Don-A-Matrix – who helps train several pro athletes/celebs, Kardashian Sisters, Kanye West, Trey Songz, Josh Duhamel and many more – will host a LIVE at-home workout session, where he’ll take guests through his signature “Don-A-Matrix Training Method,” which is designed like a four-quarter sports game to challenge the cardio and muscular-endurance system.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-h2DfAl_mR/

The training will take place LIVE on @drinkBODYARMOR’s Instagram handle on Tuesday, May 12^th at 12pm EST.

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A post shared by If It’s Not DON, It’s Not DONe (@donamatrixtraining)

For more Don-A-Matrix and #TheAltWithMel news make sure to check RESPECT Magazine!

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The post Kardashian Trainer Don-A-Matrix to host IG Live Workout! | #TheAltWithMel appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By: Reed Shannon

19-year-old singer, actor and comedian Reed Shannon, has found a home in acting and singing. He got his first big moment playing young Michael Jackson in Broadway’s Motown The Musical in which he was handpicked by Berry Gordy to play the role because of vocal abilities.

From there, he’s appeared on many TV shows on Nickelodeon, ABC and movies (Canal Street Movie), and most recently was hired as the voice of The Cartoon Network. He’s been a featured comedian at some of the top comedy clubs around the country. His first love is music, and he’s ready to dominate. He’s teamed up with Grammy Award Winning Record Executive Amir Windom (Bruno Mars, Pharrell, Trey Songz) to take his music to a higher level. He’s currently signed to Abrams Agency for film and TV.

Reed Shannon is currently the voice of The Cartoon Network. He does all on air promotions for The Cartoon Network, and some of his music from this project will be featured on the shows. He will star in the upcoming movie Chasing The Sun and will have song(s) on the soundtrack (from this project and new original music). He’s currently on 2 Nickelodeon shows and his music will be used in some of the episodes.

Reed Shannon is currently the voice of The Cartoon Network. He does all on air promotions for The Cartoon Network. He’s currently in production for a reality show that’ll feature him and some of his Hollywood friends. He also will be starring in the popular game League of Legends. Keep your eyes on the big screen and tv screen. You’ll see his face a lot. He’s also currently starting to work on his sophomore album.

The post Reed Shannon: The Entertainment Business’ Next Big Star appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By: LeVelle

R&B/Neo Soul singer LeVelle aka LB, has officially released his new single titled “Why“. Hailing from the historic city of Kansas City, this musician is ready to show the world how gifted and musically talented he is. On this new release LeVelle does an excellent job of taping in with his audience as he remains authentic and real in his lyrical digest. He quickly reminds listeners of “Why” the R&b genre is more relevant than ever, as soul music is food for the soul.

 On this release, you will hear the songster melodically singing his heart out pleading and asking
“Why” the woman who adores won’t leave her toxic relationship for him. In a serene and serenading voice the Kansas City native says things like “Why you keep putting up with these lames, why you keep letting him play these games, I see a predicament and I ask myself why?” These raw and honest bars, appear in the catchy chorus that sets the tone for the whole song. Every rift and word sung, is full of passion, intention and love. That is probably due to the fact that he is heavily influenced by Sam Cooke, Al Green, Gerald Levert, Avant, Musiq Soulchild, Anthony Hamilton and David Hollister. These R&B/Soul legends sound’s are weaved into LeVelle’s melodies, runs, and beat choices.

Pushing passed hardship, naysayers and the ways of the industry, LB has created a record that both men and women can grow to appreciate. The most impressive part of “Why” is the harmonious bliss that travels throughout your body from beginning to end. This by far his strongest material to date as he is only getting better and better over time. When you work hard you will reap the benefits of that hard work. That is the case for this rising superstar.

Having had the opportunity to grace the same stage as R&B crooner Charlie Wilson, Anthony Hamilton, Dave Hollister, Avant, El Debarge, TheBarkay’s, The Dazz Band, Al Green, The Temptations, Robin Thicke, After 7, TonyTerry, Trey Songz, En Vogue, SWV, Shanice, Tank, Silk, Dru Hill, K-Ci & Jojo, Frankie Beverly, Fantasia, Big Bub, Howard Hewett, Calvin Richardson, Eric Benet, Ginuwine, Marcus Houston, Cedric The Entertainer, he is more than ready to break into the mainstream music circuit.

LB has just completed his debut album called Le Velle My Journey. This album portrays his strong appreciation for women in general and the women who have greatly influenced his life. As he continues to be a prime contender in the R&B game, press play below to stream his “Why” single.

The post Soul Singer LeVelle Releases New “Why” Single appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Where were you raised and where are you living these days?

I’m from Hempstead NY but right now i’m living in Brooklyn after moving back from LA

How does it effect your creativity and what does it do for your music? 

It means everything honestly, being home allows me to be centered on the things that really matter to me. Living in LA became more about the lifestyle and being able to say “i’m out here” than being functional for me. I didn’t play it right

How would you describe your style? 

I have a very chill laid back production style, mainly R&B focused with a lot of psychedelic and alternative influences. There’s also a huge 80s-90s electronic influence in a lot of the stuff I make so i just feel like its a fusion of different genres and things I grew up on. Makes great music to smoke or vibe out to in my opinion.

Where did the name “Drewsthatdude” come from? 

A woman who super believed in what i was doing musically would always introduce me to artists as “That Dude”. I  used to just produce under my regular name but when i got out of my bad deal and wanted to focus on building my brand up and i felt like people would just recognize it more. Especially because people knew the name already from me bullshitting on twitter lol.

How did it feel getting Grammy nominated for the first time? 

As it happened? I was excited, i was still in college at the time and i had a couple records here and there like Jeezys Talkin, Mac’s Face in The Crowd  had came out i think the year before so he was going up for sure but i think that Wayne placement was the first real placement that made me feel like I’m doing something.

The 2nd nomination off Swimming means a little more just because of how it all came together, i was able to do something outside of production and it wasn’t attached to a lot of drama like some of my other situations.

Your best and most memorable celeb encounter moment.

Jordyn Woods once said a beat I was making was fire, then served me & my homie a glass of wine. It was very nice of her

Some big collabs you have in the work right now that your fans can look forward to? 

Honestly not so much a collaboration, but I’m working on developing more products and cool things that people who are fans of my music can appreciate.I want to bring a different experience when it comes to my live shows/events and step into different fields like gaming and basketball. Other things that interest me that I feel like my voice could be heard in. Its deeper than music.

Your playlist ‘DrewsTheDude’ by DATA-X is super vibey. What producers, songwriters and/or artists do you see as your inspirations and who would you like to work with?

Inspiration wise I’m big on Ty Dolla Sign, Prince, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, The Neptunes, Danjahandz, Herbie Hancock, Billy Preston,  T-Pain, The Dream, my musical inspirations are all over the place and there are a ton more. I’d love to work with Ty Dolla Sign, KING is the greatest group in the past 15 years so I’d love to work with them too. Pierre Bourne is another artist/producer I’d love to collaborate with, he’s got the wave.

You’ve connected with a lot of big artists. Which ones were some of your favourite sessions?

Mac Miller sessions were the best just because they were never really sessions whenever we had one. It was more so just a kick it session and we’d fuck around with music in between. It was very organic and the respect level was there so it felt more like jamming with your homie in the garage than “we’re making records”. I really enjoyed my session with NAO too.

How did you first connect with Trey Songz and what was like working with him? 

I cant even take credit for that, that’s all through the homie Saaj. He’s down in VA, was working with this songwriter MikexAngel at the time and at the time we all cooked up like 2 or 3 joints. The vibe on those records were super wavy and Trey ended up picking one of them and the rest is history. I still chop it up with Mike, the new records he’s been doing are on another level.

What are you listening to these days? 

A lot of Pierre Bourne, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Drego & Beno, Shoreline Mafia, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Carti. I go on older artist kicks where i run their discogs back so right now i’m on a 50 Cent kick crazy.

There are a lot of kids trying to do what you’re doing right now and the level of success you have seen. What’s that one advice you would give them that you need to be successful? 

I would try to develop as many skills as possible, not just musically but in all facets of creation. The way the industry and the world is trending is there are so many ways to be self sufficient and get things done on a small scale. The information is out there so i feel like having as many different skill sets under your belt are important. I wasn’t just making beats, i was mixing podcasts and sound design, all types of different things to make bread when i was still first figuring out how to get my music out there to people. Truthfully those skills get me paid more and the business is cleaner than just trying to get on an album.

What are some of your goals in 2020? 

Going to release a project via HW&W/eOne titled “We Had Our Time”, a beat tape from the Vault series, and The Crushboys EP. Trying to tour more and just connect with the people that have been riding for me for years. I’m really focused on just getting my infrastructure right, everything else is a bonus!

DrewsThatDude is on major streaming services like Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music and Soundcloud, racking up over 20 million streams to date. Follow him on Instagram and especially Twitter to keep up with his wildly informative updates.

The post Grammy Nominated Producer & Artist DrewsThatDude Sits Down With RESPECT appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

By: Troy Taylor TTU

Grammy Award winning producer Troy Taylor is bringing back authentic R&B in a major way. Having recently worked on Jacquees‘ new King Of R&B album, and Elijah Blake’s Holiday Love EP, this hitmaker is imprinting his original sound on the careers of some of music’s brightest rising stars. In February of 2020, he will celebrate being in the music business for 30 years, as he continues to elevate his career for new heights.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Troy Taylor for a candid interview below to see what life is like as a hitmaker. As he openly discusses reviving REAL R&B, having a friendship with Aretha Franklin and finding longevity in the music business, it becomes clear that his passion for creating music will never die. Check it out below.

Troy Taylor Interview 

Respect: As you were signed to Motown Records as an artist when you first started off in the industry, what prompted your transition to focusing more on the production/writing side of music?

Troy Taylor: While I was working on my album for Motown, I started working with these kids who were ages 15 to 17, I was around 22. When I started working with them to make a long story short, a year later they come out and blew up all the way up around the world. I started thinking do I really want to be an artist because I really enjoyed the success that these kids had and I knew I didn’t want to be super political and feed into the politics of being an artist. I am too real for that. When I say real, I mean if you want me to be politically correct I am not that guy. I am not going to do all that shucking and jiving and all of the stuff it takes to be an artist and I knew that.

So I went to the A&R Timmy Regisford and Jheryl Busby the president and I told them I didn’t want to be an artist anymore and that I wanted to be a producer and writer. I had done some work with their artists, but these kids went on to be Boyz II Men so after that I was done. I was like I would rather be behind the scenes because I could still sing, I could still write and I could still do all of the things I love without doing the front stuff. So that is why I decided not to become an artist.

Respect: What does it mean to be a Grammy Award winning hitmaker having won grammy awards for your work with Aretha Franklin and Boyz II Men?

Troy Taylor: Of course you know a Grammy award is the most major award you can win as a musician, arranger, producer, writer and artist, so for me it was really surreal to be part of that academy. It also makes me feel like I need to do more. Some people may be satisfied but not me because I can do more and have too. I can’t get comfortable. It kind of pushed me at the same time, as well as being happy and excited for it it. It truly  made me feel like I have to go harder.

Respect: What sparked you founding your Songbook Ent production company?

Troy Taylor: When I first started off in the industry, my first 12 years of my career I was apart of a production collective. I decided to leave in 2002 and that is when I created Songbook. The concept is coming from Talking Book which is one of Stevie Wonder’s albums. I feel like it displays songs and production all in one.

Respect: How did you go about signing Trey Songz and how did that change your life/career?

Troy Taylor: Ironically Trey was with this collective first and when I left, he had to stay with them even though I wasn’t there. That is until he got kicked out. He got kicked out of the company and he was excited because that meant that he could work more with me and that’s what he did. Trey Songz became more so the artist I never ended up being in the sense of great R&B music. That is what I wanted, simply to create great R&B music. It is one thing to make hits for people, but it is another story to create a star from scratch. It is not easy at all.

Respect: As you have worked with many legends such as Patti Labelle, Whitney Houston and The Isley Brothers, what are some of your fondest memories from working with the greats?

Troy Taylor: With Aretha Franklin since she has such big personality and known to be very diva, I think what made us work well together is the fact that I studied her career and her music. I knew that she was a musician, a dope writer and dope singer. So it was like I knew she had an idea of what she wanted to do, so I would set it up to let her do what she does and then I would go in after that. Most producers try to produce her when you cannot do that. You simply have to just let her do what she does.

Then you critique it, fix it, and do everything that needs to be done. She liked the fact that I did that with her. Upon doing 1 song it ended up being 3, and for the first time I asked her to listen to Trey Songz’ album because he was about to come out soon and I asked her for her advice on the music. The founder of Atlantic Records who signed her blessed Trey and told him that he was a star early. He then told Aretha Franklin, which helped her to listen to Trey’s music. When she listened to him I asked her if she could give him some advice. At the beginning of his album you can hear her giving Trey some advice and that was huge.

But that showed how cool Aretha and I were. Every now and then she would call me running ideas that she had in mind. It was really shocking because Its like is Aretha Franklin really calling me like what? I had no idea. I didn’t even want to work with Aretha Franklin because some people are so big I just like to let them be them and stay a fan. So working with her was amazing. I have one particular interview that she did in 2003 and she mentioned me. I didn’t even know about it. Years later someone said I like the interview when Aretha Franklin mentioned your name. I was like what interview?? They sent it to me and I was like wow. The queen Aretha Franklin has spoken, you all can’t tell me nothing.

Respect: How have you been able to find longevity in this music business?

Troy Taylor: God. It is always good to remember the giver more so than the gift. People focus so much on the gift that they forget the giver. Me, I always remember the giver and why he gave me the gift. It has never been about me. It has always been about other people and me helping other people to understand their gift. I help them learn how to work their gift and use their gift musically. I have been blessed to be able to continue to go no matter how hard, wicked, deceitful, or evil this industry can be. I have always been able to maintain and focus my energy mentally and not get caught up in the other stuff.

Thinking about before social media and now with social media, you can really get lost in why you want to do it or why you are doing it. I never got wrapped up in that. I stayed with the love of music and never let anybody, anything, any situation or hard time make me not love it anymore. Really I was able to stay on it and in it and going, just from the love of why I wanted to do it in the first place. I cannot let anyone change that thought you know what I mean.

Respect: As you have been in the game for 20 years, what do you find my rewarding about the line of work that you do?

Troy Taylor: It will be 30 years on February 11th 2020

Respect: As you have co-executive produced  Elijah Blake’s new Holiday Love album, what in the nature. Of you all relationship?

I met him when he was 14 going on 15. We are both Geminis and just clicked really well. But talent is one thing and learning how to use it is another thing. He came to visit me in Atlanta after I had moved there from Texas, and that is when I was able to figure him out and see what his need was and where he needed to be. At that time he was Red Styles he wasn’t Elijah Blake yet. He was an artist that wrote and knew how to record himself, which is one of the requirements at TTU.

You have to know how to record yourself. He knew how to record himself, write, arrange and do harmonies so upon him graduating and moving to LA, we just kept in touch. He is a great person outside of being a great artist. His personality and my personality work really well together, so we always stayed close no matter what he was doing.

He always knew he had my support and would get me whenever. This project was an honor to do because he came to Atlanta and stayed at the house. We actually worked on it in 2017. He didn’t put it out then and I tried to get him to put it out in 18, and he wouldn’t put it out. Now we finally have it out! It is really dope to have a body of work attached to our relationship.

Respect: What was it like working with Jacquees on his latest R&b album King Of R&B?

Troy Taylor: My goal for Troy Taylor as the 0G in the music game, is to get myself into the new era of R&B. That way I am able to change it, without standing on the outside and talking and being bitter. I knew I had to get up with the young up and coming R&B artists and insert my OGism. With Jacquees being the most active consistent young R&B artist, I knew I had to get to him. Once I got to him, I knew I could do the R&B those kids grew up on, if I had someone young doing it. I knew that if I could get that same music on Jacquees it would spark a whole new generate to R&B again. And since not to many of the producers that are out can actually do real R&B, it would put me back on top so to speak.

Respect: What are you currently working on/what is up for next?

Troy Taylor: I am currently working on music with Trey Songz for his forthcoming Trey Songz album. We have some really amazing music on the way. I am also working with a group called Next Town Down and in that group is one of my proteges Trevon Waters. Some of the songs I did for Trey, he co-wrote along with Daniel Breland. Breland (@thepenpointguard) does a lot of the things that I am doing now. He also co-wrote Jacquees songs “Fact Or Fiction” and “Good Lovin” and worked on YK Osiris latest project.

I also did some work on K. Michelle upcoming R&B album and executive produced my little brother Johnta Austin’s album Love, Sex and Religion. His most recent material is the definition of true R&B as it has been in the making for 10 years. He has finally released a body of work as recording artist, making this release his most impressive material to date. This move has allowing me to be fresh, up to date and current while at the same time fixing and bringing back the essence of Real R&B.

Stay up to date with this living legend by following him on social media @troytaylorttu.

The post Grammy Award Winning Producer Troy Taylor: Talks Reviving Real R&B, Friendship With Aretha Franklin & Finding Longevity In The Music Business appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

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