If you wanna see Rockie for the free, we got you covered here at RESPECT. All you have to do is tweet us (@RESPECTMAG) your favorite Rockie Fresh song, and just like that, you could be chosen! Sounds easy enough, right? That’s because it is. So fire up your Twitter fingers and let us know!

  
Also sharing the stage with Rockie Fresh, will be Anik Khan, who is pretty dope. So even if you don’t win tickets, you should still cop and attend what will be a fun night of music at Webster Hall.

While you’re here, make sure you check out Rockie’s latest project, The Night I Went To Los Angeles.

The post Here’s How You Can Win Tickets To See Rockie Fresh In NYC appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

We will be giving away a pair of tickets and winning them is simple. All you have to do is follow us on Twitter and tell us why you should win. The best response gets the tickets, and the winner will be announced Monday, May 18th. So get to following and good luck!

Even if  you don’t win, this looks to be a great show. Cop your ticket here.

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Photo by Martin Blondet

Manhattan’s Webster Hall swelled with anticipation last Wednesday as Hudson Mohawke stealthily approached the DJ booth, soaked in fog and purple lighting, accompanied by thin layer of watery synths. With this night being one of the last of Red Bull Music Academy’s month-long string of events in New York City, expectations were high, and the question of who the “friends” the headliner was supposed to bring out had rumors buzzing.

After an energetic performance from NY-based rapper and producer Le1f, HudMo’s calm was a counter-intuitively exhilarating change of pace. Rather than going for a sucker-punch high-energy opener, HudMo caught the crowd’s curiosity with his slow-building, majestic remix of Bjork‘s “Virus.” Many shouted anxiously for a “drop.” Others, trusting in HudMo’s subtlety, let themselves take the bait, listening intently for his next move. All were pleased to hear the Glaswegian producer’s more melodic sensitivities be followed by his dark side, transitioning into the menacing “100HM,” originally conceived as a Rick Ross instrumental. Hudson Mohawke’s versatility doesn’t only make for a unique live performance: in the past few years, it has established him as a key player in both the electronic music scene and, most recently, in the world of hip-hop.

Hudson Mohawke is currently in an artistic Goldilocks zone that most producers could only dream of. His first taste of recognition came with his collaborative project with Montreal producer, Lunice (TNGHT). Their self-titled EP, released in 2012, was two steps ahead of the game, being one of the first instances–and certainly one of the best–in which the Southern trap sound was fused with electronic music. It was this project in particular that caught Kanye West‘s attention, who signed HudMo to G.O.O.D. Music’s production wing early last year. HudMo has consistently brought his precise and hard-hitting style to G.O.O.D. Music’s table, receiving production credits on the Cruel Summer compilation and on West’s last album, Yeezus. Though HudMo refrains from labeling his music, his use of 808s, fat synths, and distorted vocal samples made for a deadly combination that greatly popularized the trap sound within the EDM community. It’s safe to say, however, that few producers who adopted the sound have managed to do it as creatively as Hudson Mohawke. Of course, the Webster Hall crowd was well-aware of this as they bounced to TNGHT-bangers like “Goooo” and “Higher Ground.”

As HudMo rocked out with his signature slightly-off-beat head bob to one of his own 808-heavy tracks “Chimes,” a familiar voice suddenly began crooning over the blasting horns. Houston rapper and fellow G.O.O.D. Music signee Travi$ Scott rushed the stage, stomping wildly, dapping up fans and singing a hypnotic tune: “She in love with the party…” After allowing a moment of silence for the audience to soak it all in, Scott baptized the crowd with a water bottle and growled furiously into the mic as the opening to his titanic single “Upper Echelon” blasted. Remaining on stage for a few extra minutes to continue hyping up the crowd, stage-diving and giving his t-shirt away to one lucky female, Travi$ Scott’s electric performance proved to be tough act to follow for HudMo’s second guest, Bodega Bamz. The Harlem MC performed unreleased material with great enthusiasm and charisma, but was somewhat lost in Travi$ Scott’s dust cloud.

After expertly leveling the slight dip in energy, teasing the crowd with a snippet of his latest collab with Yeezy, “God Level,” HudMo was joined on stage by Antony Hegarty, front man of chamber pop band Antony and the Johnsons, in the form of a ghostly silhouette haunting the back of the stage. Hegarty swayed gently as she sang an eery melodic number, later revealed to be an unreleased song produced by HudMo. While being by far the oddest choice of guest performer, those who’d learned from the intro knew that this was only a quiet before the storm. Making sure to finish on a high note, HudMo threw down three classics in a row, “Cbat,” “Thunder Bay,” and “Fuse,” which he then topped off with his cheerful, clubby remix of Duck Sauce‘s “NRG.”

Tongue firmly in cheek, HudMo walked a few feet away from the booth, pointing at his watch apologetically, knowing full well that he had us in the palm of his hand. Murmurs of “Kanye” and “Bjork” could be heard throughout the crowd, but he would not save his encore song for something that wasn’t all the way him, and rightfully so. Few artists are bold enough to finish a set with something that will challenge rather than appease their fans. The unreleased song’s pounding buildup resembled a punk beat played on drums forged by the gods. The “drop” (if you can call it that) was awe-inspiring. With no signature HudMo style rapid-fire snares to be heard, a sublime tidal wave of harmonic synths washed over the crowd, crashing and fading, with HudMo disappearing into it. While some remained milling around, clinging to hope that Kanye would make an appearance, most left contently knowing that the silence was only yet another set up for the many things Hudson Mohawke still has in store for us down the line.

The post Concert Review: Hudson Mohawke Is Full of Surprises appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Though Soul Khan did a near-perfect (and accidental) paraphrasing Jay Z‘s “Izzo” intro as he addressed Webster Hall’s basement crowd, that’s about where the similarities between the mogul and the mortal end. When Hov noted that his audience had infinite options besides him, the seemingly-humble words came through his mic cord already doused in flammable panache and self-congratulations. Soul Khan‘s realization and thanks-giving, however, sprang from a much more genuine realization. “You could really be doing anything else,” he insisted, stopping just short of telling the audience they had better things to do. Instead, he opted to soak up the support.

In other words, Soul Khan is a kind of an everyman. He has a sense of perspective. He’s a humble dude. That’s not to say his set lacked confidence, or even ego at times, though. Among the best moments of the night were Khan‘s ferocious runs of “6:30 AM” and “Hold On,” (the opening tracks of Soul Like Khan and Pursuance respectively). Though quite a bit of Khan‘s music is focused on exposing and eradicating the ills of the world, it’s (especially) dope to hear a smart and selfless guy just go off. Soul was especially invigorating when it became time to talk his shit.

Another peak moment for the show was when Khan treated the crowd to a glimpse of what’s to come–a brand new, completely unheard track. The production was theatric, the rhymes were grandiose, the aura was bigger and more polished–it was the best possible incarnation of what Soul Khan can achieve on a record. This new material had all the humility and human connection of a man who can laugh at himself combined with all the righteous fire of a man who’s lost his appetite for laughter.

The second the intense records cut off, though, it was always right back to Khan‘s mix of self-deprecation, rambling, and still-funny dad humor. The funniest moment? Khan spending a solid minute or so recounting a debate he overheard between two friends over who had the “smoov skill,” which Khan insisted be spelled with a “v”. The comfortably uncomfortable MC had the crowd in consistent fits of laughter, proving himself as an all-around entertainer in addition to being a politically-minded rap nerd’s dream.

Another welcome surprise in the all-around entertainment category: even though he brought frequent collaborator Akie Bermiss along to handle most of the singing duties, Soul tackled the prayer-like hook to “Van Gelder” by himself, his vulnerable hum proving impressive live. Khan also made the wise move of turning the hook into a “clap along” experience, adding to the religious magnetism. His increased (and still increasing) comfort on stage doesn’t only show in his ability to utilize ferocity and tenderness, but also in his physical showmanship. Khan‘s been known to cling to his water bottle for a performance’s entirety, but he notably cut down on that this time around. His motions on stage are still a little stilted, and though he doesn’t have all the smoov skill in the world, it doesn’t take too much away from his set. At the end of the day, it’s about if the content is there, and it damn sure was.

Aside from the jokes and boasts, at the heart of Soul Khan‘s art is thoughtful social commentary. It was inspiring to see how much Khan cared about the inclusion of “Not Like That,”–his dissection and execution of sexism–in the setlist (they almost forgot!). The song is a master class taking down a societal ill with humor and precision, and to know that he still holds it dear in spite of his admittance (in our interview with him) that the song is perhaps too preachy and direct is a beautiful thing. It didn’t hurt that Akie was there to sing the crazy smooth hook and the sections of the song where, in an inspired move, he croons Khan‘s lines as he raps them, adding a whole lot of texture. As a final outlet of passion, Soul ended the night by thanking the crowd for attending and letting loose a dizzying, athletic acapella. It was raw. The whole performance was raw–grizzly, soulful, unprocessed, (somewhat) unpolished, unapologetic–word to Push–and real. A real human being who happens to know how to work a mic.

Make sure to catch Soul in concert whenever you can. Also, check out our interview with him (below), his latest track, as well as Khan‘s video for “Morning Alone,” (also below) which we premiered here on RESPECT.

Interview: Soul Khan The Wise Part 1

Soul Khan (Feat. Nicholas Ryan Gant) – “Morning Alone”

The post Concert Review: Soul Khan Is Raw appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photo by Laura June Kirsch

On “Where My Money,” Royce da 5’9 asks a provocative question: “Now who gives a fuck about who bars the hardest/When the DJs think they’re bigger stars than the artists?” There is no clear answer to this question, but its premises are useful. Royce thinks that DJs are stepping out of line and becoming too self-important. That might be true, but given the reception of TNGHT’s recent performance at Webster Hall, the recent growing popularity of DJs seems to be less of a collective shift in DJs’ egoism and more of a collective shift in what fans actually want to hear (and do) at concerts.

“Fans of what?” you may ask. This is precisely where TNGHT gets tricky. Though the duo is signed to Warp Records, the members – Lunice and Hudson Mohawke – have affiliations with LuckyMe, Night Slugs and G.O.O.D. Music. They also have roots in the underground scenes of Montreal and Glasglow, their respective cities of origin. Finally, making things even more complicated is their role in popularizing the revival of trap, the formerly waning and currently vibrant musical aesthetic of early 2000s Southern hip-hop. Because they sit at this peculiar intersection of disparate scenes and sounds, the only way to genuinely answer who their fans are is tautological:  fans of TNGHT are fans of TNGHT.

A woman next to me asked, “Is this hip-hop?” Yes, but it’s also something else. Lunice formerly claimed that the aim of TNGHT is to dive “straight into mainstream rap music,” but there’s no way to comfortably call what they’re doing just hip-hop. The fact that the question is even posed speaks volumes.

Their music speaks volumes as well. Many volumes, in fact. Their set is characterized purely by peaks and troughs. Dancing to their music is like interval training on a stationary bike. “ACRYLICS,” their latest single, embodies this mark most vividly. The song oscillates between dreamy twinkles and explosive synths and bass. “Explosive” is the key word here because there is no real build-up: the peaks just happen. The only thing that sustains you in between these highs and lows is pure anticipation. It’s interesting to see this play out live. Anticipating the highs, people stopped dancing and longingly stared at Lunice and Hudmo for direction. They really didn’t know what to do! Other people complained: they wanted to dance non-stop. (Translation: they wanted to hear what they wanted to hear)

Their complaints weren’t unheard. TNGHT loves to play with the audience’s expectations, but they were not authoritarian. If anything, they were fairly obliging. Although the songs they make embody the disparate traditions that they skillfully patch together – “Higher Ground” is the example par excellence –  they were willing to please their constituents one demographic at a time. While Lunice’s “Panera Bread” pleased the hip-hoppers at the expense of everyone else, it was balanced by a later nod to the EDMers, with “Treat Me Right” by Keys N Krates.

While the music spoke and the audience spoke back, the stars of the show were rather mute. Sure, Lunice occasionally got up from his swivel chair – yes, he had a chair – and madly directed the crowd like some sort of crazed classical conductor, but there was no further communication; Hudmo was behind his computer the entire time. They probably didn’t even have microphones. Still, they were the main attraction. This kind of self-effacement stands in direct opposition to the DJs that Royce mentions and perhaps that’s why TNGHT is so damn likeable: at the end of the day they’re all about the music. There were no audio watermarks saying, “TNGHT made it” or some other quickly annoying phrase. Their trademark is simply the music itself. And that’s precisely why TNGHT has made it.

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When the Mobb Deep boys graced the Webster Hall stage Sunday to discuss their iconic second album The Infamous, the audience – some cheering, some shouting “Mobb Deep!” – eventually grew silent.  A mixture of Queens representers, others from the outer boroughs and even a couple of adventurous fans from LA showed their respect for a duo who ultimately paved the way for a number of street hip-hop artists. Of course Prodigy and Havoc are humble, reluctant to name any names, but the crowd’s shout-outs of potential Mobb Deep listeners (The LOX, Clipse, 50 Cent, Capone-N-Noreaga) means their influence is rooted in more rappers than they believe.

“At the time, there was nothing like Mobb Deep,” Prodigy said. “We were real unique to what we were bringing. The lyrics. The lifestyle. Everything we was bringing to the table was unique.” Havoc added: “It was flattering, they were from the hood too so you can’t knock nobody hustle. From day one we wished them all the best. I always hoped it worked for them.”

Read the rest of Mobb Deep’s history and making of The Infamous after the jump.

To start off the Red Bull Music Academy’s New York: Five Out of Five World Tour, P and Hav sat down with host Sacha Jenkins, running through a series of  questions about their lives before rap, documenting the Queensbridge Housing Projects warzone-like atmosphere, exploring the origins of the “Dunn Language” and reminiscing on key tracks off The Infamous.

“[The Dunn Language] really came from Queensbridge period.” Prodigy said. “Queensbridge is the biggest projects in America – 96 buildings – and it just got a lot going on out there. There so many styles and slang, it was like a breeding ground for uniqueness.”

It was enlightening to learn of Mobb Deep’s come up to success, an arc that began with countless travels by train to the cheapest studio in Coney Island, and ascending into an unstoppable force of evocative beats, gritty rhymes and clear-cut narrations of street life. While they dropped many gems from their past, such as Hav’s talent for graffiti and fine art, in which P said, “Hav is incredible with it. We was in the crib one day, and he drew my face perfectly with a pen just making dots.” One that shined the most was the involvement of Q-Tip from the innovative A Tribe Called Quest in the making of The Infamous.

At the time, when many rappers wanted to chase dreams of living the high life, Mobb Deep felt their sound represented the environment of the blocks. After scanning the addresses of record labels on the back of cassettes, one that caught their attention was Def Jam Recordings. They patiently waited for three days standing outside of Def Jam. They were  waiting for somebody like Q-Tip to take a chance on what the young teenagers had to offer.

The rest is history. Years later during their production of The Infamous, P and Hav reached out to Q-Tip, who blessed them with quality drum patterns, tweaked their beats, and provided an overall quality that only A Tribe Called Quest member could deliver.

Jenkins focused on a few tracks featuring Q-Tip, namely “Temperature’s Rising” and “Drink Away The Pain (Situations).” Others were Prodigy’s rant on “The Infamous Prelude,” which many hip-hop connoisseurs have analyzed, and the East Coast connection of Nas and Raekwon seen in “Eye For An Eye (Your Beef Is Mine).” Samples from these songs were revealed by Havoc, who said during his process of making so many beats, he often would overlook the sample’s name. Prodigy also talked about telling a story with his lyrics, whether they were true or fictional accounts, it brought an unconventional style for Mobb Deep.

When the duo was ready to hit the stage for their performance, the crowd was already so hyped up from the ounces of water thrown after Lloyd Banks’ impressive set. Mobb Deep was introduced by the great Marley Marl, before performing a hard hitting playlist that surprisingly went beyond their realist product to date. This only fueled the crowd’s excitement more. The crowd ate up every verse Prodigy and Havoc spat. They rapped along, tried to stretch their hands for a quick dap by either rapper and just went crazier after every dramatic gun cock and gunshot sound effects from the DJ.

By the time Mobb Deep concluded with “Shook Ones Pt II” everybody was singing word for word its lyrics as they ripped through the track. When P and Hav exchanged verses by putting their arms around each other they looked to be having a lot of fun. This moment felt like a statement of growth in New York’s hardcore lyricism. To witness Mobb Deep still together and rocking shows after hearing the history of The Infamous, fans can only hope that Hav’s words earlier about the album’s significance continues to touch aspiring rappers.

“It represents the struggle; the hunger; the will. Make a better situation for yourself – get up out the projects.” Havoc said. “Make a better living for your family. But to make it out of here, it’s nothing short of a miracle.”

The post Mobb Deep Reps Queens With The Infamous To Kick Off Red Bull Tour appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.