Photo: Shane Davis

CHEMISTRY (ˈkeməstrē) is defined the complex emotional or psychological interaction between two people. Emcee P-Rawb (New Jersey) and producer Shane Great (Philadelphia), known as hip-hop duo The Jerzadelphians, embody such. Their chemistry is apparent. It’s admirable. It’s hip-hop. Remember the first time hearing Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth? Or, say, Gang Starr? Their connection as producer/emcee packages were precious, and irreplaceable to say the least.

Before meeting Shane Great face to face, he would be spotted at almost every worthy live show in Philadelphia wearing some sort of underground logo t-shirt. A humble, confident aura is inviting – after dealing with weekly bombardment from musicians especially. After five minutes of building for the first time we knew we found a jewel. It’s refreshing to discover raw talent naturally, you know? And maybe rare, considering the digital era we are standing at the peak of.

P-Rawb, Shane’s friend of over a decade and former United States Army Sargent, is the perfect puzzle piece in the equation. The perfect other half in the studio. Having met him shortly after conversing with Shane, we were left with the same conclusion. No frills, no skepticism, no phony smiles – entirely genuine and an overwhelming sense of self.

After streaming these few demo cuts here, you may notice this isn’t for the bubblegum sound admirers. Or the young trap lords. Having grown up under the boom-bap and golden era umbrella, as far as hip-hop, this is what you get from the two chemists. ‘Hard.Soul.Basement.Music‘ (’12) was their first release, which was followed by a generous amount of material. Check the records out. If you’re lazy and don’t, it’s okay! Because their work keeps getting better each time we hear it and wherever you hop in at will be satisfying.

Aside from music, P-Rawb is an incredibly talented self-taught photographer – having shot hundreds of live shows and works directly with musicians. His creative abilities leak just as well into this area, so I would definitely take a look.

We’re going to stray this article away from being a boring song(s) review post that you will skip over. With that being said, please enjoy the streams and draw your own opinions. Peace and love.

SoundCloud | BandCamp | Shane Great FB | P-Rawb FB

The post The Jerzadelphians: The Emcee/Producer Duo To Know appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Long-Island wordsmith, and United States Army Veteran Typ-Ill embodies the word honesty. And dignity for that matter. Why do we set it off with honesty and dignity? Because they seem to be rather distorted, lost characteristics in today’s rap scene.

Around this time last year we had the pleasure of seeing Typ-Ill alongside a few other performances here in Philadelphia. Without question he had the most captivating set, to the point that we almost forgot who the other opening acts where. The amount of confidence and the level of humility he showed, and continues to show, on face to face basis alone is admirable. So, if you get the chance to see him bless the stage, please do so.

Aesthetically speaking, Veterans Day (produced by Statik Selektah in its entirety) is for anyone who enjoys pure hip-hop, and will appease to any boom-bap junkies. Their chemistry goes beyond your typical e-mail to e-mail orchestrated records and is very much undeniable. Though his prior work is notable, this may easily be his most developed. Static plays a huge role in this development.

Perhaps a lot of listeners are not Veterans and cannot relate to serving in the Army – in combat at that. But after listening to this bumper to bumper you will feel like you were right there with Typ, whether directly or indirectly. In fact, if you are left without some form of goosebumps you may be inhumane. That’s how heartfelt and honest this record is. Enjoy the stream and purchase it if you are diggin’ it! Peace and love:

Additional purchase links below:

CD (Fat Beats)

Amazon

Google Play

The post New Music: Typ-Ill & Statik Selektah’s “Veterans Day” (LP Stream) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.