It seems the Freebandz representative is not all about the hype, and is quite selective when it comes down to performances.

Of course, we are referring to Future’s absence from the BET Awards stage, which left the streets in wonder, or better yet, rather confused.

As opposed to laying low on the situation, the “News or Somthn” emcee, made it clear through a publicized announcement, that legit reasons rest behind his actions:

“You see what happened… BET, they had a nigga about to perform up there or whatever, but under the circumstances of me performing. I can’t fuck with that; you know what I’m saying, because they tried to get a nigga to do some off-brand corny shit.”

It seems Future certainly has standards set, as he continues to wrap up his thoughts in a single sentence:

“I’m not about to sell my soul for no publicity stunts.”

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After NorthWestern University in Chicago cancelled their Dillo Day, singer Miguel decided to still keep the festivities going by throwing his own pop-up show. Calling on rappers A$AP Ferg and hometown hero Chance the Rapper, the trio performed at the free show, which was announced via Twitter, for a crowd full of fans.

Miguel’s upcoming album, Wildheart, is scheduled to release in the summer.

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Island Def Jam artists Maliibu N Helene recently stopped by REVOLT TV to perform their latest single, “Figure 8.” The DJ Mustard-produced track is the second single released from the singing and rapping mashup. With a new EP coming out in June, be sure to keep an ear out for this duo.

Watch Maliibu n Helene perform their single, “Figure 8” below:

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After recently having a performance canceled in Nigeria due to a promoter not being able to come through on traveling arrangements, singer Lauryn Hill made the attempt to make up for the mishap by performing her classic song, “Doo Wop (That Thing)” from the comfort of her living room. With the assistance of back-up singers offering their vocals, Hill’s younger daughter Sarah Marley made the acoustic performance that much better by contributing her own.

Check out Lauryn Hill’s performance of “Doo Wop (That Thing)” below:

The post Lauryn Hill Performs “Doo Wop (That Thing)” with Assistance from Daughter appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“Self-awareness is the capacity for introspection and the ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals.”

Not only is it important to have a voice and knowledge of self for all paths on this earth, but hip-hop is in demand for such. It’s seemingly easy for today’s younger generation to get lost in the midst of trap-queens and senseless subject matter. And if you think this doesn’t impact our society and hold weight on the next generation, you are highly mistaken.

Hailing from New York City by way of Brooklyn, Chelsea Reject is here not only to display creative genius but shed light on a crevice that needs the shine; queens in hip-hop. When we say queen, that takes you back to self knowledge, alongside respect, dignity and truth. Early-20 year old Chelsea is beyond qualified and reflects all of this, reminiscent of an early Lauryn Hill  with an Erykah Badu aura.

With no official album out and a comfortably suited number of songs/visuals released, Chelsea is keeping fans on their toes. It is not uncommon today for artists to catch a heavy buzz and cross paths with life changing opportunities with no official album out, in which she is doing, and doing it well.

Let’s also take note of Chelsea Reject joining partnership with the legendary Duck Down Records. This speaks miles, not only because of the mark Duck Down has and continues to leave on hip-hop’s timeline, but being the first female emcee alongside the camp. It really doesn’t get much better then that, especially being in Brooklyn where it all started. Now that’s a milestone and something to certainly keep an eye on.

Coming soon this year is the ‘CMPLX’ project, which will be a compilation release. With a lot of build up and solid promotion on her and managements end, the release should be a total success. Considering Chelsea is in her early stages and still publically experimenting with her sounds and delivery, it’s refreshing to watch her grow as an artist. In a recent interview with Dj J Hart’s ‘The Big Bang Show’ she explained the project in a little more description:

“It’s a 15 track compilation of a bunch of different sounds I have been experimenting with. I have a lot of Pro Era on there. It’s going to be a different vibe. My goal is to give people a new perspective into my music. I’m trying to give people a new sound, and show my versatility.”

Let’s talk about the new wave of amazing artists hailing from New York City. Joey Bada$$ and the whole Pro Era Crew, Flatbush Zombies, Action Bronson and a handful of other standouts over the past five or six years have been go-to’s when mentioning hip-hop’s east coast life jackets. Chelsea Reject has been building with some of the best artists of our generation, and fans are excitingly sitting back and enjoying watching her journeys unfold. It’s a sigh of relief for us real hip-hop and music heads.

Before we close out, it’s important we touch on Chelsea’s stage presence. The art of performance is something that gets slightly bypassed in conversation and can easily be a slept on unofficial element in this game. I mean, it’s one thing to release awesome records and professionally edited videos. But it’s another to compliment this with a live performance, on or off your turf. We had the pleasure to catch Chelsea Reject live in Philly recently alongside Pro Era’s Kirk Knight and Mick Jenkins. She blew the lid off at the Barbary, and many other states following that evening. With all that being said, be sure to catch her live when you can. It will not be a disappointment. Much love and respect to Paul Bogosian and Duck Down James.

The post Chelsea Reject: The Most Refreshing And Self Aware Female Voice In Hip-Hop appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.