Trenton, New Jersey dweller Sharod Lee delivers the visual to his latest single, “Shady” off his Blurry View EP.  Based off a real scenario, Sharod tells the tale of the shorty who attempted to flex. The situation may seem relatively similar to many, and I’m sure like Lee, the ladies have too witnessed the shade.

The video, directed by A1 Vision, has a sexy vibe to go along with a relevant sound in 2015.

Watch the visual below.

The post New Video: Sharod Lee – “Shady” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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Below, Obie talks about his current relationship with Eminem, how his career has similarities with Lebron’s, and his new label that seeks to give Midwesterners a platform.

Obie Trice. It’s a pleasure to meet you. “Somedays you’re the dog, somedays you’re the hydrant.” What are you today?

The dog. [Laughs.] The album came out today. Bottom’s Up was released today. It’s in stores, it’s on iTunes… It’s a nice day. We was at 97 in the Top 100 the other day. And right now we’re at #5. It’s the record release day, so it’s a good day for me.

What was your initial concept with naming all your albums relating to alcohol?

I like the spirits. I like drinking with me and my peoples.

[Obie is interrupted with news.]

The undercovers out here just scooped my man and them up. It’s crazy. Y’all got crazy undercovers out here, just walking? That’s crazy. That’s not in Detroit, man. My man’s just smoking a blunt outside and they just grabbed him.

Anything happen to him?

They had him stretched… right outside the door. But anyway, what was the next question?

What do you think you’ve learned in the last five, six years while you were on hiatus?

You know, this is definitely a business. I didn’t look at it the same way like I do now. I was tardy a lot of times. Somethings I didn’t show up to. I definitely understand that hip-hop’s a booming business and you gotta grasp the moment of it… a lot of that changed. I’m older, more reserved, settled. And I understand what this is for me. That’s definitely changed over the years.

What have you seen change musically and culturally?

The Internet. When I came into the game it wasn’t as big as it is now. And I’ve seen that the Internet is definitely a tool to get music and find out what’s going on more so than it used to be.

How does it feel coming back compared to the first time you came out? Or does it even feel like a comeback to you?

It is a comeback. You know, it’s been a long time. Hip-hop is always growing and doing different things. That’s one of the reasons I used the baby picture as my cover – because it’s a new beginning for me.

A lot of people wanna know, you’re off of Shady right now and you’re building Black Market Entertainment – what’s the relationship like between you and Shady?

We brothers, man. Forever. That’s my guy. We gonna always continue to do music. That’s never gonna change. When we did the song “Richard” not too long ago. It was real retrospective. We talked about a lot of the things that we used to get into and personal things that’s going on in his life at the moment and mine as well. Just like old times – just kicking it and creating.

Was it an easy transition – coming out of Shady and building BME?

Nah, it wasn’t easy at all. It was different. Having an indie and creating my own label is real monetary. You use a lot of money out your pocket to try to make this thing work. Whereas when I was on Shady, you didn’t see that. They recouped everything, but you didn’t see it coming out of your own physical funds. So it’s definitely different and definitely a transition.

How important is that relationship and musical connection between you and Eminem?

It’s real important. That’s my guy. Besides the music we’re friends. His daughter has played with my daughter. And we’ve been through a lot of personal things together. It’s more than just the music. He’s a good buddy of mine.

What’s your relationship between you and the people currently under Shady – Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf?

I don’t really know those guys, personally. I see Royce occasionally in Detroit. Over the year it’s [a mutual] ‘what’s up?’ It’s always a respect thing. But personally, I don’t know him either.

What kind of artists are you trying to recruit with BME?

Just artists who’s got a passion for the music, man, and [who] show integrity. I’m not trying to do something that everybody else is doing. I want to get artists that have their own way, their own personality no matter what type of upbringing and have a love for making music. And they gotta have a great work ethic.

How would you say this will differ from Young Money, Bad Boy, etc.?

I like Bad Boy and I like what Young Money is doing with their artists, but we just trying to create opportunities for people in the Midwest … in that region. That may not happen, we might recruit people from other places, but that’s mainly why we started this – to give artists an international look instead of a local look in those regions.

Now BME is under Universal, correct?

Yeah, yeah.

Shady is also under Universal. Do you think you’re going to see a lot of familiar faces when you’re handling business behind the scenes?

Maybe. I might just run into some cats.

What do you look forward to most being your own boss?

Just putting out my own music. Music that I have a say in putting out, instead of an A&R telling me what’s hot and what’s not and when I should release. I look forward to that.

When it comes to Detroit, a lot of talent has been coming from there recently. Danny Brown, Black Milk, Elzhi, etc. Do you foresee any collaborations with them?

I’m sure something will probably happen in the future. Nothing has been discussed so far, but for sure that could happen.

How long did it take to create the whole album?

Well, we started probably nine, ten months ago. One of the records on there is from a friend of mine, MC Breed. He’s like a Michigan icon. He passed away a few years ago. That’s probably the most dated song on there and it’s called “Crazy.” I used his verse that he gave me the verse right before he passed.

You said that –

[In response to someone updating him on news of his friend’s encounter with the police:] He good? They let him go? Wow. New York, New York, huh? [Laughs.]

When you’re in the studio with Dr. Dre or Eminem, what is that energy like? I know Dre did the intro.

Yeah, Dre did the into, but I wasn’t in the studio when Dre did the intro. He sent it to me. Being in there with him previously is overwhelming. You just feed off his energy. He’s a really energetic, make-it-happen type individual. I just go in there focused, do what I gotta do, and we drink Hennessy afterwards. It’s one of those things – where his drive … it’s like he wears it on him. It’s kind of unexplainable. It’s a no-nonsense type of situation and Marshall the same way. He’s very determined in there. He knows what he wants to do – same way with me. When I hear that music – how that music makes me feel makes me express myself. It’s a gangsta work ethic, man. Like how you passionate about what you do – the same thing goes into creating that record.

And you collaborated with Statik Selektah on “Richard.” How did that come about?

Well I was in New York a couple of months ago – and my man Dro, from Shady, was hanging out with me and he took me over there to Brookyln to holla at Statik. He played a few joints and he played the “Richard” joint and I was feeling it. I was like, ‘This the one. This shit is crazy.’ And what I did – I laid the verse there that night, but I had a plane to catch, so I laid the verse and I took it home and called Em and told him to jump on it. He was feeling it so then he jumped on it. And then we hooked up in the studio and completed it.

What other producers do you have on Bottom’s Up?

Eminem is producing on the album. Dr. Dre. These upcoming producers called NoSpeakerz from Detroit. there’s three of those guys, young guys. They dope producers. I got K & Square, they also from Detroit. I got a guy called Corey Cole – he from Detroit. I got the Rezza Brothers, they’re from Toronto. They’re two Italian guys. I met them on MySpace and they just dope. I felt they vibe. We did several songs together over the years –and they did my lead single “Battle Cry.” I got this guy named Phonix on the album, he’s from Cali. This guy named Geno XO – he from Detroit. For the most part it’s a lot of in-house producers on the album.

You have a track on the album called “Lebron On.” It sounds like a very hard and passionate song. What was the concept behind that?

“Lebron On” is just about this: I was on Shady for 7 years. Lebron was in Cleveland for 7 years. He decided to leave to do his own thing. I left and did my own thing. And the fans strayed away from me for that. Some only wanna hear me on Shady Records. They forget that I created my own thing over there. Eminem was my business partner and we helped each other with lyrics. That has happened. A lot of people turned the other cheek on my because I left Shady. So it’s just basically the situation with Lebron after he left Cleveland; they burned his jersey up and things like that. And in the same way, a lot of people didn’t stick around because of my transition.

So you’re saying pretty much that the fans didn’t respect the independence you had, similar to Lebron?

Exactly.

I was doing some research on Detroit, and there’s been 76 murders to date this year. Which is up 10% up from last year. I know you just had the Watch The Chrome mixtape just drop, so when Kanye says, “It’s time for us to stop and redefine black power,” I wanna know if you had any suggestion as to how to curb that aggression?

Well, I’m in it. I feel like the things that happens in those situations with murder is unnecessary. It’s definitely not cool, but I do also condone defending yourself in a situation that could ultimately take your life. And there’s a lot going on in Detroit. I feel like channeling that power, but at the same token, though, when you deal with urban situations, it’s hard to juggle that situation. It just depends on the social environments. It’s a good way to look at things, but it is what it is. Violence occurs. The evils is in people. I’m not the one that’s trying to murder an individual, but I’m going to make sure you don’t take me away from mine.

You left school when you were 17, right?

Yeah.

With the Trayvon Martin incident – he too was 17. So I would assume it was a pretty critical point in your life when you were 17. And with Proof’s untimely death and you being around that, and with you being a father – what’s Obie Trice’s reaction to that?

I was disgusted. It was disgusting for me. That was a real tragic situation, especially when you’re told that you don’t have to pursue this individual. American tradition and TV or whatever, John Wayne, that’s how they move. It’s just what they gave us. So I just think it was unfortunate. Shit like that happens. Florida – I know they’re laws is different, because my state isn’t like that. That was definitely something that touched me and touched the people around me.

The post Exclusive Interview: Obie Trice Talks Shady, Comeback, New Album appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Though Cashis is no longer under the Shady roster, he still has some Eminem-assisted cuts in the stash. Here goes the lead single off his upcoming Euthanasia album, produced by Marshall.

The post New Music: Cashis – You Think That I’m Crazy (Prod. by Eminem) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

I’ve been listening to Yelawolf for a couple years now, and surprisingly have found myself anticipating Radioactive’s release like I would a Lupe Fiasco album or a new Nas LP: I’d have to lock in, throw on my Beats headphones (not an endorsement in any way, those things are put together with Elmer’s Glue) and eagerly await what was going to come out the speaker box. Over the past two years I’ve grown to view Yelawolf (albeit prematurely) as a one of rap’s monster lyricist’s, wielding his southern accent and dialect as weapons, with great fervor and affect. I’ve grown to see him as someone who could become an important figure in the growing age of hip-hop. I was not surprised, but rather expectantly delighted to see that Shady Records signed him, and thought two things: Eminem is smart as hell, and I cant wait to hear them on a track together. “Shady 2.0” with Yela, Em, and Slaughterhouse certainly didn’t disappoint, and the BET Cypher was a spectacular conglomeration of mic murderers, where Eminem, blatantly ironic as ever, introduces Yelawolf as “White Dawg”, and tells him to “get ‘em!”. This is partly an effort to mock an audience that, as we continue to see, tag any and all white rappers as Eminem clones, but moreover to bring the underdog to the stage – like Em was in Detroit (think 8 Mile) and Yelawolf is now – and prove the nay saying critics and ignorant fantastically wrong.

See Yelawolf: “Plenty of white boys to pick from this year, but before you pick a pepper, you better pick up your heater, ‘cuz even Peter Piper could pick up a mic but what it’s like to pick a fight with me is like putting Nike’s on a cheetah, better speed up”

See Eminem: “Can Yelawolf fit a fifth of rum in a big cup, between a stick shift in his frigging pickup, and drink like a hick redneck hillbilly will til’ he gets hiccups”  – BET Shady 2.0 Cypher

Where some have criticized Yela’s debut as lacking big named talent, I contend that it keeps the album appropriately modest; it represents Catfish Billy’s hometown southern roots, the don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, and his empathy for the struggle to overcome being an a overlooked MC. The album’s introduction opens with an odd, automated voice recording confirming the launch of nuclear missiles aimed at the U.S., as Yelawolf abruptly adopts the voice of the impassive recording and transforms from apathetic to affecting, numb to poignant:

“I am… the American Eagle; eye’s of a sparrow, right hand branch, left hand arrow/ chasin’ a dolla’, and an Impala, white trash heartthrob- mellow-yellow, drinkin’ hard liquor, broads, Get on my level! I’m hotter than the bottom side of a whistlin’ kettle, they threw a mountain at me, I got hit with a pebble!”

Yelawolf’s love for but hunger to leave the decay and stagnation of his hometown is a theme reflected throughout the album. He states that he’s “tornado pathin’, rearview mirror of my ’87 Classic, I’m talkin’ bout Gadsden, look momma no hands, I’m Radioactive”. He enlists fellow Alabaman Shawty Fatt and resurrects the now almost fabled Mystikal – at one point was one of the South’s most prolific artists – for “Get Away.” On “Growin’ up in the Gutter” your speakers rage; the beat relies heavily on its bass and kick drums to progress, sounding almost blatantly rough; one could imagine it being used in a movie score for The Terminator, hauntingly blaring down as John Conner mows down T-800’s in slow motion.

On “Made In The U.S.A.”, Yelawolf describes a medley of hardships that many of us in 99% have to deal with, his verses sounding satisfyingly similar to Lupe’s final verse of “Hurt Me Soul” on Food & Liquor. Yela’s dark, bleak forecast of the state of the nation is juxtaposed with an ironic, nationalistic chorus, sarcastically asking “isn’t it great, how we got it made?” The album’s second single “Let’s Roll” with Kid Rock bumps, plain and simple, on either side of the country. Throughout Radioactive , Yela’s strongest traits are ever-present. The album is melodic, eclectic and versatile, wherein Yelawolf can appeal to beer bellied NASCAR fan as well a street savvy lyrical elitist, who both “prolly think I’ma limp biscuit that spits jelly”.

Yelawolf’s eclectic, varying production preference (with some help from Slim Shady) is on par with that of  Rick Ross’ on Deeper Than Rap: complementing his sound without diluting it through repetition. Yela’s hooks are suprisingly melodic and well written, and the album  includes a wide variety of guest appearances. “Throw It Up” features Gangsta Boo & Eminem, where Slim Shady is indeed in his most rare of forms. Undoubtedly there are some songs that sound a bit too “poppy” for us rap elitists (especially, and maybe purposely? on the Jim Jonsin produced “Radio”, where Yela criticizes the lack of variance on the today’s mainstream radio and reminisces about the old days).

Yelawolf’s true talent is undeniable on the album, and is undoubtedly present throughout it. It would have been nice if Slaughterhouse appeared, or if the eventual remix of “Hard White” was instead the original. The album did lack tracks tailored to suit a rapper’s raw spitting and flowability, like having Yelawolf get on his beat Chameleon and flow over an Alchemist or Denaun Porter instrumental.

Overall, it comes down to this: Yelawolf has the potential to be a star, and more significantly, to reach millions, to break down the stereotypes that even we ever-immersed and cultured New Yorkers, rap geniuses, and experts have of southern rap and, for example, “Southern white trash.” Yelawolf’s career is just peaking the horizon. Eminem signed a white rapper, who shared a similar struggle, who is from Gadsden, Alabama… who woulda thunk it. Radioactive is a very good debut album, with club/radio friendly singles, unique storytelling and lyricism, and most importantly, the ability to be enjoyed from the mainstream to the underground, from the Nissan to the Box Chevy.

The post Review: Radioactive – Yelawolf appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Don’t forget about Shady’s protege just yet because we’ve finally got an official release date. Look forward to Yelawolf’s debut full-length studio album Radioactive to drop October 25th.

“Radioactive is the fall out of my life’s inspirations, a testament to my ability to survive it all and to tell the story,” said Yelawolf.  “Sometimes I want to party, sometimes I want to fight and sometimes I want to cry. I’m human and this album is as honest as it gets.”

For now we can listen to him rap about partying on “Hard White (Up In The Club)” feat. Lil Jon:

The post Yelawolf’s Debut Studio Album, Radioactive, Out This October appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.