Photo courtesy of Ben Shmikler (@beenshmikler)

The music industry is a revolving door of talent, and that’s putting it nicely. The truth is sometimes, no matter how talented you may be, it’s just not enough. We see it every day with very talented singer/songwriters who pen hits on hits…. for other people. No matter the actual reason, it always seems to boil down to the fact that these artists just lack that, “it” factor—and although the, “it” factor might be the most sought after trait in the industry, just try asking somebody to define what they mean. Despite this, when you listen to one of Los Angeles native Tate Tucker’s tracks, you feel “it,” and when you watch one of his videos, it’s almost blatant—no pun intended. Returning to the RESPECT. Magazine pages after debuting his, “Just Wanna” record with us, Tucker returns with the crazy new visuals for, “Trips.”

Produced by Slant – who’s also responsible for “Just Wanna” – “Trips” is fun and jubilant record that’s hard not to bop too. Whether it’s the towering bass kicks that seep into your chest, or the oddly-soothing high pitched voice that Tucker uses in the hook before he switches back to his smooth, suav cadence—but this song has a potentially long lasting shelf-life. This goes without even mentioning the video, which was put together perfectly by the directing/editing trio of Denzel Deranamie, Curwyn Henry, and Ben Shmikler.

Set to the backdrop of a beautiful Los Angeles skyline, Tucker is seen stunting through various places like an airport hangar – which includes an insane cut of Tucker zooming through the skies in the plane, in probably the best scene of the whole video – a helicopter pad and more. Combing the trio’s vision with Tucker’s melodic presence and quirky wordplay – “She asked me for a tip, I said she can try it.” – “Trips” has the potential to end 2017 off with a bang and carry momentum into the New Year. With so much riding on this visual, we spoke with the Los Angeles native about the making of the video, what’s next and more. Check the Q&A and the premiere for the new video, below.

RESPECT. Magazine: Where did the idea for the video come about?

Tate Tucker: The plane idea was a long time in the works, an idea Ben (Shmikler) and I had been playing with for a couple of years. By the time we’d decided to work with the director/DP combo of Denzel and Curwyn on Trips, Ben had actually connected with a friend of ours and secured a plane & location to shoot at. When we scouted it out, she actually took us up in the plane and even let me fly it. Shit was stupid, like the plane dipped immediately when I took over but I mellowed out. That was the defining moment for us. We wanted to go all in and make it as cinematic as possible. We also wanted Lil’ Drippy flying the plane, so that’s kind of his first introduction to my fans. He’ll be on all my projects and in most of my videos.

RESPECT.: Take us behind the creative process of getting something like this done?

Tucker: It was honestly 4 or 5 of us at most times and sleep wasn’t really a factor. We worked the majority of two straight days, at various locations throughout the city — a couple that we had to finesse for sure. It was just a rogue video, production value was the most important thing for us. Denzel and Curwyn really brought the vision Ben and I had to life, it was just good chemistry.

RESPECT.:  Were there any troubles that you and your director experienced while shooting?

Tucker: Yeah man, on the second day at the desert location Curwyn broke his fucking collar bone!!! We were all geeking cause it was freezing and we’d slept like 2 hours. It was like 6 AM and we were rocking out to “Jo Bros” by (Cousin) Stizz. We looked over and Curwyn had tripped on a rock looking like he was hurt for real. The rest was history. He was in the ER in the middle of nowhere while Denzel stepped up to film and Ben handled the bounce and everything else logistical for that day. Shit was wild. We really put everything into this video.

RESPECT.: Is this a loose release or something from an upcoming project?

Tucker: It’s somewhat loose. But it’s previewing a sound that will be explored in an upcoming EP. After this I have one more single before some really fire projects get finished up. I’m hyped to move towards releasing collective works. I love telling being able to tell a full story. It’s gonna get real cinematic real quick in 2018.

RESPECT.: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?

Tucker: More movies. My first project. Some touring. Some gear. More of a glimpse into YUP the collective behind everything I do (shout out KJ, Cronkite, PD, Been Shmik, & Slant). And a story that will unfold throughout multiple projects. A lot of growth. It’s gonna be cold.

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RESPECT. Premiere: Tate Tucker – “Just Wanna” (Visual)

The post Los Angeles Product Tate Tucker Drops off the Premiere of His Thrilling New Video, “Trips” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

(Photo: Ben Shmikler/BSP)

Los Angeles has been home to some of the freshest sounds of the year. We’ve seen Anderson .Paak redefine sonic direction for half of Hip-Hop, ScHoolboy Q deliver a classic, and even a groovy new album from L.A.’s adopted son, Mac Miller. Being on the forefront of the culture has always been a calling card for the City of Angels and looking to keep the tradition alive is Santa Monica native, Tate Tucker as he checks in with the wavy new visual for his single, “Just Wanna“.

The video showcases Tucker in a robe going through different party scenes with trippy video filters that match the snap counts perfectly. Directed by Ben Shmikler and Xander Mosejewski, the video is the perfect compliment to the uptempo groupie jam. “She want the triple double/ I told her I never miss” flows Tucker before he transitions into smooth croons and groovy falsettos. We got a chance to catch up with Tate to talk about the release of the video and what to expect in the near future.

RESPECT. Mag: Where did the idea for the video come about?

Tate Tucker: The video honestly came together in a matter of 30 minutes. It was supposed to be a conceptual photo shoot for the song. My photographer (Shmikler) spent the night set designing with these orange flowers and this insane lighting. We just wanted some colorful, LA vibes, and to showcase how much creativity we have in house. There’s so much talent in my family man, we wanted to stop outsourcing and making budgets so important. Then, the day of the shoot the homie Xander came through and we filmed it in an hour. I just wanted to capture my real personality, not some contrived bullsh*t that everybody wants to see. Just me. Someone who prefers not to take life too seriously until it demands so. I also wanted to channel my favorite artist ever, Lenny Kravitz, so we styled appropriately.

RESPECT.: Is this off of an upcoming project?

Tucker: This is a loose track. I’ll be dropping one more single, “Complicated” through my artist collective Proper Vibes, then my EP, All In, is set to drop November! I’m hyped about that one, it really showcases my songwriting and singing I’ve been working on the last year, since the Prelude EP. The growth is evident.

RESPECT.: What can we expect from you for the rest of 2016?

Tucker: The rest of 2016 is exiting forreal. I’ve been doing a lot of songwriting, both with and for other artists, and performing all over the country — most recently at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn — so I’ll continue with all of that. There’s a lot I can’t talk about, but I’m working with some incredible artists and producers, it just keeps getting crazier the harder I work. Exciting times. I’ll be opening for Mick Jenkins in D.C. at Georgetown University on October 22nd, which is a blessing. I’ll also be dropping the All In EP in November and I plan on turning up the performances after that, so expect a lot more content and a lot more shows. But after All In I’ll be dropping a lot more singles — I’m playing with the idea of a single a week for a month or two. We’ll see.

Check out the video for, “Just Wanna” above and be sure to keep an eye out for Tucker’s EP, All In, releasing next month.

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Yesterday, our nation mourned in unison in remembrance of the men and women who lost their lives 15-years-ago in a terrorist attack against the U.S. Whether you believe in one the many “conspiracy” theories that have been conjured about about 9/11, the fact is that many people lost their husbands, wives, sons, daughters, friends, sisters, and brothers that night and our condolences are out to the families that lost a loved one. But it wasn’t all bad that day, Hip-Hop received not one but two classic albums that day in Jay-Z‘s Blueprint, and Fabolous‘ Ghetto Fabolous… Okay just one, but “Trade It All” was my sh*t — shoutout Jagged Edge — and it was the debut album that would introduce Fab to the world, which is notable in itself. Before any of your young homies come running up to you on some, “Check out this Jigga track, “Song Cry“, Super slept on!” ish; peep out these 5 tracks that are actually slept on and are soon to blow.

Ankhle John – “Lil’ Booties Matter (RAW)”

One of the casualties of today’s hyper-sexual, video-vixen driven culture has been the defamation of the normal everyday body. Women have been racing to their nearest surgeon in hopes of being made into the newest carbon copy, with ass shots being the number one inquiry. D.C. native Ankhle John is here to tell you guys’ that won’t be necessary. Meshing golden age like cadences with a lyrical exploration of the body that Akinyele would blush at, John showcases his vast creativity. “First time we linked up, she showed me she’s a snorter/ Shorty ghetto smart, sent to Georgetown to be a lawyer/ I keep it cool, I peep the coke in her nostril” rhymes John in the midst of his lyrically dense tale. Check out, “Lil’ Booties Matter (RAW)” below and be sure to keep an eye on the D.C. native.

Max Gertler – “Grammy (Feat. Flahzi)”

Happy music has been popularized now more than ever. No more are the days of struggle tales and come up raps the industry darling; nowadays the Lil’ Yachtys and D.R.A.M.’s of the world have made happy pop rap the new trend. This is the lane that Max Gertler and his wavy, synth heavy track, “Grammy” drive in. Though old heads may be disgusted by this — which confuses the sh*t out of me — I love it. “When I win a Grammy, I’m gon’ rock it on my wrist” raps Gertler repeatedly throughout the track, which is full of aspirational conquests and leaves you feeling ready to conquer the day’s troubles. Check out the tropical new track, which is sure to blow, below and check out the Brooklyn native’s new tape, Di$ney, which is out now.

Tate Tucker – “Roll With Her”

Everyday when I get up in the morning, I do three things. First thing I do is get up and brush my teeth, the second is check my email and the third is thank the music gods for sending us Anderson .Paak and his groovy, unconventional style. Thanks to the great reaction to his latest project, Malibu, more and more artists have been finding more success being themselves and adding a little funk to it. One of those artists is Los Angeles rep Tate Tucker, whose ability to seamlessly switch from qualified wordsmith to on-key vocalist is a feat that is not to go underappreciated. On the track, “Roll With Her” Tucker exhibits a smooth, suav demeanor that serves to make him a favorite among the female listeners. Check out the swanky track, “Roll With Her” below and be sure to keep an ear out for the City of Angels native.

Rossi Rock – “That’s My Lady”

This weekly list was comprised to highlight both music that is on the cusp of blowing up, and music that is really good and going under the radar. San Diego native and TanBoy rep Rossi Rock and his infectious track, “That’s My Lady” is exactly the type of track we had in mind. Produced by Chris Romero, “That’s My Lady” is a fun bouncy track that finds Rossi effortless flowing about everything from 8 Mile, Jermaine Dupri, and of course his lady. Over rapid hi hats and a faint horn bouncing in the background, Rossi exhibits the lyrical qualities that have him buzzing in circles all throughout the industry with his fantastic tape, Agassi, which is the only tape to have two songs featured on With All Due RESPECT. Check out the bubbling track from the TanBoy below and get yourself acclimated now before the bandwagon is full.

Rob $tone – “Meetings (Feat. Denzel Curry)”

There have been plenty of winners and losers throughout the duration of 2016 — America being the biggest loser — but I’m not sure anybody has had quite the year that San Diego native Rob $tone has had. After moving back west from Atlanta and really putting the full court press on his music career, $tone carved out one of the years biggest underground in “Chill Bill” with his 1207 crewmates which saw him sign a contract to RCA Records and burst out as one of the year’s breakout stars. Out to prove that he’s more than just a one hit wonder — and that song is a HIT — $tone dropped his second mixtape, I’m Almost Ready, and first since signing to RCA. He failed to disappoint. Though there are a few bonafide bangers on there — see “Don’t You Dare” and “Rolling Stone” the track that will sure have everybody buzzing — as evidenced by this tweet — will be the groupie banger “Meetings” featuring one of the year’s best guest verses from Denzel Curry. Just like we called “Chill Bill” and Dae Dae‘s “What You Mean“ before they hit the Billboard Top 100, we’re calling this one as well. Don’t sleep, get hip now. Check out “Meetings” below.

There you have it! Let us know how we did, did we get it right? Are we still sleeping on your favorite local artist? Let us know in the comment section below!

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