“Round My Way” is an exclusive first preview off of the Jet Life Recordings mixtape release “Son Of  A Gangster Vol. 2” from TY, son of New Orlean’s legend B.G. TY is bringing a vintage ‘Nola style to 2015. Listen as he tells it how it is ’round his way.

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Shout out to the University of Pennsylvania for getting the Ivy League excited about underground hip-hop. Last month they invited Brooklyn rap duo The Underachievers and Canada’s hottest new producer Kaytranada for a tag team performance that rocked Philadelphia’s Rotunda Theater. This month, their events planning committee hit fans with a triple threat–bringing together Ty Dolla $ign, Travis Scott, and Topaz Jones for what they are calling ” The Owl Pharaoh Beach Honeymoon Concert“.

With Ty$ as the headliner and Topaz and Travis warming up the crowd, it goes without saying that this show was nothing short of pure chaos. In fact, the Penn Campus Police nearly cut the concert short when Travis Scott invited the entire theater on stage and caused a small scale riot. Obviously, the Penn Police hadn’t done their research, since given Travis’s infamous history of trying to draw blood from his audience (see Trillectro Music Festival 2013), they should have been prepared for the wreckage. But luckily, after having dealt with crazy campus police the night before, Ty$ was fully prepared to talk the cops out of a complete shut down–just like he talked Virginia police out of putting him in jail for drug possession less than 24 hours beforehand.

Despite the rage that took place before his set, Ty$ managed to keep the crowd calm–but still hyped–when he exploded onto the stage with 2010’s west coast hit “Toot It and Boot It.” After making rounds with fast-paced crowd-pleasers like “Familiar” and “Irie,” Ty$ slowed it down for the ladies and invited one lucky chick up for quick serenade and slow grind. Finally, as expected, Ty$ ended his Saturday night to a chorus of singing fans with 2014’s radio hit “Paranoid.”

In spite of the drama the Penn Police made for themselves, The Owl Pharaoh Beach Honeymoon Concert was definitely a success. Who knew the Ivy league could party so hard? Check out RESPECT.’s exclusive photo recap from the show below and see for yourself.

The post Photo Recap: TY Dolla $ign, Travis $cott & Topaz Jones @ University of Pennsylvania appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

This April Fool’s day marks the scheduled release date for Smoke DZA‘s newest compilation, Dream.ZONE.Achieve. Like its title, the album is structured in three acts, each with seven cuts apiece. Of the 21 songs confirmed on the album, one joint is a relic from the past–last spring’s “Ghosts of Dipset.” But this week, two new anthems have emerged on the web to get fans excited for Dream.Zone.Achieve‘s spring unveiling. Yesterday we dropped DZA‘s collaboration with Ab-Soul and DJ Dahi, “Hearses”. Today, we’re blessed with a fresh new video for “City of Dreams,” directed by none other than New York’s own Damon Dash. Check it out below.

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Last Wednesday, just two days before his 23rd birthday, YG started a 15 city tour in support of his newest mixtape Just Re’ed Up 2. The tape features production almost entirely from fellow Pu$haz Ink label-mate DJ Mustard, as well as features from Dom Kennedy, Joe Moses, Nipsey Hussle, Young Jeezy, Wiz Khalifah, Juicy Jay, Ray J, Ty$, and a host of other heavy hitters. As a result, Just Re’ed Up 2 has already surpassed 2011’s Just R-ed Up with over 277,000 downloads. On Thursday, YG took the Brooklyn Knitting Factory stage to celebrate the release of his mixtape NYC-style and prove why his new project is a must have for 2013.

For those who havent heard, YG, short for Young Gangsta, is an MC on the comeup from Compton, California. He was featured as one of 11 rappers on 2011’s XXL Freshmen list, and now serves as the CEO of his own record label, Pu$haz Inc, while also enjoying a joint contract with Def Jam. Between his label, mixtape, YouTube series, and upcoming birthday, YG has a lot on his plate. Of course, he still managed to find the time to sit down with RESPECT. minutes before his show to talk music, touring, Boolin’ and more.

How is Just Re-ed Up 2 different from the first Just Re’ed Up?

Man, it’s just so different. The songs are heavier, the beats is crackin, and the whole thing is really just more of me as an artist.

On “I’m from Bompton” you say you hate interviews because criminals hate talking. I find that even though criminals hate talking, rappers loves talking about themselves. So, is that really true, do you really hate interviews?

Nah, I’m just a real quiet kind of guy, you know what I’m saying. I dont like to be talking all the time, I don’t like to say too much. Just keep it simple, I keep it G.

On your Tupac Interlude, did you find that piece yourself? What was it about that cut that made it want to put in on the tape?

Yea, that shit is exactly how I feel right now; That’s how I feel about the game, that’s how I feel about my money, and that’s how I feel about my music.  That shit was real. I wanted to put some Tupac on my shit, because there’s some young kids that don’t even know who Pac is! Not the black kids, but the other kids. I meet all kinds of kid on tour, and you gotta let em know. I found that cut on youtube, just looking through old Pac stuff.

When’s episode six of your YouTube series Boolin’ coming out?

Boolin’ should be out soon cause we on tour now. So its coming. But, nothing here [at the Knitting Factory] is gonna be on there cause I don’t even got my camera or nothing. But Boolin is fun, its fun to make it and its fun to watch it, so we about to be on there again soon.

In episode one of Boolin‘, you let us know you’re a bit of a skater. You really about that life though?

I don’t got my board right now, but I do skate. You saw me doing real tricks on Boolin. I used to skate when I was young, and I was just throwing stuff at Wayne on that video though. I do like to skate though, so I gotta get some more tricks.

From the Boolin’ series I can tell you’re a 2Chainz fan because of all the work he’s done with DJ Mustard. Do you see any more future collabs? Do you see any collabs with any more artists you like?

Yeah, I already got a song with 2Chainz, but I want to work with everybody all over again. Making music with different people from different groups with differnt styles is always cool, and makes your music better every time. So I want to work with 2Chainz again, everybody again.

How is it going with your PushazInc Record Label? How do you balance being the CEO of you’re own record label while under Def Jam at the same time? Is there any conlfict of interest?

PushazInk is crackin right now. We doing really good, and we got alot of stuff about to come out. Ty$ about to drop something hot, Reem (Reem Riches) bout to be crackin’. PC, Ace, TeeCee4800, everybody is crackin right now. DJ Mustard on and cracking always. Its good cause everybody is working hard and dropping new stuff. I can do mine, they do what they gotta do, and I go back to [PushazInk] and see everybody is really putting in work, you know what I’m saying. There’s no conflict of interest [with Def Jam] or anything; it’s a good situation right now.

You’ve said in previous interviews that you do most of your music work outside of the studio in your house. What do you like about working at home that you don’t like about the studio.

Yea I used to do a lot of stuff at home, but now I gotta be in the studio. The studio is nice but I just started in the house, so I’m just used to doing everything in the house. Work all day in the crib, have people come over and put on some more work. But now I gotta be in the studio, you know, so its not bad, its just not the way I started. But you gotta keep up with your music, so if I gotta be in the studio, I gotta be in the studio putting out records.

On “Make It Clap” you tell a bitch to hit the Kermit. I’m not from Cali, so what does that mean?

It’s “Nigga, hit the Kermit,” like get them legs, frog leap the fuck outta here! Jump!

So why kush and no purp?

Haha, I don’t know. It’s just West Coast; you smoke kush, it keep you chilling, you know what I’m saying. Purp have niggas fallen asleep. But that’s just how it is out there. I don’t know because I’m not even a smoker like that though. Niggas here smoke whatever y’all smoke but on the West Coast kush just got everybody feeling right.

You’re birthday is on Saturday. Happy birthday. Whats the game plan for the big 23?

We gonna be on tour in Pheonix, so the show is gonna be turnt up. Its gonna be a wild show, a wild performance with lots of energy. Then after that probably go back to the hotel for the after party. Its just another tour day, but its gonna be turnt up.

Check of the live stream of the Knitting Factory show, plus the full album and concert dates.

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