Teamwork makes the dreamwork. At least, that’s how the say goes. And in an industry such as fashion – which changes even quicker than Hip-Hop – a second opinion could mean the difference in success or failure. It’s a testament to originality, creativity and the not-so-uncanny ability to adapt with the times. With this logic in mind, G-Shock decided to pay homage to three sets of designers making strides with their respective brands. Read the rest of this entry »

J. Cole finds himself on the cover of the next issue of RESPECT magazine, which hits newsstands on Tuesday, November 29th. Read the rest of this entry »

Kudos to the team at RESPECT Mag and Casio G-Shock for giving three true school lyricists – Action Bronson, Joell Ortiz & STS – the spotlight in the new “Three Times Dope” campaign. In the September issue, each MC was featured individual in print ads and the accompanying online components appear below. Read the rest of this entry »

YN’s never been one to shy away from bold proclamations and he makes a lofty statement on the cover of RESPECT, declaring Jay-Z and Kanye’s latest as “the most important album in Hip-Hop history.” Read the rest of this entry »

Young producers Hit-Boy and Matthew “Matt Max” Friedman are the next two artists featured in Casio G-Shock’s “Watch Me Work” campaign for RESPECT Mag. Watch and listen as both musicians speak on their career trajectory from upstarts whose talent paired with hard work and a bit of timing separated them from the pack. Read the rest of this entry »

Time is money. And a good watch is always something worthwhile to invest in. Casio’s G-Shock has long been known as a highly respectable timepiece, admired not only for their style but also their durability as well. Now, the watchmaker is teaming up with RESPECT magazine – equally admired in its line of work – for their “Watch Me Work” campaign. Read the rest of this entry »

RESPECT would be hard-pressed to follow-up their last issue, but we fully expect them to give it the old college try and create a piece of work worthy of chatter, always starting with the cover. YN and the crew did not disappoint in the “oh no they didn’t” department, using Officer Ricky smack-dab on the front. Read the rest of this entry »

Elliott Wilson has always been a lightening rod for controversy. Either you love the guy or you don’t love him and that’s putting it lightly. For myself, YN has always been someone I held a high level of respect for mainly because his career path was similar to one I wouldn’t mind embarking on. Keep in mind, I’m just one writer in an Internet sea full of millions, so if there are shady back stories during his print days, they’re foreign to me. Read the rest of this entry »

Rosa Acosta was the gift that just kept on giving at The Section this week. As valuable as her red-hot assets were, she wasn’t the only one who left a blaze of glory. Read the rest of this entry »

From 20 friends via email to 200,000 deep gathering on a weekly basis. Those numbers reflect that transition of growth The Smoking Section has experienced. Through it all, I’ve never wanted to Puffy the scene, instead deflecting all credit to The Crew and thank you’s to our community. While I am “John Gotty™,” the name itself symbolized a figurehead, a Wizard Of Oz or a “ghost” to most. Read the rest of this entry »

Only a few hours after revealing his first cover as the new EIC @ RESPECT, YN’s already catching bits of flack for the November cover but it’s actually a smart move. Regardless of your take on Waka, he’s arguably one of the hottest names on the music scene right now and, if Elliott had a hand in the things, no softball questions were allowed in the coverage. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday, I was caught up complaining to The Crew about my financial woes, legitimately acknowledging their advice on budgeting time, money and life. Despite the fiscal disparities faced, I proceeded to cop a quarterback of paranoia and ended up spending eight bones on the latest edition of RESPECT. Read the rest of this entry »

Still one of the number one topics of discussion in rap circles, Em will be featured in the forthcoming issue of my favorite new periodical, RESPECT Mag. Expect a candid Marshall to open up about the problems and issues he’s faced over the past few years. And of course, RESPECT lives up to their mantra of “A Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture” by including kickass photos with the piece, taken by contributor Chris Buck. Read the rest of this entry »

While LC’s remarks on the state of print media were accurate, there’s still worthy material being published but perhaps overlooked. Kindles, Apple apps and online press may be shifting the way we read and view words, there’s still much to be said for holding the sheaves of paper. Even as one of the faces of new media, we’re still well aware that there’s only so much curating of the culture that can be done online. To feel it, it takes more than staring at a computer screen.

Enter Respect Magazine and Henry Leutwyler’s latest offering, Neverland Lost: A Portrait of Michael Jackson. Read the rest of this entry »