Trinidad Jame$ has hopped on the remix of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ infectious “Uptown Funk.” The collaboration is fitting seeing that Mars takes from “All Gold Everything” with the line “Don’t believe me just watch.” On his verse Trinidad exudes nothing but confidence, at one point saying “I like myself on Instagram.” Take a listen to the remix below.

The post New Music: Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars- Uptown Funk (Remix) ft. Trinidad Jame$ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Two days off the release of his track “This America” Trinidad Jame$ drops The WAKE Up. The compilation consists of five tracks, all of which are consistent with the title. Each one brings up realizations of life.  Features include people like Problem and Denice Millien.

Peep The WAKE Up below.

The post New Music: Trinidad Jame$-‘The Wake Up’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

What do you get when you mix a Mario Kart 64 instrumental with the most threatening drill lyrics of all times and a lullaby-esque auto-tuned voice? You get Hip-Hop’s catchiest song of the year; “Try Me” by Dej Loaf.

Pronounced “Day-je Loaf”, the 23 year old female rapper from Detroit has been making waves this past month with her breakout single entitled “Try Me”. The MC has been hitting over three million views on YouTube in less than a month, getting co-signs from the likes of Diddy, Drake ,Wiz Khalifa and officially inking a record deal with Columbia Records. In the lights of her sudden success we wonder if we should believe all the hype surrounding her.

There is no one more excited than us that there is a new female presence in Hip-Hop. With the emergence of new female rappers like Angel Haze, Detroit Che and Dreezy coupled with the return of Remy Ma and resurgence of “rapping” Nicki Minaj, the female frontier is only getting stronger and Dej’s new found fame is helping fortify it. Similar to Nicki Minaj though, Dej Loaf has gone through a few different persona changes during her time in the rap game, in what seems to be an attempt to “find her sound”. She wasn’t always rapping like the hardest gangster out.

Looking back, you will see that Dej Loaf has been around for a minute now. Unlike, Trinidad Jame$ who started rapping 8 months before he got signed to a major label, Dej has been in the streets for a couple years. Her debut was way back in 2012 with the release of her mixtape Just Do It. The independently released tape had a few tracks that got some views and spins but probably for the wrongs reasons. Lead track “College” sounds like a friendlier version of Kreayshawn if she was blandly rapping about being a college student at some random institution in Michigan. The rest of the tape doesn’t get much better with tracks like “Ay Yah” which features poorly made beats and have a grand total of about 10 coherent words.

Dej Loaf was not destined for Hip-Hop greatness back in 2012. After what seemed to be a multiple year hiatus, she made a major come back with “Try Me”. Dropping the track in late July of this year, things didn’t start heating up until late September when the music video was released on YouTube and then just like that, 3.5 million views later, here we are.

So what changed in those two years? What makes this song any different from her old stuff?

For starters, the song’s beat is extremely easy to listen to. As mentioned above, it sounds like a backing track for a vintage Super Mario video game. All the cartoon-y tingles and shimmers play the perfect background for Dej’s lullaby vocals. Her voice’s natural melodic quality makes it seem as if it were incorporated into the beat. This combo equates in the catchiest song of the year. It is impossible to not humm this song immediately after you hear it. Although the beat is part of the new an improved Dej Loaf, the lyrics are really what stands out here.

On “Try Me”, Dej is rapping about the most gutter/gangster/hood topics imaginable. The first four bars are a perfect depiction of the song’s entirety: “Let a n***a try me, try me/I’m a get his whole mothaf***in’ family/And I ain’t playin wit nobody/F**k around and I’m a catch a body.” After hearing that opener, it’s hard to remember that the innocent girl rapping about skipping sociology class back in 2012 is now making death threat records.

Don’t get it twisted, ignorant, gutter, drill music definitely has its place in Hip-Hop. The energy that those songs bring is truly unrivaled despite the message that is being portrayed. It serves its purpose without a doubt.  However, the question of authenticity arises because of her polarizing persona from one year to the next. As soon as you look back on YouTube and see her rapping about her dorm room and campus life, not only does the music sound different but her entire image has made a full 180 degree flip. Rappers go through style changes all the time so this is really nothing new or career ending but to be taken with a grain of salt.  It just makes it hard to buy into all the hype just yet.

Dej has reportedly signed to Columbia Records for upwards on a million dollars which seems a little high for a rapper with no solid foundation as a rapper or even an artist for that matter. A rapper having only one song that goes insanely viral with no real substantial background doesn’t merit a million dollar record deal. On top of that, Dej went from college rapper to murder kingpin in the matter of a year, imagine what persona she might take on in another year or two; there is just too much risk.

On the bright side, her new mixtape Sell Sole shows a few signs of rap game prosperity. The beats are more full and can match her melodic voice for almost the entire 43 minutes. Her rhymes are tighter and make more sense than anything on “Try Me” while still being catchy and moderately singable. Some tracks like “I Don’t Know” and  “On My Own” sound like empty French Montana throwaways but some others like “Bird Call” and “Me U Hennessy”  have a surprising honesty that she’s never shown before. It’s far from a perfect project but Dej gets some wood on the ball with this one.

So should you believe the hype surrounding Dej Loaf? Ultimately, it’s up to you. Based on her track record and shaky history, there is no guarantee she will be the new female God MC by any stretch. Obviously stranger things have happened in this culture and anything can become reality; but the odds are against her. On the other hand her latest single and mixtape do prove she has the potential to make catchy songs that will please the masses. Only time will tell whether Dej Loaf is a one hit wonder or not.

Let us know what you think about Dej Loaf on Twitter and join the conversation!

The post From College MC to Gangster Rapper, Who Is Dej Loaf? appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis dropped the visuals for their track “White Walls” featuring Schoolboy Q and Hollis. The dynamic duo shows off their talent for storytelling with another one of their over-the-top music videos. Back in July, if you were in Seattle you probably heard about the city-wide call for  fans to flood Broadway Avenue on Capitol Hill to be in a music video. This is the one. Peep the visuals and pay close attention for some cameos by Trinidad Jame$, Big Boi, A$AP Rocky.

Macklemore probably didn’t find that outfit in a thrift shop.

The post New Video: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. ScHoolboy Q and Hollis – “White Walls” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

From one to 10, it’s good. It makes sense to me, and I hope the world takes the time to listen to the project and appreciate the project.

Stream and download below:

The post New Mixtape: Trinidad Jame$ – <em>10 Pc. Mild</em> appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

If you have not yet checked out Trinidad Jame$‘s latest clothing line “Gold Gang Gear,” then you are missing out on something big. The artist’s official website portrays his love for clothing and it’s well known that he has a history in the retail scene of Atlanta. In an interview with GQ magazine, he explains that fashion is “in general, part of the image. I was so much into fashion before music that it would be ridiculous for me to not start up from somewhere without getting the brand out there.” The XXL Freshman aims to bring street-wear to the upper echelon, “higher class, you know?”

Trinidad Jame$ apparently started this project after he started rapping. “It is all a part of the marketing and business plan behind music. When you get a chance to do something great, you got to capitalize on it. And capitalizing on it basically incorporates all the things that go along with it. You gotta have songs, you gotta have a movement, you gotta have people drawing portraits of you or whatever. So hey, why not make some clothes? If someone would take the time to draw a mural of you, then they’ll take the time to buy a shirt, a good shirt, you know?”

Trinidad Jame$ face on a shirt for 30$

Trinidad Jame$, who appears to answer all questions with a cryptic “you know?,” further elaborates on the time he dedicates to Gold Gang Gear. He explains that a close friend of his creates all of the designs, due to scheduling problems. He wishes to be more involved in the designing aspect of his clothing line, however he is “busy taking care of all other responsibilities that comes with [the brand].” Even though he has been on tour, he still finds time to look at the designs and tell the designer what he likes. This is admirable. Too many artists or public personalities sell their names and images to a brand without being involved in the creation of the products. Gladly, Trinidad Jame$ is not one of them.

The post Style: Trinidad Jame$ Introduces “Gold Gang Gear” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Each year, before the XXL Freshman get a chance to brandish their bars side by side in the Cypher, they are each tasked with handling business on a brief (written) Freestyle. The Freestyles are always a-capella, giving us a chance to see the Freshmen vulnerable, without any instrumental, crew, or well-cut video to hide behind. They say a man is only as good as his word; let’s see how these MCs stacked up. Here are the 2013 XXL Freshman Freestyles, ranked from worst to best.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely of the writer and not necessarily those of RESPECT. or its staff.

10. Trinidad Jame$

It’s worth noting that Jame$ is not known or loved as a lyricist–that’s simply not his draw–so placing him dead last is a little bit like calling out a QB for being a shitty fry cook. With that in mind though, the Jame$ could have spit more than nine and a half bars and tried to pace them out so he didn’t sound so much the last guy at the bar trying to overcompensate. Still, as Trinidad rambles, mumbles, pauses, and repeats, he’s fun to watch: he’s got personality. It’s a good sign for the 2013 Freshmen that even #10 on this list isn’t all bad.

Best Line: “These gold chains got you bitter? / These gold chains got me bitches!”

9. Logic

Logic does not have the same excuse as Trinidad James–he’s supposed to bring it lyrically. Instead, the Maryland MC gets his flippity-dippity on and just speaks on how lyrical he is using a bunch of trite, multi-syllabic flows, all of which sound like he’s a subpar guest on Def Poetry rather than a rapper. If he didn’t have a couple punchlines and a sort of noteworthy double time, Logic would have rode the ten spot. That being said, the line below is hot, and comes as a clever surprise after he almost devolves into the average end-of-video shout-out barrage.

Best Line: “Conceal the image behind the flow like a murder weapon.”

8. Kirko Bangz

Bangz doesn’t do badly. He also doesn’t do well. He keeps a steady flow throughout, and his voice sounds good and smooth all by itself. He also happens to rhyme “Lamborghini” and “Lamborghini.” He loses points for being bland, he gains them for not fucking up. He loses points for only rhyming for about thirty seconds–barely longer than Jame$–and he gains them for a little Southern wordplay: “holding it down” and  “young don” don’t always rhyme. He loses points for “All this fucking gold on, what the fuck you mean,” because there’s no way to know who or why he’s asking that. His best line is pretty cool though.

Best Line: “Fuck around and put a flounder on the corner / with a niner that’ll hit you faster than a 49er / wearing number seven.”

7. Travi$ Scott

While this isn’t in the top tier, there isn’t much to hold against this Freestyle. Scott brings a variety of interesting flows that feel like a song in the making. The clip lacks any true quotables or *wow* moments, and both Scott’s bandana and his rigid devotion to sounding poised rob us of the vulnerability almost every other Freestyle reveals. Scott brings a solid verse but he could have added some more flash and let us further into his world.

Best Line: “Left jelly all over her biscuits.”

6. Action Bronson

Bronsoliño brought most of his go-to ingredients: an unmatched reference game, (“The Beamer color of Danny Glover’s neck”) vulgar humor, (“Now you stick drugs inside your poop shoot,”) gourmet descriptions, (“Capers on the veal piccata,”) and hyperbolic tales of his imaginary grace/strength/good looks (“Pull the limo on the lawn, jump out, I’m just hallucinating,” and “All year–tan.”) These hilarious bits of unmistakable Bronson zaniness are dragged way down, however, by an asleep-or-too-baked-at-the-wheel flow and a few lines that fall flat (“Had to grow up fast because I had to feed my daughter right” and “Damn Bronson, why you gotta be that way?”) He seems somehow winded and pulls the energy out of his mostly well crafted bars.

Best Line: “Capers on the veal piccata. / Lost paper ’cause Prince Fielder couldn’t field a fucking pop up.”

5. Angel Haze

Some will disagree that Angel Haze should be in the top five over Bronson, but her energy is undeniable. For sixty seconds, she pummels the listener with boasts and quotables packaged in rapid, captivating flows–what else could you ask for? One thing: no more corny punchlines. When Haze raps “Perfected my craft–Nabisco, Cool Whip,” I wince. Further, using the “#hashtag” style only gives repetitive critics who compare every female rapper to Nicki Minaj some legitimate ammo to dismiss her. However, if she sticks to that smoother, more understated style–like when she pauses between “Whipping niggas’ asses, they finna call me ‘massa’,” and “Yo, my flow so massive”–and sharper punches like the line below, she’ll be set.

Best Line: “The point is that I’m on point and appointed / to flex on you bitches like I’m fucking double jointed.”

4. Joey Bada$$

Joey has been criticized for lacking originality in the past, so it’s a treat to see his Freestyle is one of the stranger entries. This is one of the trickiest, most unorthodox flows he’s ever produced, and the rasta breakdown about halfway through is a welcome left turn. The scene that the verse opens with is only half-painted but still gripping to the extent that I hoped he would keep going in that direction. The only criticism I can muster is that the verse almost entirely lacks hard-hitting quotables, but for the most part, Joey compensates stylistically and with an entertaining personality. This is clearly among the best Freestyles, but it would have been ranked higher if Joey were to provide a water-cooler moment. (Side note: this verse sounds dope over a beat.)

Best Line: “I hisses at your misses. / Slid it down her throat, spit it up–mm delicious.”

3. Ab-Soul

Soulo rips it. From the lines where he near-seamlessly name drops Section.80, Habits & Contradictions, and Control System to the ultra-cool of “Soulo ho / well known from Del Amo to SoHo ho/ don’t stop, roll mo’ dro ’till you comatose” to his Best Line below, which is also the best line of the entire cypher. In it, Soul wards off voices he and his Black Hippy brethren hear boxing them in as “conscious rap” and shows he’s far more multi-faceted, provocative, and clever than those voices could ever be. Soul came prepared and comfortable, but perhaps too much so. He’s so damn sure of his lines that he doesn’t give much thought to his presentation–this isn’t the “Terrorist Threats” video, move! Also, the last lines are pretty whack. “What’s the difference between a person and a human?” Come on, Soul, get off the stoned 10th grader tip and get back to the fire, which there is plenty of in this clip, but you’ll miss it if you can’t get past Soul’s catatonic vibe.

Best Line: “Top Dawg Entertainment / They’re saying we saviors like this ain’t dope we’re slanging.”

2. Dizzy Wright

Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Dizzy Wright has steez and he shows it off well here. The great Kansan hope has possibly the most clearly defined, catchy, and exciting flows out of all ten Freestyle videos. I’ve had the first eight bars of this verse on a loop for a good while now. It’s infectious, it’s smooth, it shows potential, not only as an underground force but for star power–getting up close and personal we get to see how genuine and genuinely calm Dizzy Wright is. It’s a sight to see. Balancing the tight flows from the first half are some slowed down, more blatant lines in the second half. It’s a clear choice that pays off and shows Dizzy came prepared to win. This Freestyle just missed out on the top spot because Dizzy’s writing, while 100% rhythmically on point, sometimes approaches generic on the content and phrasing fronts.

Best Line: “You ain’t a Nigga With a Attitude, nigga you just ignorant.”

1. ScHoolboy Q

ScHoolboy Q has been called the fists of Black Hippy, so it’s appropriate he powered his way to the number one spot. Q took it by force. He comes equipped with a plethora of tricky flows and inflections that aren’t just intriguing and suspenseful to listen to, but are unlike any flow in recent memory. Q has stated in interviews that he is always looking for strange new ways to change up his formula–be it changing verse lengths to, say, twelve or twenty-six bars, or messing with his cadence–and this Freestyle definitely brings something new to the table. Also, props for the hilarious admission that he is “kinda chubby and fat” at the end. The only detractor from Q’s victorious Freestyle is that it is, like those of Travi$ Scott, and Joey Bada$$, too heavily focused on style instead of making time for the occasional crowd-pleasing punchline. But the flows are golden, Quincy. Wear that bucket hat like a crown, and carry this dominance over into the Cypher.

Best Line: “Your sign language fuck up your voice / in tune to your throat and your boys / and amigos I seek and destroy.”

Who do you think came hardest? Let us know in the comment section below.

The post XXL Freshman Freestyles – Who Came Hardest? appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.