The Atlanta based rapper, Rittz is dropping his new album, Top of The Line under the Strange Music record label. The album is set to be released two weeks from today, May 6th, and will include features from Tech N9ne, E-40, Mike Posner, Devin the Dude, and MJG to name a few. The production has a strong 70’s soul vibe to it with work by Michael “Seven” Summers, Florian “Heartbeatz” Wiesner, and Kato. We got a chance to talk to Rittz to see how he was feeling about his new work.

RESPECT.: How do you feel about your new album, Top of the Line?

Good, I have a very positive feeling about the album and the future road life. I’m in tour mode now, working with Yelawolf and Strange Music but I’m really happy about the album and am ready for fans to hear it. I’m in a very good space musically and am pleased with where my career is headed.

RESPECT.: What is the concept behind Top of the Line?

This is one of the more “chill” albums I’ve done in a while, normally my music is pretty deep and serious. Top of the Line does have a few serious songs but most of them are songs you can ride to and chill to. I wanted the album to have a Bruce Lee, Enter the Dragon theme, so it has a good 70’s soul feel to it.

RESPECT.: You have a good variety of production on this album, how was it like working with these producers?

When I began thinking of this new album, Heartbeatz helped me figure out the concept of the 70’s feel. Once we got the concept down I got in contact with Summers and he came in strong with the 70’s tracks. He (Summers) is a very versatile and skilled producer and I honestly didn’t want him to stop once he started making them. There were only two tracks I didn’t use from the eight he sent me.

RESPECT.: How involved are you in your production?

I don’t sit in the booth with them but I will tell them ideas or certain examples of what I want, and listen to them. I am very picky about what I want, so we will talk on the phone about what is working and what isn’t and I will choose.

RESPECT.: Are you preparing any tour dates for Top of the Line?

Yes, right now I’m touring with the whole Strange Music Group, but after this we will be planning the tour I’ll be headlining. Right now we were thinking Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This would be my first time going to any of those places, and my first run. It will be a fall tour most likely.

RESPECT.: What do you want your fans to get out of your music?

I want my fans to relate to the emotions of the songs. I want them to feel the music and pain in the more deeper tracks. Everybody goes through different rough times in their life and I want them to be able to get through them with my music. With the less deeper songs I want them to enjoy the creative sounds and appreciate the effort of my rhymes, lyrics, and wordplay. I want them to appreciate the music and artwork of the album together.

RESPECT.: Do you have any favorite songs on Top of the Line?

My favorite song is the introduction, Top of the Line personally. It introduces the title of the album, the theme of the album and just sets the album off as a whole. But my favorite among the other tracks change by the week. This week I’m feeling “My Window” and “Back to Yesterday.”

RESPECT.: Do you have any predicted singles besides “Inside the Groove?”

I was just talking about that but I’m just going to wait and see what people gravitate to. My mind doesn’t really think about singles the way others do. I want to see how the fans react and then go from there. I think “All Night” could be a potential single, but for this album we’re going to get out as many visuals as possible.

RESPECT.: What are your top 3 works out of your previous albums and mixtapes?

1. Top of the Line
2. White Jesus Revival
3. The Life and Times of Jonny Valiant

RESPECT.: Lastly, because we are RESPECT. what does respect mean to you?

Respect means letting someone be themselves. If you can’t let an individual be themselves then that is the ultimate disrespect of a person and their potential.

If you haven’t already, go check out Rittz’s new album, Top of the Line, out on iTunes now!

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New Video: Rittz- “Crown Royal”, New Video: Rittz- “Turn Down”

The post RESPECT. Interview: Rittz Talks New Album ‘Top of the Line’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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The post New Video: Rittz – “Crown Royal” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Rittz is back at it with his newest visual for the track, “Turn Down.” The hit single is produced by G.O.O.D. Music’s very own, Lifted, and will be featured on Rittz’s sophomore LP, Next to Nothing. The track is definitely a club banger and it features Rittz’s fire lyrics, “Word on the street, you’ve been running your mouth. Turn up on me, Ima turn that bitch down.”

Next to Nothing is due out September 9th on Strange Music so make sure to check it out! Tell us what you think of the visual for “Turn Down.”

The post New Video: Rittz – “Turn Down” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Earlier this week Kansas City rapper and Strange Music frontman Tech N9ne visited New York City to promote his upcoming album, Something Else, which hits the shelves next Tuesday, July 30th. Taking place at the legendary SOBs, the event was a modest affair: security was minimal, the music was fairly audible and the bar was [temporarily] open. After Tech arrived, he ascended the stage, briefly thanked everyone for attending,  then quickly made his way to the floor to mingle with the crowd. The brief introduction was a humbling gesture with a clear message: the night was simply about sharing the music.

Accordingly, the album began playing immediately. The first song, aptly named, “Straight Out the Gate,” features Krizz Kaliko and Serj Tankian of System of a Down and sets the precedent for an album overflowing with features. In fact there are so many features – and many of them are high-profile – that RESPECT. had to ask Tech how he could afford them when he is merely an independent artist.

Barely concealing his own lingering shock, he informed us that with the exception of the instrumentals and his collaboration with The Doors, all of the features were done without cost, “out of respect” for him. There’s no telling what he will have to give these various artists in return, but the fact that they contributed these verses for free is simply amazing. Tech himself shared our amazement, saying, “How do you think it makes me feel?” Hip-hop has been a house of horrors when it comes to navigating that treacherous line between business relationships and artistic collaboration, so RESPECT.‘s guess is that Tech feels pretty damn good. The songs make this apparent. Despite the abundance of collaborations, a clear voice, his voice, manages to float above each song, ensuring that the reins remain in the hands of the creator.

It’s difficult to dive into the nuances of the album after only one listen, especially a listen that occurred via the questionable acoustics of a nightclub, so until there is an opportunity to properly review the album, here a few notes from the party:

• The album features a noticeable amount of live instrumentation.
• Tech told RESPECT. that he couldn’t pick a favorite song because of the album’s tripartite division into Fire, Water and Earth, which all mean something different to him, but after the full album finished and he began playing individual tracks, Tech demanded that the DJ play “Fragile.” (so it’s probably one of his favorite songs.)
• On “Priorities” Tech trades bars with Angel Davenport and Game. It’s a short track (1:43), but that song structure – 3 emcees continuously going back and forth – is something that deserves to be explored some more by Tech as well as other rappers
• Rittz, who was signed to Strange Music last year, absolutely fits in with the Strange Crew, as indicated by “Colorado.”
• The album is kind of long with all of the bonus tracks.
• Danny Brown and Tech would be a crazy rap duo.
• The album as a whole is very vulnerable, but in a way that differs from the vulnerability of Take Care.
• Tech N9ne seems to genuinely make the music that he wants, sans market pressures. He and Mac Miller should high-five.
• On one song, someone says, “Fuck your litigation.” That’s the history of rap in a nutshell, is it not?

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When writing about white rappers, music journalists fall into two camps: those who overemphasize race’s significance and those who deny race’s significance. Before this journalist could even attempt to [retrospectively] pick a side, Yelawolf vandalized both camps, stealing my camping gear and tossing it into the fire. He did this in two ways: 1) by being himself, a twisted, shit-talking, beer-chugging, rhyme-vomiting, deer hunting rapper from the rural South and 2) by directly acknowledging the white rappers that preceded and influenced him.

The night started with a charged set from Rittz, Yelawolf’s Slumerican tourmate and rapid-rhyming peer. It wasn’t revealed until midway through Yela’s set that Rittz had recently been signed to Tech N9ne’s Strange Music record label, but Rittz’ skill was apparent as soon as the first lyrics escaped his lips. Though he looks like the redheaded cousin of comedian Chris Porter, Rittz’ skills on the mic were no laughing matter. From “White Jesus” to “Passin’ Out”– his slightly comical take on the summer hit “Cashin’ Out” – the stocky Georgian spewed a million words a minute, dexterously attacking every instrumental he touched. When a sizable crowd of drunk dudes had cheered for Rittz during DJ Vajra’s opening spins, they seemed like impatient drunkards, but his set proved that the alcohol wasn’t at fault: the guy could spit.

And so could his colleague. Following Rittz’ descent into the crowd, Yelawolf emerged , nonchalantly toting a pitcher of beer as if he knew he would need it later. The set started with “Whistlin’ Dixie” an aggressive punk track from, Psycho White, his upcoming collaborative EP with drummer and percussionist Travis Barker. The rough snares and harsh intonations were a different beast from the smooth, bass-driven tracks of Trunk Muzik, but Yelawolf seemed right at home. After concluding “Whistlin’ Dixie,” he thanked the audience for coming out in the snowstorm and performed “Trunk Muzik.” Despite the energy of both of these songs, Yelawolf didn’t really seem too lively until the third song, “Let Me Out.” As soon as the beat dropped, he went ballistic, miming the beat lyrically and physically. From that point onward, he was all over the stage, bouncing, jumping and drinking.

Cycling through old and new hits as well as his verse from the legendary Shady Cypher, the concert trod along smoothly. Things were merry all along, but they really got interesting when Yelawolf gave DJ Vajra a signal – he was a fantastic DJ, by the way – and then dedicated the next few tracks to recently deceased MCA of the Beastie Boys. “Brass Monkey,” “Fight For Your Right” and “Paul Revere” all got a spin while Yela bounced around the stage, enthusiastically rapping along. “My Name Is,” by Yela’s label boss, Eminem, followed afterward. This series of songs was brief, but it was subtly powerful. Rather than taking the Asher Roth route and penning a song (See: “As I Em”) about the inevitable and tenuous connections drawn between white rappers, Yelawolf preemptively strikes. The white rappers that preceded him are neither demons he has to exorcise nor stylistic ancestors that overly determine his style. By highlighting them, Yelawolf is able to both acknowledge them and distinguish himself.

Later in the show an audience member shouted, “Yo, fuck MGK!” With Southern charm Yelawolf said, “Hey chill out, man. I don’t sound like MGK,” again distinguishing himself without having to throw punches. The 20+ song set ended with “Push ‘Em,” another track off Psycho White. Yelawolf mustered up all the energy he could and stood triumphantly as the front row moshed, but he looked weary. Which was understandable. In one night he had not only performed 20+ songs; he had also solved the white rapper conundrum. That’s a lot of work.

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