Philadelphia rapper Verse Mega teams with frequent collaborator and producer Nthebeats for “Justice Now,” a powerful rallying cry for victims of police brutality, which the duo first recorded following the tragic murder of Eric Garner by the hands of the NYPD. The pair were unable to release the track at the time, but sadly history has repeated itself with the barbaric killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department, and so the two felt the moment was right for it to finally be heard.

The track opens with voices from a protest—”What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!”—that are actually used for the hook, and then it bursts forth with massive production from Nthebeats. His driving instrumental sets the pace for Mega to unleash his rapid-fire rhymes that, unfortunately, couldn’t be more timely in the wake of Floyd’s senseless murder, and the worldwide protests of police brutality that have ensued.

Throughout his bars, the Philly emcee addresses the disconnect between police and those they’re meant to serve and protect as well as the generations upon generations of injustice faced by African Americans. He also questions exactly what the word “justice” means while ending his bars with these incredibly poignant words: “If we can’t get no justice, then you can’t get no peace!”

“Justice Now” is available through all major digital retailers and streaming platforms, and is accompanied with a lyric video promo clip that’s paired with recent protest footage which you can view right here courtesy of RESPECT.

Smart URL: https://smarturl.it/justicenow

Follow Verse Mega Online: 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/versemega
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/VerseMega
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verse.mega
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/versemega
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7ATEU7WaTpyt8eQoDoG77m

Follow Nthebeats Online:
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/nthebeats
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthebeats
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/nthebeats

The post RESPECT. The Track: Verse Mega & Nthebeats – “Justice Now” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Philadelphia rapper Verse Mega makes a major opening statement with his debut project, the powerful You Are? EP. The seven tracks on here (and bonus remix) demonstrate his stellar pen game, agile vocal delivery, and beyond-dope ear for production. As he explores the various ways in which we expand and change the way we think, he does so over phenomenal production from heavy-hitters like Nottz and Black Milk as well as Nthebeats, Cuzzo Beats, and Donwill.

You get an immediate sense of Mega’s mindset straight from the jump with opener “Who Do You Think You Are?”, a Nottz-produced head-nodder that drives home the great narrative of the EP. And from there, the emcee deftly runs through varying subject matter with the same passion. There’s the harrowing Black Milk-produced “Scared of the Dark” that tackles police brutality and racism, and then there’s the more upbeat and straight-up fun “Mascots” produced by Cuzzo Beats, which is accompanied with a visual directed by L. Biggs.

“Each song is special to me for different reasons,” Mega explains. “The content of ‘Scared of the Dark’ and ‘Good and Gangsta’ are my favorite, and ‘Mascots’ is the most fun.” But when it comes to a bar-for-bar look at them all, he admits that “R.S.V.P.” is his favorite. With good reason, because it boasts banging Nottz production and a hype guest feature from Lil Fame (of M.O.P.)—Mega admits to “losing his mind” when he heard Fame’s famous adlib on the track for the first time.

That anecdote really sums up how the Philly artist is able to make such an instant impact with You Are? There’s a sense of humility that bleeds through his rhymes that gives his music a relatable, down-to-earth quality. And it’s because of that very feeling that he’s capable of delivering such potent material, particularly “Scared of the Dark.”

You Are? is available now through all major digital retailers and streaming platforms via DSTRCT9 Records and can be streamed in its entirety courtesy of RESPECT., along with the visuals “Mascots.”

Smart URL: https://smarturl.it/iamversemega

Twitter:
• Verse Mega: https://twitter.com/VerseMega
• Lil Fame: https://twitter.com/famemop
• Nottz: https://twitter.com/NottzRaw

Follow Verse Mega Online: 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/versemega
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verse.mega
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/versemega

The post RESPECT. Premiere: Verse Mega – You Are? (EP + Video) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.