Bringing that new energetic flavor to listeners ears is the dynamic duo better known as Deco Fam. With Deco Ho Chi Mayne and Deco STLN, alongside their resident producer/DJ SUPR SPRT, we have two Haitians and a Russian redefining what it means to be creatively bold in 2018.

Giving off a different vibe on every record, Deco Fam has been finessing their way to the top. With their debutproject ChinaTown still fresh, it doesn’t take long to notice that the whimsical melodies of Ho Chi Mayne paired with the rich wordplay of STLN complement each other perfectly on records. Born and raised in Miami-Dade County, the duo are not your typical rappers. As classically trained footwear designers, they have designed for big brands including Converse, Reebok, Under Armour, and most recently PUMA. Having spent the majority of their professional careers at PUMA, you have seen their designs at the forefront of partnerships with The Weekend, Fenty, Selena Gomez and Jay-Z.

Credit: @ivesmatik

A Russian refugee, executive producer of ChinaTown, SUPR SPRT, down south hip hop influence developed from his childhood spent in Tennessee. Having teamed up with Ho Chi Mayne and STLN in 2015, his sound puts a quirky twist on trap music.

Credit: @ivesmatik

The sky is the limit for these guys as they continue to push the culture forward to expanding the boundaries of hip hop. Having a strong sense of style, Deco Fam resembles the art form of Art Deco. Art Deco is a style of visual arts, architecture and designs that paved the way for the designers of the future. Deco Fam prove to be the odd ones out, breaking any and every barrier in their way.

Credit: @ivesmatik

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The post RESPECT. Premiere: Leaders of the New School Deco Fam Set a New Wave appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photographer Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed. Photo Credit: Eric Salvary/Get Fit Radio TV

Photographer, Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed checked in with Scoop B Radio podcast’s Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson. Press Play Below To Listen!

If you read articles on the internet then you’ve seen his work. Photographer Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed has photographed the latest and greatest.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama, Dwyane Wade, Jay-Z, Fabolous, DJ Khaled, P.Diddy and many more have been photographed under the keen lens of Calligrafist.

His photography is a bridge between fashion, lifestyle, hip hop and culture.

He’s everywhere!  Literally!

Homeboy’s work has appeared in reputable publications such as Billboard, ESPN, Bleacher Report, HBO, CBS Sports, Complex, Catch Restaurant, Reebok, Nike, Adidas, New York Fashion Week, DJ USA, Hot 97, Power 105.1, S.O.B.’s, Tidal, BET, VIBE, Mass Appeal, The Shade Room, Hype Beast, The Source Magazine, REVOLT, RESPECT Magazine, Bleu Magazine and Elliot Wilson and Brian ‘B.Dot” Miller’s Rap Radar.

All of that said…guess what? He’s not comfortable! 

“The kind of person that I am, I just want to do more,” Calligraist told RESPECT Magazine today by phone.

“This is just the beginning.” 

Forever Uptown… it’s a Harlem Thing. | #CalligrafistChronicles | www.CalligrafistPhotography.com

A post shared by Ismail اسما عيل Calligrafist™ (@calligrafist) on Dec 15, 2017 at 7:12pm PST

Harlem, NY bred and globally influenced, Calligrafist actually didn’t aspire to be a photographer. In fact, he fell in love with the art of graffiti and calligraphy; hence the nickname, ‘Calligrafist.’

A man of faith, the devout Muslim is college educated at Jamia Madinatul Uloom University in Trinidad & Tobago, where he studied Quranic Studies and Arabic reading and writing.

Calligrafist acknowledges seasoned hip hop photographers like Johnny Nunez and Jonathan Mannion  who have undoubtedly paved the way for on-the rise photographers such as himself. Calligrafist emphasizes that he’s glad to sit at the table with them and eat, while also gaining their respect for his skin in the game. “It’s genuinely cool to have intimate conversations with them,” he said.

“It’s more humbling that I am able to have direct access to people that I look up to like them and someone like Lenny S., DJ Clark Kent, Emory Jones, that have a name in the industry, people that have a place in the culture, for people to acknowledge me for more my work; that’s an honor. That’s more humbling. But it moves me to want to do more.”

For more information on Calligrafist and his photographic/art movement, visit www.calligrafistphotography.com and scroll up and press play to listen to our chat on Scoop B Radio! 

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The post Scoop B: Photographer Ismail “Calligrafist” Sayeed is a rising star who has stayed true to both his Islamic faith & his craft appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Kendrick Lamar graces us with his artistry in an ad for the Reebok classics. On Monday, Reebok released this ad as a powerful part of their campaign. In the clip, Kendrick goes down memory lane to his origins as a young rapper, and reminisces about the Reebok classics.

Kendrick warms up for his freestyle by stating simply,”Classic. Timeless. Rules. Forever.”

The video shows the Compton rapper walking the streets in his jerky Kendrick fashion, and mumbling raps under his breath. The clicks of a camera indicate the photoshoot for the campaign, and the repeated “pimp, pimp! Hooray” references Kendrick’s tagline.

Kendrick summarizes his relationship with Reebok. “By the time I started writing when I was thirteen, I knew from the jump that I wanted something that was original, something that was classic,” he said.

The clever call for something that is “classic” has the punch of a great campaign. Kendrick lends his credibility and creativity as a “classic” rapper to the Reebok brand.

“I freestyle over anything,” he says. Kendrick can make anything into art — even an ad.

Kendrick then speaks about what connects style and rap to him. “When you think about rhymes and style you always want a classic feel. So my first introduction to a classic shoe was the moment I stepped in school and I said to myself I want to put something down on paper I started writing. Everyone in the classroom was wearing Reebok classics,” he said.

This campaign proves that style and musical creativity interweave, and compliment one another. Kendrick is the dream spokesman to preach this message.

He goes on to say, “Hip-hop was more than just the music, it was part of the culture, it was part of having style, it was part of the whole graffiti and arts. It was only right that I would wear the Reebok classics then. I still remain that classic guy, and that’s why I’m wearing the shoes now.”

Whatever medium, you’ve gotta respect the classic.

Check out the clip below:

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The post Kendrick Lamar Freestyles on New Reebok Ad appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The trend of entertainers turning into designers or stepping into the fashion realm is no longer a thing of the past. Native Atlanta rapper, Future fits quite well into this category with his latest installment of fashion goods in collaboration with Reebok.

He unveiled via his snapchat and Instagram pages a preview the Insta Pump Fury set to launch Fall 2016. The figuration for the shoe is a Reebok standard for innovation, a motif spectators can foresee throughout this partnership.

This is the second noteworthy consolidation that Reebok has made with a rapper with the first being with Kendrick Lamar. Lately Reebok has been displaying to fashion enthusiast along with sneaker heads why they managed to maintain relevant all these years by renovating old designs and releasing them.

I’m excited to announce my new partnership with Reebok. S/o my family DAME Frm @reebokclassics & my big bro @therealswizzz #FBGREEBOK16

A photo posted by Future Hendrix (@future) on Jul 9, 2016 at 1:24pm PDT

“Future exudes the type of fearlessness and authenticity that Reebok Classic stands for,” said Todd Krinsky, Global Vice President of Reebok Classic and Entertainment. “This partnership not only continues our brand’s longstanding legacy of working with the world’s best hip hop artists, but also solidifies Reebok Classic’s commitment to never back down from pushing boundaries. I’ve had a preview of what’s to come from Future and Reebok and I can’t wait for everyone to see!”

Commenting on the partnership Future said, “I’m excited to kick off the summer with Reebok by my side. It’s a natural fit for me to work with a brand like Reebok that also shares my beliefs in moving culture forward and being passionate in what you believe in. Not only am I honored, but I feel privileged to be a part of the family.”

We’re excited for the release of this collaboration, and will keep you posted on exact release dates!

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The post Future Publicizes Partnership With Reebok appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

We are in the day an age where our favorite celebrities are granted with the opportunity to design shoes for prominent brands. I mean we’re not complaining cause who doesn’t feel significant in a par of Yeezy Boost 750‘s or Rihanna’s Creepers.  Now that Kendrick Lamar teamed up with Reebok to deliver a 3rd capsule collection we can now feel distinguished in our Classic Reebok’s with a West Coast touch.

This collab commemorates the iconic Classic Leather sneaker that we all appreciate Reebok for. Lamar joined forces with sneaker designer, Ian Paley to install their personal touch on the original design.

Placing emphasis on the aesthetic of the shoe, it features a seam that runs down the shoe dividing the blue and the red/ This dissect acts as a metaphor meant to show for the adversity and major decisions that Lamar has been faced with in life. So yes these are a sneaker/ rapper collaboration however wearing them we understand the deeper meaning behind the asymmetrical motif they have.

Set to hit stores July 1 the sneaker comes in both adult & children sizes; this way the whole family can equipped this season in these cool renditions of the Classics!

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The post Kendrick Lamar x Reebok Collaboration Release Date Announced appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“We’re talking about practice?” What pops in your head when you read this? Probably one of Allen Iverson’s most famous off-court sound bytes ever.

Reebok Classics brings us back to this memorable moment with the Reebok Classics Question Mid “Practice” sneaker.

This shoe will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Question’s silhouette. The colorway is red grey and black, which was inspired by the the Boston Red Sox baseball cap during his off-court rant in 2002.

The shoe has an all grey tumbled leather upper and black leather overlaying on the mudguard. There will be red stitching on the sides and red shoe laces. Also, complementing the shoe will be a baseball stitching on the side panel and a gum bottom to finish off the shoe.

The Reebok Classic Question Mid “Practice” will hit stores on May 13th and retail at $140.

Rumors always spread about Iverson being drunk at his infamous press conference, but that wasn’t the case. During a press conference in Philadelphia, he announced his retirement on October 30th, 2013 because he lost his desire to play. At the end of his unforgettable era, he was able to tell his side in front of everyone. The Hall of-Famer talked about the highs and lows of his career, but of course he couldn’t leave in peace without talking about his legendary “practice” speech.

He wasn’t mad or angry, but sad, due to the death of his best friend that had past that morning of the press conference. AI has been ridiculed for his aggressive and abrasive personality, but he simply was in mourning.

It was reported that A.I. said practice 22 times. Who would’ve known one word in a press conference would be one of the most unforgettable in NBA press history?

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The post Reebok Question Mid “Practice” Releases on May 13th appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Kendrick Lamar’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, as his hometown of Compton, will be awarding him with a key to the city.

The post Jay Rock & Glasses Malone talk unity in Kendrick Lamar’s “Project Hero” short appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.