Where are they now? Take a look below.

Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige has had her music featured on numerous film soundtracks, been featured magazine covers and has acted in film and television shows. She has also gone on to win 9 Grammys. Mary J. Blige is currently the host of Real Talk on Beats 1 Radio. The show premiered in November and has featured Jada Pinkett Smith, Tyrese Gibson, Demi Lovato and other guests.

The Notorious B.I.G.

May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997

On March 9, 1997,  The Notorious B.I.G. was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc album Life After Death, released 16 days later, rose to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000, one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification. Two more albums have been released since his death.

Foxy Brown

Foxy Brown is an American rapper, model, and actress. On August 14, 2012, Foxy Brown appeared as a special featured guest on Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday Tour in New York City. On August 15, 2013, Foxy Brown appeared on MTV Rapfix and announced her fourth studio album tentatively titled Bandz Up and a single of the same name, produced by Joe Milly, which was set to be released December 24, 2013, but was not released for unknown reasons. Foxy has also had a slew of legal trouble and personal health issues regarding her hearing. Recently Brown said her hearing is fine now, and is excited about recording and performing again. According to NY Daily News, she also received a key to the city from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams recognizing her as one of the “Leaders of Tomorrow” for her music.

Memphis Bleek

Memphis Bleek currently hosts parties and making vlogs. Since Reasonable Doubt he discovered Rick Ross.

Sauce Money

In 2006, he appeared at Jay-Z’s ‘I Declare War’ concert to perform “Reservoir Dogs.” Sauce Money also released a 2008 single entitled “Listen 2 Me”, sampling the Oompa-Loompas from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Big Jaz

Besides being an emcee, he has produced songs for several hip hop artists other than Jay-Z, such as Group Home, M.O.P, Ras Kass, Rakim, Kool G Rap Neilleon and others.

Mecca

In 2014 his single “ZOOM ZOOM” was featured in numerous workout DVD’s as well as VH1’s Single Ladies and Fox’s Red Band Society, and then featured again in Chasing Life on ABC Family (now FreeForm) in 2015. His single “FLAT STOMACH” was the premiere single at the 2014 Labo Ethnik Fashion & Lifestyle week in Paris.

Pain in Da Ass

Has a budding acting career and continues to appear on multi-platinum albums.

DJ Clark Kent

DJ Clark Kent is a hip-hop DJ and producer. He is well known as a sneaker collector and has worked with Nike a handful of times in creating sneakers, many of them carrying his signature 112 look. According to SneakerNews.com, Kent has also teamed up with Adidas Originals under the Quickstrike monicker featuring a two-pack of classic three stripe silhouettes with subdued woodland camouflage accents throughout.

Jay-Z

Jay-Z has been a busy man since his Reasonable Doubt days. The 21 time Grammy winner is not only a music power house but a business mogul as well. His empire, according to Business Insider, includes:

Roc Nation, LLC 

An American entertainment company founded by rapper Jay-Z in 2008. The company has offices in New York City, London and Los Angeles. It is a full service entertainment company housing a record label, talent agency, touring and concert production company, music, film, and television production company as well as a music publishing house. The company is home to a diverse roster of recording artists, musicians and record producers such as J. Cole, Big Sean, Rihanna, Kanye West, Grimes, Demi Lovato, DJ Khaled, T.I. and Rita Ora. The company also has partnerships with global management companies Three Six Zero and Philymack. The firm has a multi-year partnership with live event company Live Nation. In June 2009, Roc Nation signed a 4-year distribution deal with Sony Music. In 2010, Roc Nation partnered with London-based entertainment company Three Six Zero Group. In February 2013, Roc Nation signed a worldwide music publishing administration deal with Warner/Chappell Music. In April 2013, Roc Nation formed a new sports management division, Roc Nation Sports, a subsidiary dedicated to sports representation for professional athletes. Shortly thereafter, Roc Nation Sports also launched a boxing promotion division. After the Sony deal expired, in April 2013, Roc Nation signed a multi-year partnership with Universal Music. In February 2015, Roc Nation and Three Six Zero Group announced the formation of Three Six Zero Entertainment, a division representing clients in film, television and the literary arts.

The New Jersey Nets

Jay-Z is a part owner of the NBA team the New Jersey Nets. Last year Forbes valued it at $269 million.

The 40/40 Club

Jay-Z founded The 40/40 club, a chain of sports bars with a club atmosphere. The club now has eight locations, including Tokyo and Macao.

The Spotted Pig

After investing in the semi-famous chic New York bistro in the West Village, Jay-Z bought the entire building. The place is Michelin-starred and doesn’t empty.

Rocawear

Jay-Z founded Rocawear back in 1995 and has promoted the hell out of it since, and it’s worked. He sold the company for $204 million in 2007, but retains creative and operational control.

Carol’s Daughter

Jay-Z co-owns the Carol’s Daughter line of perfumes and beauty products. The line has been featured on shows like the Tyra Banks Show and Oprah.

Decoded

Jay-Z is publishing a book called Decoded, built around his lyrics and that is, according to the WSJ, “a hybrid of music history, social commentary and memoir.”

What’s interesting here from a business perspective is the innovative promotion: Jay-Z got Microsoft to put up $1 million to promote the book as part of an initiative with Bing. Pretty cool.

Reebok

In a four-year partnership, Jay-Z became the first non-athlete to have a line of Reebok shoes named after himself, the S.Carter line, which was popular.

Budweiser Select

In 2006 he didn’t just star in ads for Budweiser Select, but he also helped craft them.

Cherry Cola, HP, Translation Advertising

Coca-Cola, the world’s greatest brand, brought in Jay-Z to advise on the redesign and relaunch of Cherry Coke. Most of these brand partnerships (Budweiser, Coke, HP) go through the ad agency Jay-Z cofounded with Steve Stoute, a serial entrepreneur who had sold his previous company to Interpublic, the third largest ad agency conglomerate.

To read up more on Reasonable Doubt, hit up the respect-mag.com site. It’s Jay Day, All Day Baby!

The post ‘Reasonable Doubt’: Where Are They Now appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Talk about refreshing news. This year (2016) Ras Kass and the hip-hop community celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Soul On Ice. Now, if you’re tuned into this article and you’re not familiar with the 1996 classic, perhaps you’re a bit late. But it’s okay – better late than never right? Ras now reaches out to every supporter and fan in hopes to back the project(s) via IndieGoGo – the announcement consisting of two releases to come.

The first, a precursor to Soul On Ice II titled Intellectual Property, is due out in June. Following that will be SOI2, which is set to be released in October. It’s one package deal but they’re going to be released seperately. It’s no surprise that California’s veteran lyricist linked with some of you and your fathers favorite emcees/producers for the new releases, ranging from KRS-1, Bun B, Statik Selektah, Apollo Brown, O.C., A.F.R.O., Kurupt, Snow Goons, Killah Priest, Apathy, and others. Come on, how exciting is that?

Not only are we thrilled about the new music to come, but Ras also mentions SOI2 is “partly consisting of previously unreleased vintage 1995 recordings and audio, rare remixes, some remixes from legendary hip hop producers.” 

In a recent interview with his longtime brother Sway, his aura is illuminating and gratitude is shown – the recent press runs once again reminding us why Ras Kass is still one of our favorite west coast frontrunners. A lot has changed since 1996. A lot has materialized (for the worse) in hip-hop that could leave an independent veteran with a bitter attitude and foul perspective. But he always offers an abundance of positivity on and off of the camera, and is a walking text book of experience, knowledge, and progression. Did we mention the continuous hunger? Maybe that’s the secret ingredient – new jacks take note.

To get a taste at what’s to come from the trilogy, Ras shares the booth with Freddie Foxx and Onyx in their new “Downward Spiral“. The direct flushing of a toilet followed by Ras’ “It’s all f*cked up now, the f*ck you supposed to do?” paves the few-minute trail for the four veteran lyricists, who quite directly are flushing all bullsh*t down the toilet. All of the corny, non-due-paying rappers should once again take notes and jot down the message here. It may be you they’re flushing. Make room – these four are bullies on the microphone (Freddie Foxxx being the largest to be exact). This record is what we would love to see, and quite frankly need to see, more of in 2016.

Before we shut it down, please feel free to support the project. The goal is to reach $35,000, which goes towards artist and producer feature fees, mixing and mastering, three video shoots (including”Nature of the Threat” retro), manufacturing, and online promotions. Do this one for hip-hop! Now go enjoy the record. Peace and love.

Real Dope 2014 Freestyle at Sway In The Morning (Video)

When Ras Kass Lit Medium On Fire With His Article About “How To Kill God”

Dj Premier & Ras Kass’ Bars In The Booth (Video)

The post Ras Kass Announces ‘Soul On Ice II’ Album & Drops Off A New Headbanger appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

If you’re just now getting familiar with The I V League, welcome. Those of you who keep up with the scene most likely have that one dream-team of artists that you would love to see join forces. This is where the League comes in, specifically stamped and served as an “international fraternity of extraordinary emcee’s, producers and deejays”.

Veteran emcees Ras Kass, Shabaam Sahdeeq and El Da Sensei have been in the mix for quite some time now, but still publicly unfold their craft every year offering something refreshing and equally satisfying. These gentlemen and their abilities do not age. So what happens when you get them in the studio with some of hip-hop’s more recently promising talent? Well, it’s the perfect mesh. That isn’t always the case, but with The I V League it sure is. New York wordsmith El Gant offers his expected, unapologetically piercing lyrics throughout the album. Sam Solo, 4rAx and thekeenone step up to the plate and necessarily deliver in the same playing field as the vets.

After a handful of released singles under The I V League’s umbrella and a busy year for each artist, the full length album is here. It’s versatile. It covers quite a few sounds – for you easily bored folk. It’s blunt. And it’s raw. Today it is not uncommon to hear your average social media surfer complaining that there are no good hip-hop albums out anymore. The League is here with a solution to that frequent complaint with an 11 track solution.

Snowgoons, Jake Palumbo, Poetiq Beetz and P Original are a few names handling the soundscapes throughout the album. The production is carefully selected to best suit the artists blessing the canvases. It would take hours to break down each artists current moves and what they’ve accomplished in 2015 alone. The League has quite the busy roster of recording artists. We hope you enjoy the project! Peace and love.

Official Site | Facebook | BandCamp 

The post The I V League Releases Their Debut LP (Full Album Stream) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Purchase “The Feeling Of Flying” on Bandcamp – HERE

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New York’s El Gant returns with “Raw”, off his forthcoming Spray Music EP. The record finds El Gant delivering one of his most rapid fire, technically sharpened darts of his career. Chi-town’s 42 Keez laid the groundwork here for Gant to brutalize, providing a rather “in” sound – suitable for the 2015 ears. Don’t let that fool you though. Gant is in the lab with Ras Kass, Shabaam Sahdeeq, El Da Sensei and other veteran emcees/new school staples – alongside his IV League camp. He keeps the hip-hop heads fed. Enjoy the track and keep your eyes peeled for the official release date of the upcoming EP. Peace and love.

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Original Artwork: Oliver Barrett

For those unfamiliar with Detroit’s Red Pill, just know it’s not too late. He’s a force to be reckoned with, offering nothing short of brutal honesty and sincerity on records for years now. A lot of heads jumped on board and took notice after Ugly Heroes (Apollo Brown, Verbal Kent & Red Pill) formed and released their acclaimed, self-titled Lp in 2013. After a line up of successful works alongside Brown and Kent, he proved that he is more than equipped to deliver quality solo projects as well. With that being said, Red Pill is set to release his solo debut via Mello Music Group on April 7th titled Look What This World Did To Us. Below you can check out his latest visual for “Rap Game Cranky,” and see what he has to say about it.

One thing fans generally note is your content on records and your brutally honest lyrics. You really dig into the blue collar background and touch on a lot of struggles everyday folks can relate to. Can you elaborate on that a little bit for us?

Yeah man, I mean that’s how I grew up in Michigan. That’s the way we live here. We work and we go through stuff, and deal with things. People all over the place go through this type of stuff. Most of us don’t come from money and stuff like that. So, for me to write about anything different would be crazy. I’m glad the content resonates.

Ugly Heroes is quite the group. You three really put out some quality material these past couple years that the masses responded beyond well to. How did you three come about and join forces exactly?

I initially met Apollo Brown around 2010 at a local beat battle event in Michigan that I was asked to be a judge at. I knew of his work prior to meeting him and was definitely looking forward to it. I gave him a copy of a project I had out that I pressed up at the time. He didn’t pay me much attention really, which is totally cool and understandable (laughs). Probably about a year later we met again at a going away party for a mutual friend of ours, where we chopped it up some more. Not too long after we fully connected and he asked me to do the “This Is Life” record. He was impressed, and shortly after this led into doing the whole Ugly Heroes project. It’s funny because I was not too familiar with Verbal Kent prior to this project forming, so we got to know each other on the spot more or less. It was all a part of Apollo Brown’s plan that worked out beautifully, and I’m grateful for it.

You’ve been running alongside Mello Music Group now for a little while, which is arguably one of the best, most authentic labels on the scene currently. Fans have built serious trust around them and for you to be apart of this is a blessing. Can you talk a little bit about your experience working alongside them?

Mello Music group is all about the art, which I respect the hell out of. It’s not about the dollar with them. The creativity and quality of the product is what matters here. That’s not to say the artists aren’t taken care of, because we are. But yeah man, it has been an amazing ride so far. I hope that my career starts and ends with Mello Music Group.

What should we be expecting with your new solo debut dropping April 7th? The few records you have released are all stellar and it gives fans a good idea of what to expect, but we want to hear more. Are you looking forward to the release?

It’s jazzy, man – kind of different. It’s still a general boom-bap sound and straight forward delivery. I had a lot of goals with this record, and the fact that it’s my first solo release under Mello is an important career accomplishment. I did my thing with Ugly Heroes, and I love all of that. But this is moving forward and allowing me to really put my own stamp on something which is important to me. It’s the most complete project I have ever worked on. I want this to be something that fans sit down with and run front to back, and there is an experience that happens with it. This is my best work to date for sure.

Since we are featuring the newer “Rap Game Cranky” video do you mind talking a little bit about this record? It’s almost depressing, in a beautiful sense of course. I think a lot of people can relate to this track, and setting, on so many levels.

The record is a little depressing, and like you said I hope in a good way (laughs). It was a time in my life when I was going through some stuff; a mild depression I was experiencing that hadn’t came along in a while. Some of the stuff I wrote while going through it, and some of it was written after the fact. I touch on alcoholism on the record, as well as on previous records, and I hope it helps in some fashion for people going through it. It was less about glorifying it, and more just reality from my perspective.

Don’t forget to get your pre-order by the time you close out this article. Also, Red Pill has a few live performances coming up: Majestic Café in Detriot, MI (3/27) and The Loving Touch in Ferndale, MI (4/3). If you are in the area you probably shouldn’t miss him bless the stage. Hard copies of the new Lp will be available at The Loving Touch show. For more information on the locations and general concerns, hit up Red Pill’s Facebook page here. Lastly, Mello Music Group just released their latest compilation project ‘Persona’, with features from Red Pill, Apollo Brown, Oddisee, Ras Kass, Masta Ace, Quelle Chris, yU and more. It’s beyond loaded, so definitely check that out below right now. Peace and love, world.

The post Red Pill Discusses Upcoming Album, Working With Mello Music Group & Inspirations appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Apollo Brown and Ras Kass’ Blasphemy album drops next Tuesday, but today they give fans a free download in celebration of the album’s early iTunes release. Horns and trumpets back this religious fueled record. Find out how to kill god below.

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