If you search Google for pictures or interviews of Top Dawg Entertainment‘s CEO and namesake, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, you won’t find much. He’s a well-known and respected figure within the music industry, but he’s mostly kept a low profile. This recently changed when he sat down with Vibe for an interesting interview about his label’s history and its plans for the future. A key quote and a full link to the interview are provided below. It’s definitely worth your read. Label directors like Top Dawg are the figures who help artists create and maintain sustainable careers, especially in today’s carpetbagger-ridden music world.

Quote: Discussing the main lesson he learned from TDE‘s previous deal with Warner Brothers Records, emphasis added:

One thing I learned is don’t chase radio or follow the artists that the label follows. If it’s hot, that’s what they’re on. They make me fuck up my acts ’cause I’m telling them to follow that when they should be doing their own thing. Two, don’t depend on nobody else to things for you. The label is there, but they don’t know shit ‘cause they not in the streets. Spinning out of the WB situation, we realized that the Internet was really becoming big and that became our focus.

Stories like this abound, but major labels really don’t seem to have changed all that much. Luckily, execs like Top Dawg are largely forgoing label nonsense and forging different paths. The music itself tells the story. Read the full interview here and check out a mini-documentary on Black Hippy below.

The post TDE’s Top Dawg Discusses the Label’s Past and Future appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Yesterday Action Bronson announced he finally inked a deal with Vice/ Warner Brothers via Twitter. He also announced he will never make candy coated, bullshit music. We’ve all heard that one before. Either way, congrats to the bearded spitter.

Photo cred goes to Bronson’s Instagram.

The post Photo Of The Day: Bronson Cooks Up Another Win appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

On Friday June 25, Warner Bros. Records along with Ciroc, Asylum, K-SWISS, and RESPECT. mag threw a pre-BET awards celebration at the Highlands in Hollywood. D-Nice and Felli Fel provided the sounds and guests were entertained by special surprise performances by Lyfe, Kandi & New Boyz. Celebs in Attendance included; Eric Benet, Lisa Raye, Kandi Buress, New Boyz (who received their platinum plaques at end of the night), Lyfe Jennings, Too Short, Flo Rida, Angie Martinez, Angela Yee, Kid Capri, Debra Lee (BET), Taraji Henson, Big Tigger, AJ Calloway and Rosa Acosta.

Photos By: Johnny Nunez

The post RESPECT. x Asylum appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.