Image credit: Lion Babe Music

Earlier this month, Jillian Hervey and Lucas Goodman — together known as Lion Babe — returned to the fold with a dope new single titled “Western World,” which features Raekwon. Initially premiered by Ebro Darden on Beats 1, the single is “about the current climate of our American culture and soul. Honored to have Raekwon help paint this wild picture of the present.”

Stream “Western World” below.

Suggested Articles:

NEW VIDEO: Lion Babe Connects with Leikeli47 for “The Wave”

Lion Babe Deliver Visual for “Rockets”

The post Lion Babe Connects with Raekwon on “Western World” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Image credit: G.O.O.D.

UPDATE: The official visual for the “Wu-Mix” has been added below.

While Teyana Taylor’s latest album K.T.S.E. was considered a failure by most because of Kanye West (NOTE: I don’t agree with this notion, nor do I think that album was bad in any sense), there were universally agreed upon standouts. One of those highly-touted cuts, “Gonna Love Me,” just got a super-remix with the assistance of Wu-Tang giants Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. You can stream the upgraded version below.

Suggested Articles:

Jeremih Reveals “That,” Announces Tour Dates with Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor Delivers New Album, ‘K.T.S.E.’

The post NEW VIDEO: Teyana Taylor Recruits Method Man, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah for “Gonna Love Me (Remix)” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Wu-Tang Clan. Photo Credit: Hip Hop Golden Age

Being aroung RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, UGod, Masta Killa and Cappadonna has its perks and life lessons. Just ask Chris McKee.

McKee has been a booking agent for 20 years and has represented some of the biggest names in music. His soon to be released book focuses on his time as the booking agent and tour manager for one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all-time; The Wu-Tang Clan.  

A Staten Island hip-hop group, since 1992, The Wu-Tang Clan has released seven gold and platinum albums with worldwide sales of more than 40 million. Their 1993 debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), is considered to be one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history.   

Rolling Stone Magazine called Wu-Tang Clan “the best rap group ever.”

There are very few outsiders who have been allowed access into the world of the Wu-Tang Clan until now.  

McKee worked with various members of the Wu-Tang for over 10 years and is ready to let people see what really goes on behind the curtain while on tour with members of the Wu-Tang Clan.  

The book is both a window into the world of the Wu-Tang Clan as well as a teaching tool to understanding the ins and outs of the music business. The book will feature stories about sex, drugs, rock n’ roll (or hip-hop) and murder.

McKee has released excerpts from his book which include the story of how of how a concert promoter (Matt ‘Dutch’ Garner) who was involved with producing a concert for Ghostface Killah in Montreal was murdered a week before the show.

“The thing about Montreal is that the line is blurred between certain parts of the entertainment industry and criminals and gangsters; more so than any other city in Canada.  In Montreal you have to tread very carefully when you go about your business if you want to stay out of trouble.

I guess Dutch missed that memo.

Dutch was murdered two weeks before the Ghostface show in Montreal.

According to various news reports, assailants broke into his apartment on St. Henri and taped Dutch and an associate to their chairs and set to the two of them on fire. Dutch was found dead in his apartment on the chair but the second victim had tried to escape and made his way down a flight of stairs onto the street while still ablaze where he eventually succumb to his injuries and died on a neighboring lawn.

Chris McKee. Photo Credit: Herosports

They have yet to arrest any suspects in the murder and the case remains open.”

The book also features a window into the absurdity of having to do business with various members of Wu-Tang. McKee tells the story of a breakfast meeting with Ghostface in Montreal the morning after a concert.

“Before our breakfast meeting ended, Ghost had one other interesting request to ask of me.

He said, “Don’t be putting me in any more hotels with French TV channels.”

He continued, “I was trying to watch some TV last night and relax and whatever and every channel was in French.”

Ghostface added, “I can’t have that in any of these other cities, so no more hotels with these French TVs.”

I stared back blank not knowing how to answer.

The thought occurred to me that this was a man who has travelled the world over at least a dozen times. He has performed concerts as Ghostface and as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan on probably every continent on the planet.  Yet he hasn’t figured out that when you’re in a city or country that speaks a different language that it is highly likely that the TV channels will probably be in that very same language. “

The yet to be titled book is set to be released in early 2018.

Some of the artists that McKee has produced concerts for include: Rihanna, Black Eyed Peas, The Roots, Akon, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent and G-Unit, Slaughterhouse, Flo-Rida, D12 and hundreds more.  

Suggested Articles:

The Next Big Showcase’s Cliff Po & DJ Tarzan Making Dreams Reality in NYC & NJ

Scoop B Radio: Turner Sports’ Steve Smith Talks Career & More

.

The post Scoop B Selects: Former Wu-Tang Clan Booking Agent, Chris McKee To Release Book Chronicling Life On The Road appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Image credit: Jourdan Ash/RESPECT.

Currently, Wu-God Raekwon is feeding the streets by way of his latest album The Wild, which features the singles “This Is What It Comes Too,” “Purple Brick Road” (with G-Eazy) and the Cee-Lo Green-assisted “Marvin.” Now, the Chef will be taking his talents back on the road — he’s announced a 40-city American tour in promotion of the project.

The Wild tour kicks off next month at this year’s Governor’s Ball with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan and will see him doing a mix of festivals, events and headliners (with additional Clan appearances) for the entire Summer. You can check out the schedule — which will see additional stops added — below; tickets to his headline dates can be found on his official website.

Via RaekwonDaChef.com

June 2- New York, NY (Governor’s Ball with Wu-Tang Clan)
June 14- Phoenix, AZ (Livewire)
June 15- San Diego, CA (Observatory North Park)
June 16- Los Angeles, CA (Union)
June 17- Las Vegas, NV (Art of Rap)
June 19- Santa Cruz, CA (The Catalyst)
June 20- Sacramento, CA (Harlow’s)
June 21- San Francisco, CA (Slim’s)
June 23- Montreal, QC (Rockfest with Wu-Tang Clan)
June 24- Detroit, MI (High Times with Wu-Tang Clan)
June 29- Philadelphia, PA (Electric Factory)
June 30- Newark, NJ (Art of Rap)
July 1- Bridgeport, CT (Art of Rap)
July 7- Boston, MA (Brighton Music Hall)
July 8- Portland, ME (Port City Music Hall)
July 9- New York, NY (BB Kings)
July 13- Baltimore, MD (Baltimore Soundstage)
July 14- Silver Spring, MD (The Fillmore)
July 15- Charlotte, NC (The Underground)
July 16- Carrboro, NC (Cat’s Cradle)
July 20- Pittsburgh, PA (Mr. Small’s)
July 21- Columbus, OH (A&R Music Bar)
July 22- Chicago, IL (Art of Rap)
July 23- Lisle, IL (Basecamp)
July 24- Louisville, KY (Headliners)
July 26- Nashville, TN (Marathon Music Works)
July 27- Atlanta, GA (Masquerade)
July 28- Gainesville, FL (High Dive)
August 4- Santa Barbara (SOhO Music Club)
August 5- Long Beach, CA (The Queen Mary with Wu-Tang Clan)
August 10- Portland, OR (Dante’s)
August 11- Seattle, WA (El Corazon)
August 12- Bellingham, WA (Wild Buffalo)
September 1- Kalamazoo, MI (Bell’s Eccentric Cafe)
September 2- Detroit, MI (Art of Rap)
September 9- The Catskills, NY
September 10- Rhode Island (Island High Times with Wu-Tang Clan)
September 15- Chicago, IL (Riot Fest with Wu-Tang Clan)
September 23- Tulsa, OK (The Vanguard)
September 24- Dallas, TX (Gas Monkey)

Suggested Articles:

RESPECT. Interview: Raekwon Speaks on Lil Wayne, Longevity and Wu-Tang Reunion

Curren$y Drops Visuals for “Incarcerated Scarfaces”

The post Raekwon Announces ‘The Wild’ Tour appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photo Credit: @raekwon

R&B legend Marvin Gaye receives a heartfelt tribute entitled “Marvin” from Raekwon’s seventh solo-masterpiece, The Wild. The track which features Cee-Lo, provides an audio autobiography of the iconic artist while explaining his legacy, personal life, and his tragic death (at the hands of his own father). His record was very much needed and right in time for the anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s birth (April 2^nd) and death (April 1^st).

“Once I heard the beat, his name kept coming to me (“Marvin” exactly like Cee-Lo’s hook). The beat reminded me of him and it transported me back to that time. It was like his life flashed before me and the words just began spilling out organically” says Raekwon. “Marvin’s music transcended genres and it can speak to anyone, but it especially speaks to those of us who come from the inner-city; poverty, oppression, the good and the bad.”

Celebrate the beautiful like of the late Marvin Gaye by listening to the track “Marvin” below.

Suggested Articles:

With All Due RESPECT.: 5 Songs You’ve Been Sleeping On (3/29)

Kendrick Lamar Drops Crazy New Visual For “Humble” [WATCH]

The post New Music: Raekwon – “Marvin” (Ft. Cee-Lo) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

With a career spanning thirty-something years, Raekwon is a rare find of man who’s talent keeps giving album after album, armed with a spitting ability that is standing the test of time. We caught up with the OG to discuss his new project, and what he has next in store.

RESPECT.: Congratulations on the release new album The Wild! How does it feel to have reached this stage and what do you feel like the reception has been so far?

It’s been an amazing reception I’ve been getting from people. It feels good to know that I’m not far away from success. That just makes me feel good to know that people really appreciate the hard work that I’ve been putting in. It’s a blessing to be respected and back in the building.

RESPECT.: Having made so many albums, when someone like you decides to make a new body of work, how do you approach the project to ensure that it stands out from your previous work?

First of all the first thing is to have a great production team that understands my dynamics when I get in the booth and I do my thing. I have to be motivated enough.  A lot of times I stress how important production is to me because production is like the wheels to the car. If I can’t make the car and have the proper wheels on it, it’s not gonna feel right. It’s gonna make the ride kinda bumpy. So when I get the opportunity to get the right wheels, it just makes my ride and helps me build the vehicle that’s gonna ride the way it needs to ride, and that’s how it is. That’s part of the influencing factor for me. So once I get the music that’s going to make sense, it drives me into a better situation.

RESPECT.: “My Corner” with Lil Wayne is essentially a hip-hop fan’s dream to see, with two OGs from different eras coming together. How did that come about?

Ah man when you think about the production on that beat. I got to give props and respect to the producer G Sparkz. That beat is almost a memory lane, ‘90s special beat. It’s a beat that we know that they had to rock the energy it. You know MCs stick their neck out and say I like how it sounds. So with that beat, he was kind of paying homage to that time when MCs really had to come to the table and really bring something in. I thought about Wayne. I felt like Wayne has the potential to be versatile and make records that could facilitate these kinds of projects. I thought that he would have been great to come in and join forces with me on that beat. Like I said, he did what he supposed to do. He put the sprinkles on it and we came up with something great. That’s what it was all about, it was just about giving something hard and test both of hands with production on that level.

RESPECT.: You pay tribute to Marvin Gaye on “Marvin.” The style of track is something we haven’t really seen you do. Why was this track important for you to make?

It was so important for me to make because, you know, Marvin was definitely one of my heroes coming up. With the heroes, a lot of the time we think of Michael Jackson, Prince, certain people. But I think a lot of time, a lot of the new generation don’t know about Marvin Gaye like that because they weren’t around when he was at his peak. I was listening to music at that time and he had great albums. He was definitely rebellious when it came to listening to what everybody may have wanted him to do. He did what he wanted to do because he felt like music was more than just a fad. It was lifestyle. It was about understanding what was going on in the world. Of course he did things in many people’s lives. He helped some of the greats that we honour today. I just wanted to kinda pay my respects and revisit his life and let people know how important that man was too – in not only music but black excellence too. If you don’t know about Marvim Gaye, something’s wrong with you.

Shout out to those boys who got involved. A new guy that’s an in-house producer of mine that we’re excited to the let the world know about. This is a guy that worked next to me. It just put him in a bracket with the best of the best. Now I’m glad to finally see my man Frank G get his shine.

RESPECT.: Which one song on this new album means the most to you and why?

It would definitely be a record like “Can’t You See” which is a brother to “C.R.E.A.M”. It’s a record that reflects back to when I was kid coming up and where I am today. It speaks on my old lifestyle. I never get caught in the chamber where I only like one record. I’m always a guy that pays attention to see the whole body of the album. So it’s never one record that makes everything right for me. Songs like “The Reign,” these are soulful records that make me reflect on my past that let me know I can’t forget that.

RESPECT.: We’re sure you treat your albums like your babies and you know it’s true that parents have their favorites! If you had to pick your top three what would they be?

Well Only Built 4 Cuban Links is my oldest vinyl so I’d definitely have to pick that one. That one. Umm…Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II, there’s a lot of good production on it as well. And I would go with something like a Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang which was very interesting for me to jump into that whole vibe. We were definitely making people understand that we didn’t lose that chamber that everyone loves to see Wu-Tang in. I would say those three years are some mean material right there.

RESPECT.: With new projects, what is the support like from fellow Wu-Tang members in 2017? Do you guys call each other up to congratulate or give feedback?

Yeah I do get feedback from the boys. Some of them called and reached out and some of them probably don’t know what’s going on because they’re so deep into what they’re doing. You know, at the end of the day any albums that you see I do, it stems from me always thinking about the flag that we built. So I haven’t talked to a lot of those guys but I did talk to a few who were definitely like, ‘Yo congratulations.’ That’s that. I haven’t heard from everybody all at once though. It’s cool, you know. When you got brothers, you don’t expect your brothers to acknowledge your work. They just know that you’re working and that’s just how it’s been for me. I’m trying to keep our flag as high as I can. Whether they know about it or not, it represents us, what we built for the last 30-something years.

RESPECT.: This is your seventh solo album, you are 47 years-old, and you are doing something that many rappers will never do. How do view the point at which you are in your career? Do you think you still have more to give musically?

 Let me tell you something, I’m Muhammad Ali when it comes to music and being an artist. That’s where I stand. I just feel like I’m getting older as I get better because I’m experiencing more. People could walk through my experiences and say, ‘This guy embedded half of his life into the hip-hop culture.’ It’s kinda like it’s already expected to be this way. I enjoy this. For me this I like jumping in the car and driving if I know I like to drive a lot. It’s the same way with music. There’s so much I’m gonna give you guys and do time. But I don’t think there’s going to be invalid moments right now for me. I’ve got a lot to give. I got a new protégé I’m working on, there so many things we’re gonna be giving you guys. This is setup for everything else we have coming up.

RESPECT.: Will you now be taking this album on tour? 

Definitely. I’m seeing a lot of people from all over the world from here to the UK, to Japan, to many different parts of the world. I definitely want to sing some of these songs to the people. We’re working on that. My management are really out there trying to get the right tour setup for me so I can go see my people. You’re going to get a lot of touring. Hopefully we’ve got a documentary we’re working on that’s going to be emerging soon which is the ‘Purple Tape Files’ which pays homage to Only Built 4 Cuban Links that was done twenty-something years ago, and also coming with a new artist this year that’s going to shock the world. It’s going to be really interesting for my team.

RESPECT.: Will you now be taking this album on tour? For the Wu-Tang fans, can we expect to see any reunions anytime soon?For the Wu-Tang fans, can we expect to see any reunions anytime soon?

Next year’s going to be another anniversary for the Wu. It’s celebrating Enter the 36 Chambers, which is celebrating 25 years, we’re looking forward to doing things together collectively again. You may even see something year because, this is year is the 20^th anniversary of Wu-Tang Forever so the guys are definitely putting some things into motion. So you got to keep you eyes and ears open so what’s going to happen in these next two years.

Suggested Articles:

New Album Friday: Mike Will Made-It, Raekwon & GoldLink

Raekwon Drops New Visual With G-Eazy For “Purple Brick Road” [WATCH]

The post RESPECT. Interview: Raekwon Speaks on Lil Wayne, Longevity and Wu-Tang Reunion appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Kendrick Lamar‘s surprise single aside (as well as Drake‘s recent “playlist project”), Hip-Hop fans will be happy to see plenty of dope new projects for this week. You can check out three such offerings — courtesy of Wu-God Raekwon, D.C.’s GoldLink and Atlanta super-producer Mike Will Made-It — below:

Raekwon – The Wild

When speaking on Rap music, it’s god-level respect for any artist that manages to hold a decade-long career. With that said, Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon has succeeded in keeping his presence within the culture at or near the front, thanks to consistent drops (from the iconic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… to the conflicting Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang to 2015’s Fly International Luxurious Art). Today, the Chef liberates his latest release The Wild, which continues his slew of hardcore-yet-educational bars…The Wild also sees appearances from Lil Wayne, Cee-Lo Green, G-Eazy (who holds it down on “Purple Brick Road”) and Andra Day.

GoldLink – At What Cost

GoldLink has kept a pretty secretive profile ever since his debut album And After That, We Didn’t Talk…now, the D.C./V.A. emcee is back with a brand-new offering titled At What Cost, which is led by the singles “Crew” (featuring Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy) and the slightly-controversial “Meditation” (featuring KAYTRANADA and Jazmine Sullivan). In addition, Wale, Kokayi, Mya, Lil Dude and more make memorable appearances, which ultimately gives this album more of a hometown vibe than GoldLink’s debut (And After That, We Didn’t Talk).

Mike Will Made-It – Ransom 2

Fans have been waiting on Mike Will Made-It’s latest effort for a while. More than a year after it was first announced, the Atlanta producer liberates the for-sale mixtape to the masses, preceded by the Rihanna-assisted “Nothing Is Promised” and — more recently — “Gucci On My,” which features 21 Savage, YG and Migos. With all of the star power on Ransom 2 (from Pharrell to Lil Wayne to Kendrick), you can expect this project to produce a lot of radio hits throughout the Summer.

Suggested Articles:

Kendrick Lamar Drops New Track “The Heart Part IV” [LISTEN]

Shy Glizzy Celebrates in New Visual for “Congratulations” [WATCH]

The post New Album Friday: Mike Will Made-It, Raekwon & GoldLink appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.