Buttah Niia

IG- @official_buttah

Buttah Niia is a rapper born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Brownsville… and she sounds like it! Between her distinctive voice, hard-hitting NY flow, and soulful samples, Niia could be the female rapper we’ve been waiting for. She’s performed at NY’s famous SOBs twice, at “Faces in the Crowd” and the “Major Stage” show. Her single “Gotta” was also featured on the Hot 97 Take It to The Street Vol. 2 mixtape. Her latest project Set it Off: Stony Edition is the follow up to her debut mixtape, Set it Off: Frankie Story. The project features, “Eastside Girl,” a bar-filled female anthem for ladies that live on the right side of the map. Also off the project, the track “Timeline” gives a more introspective look at her story over a soulful piano beat.’

Buttah’s timeless bars and classic feel are a refreshing departure from the current sound, and continues to captivate listeners. Definitely excited to see what’s coming from Buttah Niia and her buttah smooth flow. Make sure you grab her new project, Set it Off: Stony Edition to hear her set it off.

Cedric Brazle  

IG – @cedricbrazle

Cedric Brazle (pronounced Brazil) is a Miami-based singer-songwriter using music to express his life, thoughts, and past experiences. Super strong vocals, a classic R&B feel, and modern 808 production gives Cedric an interesting, “young Usher-in-2020” vibe. His single “Body Heat” is a sultry uptempo vibe narrating a night of ignoring exes, hitting clubs, and finding the company of someone new. With three strong introductory singles out, Cedric is gearing up to release his first project. Be on the lookout for a Cedric Brazle EP this summer – it’s been a while since you’ve heard an R&B record like this!

C-4

IG – @theofficialc4

Carl Taylor, professionally known as C-4, is an exciting new artist out of Jersey. A natural entertainer and gifted athlete, C-4 was born for the spotlight. In February of this year, C-4 came out of the gate hot with his first official single, “Takeoff.” “Takeoff” is a fun, upbeat anthem announcing his arrival on the scene – and listeners can’t help but sing along. He follows it up with high quality, Donjai-directed visuals and a stream of well-received, catchy singles including “Birdbox” and “I Might.” Coming up, C has a collab dropping with the next-hot-thing out of Queensbridge, artist Rover, followed by his debut project. Stay tuned for details. One thing’s for sure, you don’t want to miss what’s coming next from C-4 and the Its So Simple Entertainment camp.

Astro Kyi 

IG – @muvaastronaut

Astro Kyi is a rapper and songwriter from PG County, Maryland. Her unforgettable flow is as aggressive as it is smooth and melodic. A true girl’s girl, Kyi has no trouble mixing classy and savage – with the look to match! Heavily influenced by 90’s hip hop, Kyi is bringing golden era bars with a modern, feminine feel. Her latest single “Pint Size” is a hard-hitting, bassy record – and a reminder that she is not to be played with. She may come in a small package, but these bars and flow switches definitely do not. Be on the lookout for new singles dropping monthly, as well as new visuals from your favorite astronaut.

Alondra Marie 

IG – @alondramariemusic

Originally from Puerto Rico and later Texas, Alondra Marie is a talented and soulful singer. Not only is she a beautiful and talented artist, she’s been an active duty service member since 2014. Alondra is currently finishing her last few months stationed in Japan – and we’re all thankful for her service! Amazingly, in 2019 during her deployment, she managed to drop a beautifully crafted 4-track R&B Ep titled Fruit. A departure from earlier work and in stark contrast with her dayjob, Fruit highlights her softer, sensual side. Alondra brings to the table sultry vocals, crisp production, and soulful vibes that feel both familiar and refreshing. Later this year, you can expect to see her follow up EP, fully written and produced by Alonda Marie herself.

Dyson Alexander  

IG – @dysonalexander

From Woodbridge, VA, artist Dyson Alexander is kicking it up in 2020. With a steady stream of singles, Dyson is giving listeners their daily dose of soulful, autotune flow. After dropping the double single, Omerta, in December, he follows it up with “Purple Rayne” and Shining, featuring the track “Confused.” Recently, one of Dyson’s tracks was featured in the Showtime Documentary “Basketball County: In the Water.” Released on May 15, and executive produced by Kevin Durant, the doc explores basketball culture in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Currently, Dyson is looking to follow up his recent success with his first full-length studio album. Also working on the album, esteemed producer Rockstar Reid, DJ Money (Wale), and Dyson’s right hand man, producer Shemon Luster.

Eli Groves

IG – @eligrovesmusic

Eli Groves is a singer, songwriter, and producer from Far Rockaway, Queens with a big voice. His sound gives off an upbeat, eclectic pop feel – think Usher meets Jason Derulo meets 2015 Justin Bieber. Groves’ single ‘Get To You’ recently debuted on Vibe on March 23rd, and was well-received by media outlets and DJs across the world. An extremely timely track, it highlights the struggle of being separated from loved ones – a familiar feeling during these times. Going forward, Eli plans to continue to drop high quality singles and visuals that inspire his listeners.

ReachingNOVA  

IG – @reachingnova

ReachingNOVA is a rapper, producer, songwriter, and entrepreneur from the Bronx, New York. His name comes from an acronym for his personal philosophy and reminder to himself that “No One’s Victorious Alone.” ReachingNOVA‘s catalogue consists of 2 joint mixtapes, 23 singles, 2 solo albums, 1 joint album, and countless features and music videos. Recently, ReachingNOVA released a single inspired by the current times, appropriately titled, “In These Times.” The track touches on current events and encourages listeners to think more deeply about the content they consume. Going forward, expect to see a solo album from ReachingNOVA in September 2020.

Lil Drilla  

IG – @_lildrilla_

Andrello Jagger LaFond, better known as Lil Drilla, is a young Haitian-American out of Philadelphia. In 2019, Drilla dropped his freshman mixtape Eros, which showcased a diverse range of melodic flows and interesting production. His biggest track to date is, “Wet Da Block” prod. By RG Tha Renegade. This month, Lil Drilla is back with “Say Bae” featuring Drizzy P & Tidge – a fun autotune bop for summer 2020. Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances, summer show dates have been cancelled. Fortunately, Lil Drilla has a new drop in store, hitting fans with Eros Reloaded: Deluxe on his birthday, June 9th.

Stone Cold Alston 

IG – @stonecoldalston

Ronnie Christopher Alston, better known as Stone Cold Alston is an artist and songwriter from Jersey City, NJ. After enduring a trying childhood, Alston decided to take control by turning his pain into profit in the form of music. Originally under the name Chris $tyles, he released a project titled Day One. After a break from music, Stone Cold Alston is back with a new name and new project, Call the Plumber There’s a Leak. This year, he’s planning on two more releases – the first coming at the end of May. Be on the lookout for new music, new projects, and new visuals from Stone Cold Alston.

China Man

IG – @cm.ny

Rapper, CHINA MAN out of Brooklyn New York released his first project last month. His debut 8-track mixtape, titled Special Delivery features his signature understated melodic flow over chill synth beats. With tracks like “Trenches,” “Cruising,” and “T’d Up,” CHINA MAN introduces listeners to his unique delivery (no pun intended). Featured here, the track “Time of Day” serves as a reminder to keep working hard “no matter the time of day.” Going forward, look out for more visuals to accompany Special Delivery – and more content from the CHINA MAN camp.

Travdidthat

IG – @travdidthat

Hailing from the Bronx, NY Travdidthat is a rapper, musician, and producer with a unique sound. In addition to rapping, Trav is a talented producer and guitar player – using this talent to produce interesting melodies and compositions. We hear this on the self produced track, “Masterpiece,” where a powerful guitar riff perfectly compliments that heavy bass beat. The purpose of the song is to remind listeners to always strive to make their ‘masterpiece,’ no matter the conditions. Lastly, make sure you find “Masterpiece” on Trav’s upcoming project From the Ground 2.

Oochie Spliff

IG – @the_oochie_way

Oochie Spiff born as Seiko Dotson is an aspiring rapper from Brooklyn, New York whose known for his extraordinary talents and high energy on stage.  His latest project “ The Oochie Way “ features his song “Work Out” which is the next single off the project. The up beat tempo gives the song a vibe everyone can have fun with. Not only is Oochie working on “The Oochie Way pt2” but the project is set to release this summer with some special features.

Famille Forever

IG – @familleforever

Born into a musical background, from College Park, GA, two brothers formed Famille Forever. Dynamite who played on drums and Bones on the bass guitar started the duo in 2005. Later in their career they’ve released the singles “Own It”, “How I Wanna Live” and their current single “Legalize It”.  The idea behind the ‘Legalize it’ was to add momentum in the legalization of marijuana in the state of Georgia. Being from Atlanta they felt it was the perfect time to celebrate the law being passed for Cbd and the decriminalization of weed. The group is currently working on new projects to be released in 2021.

Young Scrapz

IG – @youngscrapzmusic

Young Scrapz is an aspring rapper born and raised out of far Rockaway, Queens. Scrapz dominates his unique style of melodic yet street-felt music with every single. The idea behind his song “so cold” is to bring awareness on the danger of the streets. He goes on to say “I want my generation to know, the streets don’t love you”. Nevertheless, Scrapz says he is continuously learning in the music industry and plans to grow as an artist. 

WrittenInRome

IG – @writteninrome

WrittenInRome is the self proclaimed star from Newburgh Ny. He fell in love with music at the age of 15 and often found himself apart of freestyle cyphers that him and his friends would host in highschool. The now 22 year old star is on the rise with a captivating sound that blends both modern day melodic rap and the old school art of storytelling.

In his single ‘Boss Up’ WrittenInRome reflects on his darkest nights whereas he struggled with a 9-5 while close friends looked downed on him. Not to mention, the title “Boss Up” is a feeling he’s sure everyone can relate to. However, in ‘Remember Me’ he introduces us to the confident side of WrittenInRome while showing love to his city.  Despite his braggadocious side Rome shows a heart-felt yet heartbroken emotion on ‘Love Gone’. With lyrics like “can you tell me where the love went … how am I suppose to go on if I’m not next to you”. “Love Gone” is one of those songs sure to put you in your feelings.

Rome spent much of 2019 doing shows all around NYC & showcasing his talent as a featured artist on other artists songs. He’s already gifted fans with 6 new singles to kick off 2020 and now is gearing up to release his long awaited debut project.

DeMeir

IG – @demeir.wav

DeMeir from Paterson, NJ is a R&B artist whose genuine through each song. With a slow and rhythmic flow DeMeir, exhibits this on his single ‘weekend’. The idea behind the single came from a lit weekend with a girl he met out of town. She was a vibe and he put it into words the best way he could. In short, Demeir, is going to continue to release music that speaks to him. 

LMR Tarro

IG – @lmr_tarro

From the slums of the New Jersey music scene, artist, LMR Tarro still displays a smooth sailing, soft and distressing voice while stating the hardships. Tarro is an artist focused on his craft and has an undeniable level of skill. It becomes overtly apparent in his track (“FaceTime”), where he carefully articulates his emotions, and insecurities, directly at the woman he desires. Tarro just released his latest project ‘Alternate Realities’ and is currently in the process of releasing new visuals.

Hoodz9

IG – @hoodz9official

After moving from Eritrea to Kenya to Canada in 2011, Toronto artist, Hoodz9, taught himself English as a child by listening to music. He quickly become well versed in melodies and songwriting and developed an interest in pursuing music as a career. While on house arrest in 2018, Hoodz9 decided to turn his life around and finally pursue his dream. Within a month of making the decision he had completed over 90 songs. Since then his infectious melodies and raw street tales have garnered hundreds of thousands of streams and YouTube views. He’s also collaborated with Toronto artists Why G, Yung Tory, Ot9, Houdini and most recently Tory Lanez on his latest track Adore more. As a result he’s been grinding and recording like crazy since the beginning of quarantine and is prepared to reemerge as one of Toronto’s most promising new stars when quarantine is over.

M Flizz

IG – @m_flizz112

Rapper, M flizz was born and raised in East Harlem as Marc Brooks. The 18 year old rapper mixes his subtle, rhythmic and melodic flows behind each song. On his single ‘gifted’ Flizz highlights the fact that nobody believed in him until he believed in himself. He says “I know it’s a lot of people who doubted but I gotta shine… you say you down you gotta show me now”. All in all, Flizz recognizes his potential as an artist. He says his next step is a record deal so he can show his full potential.

Jimmy Yitty

IG – @jimmy.yitty

East York, Toronto artist Jimmy Yitty hits twice in the month of May with his new release “Cheddar Bob” produced by the Kount which gives a frantic yet savage like feel. Rapper, Jimmy, says it’s been 5 years since Yitty has released his debut project (also produced by The Kount) and it is their first collab ever since. The recent killing of Jimmys best friend was the inspiration behind Cheddar Bob. Jimmy has plans to release a music video next month produced by Bijan Amir. Yitty claims it to be the most creative video the city of Toronto has seen.

Heres the link to our ‘UP NEXT’ playlist:

Apple

Spotify

Written by: Alaisha L

The post #UPNEXT Powered by PRESSPLAYLISTS appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

‘In Gauged’ Is Bringing His Melodic and

Lyrical Style to the Masses

(CHICAGO, IL) October 17, 2018 – Rising rapper Doobie Dalil from Chicago’s South Side just released his debut album In Gauged.  This body of work has a smooth narrative covering the highs and lows of street life with crisp production, and Doobie’s trademark precise-but-melodic flow. Doobie Dalil has already been making a name for himself with dense lyricism and strong performances opening for the likes of Lil’ Durk and the one-and-only Drake, but with this first full-length project he’s staking his claim for the title of Chicago’s finest.

In Gauged starts off strong with “Bust Down,” a wavy cut produced by Kajun that showcases the articulate flow many have compared to another Chicago native, speed-rap legend Twista. The album continues with a light-hearted vibe on “Thats For Fun” (also produced by Kajun) until things get serious on the Velli-produced track “Mary Jay.” Doobie Dalil shares his vulnerability on “Mary Jay” as he reflects on those he’s lost to the streets: I can’t see ‘em comin down my eyes / So I gotta make this song cry / Make this song cry / Cuz I’m not gon cry / I’m not that type / I’m not gon shed no tears / All your ops gon die / These shots gon fly / I’m not gon shed no tears.

As the project progresses, producer J. Fields delivers on the gritty “Meego” featuring LA’s King Lil G and Eastwood, and “My Blood,” an up-tempo anthem Dalil wrote for the day-ones who’ve been around so long they may as well be blood.  To top it off, Doobie Dalil delivers a sexy, seductive track “All In That” featuring John Blu that takes the ladies for an intimate ride to which this track is skillfully produced by west coast multi-platinum producer Fingazz.  With In Gauged’s 16 solid songs highlighting Doobie Dalil’s creativity and flawless execution, there’s no doubt Chi-town is being elevated with this release. Keep up with Dalil here @doobiedalil and use the code below to embed In Gauged (Spotify).

Listen to In Gaugedfrom Doobie Dalil on Spotify Here

Listen to In Gaugedfrom Doobie Dalil on Apple Music Here

Listen to In Gaugedfrom Doobie Dalil on Amazon Here

Listen to In Gaugedfrom Doobie Dalil on Google Play Here

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After the weekly numbers were released on Sunday (Aug 19) showing that Astroworld artist Travis Scott nabbed the number one spot, Nicki Minaj has been seemingly tweeting erratically blaming her number two spot on almost everyone but herself.

The “Chun Li” rapper took to Twitter on Sunday and explained in a series of tweets how she believes the only reason why Travis Scott’s ASTROWORLD earned the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s 200 for the week was due to being featured as an amenity for his “ASTROWORLD: Wish You Were Here” tour merchandise bundles.

“I spoke to him,” Minaj tweeted. “He knows he doesn’t have the #1 album this week.”

https://twitter.com/NICKIMINAJ/status/1031278618561921025

Although sales were the latest reason for her rant, it wasn’t the only shade thrown over the course of the weekend. After a scathing article was published in Pitchfork criticizing Minaj for working with convicted child sex offender Tekashi69, Minaj lashed out at media claiming that she received “information” that media outlets were being “paid” to slander her.

“When I was told they were being paid to write these things I didn’t believe it, now I know it’s true ?? #Queen bitch!!!! ???♥️‼️ I got the proof on that too. Loving my life. They so bothered by this lil south side Jamaica QUEEN.  I’m supposed to keep letting these ppl get money to bully me behind the scenes & not say anything. Yikes. This is what happens when you release a great body of work after they spent millions to ruin you. Lol. 4 albums later still breaking records. #1 in 86 countries after they said it was a wrap. Praise God. He’s about to expose them. They writing about 69 cuz #Queen is flawless.”

When I was told they were being paid to write these things I didn’t believe it, now I know it’s true 😜😛 #Queen bitch!!!! 🎯😘🎀♥️‼️ I got the proof on that too. Loving my life. They so bothered by this lil south side Jamaica QUEEN

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) August 18, 2018

I’m supposed to keep letting these ppl get money to bully me behind the scenes & not say anything. Yikes.

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) August 18, 2018

This is what happens when you release a great body of work after they spent millions to ruin you. Lol. 4 albums later still breaking records. #1 in 86 countries after they said it was a wrap. Praise God. He’s about to expose them. They writing about 69 cuz #Queen is flawless.

— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) August 18, 2018

All of these antics not only left fans scratching their heads but according to Charlamagne Tha God proved that Nicki’s antics earned her the hilarious spot of “Donkey of the day.”

During the hilarious eight-minute segment, Charlamagne drops some jewels for Minaj letting her know that the number two spot isn’t the worst position to be in and even complimented her new album as being the best from the Young Money queen yet.

“Nicki you must have been watching too much Talladega Nights because the ‘if you’re not first you’re last’ mentality is not true. You put out a good body of work and sold 185,000 units, you right now are being a sore winner. Nothing you’re doing is queen-like and let’s say that all of the people are to blame for you having the number two album in the country, who was to blame for you having the number two album in 2015 because Pink Print did the same.”

Charlamagne then went on to warn Nicki to cherish her success at where she is, before playing her 2014 hit “Did It On ‘Em”, before adding the shadiest moment of all by allowing Nicki’s nemesis to give her “Donkey of the Day.”

“Put your number twos in the air Nicki and celebrate that win. What you don’t cherish Nicki, you will lose. Somebody get Remy Ma to giver her Donkey of the Day.”

Check out the video below.

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The post [Watch] Charlamagne Tha God Gives Nicki Minaj “Donkey of the Day” For Recent Twitter Outbursts appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Often times more than not, we find ourselves looking up lyrics to our favorite songs by our favorite artists. However; we may be unaware of the artists’ true intent behind a certain lyric. Genius, the media knowledge company that hosts a community of users annotating lyrics taps into Spotify for a huge collaboration. Their collaboration is in the form of an app called “Behind the Lyrics.”

With their “Behind the Lyrics” feature backed by both companies coming to Android, hip-hop fans can satisfy their need for knowledge behind any song. Originally introduced to iPhone iOS last year, the program was called “Fact Tracks” in which users where given artist anecdotes as the music streamed.

Alternative-R&B artists Khalid celebrates the Android expansion by sharing why he believes in Behind the Lyrics.

Twitter via @thegreatkhalid

In an interview with HipHopDX, Khalid says, “You listen to a record, and you interpret it in your own way. But with this, you can see what the artist felt. ‘Maybe it means this.’ Music can mean anything you want.”

Spotify users can listen to the “Behind The Lyrics: Hip Hop” and “Today’s Top Hits” playlists to kick off the new Spotify and Genius collaboration.

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The post Spotify and Genius Link Up To Bring “Behind the Lyrics” To Android appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

All that being said Spotify still has some formidable foes when it comes to music streaming services. Although, Apple Music has 11 million subscribers the service has been only active for nine months. Services such as Pandora (81 million), iHeartRadio (70 million) and Tidal (1 million) are near the top of the streaming food chain as well. Apple and Tidal have come up swiftly because of its exclusive content and releases.

The competition in the music streaming service is expanding day by day but Spotify has been able to stay near the top. Even with all the exclusive content and albums being released on different platforms it hasn’t affected Spotify’s growth. Services new to the game like Apple Music and Tidal will have to continue formulate strategies to catch up to the streaming services that have been in the market. Until then, Spotify is winning!

The post Spotify Has Hit the Big 30 Mill in Subscribers appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Welp, it’s finally here. After releasing two solid mixtapes– Black Dollar & Renzel Remixes (Discs 1&2)—  as well as releasing numerous other songs in between, Rick Ross‘ eighth studio album Black Market has hit the streets. It’s a tremendous project that fans of Ross, and even the naysayers, will thoroughly enjoy. Some may have doubted his ability to make a solid project as of late, but this effort should disprove their theories. He addresses many topics on this project; he speaks on more than just his “Boss” persona and getting money. He speaks on topics ranging from his baby-mother, problems with labels, and ghostwriting amongst many others. The album features the like of Future, Mary J. Blige, Cee-Lo Green, Mariah Carey, Nas, DJ Premier, The Dream, and John Legend. Stream the project below.

The post Album Stream: Rick Ross- “Black Market” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

RESPECT.: Let’s start with discussing your passion for photography and art as a whole. When did it become something that transformed from a hobby to full-time?

Kevin: “Well everything started because of my sister when she was in middle school and I was elementary in Atlanta. She use to draw heavy and I found it amazing that she could do these things to express her feelings and style with visuals. One day we had a big argument and I ended up ripping up one of her designs. That crushed her in a sense and she told me that, I would have to become something like her in the field of multimedia to get forgiveness. Years later I started to draw Dragon Ball Z characters because it was the wave back then. It was popping on Toonami. Eventually, I got good at it and started showing her my work and full forgiveness was granted because I actually achieved something she thought I wasn’t going to do. While I was in the midst of all this, I started doing graffiti and got caught numerous times and ended up in trouble. I went digital in my Sophomore year of high school to stay away and built a passion for art as a whole. Photography started about 5 years with a canon t1i. Being stupid with running and gunning and not knowing anything until Erick Arc Elliott inspired me to be better with his work in our early days with “THELOVEINUS.” I started to take it serious when I started to read about it with Print Magazine, BOOOOOOOM!, Change of Thought, and more. Honestly, I always wanted to do this but didn’t have the knowledge. It’s still inspiring ’til this day, still learning. Now turning it into a full-time thing was only three years ago. I’ve started to read more and teach myself new techniques to be my own person and stand out from all my knowledge I’ve built over the years. Here I am now, not working or working the minimal hours with a 9 to 5 to keep it full time with my designs as well.”

RESPECT.: Talk about what you ideally prefer to shoot. Do you have a specific process of just grab inspiration from all over?

Kevin: “I like to photograph landscapes and people while I’m out doing street photography. It’s just something that you can’t capture after it’s gone and that’s the current environment at that current time. The essence still exists heavily by capturing the emotion. Now inspiration is the current lighting at hand when I shoot. I’m more of a cinematic type of guy, so the right lighting can trigger me to shoot.”

RESPECT.: Photographers always have their camera/lens preferences. Detail your preferences and why what you shoot with is the best personal fit?

Kevin: “We all do in sense when it comes to preference. I have different cameras for different settings. Studio photography I’ll use a variety of Canon models depending on the object I’m shooting. If I’m capturing an aggressive look, I’ll use a Canon 5D II, Nikon D800E. Less aggressive looks (mainly females) I’ll use a Canon t3i or 7D. The skin tones and contrast/brightness is softer and not as sharp as the other cameras I mentioned. My favorite lens to shoot with is a 35mm Vivitar 2.8, (prime and vintage) which is not a traditional lens to do portraits and other style, but somehow it works when I use my eye. Settings are always changing so I don’t have a specific go to aperture/shutter speed/ISO. I really do believe that it shouldn’t be changed. A slight facial expression change will change my setting.”

RESPECT.: What’s been the most impactful shoot for you personally?

Kevin: “It was my Chino (Dreamchasers/MMG) photoshoot that I did in New Jersey for a brand called Bespoke that makes phenomenal helmets. It was my first time doing sports bike photography in a casual setting. I had too much fun that day and would love go further with doing that and building my never ending portfolio. Would love to jump into F1 Racing photography in a cinematic way.”

RESPECT.: “You are also heavily involved in music and design. Talk about both and where you are in your career with them to date. Do you prefer one craft over the others?”

Kevin: “The music is always compared to my graphic design by aesthetic for my genres of Downtempo, Ambient, Electronic Jazz and Hip-Hop. I produced a lot of Diatonic scale sounds so my current emotion is always showing in my production. I love to produce music that grabs your mental and hypnotizes you to relax and gives off a sense of fulfillment of a hardworking day. People hear my music and see my designs and always think that I do drugs but I don’t. Guess I’m an emotional guy and know how to convey it to people. My career in music has been steady since 2013 for the most because of my past. Spent time with a lot of people that wasted my time and I was ignorant to it because I wasn’t worried about money, just wanted my music out there. I sat back and taught myself the business and released “Cascade Dreams” in October of last year, which is now on Tidal, Spotify and more, It’s been better. Done a massive amount of shows with Bombay Knox and helping the community. It’s been great this year. My latest album placement with Carlitta Durand on “I’ll be Gorgeous When I Die” has been great. But I choose both. I can’t do one without the other.”

RESPECT: Having your hand in so many different avenues, what individual projects are you currently working on?

Kevin: “Right now I’m working on my second album called “NON FICTION.” It’s an environmental, ambient, Progressive House, Hip-Hop album. I’ll also be rapping and singing again and speaking on my past to what made me. I’ve mainly been behind the scenes for years and people haven’t gotten to know me personally. It’s about time to express it. I have a show on June 11th with Until The Ribbon Breaks at Black Cat in D.C. I’ll be performing songs from “Cascade Dreams” and “NON FICTION” in a extensive, creative way. I’m compiling visuals and building a set for it now with plants, lighting, projection mapping, and MIDI mapping to trigger my sounds live. Hopefully it will be done before then, but rendering is so time consuming for the videos. If not, the music will back me up. I’m doing more 3D composition for DJ’s and artists, similar to the stuff you see Skrillex and other DJ’s use for the visuals. Also designing more merch for labels, artists, and more.”

RESPECT.: You can either shoot, design, or do music. Which route do you take creatively and why?

Kevin: “I’ll take all routes. I’ve been a one man army for a while now. It would be so hard just to drop one. I like having control over my look. I’m my own brand.”

Click to view slideshow.

The post RESPECT. Photographer Of The Month: Kevin Chambers (June Edition) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.