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.

Artwork: Adri Cakes

For those who’ve been following Brown Bag AllStars since the Fat Beats days you should have a clear understanding that these cats work their asses off. Audible Doctor (having produced for the likes of 50 Cent, John Legend, Sadat X, Onyx, Astro and more) is predominately known for his carefully crafted, soulful production. We’ve heard him step away from the hardware in the past and bless the mic, but since the 2014 release of Can’t Keep The People Waiting there has been a wave of new fans supporting him as a consistent lyricist. Is Audible Doctor equally as successful on the mic as he is on the boards? You can draw your own opinions. In a recent sit down with RESPECT. Magazine‘s Dread Solo he stated:

“I’ve been rapping for longer than I’ve been producing but my production has kind of always overshadowed my rapping. In the last 2-3 years I’ve put an emphasis on releasing more solo material where I’m rapping and really focused on getting my bars up so I think lyrically I’m in a good place at the moment. I’m never going to stop producing but I’m definitely going to be focusing on the rapping aspect more moving forward.”

Can’t Keep The People Waiting made multiple headlines and nudged its way into a handful of notable media figures’ “top of 2014” lists. With that being said – if you missed the release you should probably catch up and have this in your collection now. The physical/vinyl releases are now available as well. Take a trip on this beautifully dark, dramatic journey while the Doctor battles his demons on the acclaimed “The Burial Plot”:

Just in case you are in doubt about the release, we’ve attached the full stream below. If you’re a real hip-hop junkie we are one hundred percent certain you will love this. Peace and love:

The post The Audible Doctor Returns With New Visual For “The Burial Plot” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

“We did not want to make this a record label because most record labels have a similar sound. Once a record label flops and the sound is over – the artists flop. So, we went and found everything from traditional hip-hop to pop music. Basically any playlist in the world we want to have music on each and everyone. These artists with We Build Hits are actually talented and I am in direct connection with them everyday, so I see the talent daily. We believe in each and every artist here.”

There’s no arguing Billy Danze‘s stripes, patented sound and most importantly [RESPECT.] when mentioning hip-hop. 2000’s “Ante Up” still gets senior citizens and toddlers riled up. What do you get when the veteran handpicks a wide collection of artists to represent a movement? You guessed right – fire. ‘We Got It All Vol. 1’ is one for your digital collection – trust. “I have not heard any record from these cats that I didn’t like” Billy confidently states over Dj Spot‘s murderous, and almost addictive, intro cut. To avoid a confusingly fluffy review that we see published left and right, lets allow the music draw your own review:

‘We Got It All Vol. 1’ is as blunt and truthful as its title; they have it all. From Reign Major‘s roll-up-to, laid back “Best Thing Yet” to Tona‘s brutally honest “Lost”, this mix covers a lot of ground. How can you be mad at that? It’s more or less equivalent to throwing your iPod on shuffle, with trust that all 16 records will satisfy. Dj Spot did what he does best on the wheels, and blessed us with smooth transitions and quality mixing. We Got It All sort of echoes and gives an early Dj Clue or J-Love vibe when first listening front to back. We all love Clue and J-Love, come on. Billy Danze stated:

“Spot is one of those dudes that’s serious about hip-hop and knows how important it is to help spread it out. I’ve heard about him through the years and wanted to work with him a some level. So with both of our passions for the music of yesterday and today I felt it was only right to hook up and together start setting up the artists of tomorrow.”

Predominantly based in the states, We Build Hits has had success with their previous collaborative releases and moves. But what makes the “record company” special is the access of material per artist. They all do their own thing under this loose, respectful umbrella that Billy has crafted carefully. The freedom is profound, and it’s refreshing to see this small army do what they love while remaining drama/scheme free. After speaking with Billy on a few occasions about the company we can start to wrap our heads around the vision and the expectations moving forward. On a closing note, we hope all you real hip-hop junkies and good music fans enjoy the release. Be sure to download the project and support the team. Peace and love.

Reign Major | Tona | Money Mark | Demorne Warren (D-Dub) | Eyeznpowa | Ronve | Caktuz | Lucci Loner

(All interview segments with RESPECT. Magazine’s Dread Solo – special thanks and many blessings to Devron from We Build Hits and Russia’s own Dj Spot)

The post M.O.P.’s Billy Danze Is Back Alongside His Relentless Team Of Emcees With ‘We Got It All Vol. 1’ (Free Stream/Download) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.