Image credit: MSFTS Music/Roc Nation

Atlanta’s Raury is back. Following a music hiatus (not counting his appearance on Jaden Smith’s “Falcon“), Dolce & Gabbana protest and split from Columbia (he’s now under Jaden’s MSFTS via Roc Nation), the self-proclaimed Indigo Child delivers a brand new single titled “Odyssey,” which is explained in detail:

Here is a song breaking down exactly how I feel in this stage of my life as a light worker in such a dark industry. I don’t know how all my idols got turned into something else but I can’t give in and play “the game” I would much rather rip myself from this labyrinth of ego, manipulation and greed. Trust my fans and know that for the music I give them I can survive. I just want to jam with my friends in the woods, be liberated of the matrix, and leave the keys behind.

Until then I promise you I never quit music, it just takes one hell of a plan to move ice across the desert. I will protect my vision, I will deliver these messages, I will not be stopped.

Will be playing in the woods, selling t’s giving music for free and leading a career that actually helps people. No longer with LVRN no longer with Columbia. I now embark on a Journey aligned with my artistic purpose.

Come to the woods

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The post Raury Returns with New Single, “Odyssey” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photo via GQ

Blank, unfazed model faces slid through Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan fashion show, molded to be this way, directing attention to their beauty and to the product their showcasing on their bodies. Walking in the same stoic manner was Atlanta artist Raury, donning a yellow bomber jacket and shorts with lavender dyed hair. Toward the end of the show, he strips, revealing a marker covered chest reading “PROTEST D&G,” “GIVE ME FREEDOM,” and “I AM NOT YOUR SCAPEGOAT.” With a fist up- the recognized symbol of protest for Black power groups and resistance groups in general- Raury stood alone as models continued waltzing and glared, confused, at him, standing completely still in the very middle of the walkway.

Raury’s actions came about after he googled the brand to learn more about them, following his acceptance of their offer to partake in the fashion show. His distaste for the brand arose after reading about the innumerable controversies that surround the brand and their head designers, particularly one involving the proud dressing assistance they provided Melania Trump. After many people showed their disapproval, Dolce and Gabbana launched what GQ called “tongue-in-cheek-meta-campaign” with the leasing slogan of “Boycott Dolce and Gabbana,” featuring t-shirts with the text costing upward $200. Additionally, they launched a commercial with children “protesting” the brand alongside the heads of the fashion house, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana.

Raury sat with GQ in an extremely sociopolitical interview to discuss why he decided to do what he did. Alongside many thought provoking questions and answers, done magnificently by Mark Anthony Green, two questions stuck out to me personally: one involving his thoughts on what they did wrong:

The “Boycott Dolce & Gabbana” T-shirt they created completely makes a mockery of what “boycotting” is. Boycotting is the people’s voice. A protest is the people’s voice. It has power. It changes things. When I came out to Milan for my first time walking on a fashion runway, ever, I was excited. I’m a stylish-ass young kid, but I don’t know everything about fashion. I knew nothing about the T-shirt until I was here. I had already agreed to walk for them. [The day before the show,] I Googled “Dolce & Gabbana” so that I could know who was who when I finally met them. I didn’t want to be disrespectful to either one of them by calling them the wrong name. When I typed up their names, the first thing I saw was a headline on Fortune.com, “Dolce & Gabbana Is Trolling Melania Trump Critics with This $245 T-shirt.” National Post, AOL, etc. And then I saw a commercial featuring the boycott T-shirt, and it looked playful and lighthearted—it was a joke. It was a troll. Me, as a young man from Stone Mountain, Georgia, the birthplace of the Klu Klux Klan, I really felt this mockery of boycotting. Who knows, if boycotts didn’t happen, if Rosa Parks and M.L.K. didn’t step up…who knows if I would even exist. Boycotting matters. Boycotting is real. Dolce’s entire campaign says it’s not real. I know that if I walk out there and support or endorse anything that sits next to Trump—or support someone who even makes dinner for Trump or whatever—then that means that I support Trump also. I don’t support Trump. So I’m trapped, and I have to let people know that I don’t support Trump and I don’t support those who are trying to undermine the voice of the people.

And one on the “scapegoat” statement etched in his lower rib:

I wondered why I was picked to come out here and support them in a time when they’re going through some heat. So here I am, about to be like, Dolce & Gabbana is cool, but I didn’t know what they had done. And a lot of [models in the runway show] didn’t know what they had done. I felt like Dolce & Gabbana was literally trying to use the youth to wash their hands of any sort of heat from anyone who wants to protest against them.

Raury’s dissonance with the brand, and his outspokenness about it, fit securely with the type of character he and his collective, LoveRenaissance (LVRN, for short), wear boldly on their sleeves. As he stated, mocking the youth and mocking the intricate steps of change are tools used to stagnate, which is an action he won’t stand with. After his actions, he posted an Instagram post further detailing his decision to protest and the feelings that were churning during the act itself.

I never felt so alone, so terrified, yet so alive… Found myself in tears when I realized the people understood, and I’m not just screaming in the dark anymore … if ur in this industry remember that there is a god, and he protects the good… so do the work when aligned to. following my heart from this day forth knowing that I am living truth… If it ever means my end so be it. (GQ story in Bio) The future is now

A post shared by raury (@raury) on Jun 19, 2017 at 6:21pm PDT

Keep up with the 21 year old artist on his Instagram and Twitter.

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The post Raury Unapologetically Protests Dolce & Gabbana During Their Fashion Show appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Since bursting onto the scene with his Indigo Child project, young Atlanta upstart Raury has grabbed listeners by the ears and appears to have no intentions of letting go any time soon, with the proof of that lying in his debut album, All We Need.

Teaming up with fellow ATLien, Key!, the XXL Freshman hits the streets of his hometown in the new clip for “Trap Tears”. Peep it above and cop All We Need, if you’ve been sleep.

The post Raury featuring Key! – “Trap Tears” (Video) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Raury recently took the stage at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to perform his powerful All We Need cut “Devil’s Whisper.” Backed by a live band and a background singers none of that power was lost in the performance, in fact some may that this live delivery is more moving than the original cut.

Peep the performance below.

The post Watch Raury Perform “Devil’s Whisper” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Since it began in 2010, the ONE MusicFest has brought premier talent to the Atlanta, GA area. Every year, the festival is bigger than the previous, so it was no surprise thag each stage featured an all star lineup. RESPECT. was in the house to capture the show as it went down. Check out our photo recap below and watch for our video mashup this week!

Photo Credit: Ms. Lauryn Hill/TheYBF.com /Anthony “Truth” Gary/Albrica Tierra Photography/Oz Shaw

SZA, One Music Fest 2015

SZA, One Music Fest 2015

SZA, One Music Fest 2015

Big K.R.I.T., One Music Fest 2015

Big K.R.I.T., One Music Fest 2015

Big K.R.I.T. and Dj Dibiase, One Music Fest 2015

Scareface, One Music Fest 2015

Bun B, One Music Fest 2015

A$AP Rocky, One Music Fest 2015

Photo Credit: TheYBF.com/ Anthony “Truth” Gary/Albrica Tierra Photography/Oz Shaw

Raury, One Music Fest 2015

Raekwon, One Music Fest 2015

The Internet, One Music Fest 2015

Ryan Leslie, One Music Fest 2015

Photos: Robin Martea Johnson 

The post ONE MusicFest 2015 (Photo Review) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

After announcing the upcoming release of his debut album, All We Need, Atlanta upstart Raury hits us with a new video for “Friends”, the second single from the album. Assisted by former Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, “Friends” is a fun visual that sees Raury and his friend Jeremy embarking on an interactive road trip, spanning from Atlanta to Chicago. Watch “Friends” above, and pick up All We Need, which will feature RZA, Big K.R.I.T. and more, on October 16th.

The post Raury hits the road in new video for “Friends” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

From Andre 3000 to Frank Ocean, Atlanta’s “Indigo Child” Raury has been compared to them all. He stopped by Sway In The Morning along with his very loyal manager to speak on positive vibes, why it’s important that people have their OWN musical taste (regardless of what everyone else is vibin’ to), and much more. Not to mention he kicks a freestyle to wrapping the interview on a very impressive note. What his message is, will definitely behoove you. Check it out down below.

The post The Journey Of Conscious Youth: Raury appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.