artists is one fueled by a mutual passion for the craft, and the finished product reflects their ability to play to each other’s strengths.

Vocals aside, the production value of Perestroika further conceptualizes the album theme. In addition to the innovative sample flips—most of which were produced by Apathy himself—you’re also treated to various Hip-Hop Easter eggs throughout, whether it’s De La Soul’s influence on “What It’s All About,” the abundance of winter-themed Hip-Hop quotables found on the scratch hook for “Winter Winds,” or Ghostface Killah’s vocals getting sliced to perfection on “Gorbachev,” courtesy of Chumzilla.

Beyond just being full of quality Boom bap, Perestroika represents restructuring for the artists themselves. As O.C. explains, “The album deals with change, and that’s something that’s inevitable for all human beings.” Likewise, Ap says that the idea of restructuring is “definitely meant to be taken literally.” Not just for rebuilding this music, but also “rebuilding our brands and sounds.”

Perestroika is just the beginning, and a convincing way to usher in something new from two of Hip-Hop’s finest. The 12 track LP includes features from Celph Titled, Slaine, Jus Cuz and more, and also boasts production from Moss and ILLINFORMED. Press play on the full album stream right here, courtesy of RESPECT., or visit the Demigodz online store to purchase Perestroika in your preferred format (various bundle packages are available).

Download/Bundle Packages (Smart URL): http://smarturl.it/Perestroika

Tracklist:
01. Live from the Iron Curtain
02. Tomorrow Is Gone (feat. Slaine & Kappa Gamma)
03. Soviet Official
04. Winter Winds (feat. Marvalyss)
05. Covey Leader to Raven
06. No More Soft Shit
07. Gorbachev
08. The Broadcast
09. Perestroika
10. STOMKILLCRUSHMODE (feat. Celph Titled)
11. What It’s All About
12. Globetrotters (feat. Jus Cuz)

Twitter:
• Apathy: https://twitter.com/ApathyDGZ
• O.C.: https://twitter.com/therealocizzle

Apathy & O.C. Online: 
• Apathy (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ApathyDGZ
• Apathy (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/apathydgz
• O.C. (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/OCDITC
• O.C. (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/ocditc

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The post #MusicMonday: Apathy & O.C. – Perestroika (Album Stream) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

*Photo credit by: Don Crosley

The hard-hitting underground rap duo of Apathy and O.C. are coming “Live from the Iron Curtain” on their bruising new single off their highly anticipated collab LP, Perestroika.

Given that these two emcees are known for packing their bars with crazy wordplay and intricate rhyme patterns, there’s a lot to unpack on their latest track. And that’s apparent from the jump, as Ap opens “Live from the Iron Curtain” with a verse so blistering, that it deserves rewind after rewind. While somehow finding time to take a breath, he unleashes the following: “I’m the best alive/ Lines electrifyin’ like Tesla/ Survivin’ the test of time and you in line buyin’ Ke$ha/ Rob you blind with a nine, what a bind when they find you in pine with a spike through ya spine/ And I spat in the spot where they left ya.”

He then passes the mic to O.C., who utilizes Ap’s hard hitting production to talk plenty of slick sh*t of his own. In between dissing rappers who are nothing more than compost, the D.I.T.C. rapper drops gems that include: “The game’s a farce now, but I still take it serious/ Jewelz I spew, some view lines as luxurious/ the opposite of führer, when I occupy Europe.”

You’d be well within your rights to expect nothing but lyrical gems considering what we’ve heard to date from these two. And sure enough, Ap and O.C. are fully prepared to bring the heat—and then some.

“Live from the Iron Curtain” is the 2nd instant grat track available for download off the iTunes’ pre-order for, Perestroika. The 12 track LP includes features from Celph Titled, Slaine, Jus Cuz and more, and also boasts production from Moss and ILL-INFORMED. The album becomes available for stream and download, as well as all physical formats (CD, vinyl and cassette) on September 22 via Dirty Version LLC. Head over to the Demigodz online store for various pre-order options, and bundle packages. Hit the play button above, and stream “Live from the Iron Curtain” in its entirety, right here, courtesy of RESPECT.

Tracklist:
01. Live from the Iron Curtain
02. Tomorrow Is Gone (feat. Slaine & Kappa Gamma)
03. Soviet Official
04. Winter Winds (feat. Marvalyss)
05. Covey Leader to Raven
06. No More Soft Shit
07. Gorbachev
08. The Broadcast
09. Perestroika
10. STOMKILLCRUSHMODE (feat. Celph Titled)
11. What It’s All About
12. Globetrotters (feat. Jus Cuz)

Album Pre-Order/Bundle Packages (Smart URL): http://smarturl.it/Perestroika

Album Press Release: http://bit.ly/PerestroikaPressRelease

Apathy & O.C. Online: 
• Apathy (Twitter): https://twitter.com/ApathyDGZ
• Apathy (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/ApathyDGZ
• Apathy (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/apathydgz
• O.C. (Twitter): https://twitter.com/therealocizzle
• O.C. (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/OCDITC
• O.C. (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/ocditc

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The post Listen to a New Joint From Apathy & O.C. – “Live from the Iron Curtain” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Cover Art: Andre Deck

This may be your introduction to Dj Skizz. Maybe you’ve been familiar with his music over the past few years. Maybe you’ve been an avid listener to The Halftime Show and have been familiar with his name for over a decade. Either way, hip-hop gladly welcomes artists like Skizz. Good producers with a generous range of sound, whether released or willing to, are hard to come by. Or, if they do have range they usually just suck and no one wants to hear their range (see your nearest radio for examples). Skizz is refreshing. Like an overdue exhale – the exhale you let out when you know it’s going to be okay and there’s still hope.

Skizz’s 2013 B.Q.E. (Brooklyn-Queens Experience) full length is a good time hop, let’s go there for a second. A seasoned boom-bap palette, a buttery confirmation that he is indeed a focused swordsman on the hardware. If a list of emcees like Masta Ace, Nature, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Roc Marciano, Torae and say, O.C. doesn’t appeal to you, perhaps you have some homework to do. While you’re at it we’d suggest you checking out Kings from Queens (2012). Or you’re in the wrong place.

Fast forward to today. There’s a ridiculous amount of quality independent releases already this year. Cruise Control, Skizz’s second official producer LP, is a day shy of being one to add to your list of top shelf  “underground” releases. You may have heard the few singles released via the internets. If those are any indication to what the new full length will offer, done deal. Guest artists include Conway, Planet Asia, Your Old Droog, Evidence and more. We’ll leave the rest a pleasant mystery and not bore you with an in-depth review. Below we had the pleasure of talking briefly with Dj Skizz to discuss the release and a few other goodies. Check the interview out, learn something cool, and be sure to cop/stream the entire record tomorrow (7/29). Peace and love:

RESPECT.: Before we set it off, thank you for your time. If you could give a new fan some backround about yourself what would you tell them?

RESPECT.: You have some pretty rich history and involvement in hip-hop aside from producing records. Can you tell everyone a bit about the Halftime Show days and its importance leading up to where you’re at currently?

RESPECT.: Lets talk about your ‘Cruise Control’ album. The packaging is top notch! And from what you’ve released already off of the LP the featured artists are just as potent. What should heads be expecting with this body of work?

RESPECT.: What’s your most memorable moment throughout the creation of ‘Cruise Control’? Any cool stories or pinnacle moments?

RESPECT.: Though your catalogue is already stacked with a boatload of elite recording artists – if you could work with one artist dead or alive today who would it be, and why?

RESPECT.: To close this out, if you had to give some advice to a new jack looking to produce what would you recommend him/her?

Dj Skizz: Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | iTunes

Cruise Control: BandCamp | FatBeats (cd)

The post Dj Skizz Sets The Ride In ‘Cruise Control’ (Interview) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“I’m skilled at it, I’m Illmatic, so “yes” answers your question if you ask me do I still have it.”

Longevity and respect; two words, of many, that are properly assigned when mentioning Lord Finesse. Respecting the essence, respecting the culture, and most importantly respecting yourself in this bitter-sweet game we call hip-hop are some notes we can take from the Under Boss. There’s really no arguing that he’s been remaining true to his craft since day one. Before getting into his latest successes with the promising SP 1200 Project releases we wanted to take you on a brief journey through the world of Lord Finesse, highlighting some key elements for you new jacks and ultimately displaying what a true artist looks like in 2015.

As him and Dj Mike Smooth‘s Funky Technician approaches its 25th anniversary, we can safely say it’s one of many landmarks he left in hip-hop. To avoid this seeming like another drawn out album review, we will keep it brief and save you the hassle. This record introduced us to his clever metaphors and seemingly-effortless wordplay, prior to him stepping to machinery and shocking the world on the production side. Only a couple years later would he return with “Return of the Funky Man”, addressing the allegations that he fell off, and even dead at one point. This 1992 “return” would be his premiere on the boards as well, which in retrospect would more or less be the all-in point for carving himself as of one of hip-hop’s top tier producers.

Some by-passers may throw him in a box for having the freshest similes and metaphors and leave on that note – but no. The wordplay, the ability to jump on any groove and sail it naturally, and confidence in his delivery since the beginning are all qualities with equal impact. Remember the classic ’89 battle with Percee P? Enough said. Many artists have maintained some sort of charisma over the years, but more than half of the time it seems to be a gimmick that becomes forgotten. His charisma as a recording artist, and off the mic, is evidently natural. Once again, new jacks, please take note of these qualities while we still have you tuned in.

The Diggin’ In The Crates crew is a topic we could talk about for days, but right now we will call your attention solely to Finesse’s chemistry with his DITC family. Was this because he was so close with the mostly Bronx-bred crew? Or was this because he can adapt to working with any dope artist doing it? Perhaps the answer is both. Outside of the clique Finesse has done records with some of hip-hop’s most renowned acts. Biggie‘s 1994 classic “Suicidal Thoughts” come’s to mind.

In a sit down with Fuse’s Crate Diggers series he not only blessed us with some back stories on working with Big, but he mentioned something shortly after that stood out to us above all, which again attests to his level of respect as an artist:

As a producer I don’t want to just sell you a beat to make a dollar. I’m going to make sure you pick something and do something incredible with it.

 

Fast forwarding to the present we can now discuss Lord Finesse’s recent success. The SP1200 Project was released in August 2014, but due to its heavy acclaim and potency the world needed more. Only a handful of months later he returns with The SP1200 Project: A Re-Awakening to keep us real hip-hop junkies fed – loaded with an additional eight tracks. There’s no doubt that this one is for all you beat junkies out there. The project is basically a must-have for those who’ve been itching and scratching for that staple Funky Man sound, with the help of Bossmen/Slice of Spice Records‘ perfection on the scene. He is seemingly back with no sign of stopping. We’ve attached a nice video clip below from the project which provides with just enough snippets to get you on board. Still not on board? Well, we don’t know what to tell you. Be sure to grab this release here at iTunes, UGHH or Slice of Spice.

With all that being said, we hope this inclines you to open your eyes and gather what a true artist looks like. Lord Finesse has been keeping it humble for a long time, never “selling out” from any angle, and markedly remaining passionate for this culture – that us real hip-hop heads genuinely have a desire to keep alive. What do you perceive as relevant longevity? Peace and love.

The post Lord Finesse: The Funky Man Still Keeping Fans Satisfied appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.