The drug business has historically always been a muse for Hip-Hop. Throughout the history of the genre, most of our favorite artists have admitted to a past in either selling drugs or buying them, either way indulging in the business. While the realities of the drug business are harsh and unforgiving, it has provided some of the BEST music ever created. “Dead Presidents” – part two of course – “Many Men” and “10 Crack Commandments” will always stand tall as genre favorites, sparking an inspiration in many former dealers everywhere. One of those people happens to be Las Vegas native Smog The AK, who checks in with his new scathing ode to Cocaine, “Escobar”.

Firing off Coke bars like, “F*ck the weaker plugs, I slang that overdose” and “You wanna feel numb, or taste the cut?” over ‘90s like production, AK paints a vidid picture of what he says used to be his reality. “I used to slang to support my music and other necessities, so that’s where this came from,” says the Las Vegas rapper to RESPECT. Mag. The short but sweet track is a sound you can expect to hear more often from AK he says as well, “I’ve been working on my sound a lot, I’m challenging myself and change is never a bad thing.” This is the first release of the year from AK, who graced our pages last year with “6IX” featuring Black Smurf and his tape, The Black Files EP, though you can expect more heat from the rhymer.

Check out the chilling track below and be sure to keep an eye on the underrated emcee.

https://soundcloud.com/smog_the_ak/escobar-prod-by-ninodamus

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The post RESPECT. The Track: Smog The AK – “Escobar” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Latinos in Hip-Hop have always been misunderstood. Often, they get boxed into niche labels like Roc La Familia or offset genres like Reggaeton even when their sound doesn’t call for it. The mistreatment of Latinos in Hip-Hop is shocking when you consider they were largely active and present during the beginning stages of the genre as evidenced in the fantastic Netflix series, The Get Down. Though the disconnection is there, artists like N.O.R.E., Fat Joe, and most recently Kap G have done their best to bridge the gap with ferocious bars and catchy tunes. Looking to be next in line to represent for the culture is Las Vegas native Smog The AK who returns to the RESPECT. pages with his new track, “6IX” which features underground luminary, Black Smurf.

Jumping right in from the start, Smog takes command of the industrial sounding track, firing off extensive bars packaged into offbeat stanzas. The unconventional cadence stands out right away as Smog destroys the knockin’ NinoDamUs beat that’s heavy on drum breaks and synths masked in reverb. “I wanted to bring a different sound,” he tells RESPECT., “I wanted more boom bap and raunchy sh*t.” The track, which sounds like a Metal/Hip-Hop crossover, welcomes a new sound for the Sin City native. After taking a more lyrical and laid back approach on previous projects, it appears this one will be focused more on energy and aesthetic. “The track is a single off of my ROMAN NUMERALS EP, that’s coming soon,” he continues, “The whole “6IX” title is just something that revolves around the plot of my next tape. So it’s just about experimenting with the music.”

Check out the track, “6IX” below and be sure to keep an eye out for ROMAN NUMERALS EP, set to be dropping later this year.

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The post RESPECT. The Track: Smog The AK – “6IX (Feat. Black Smurf)” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Sin City native Smog The AK checks in for the first time to the RESPECT. Mag pages with his aggressive project, BLVCK FILES EP. Utilizing production from AM, Foe5 and more; AK showcases his hardcore lyricism over heavy bass tracks. The 7-track-project serves as an ode to the many vices and tribulations that growing up in Las Vegas could provide. Tracks like “Drug Related” feature AK spitting more personal bars as he explores his mental dependency to these substances.

Standout tracks from the tape include; “Las Vegas“, “Who Would’ve Thought” and the ShaQ assisted, “Got It Like That“. Check out the tape below, and be on the lookout for more coming from the Sin City spitter, Smog The AK.

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The post RESPECT. The Tape: Smog The AK – ‘BLVCK FILES EP’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.