“Centric and BET are excited to sponsor K. Michelle and Azealia Banks on tour,” said Constance Orlando, Senior Vice President of Specials, Music and News for BET Networks. “Partnering with these bold and authentic female artists aligns perfectly with Centric’s position as the first network designed for Black women.”

Fans seem surprisingly supportive and are excited for the new tour, crossing their fingers for a collaboration between the two divas.

“@itsreallyweird: @kmichelle Would you collaborate with Azealia Banks on your 3rd album?>I am. That’s a done deal. — K. Michelle (@kmichelle) July 8, 2015

Stoked for the new duo on tour? Check the tour dates below:

The post NEW TOUR: K.MICHELLE AND AZEALIA BANKS appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Trash-talking, beef-starting, neck-rolling, 212-repping emcee Azealia Banks isn’t known for being particularly professional, but we all have our secrets. Rocking a vintage Versace suit with the complimenting hair color, Yung Rapunxel looks ready for a board meeting or a fancy luncheon. #fresh

The post Photo of the Day: Azealia Banks Gets Professional appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

The year isn’t even half-way done, but we’ve already seen some very memorable artwork for singles, albums, and mix-tapes. Below is a compilation of ten of our favorites.  While music is their primary medium, these artists clearly understand that strong acoustics are only strengthened by strong visuals.  We doubt that any of these artists would willingly say, “Yeezy taught me,” but in terms of the quality of these covers, Kanye‘s go-to artist  George Condo definitely comes to mind.

 10. The cover art for Harry Fraud‘s Adrift is a beautiful picture of a pier that evokes alienation by contrasting the grey sky with the ocean and emphasizing the distance between the pier and the beach.

9. Thelonious Martin’s From Me to You –artwork has many layers to it. In addition to its dark background, if you look closer you can see some writing that resembles newsprint. Somehow, probably with a meticulous attention to detail, the artist was able to give the viewer the sense that light is coming out of the piece itself.

8.  Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge  know how to go old school with 12 Reasons to Die. This cover is straight out of the blaxploitation thriller playbook.

7. “Creepy” doesn’t even begin to describe Azealia Banks‘ artwork for “Yung Rapunzel “. The cover is brutally nightmarish and the track is just as dark. Notice the similarity between the cover and Rene Magritte’s painting, “The Rape.”

6. Quasimoto – Yessir Whatever – The concept for this art work is innovative and intriguing. Using a sticker that creates an illusion of movement, the art has multiple layers, just like a Madlib beat.

5. Tyler, The creator  artwork for Wolf  shows us a fun portrait of Tyler as a child. This work is admirable due to it’s high attention to details. If you look at the tree you’ll notice a subtle eye; in the bottom right you can see a random doll head on top of a little trunk; and at the bottom left what looks like a chipmunk dressed in a traditional Irish outfit. This art work is fun and a little ridiculous, much like the artist himself.

4. Big K.R.I.T‘s cover for  King Remembered in Time is reminiscent of an ancient Greek vase. The gold color in contrast with the dark-purple galactic background works very well.

3. The art work for ANTHM‘s latest project,  produced by Blu as GODleeBarnes, features a very harmonious fusion of writing and image.

2. Chance The Rapper embraces his weird side , using a combination of psychedelic and galactic imagery to evoke his uniqueness. The intriguing thing is that this uniqueness is contrasted by the trees and the home at the bottom. It’s the perfect combination of being down-to-Earth and out of this world.

1. Finally, the victory goes to Mobb Deep’s Prodigy and The Alchemist artwork for their joint LP, Albert Einstein. This art cover is a piece of art that can stand on its own without the music.The artist’s ability to re-create the well-known portrait of Einstein with originality  and adaptability to contemporary times is beyond admirable.

Let us know who you like best!

The post Best Album and Single Artwork of 2013 (So Far) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Yung Rapunxel released some exciting news last night when she tweeted the cover art for her first EP, 1991.  The minimalist look works well for Banks, making her look both mysterious and inviting, and we think her new music might do some big things for females in the rap game. Banks also mentioned that she’s excited to turn 21…Young folks runnin’ shit.

The EP will be released digitally on May 29 and physical copies will be available on June 12th.

The post Azaelia Banks Releases <em>1991</em> Cover Art appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.