DJ Esco Enlists Help Of Future For "Kolorblind" Project

DJ Esco pulled off an impressive feat when it comes to assembling the artists for his Kolorblind project. The “coolest DJ in the world” was able to recruit a lineup comprised of a who’s who in Hip Hop today.

Future, Esco’s longtime collaborator, appears on all 11 tracks. Nas, Young Thug, DeJ Loaf, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Rich The Kid, Ty Dolla $ign and O.T. Genesis are just some of the other guests helping out on the new release.

Check out the stream, cover art and tracklist for Esco’s Kolorblind below.

DJ Esco Drops KolorblindDJ Esco Drops Kolorblind

1. No Slow Money f. Future Young Thug
2. Xotic f. Future, Rich the Kid Young Thug
3. Chek f. Future
4. Light Show f. Future Guap Tarantino
5. Warzone f. Future
6. Walk Thru f. Nas Future
7. Showed You f. Young Thug, Future, A Boogie wit da Hoodie DeJ Loaf
8. Bring It Out f. O.T. Genasis Future
9. Code of Honor f. Future ScHoolboy Q
10. Psychedelik Smoke f. Future Ty Dolla $ign
11. Fuk Faces f. Future

(The original version of this article was published on March 27, 2018 and can be found below.)

DJ Esco recently took to social media to announce Kolorblind, a full-length project dropping on March 30. Instead of revealing a tracklist as the release date approaches, Esco has decided to tease fans by sharing puzzle that includes all of the stars appearing on his upcoming project.

Future, ScHoolboy Q and Rich The Kid were previously revealed before Esco shared the puzzle on Instagram on Tuesday (March 27). But now, fans can discover the rest of the lineup, which boasts artists such as Young Thug and Dej Loaf.

SEARCH ??the names for all my Guest features and Guest producers for #KOLORBLIND Leave your answers in my comments!! Hint: 10 Artists 6 Producers You can also solve at http://KOLORBLIND.us

A post shared by DJ ESCO (@escomoecity) on Mar 27, 2018 at 2:55pm PDT

On Monday (March 26), Esco dropped the video for the first single off the tape, “Code of Honor” featuring Future and ScHoolboy Q. Future is expected to have a heavy presence on the album.

Esco and Future’s last joint effort was the Project E.T. mixtape, which dropped in 2016. The Atlanta DJ is also credited as executive producer on Future’s 2017 Future and Hndrxx albums.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46341/title.dj-esco-reveals-guests-for-kolorblind-project-in-puzzle

SAINt JHN’s Debut Album Took A Lifetime To Create

Since dropping the single “1999” back in 2016, rapper SAINt JHN has managed to amass around 50 million streams and a dedicated fan base. More impressively, he’s done so with only a small handful of singles. With his debut LP Collection One dropping on March 30 — which includes five of the previously released singles — JHN is hesitant about telling fans what to expect.

“It’s not exactly what you think it is and it’s better than what you imagined it would be,” he told HipHopDX via phone interview — fresh off a trip to Israel to film a visual for “Hermès Freestyle.”

“I make the music that I wanna hear,” he continues. “I think for those people that are returning and continuously listening, I’m making the music that they wanna hear. So [they] can expect that … full form.”

Hailing from Brooklyn, he initially broke into the music industry as a songwriter, with his first major credit being the chorus of Hoodie Allen’s “No Interruptions” in 2012. The single was the first off Allen’s All American EP, which debuted at the top of the iTunes chart and hit #10 on the Billboard 200. Since then, JHN has racked up credits writing for the likes of Usher, helping pen two of the singles from 2016’s Hard II Love LP (“Crash” and “Rivals”), as well as Jidenna (“Helicopters” from last year’s The Chief LP).

“I started out making music for myself, and I fell into song writing … I took the opportunity because I wanted to see what it’s like to be like to be selfless,” he explains. “[I learned that] in writing songs for someone else, you never get to a place where you’re completly selfless, because you’re still injecting yourself into someone’s story or you’re introducing your story to someone, and then you’re giving up the voice to sing it.”

As he further explains, it was “giving up the voice” that drove his desire to put everything he had into his brand. “Someone else’s voice singing it doesn’t carry the same intention and the same intensity … so it was straightforward to make a transition, and realizing I needed to do this myself. No one can tell my story.”

He does credit the in-studio experiences with driving his confidence. “They taught me that I was good enough,” he says. “Imagine you’re standing next to a hero of yours — someone you’ve been admiring for two decades, or a decade, or 10 days, or five minutes — and you’re there because of something that you crafted for yourself. It tells you that you deserve to be in the room.”

JHN also worked as a professional model but decided to leave that alone — much for the same reason he began feeling a bit of disdain for writing for others. “Nothing is exciting about modeling; there’s nothing exciting about being the subject of somebody else’s vision,” he says. “You’re a beautiful mannequin in motion, and I didn’t wanna do that. So I stopped doing that.”

To hear him describe his creative drive — and even more esoterically, his music — paints him as an artist’s artist. It’s something that is resonating with both fans and writers who have been fiending for a full body of work to digest after snacking on and reheating his appetizers.

The length of time fans have been patiently waiting, though, is eclipsed by the period this complete vision has been in conceptual production. “A lifetime,” he says bluntly. “That’s how long, I’m sure of it. To put the sounds together: year and a half. But, you’re making the first thing you introduce to people. It takes so many different experiences and exchanges. Things that I’m talking about in this project, one way or another, they might’ve come from different times [in my life].”

When it comes to describing the sound, he merely states, “I don’t. As anti-climatic and disappointing as that sounds, I don’t. I don’t describe my music. I make my music. I listen to it. But, what you hear and what I hear are two entirely different things.”

Collection One is available now.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46369/title.saint-jhns-debut-album-took-a-lifetime-to-create

Charlie Walk Exits Republic Records Following Sexual Harassment Allegations

A statement from Republic Records has revealed Charlie Walk and the longtime label “have mutually agreed to part ways,” according to Variety.

The announcement, which was made on Wednesday (March 28), comes after the now-former label president was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct by a number of former employees at both Republic (a subsidiary of Universal Music Group) and Sony Music, where he previously worked for nearly two decades.

Life Lab founder Tristan Coopersmith — the first woman to accuse Walk of sexual harassment back in January — said his exit from Republic Records is a welcomed move.

“I applaud all the women who shared their truth and I am gratified that Universal created a safe process for them to do so,” she said in a statement to Variety. “This behavior in the workplace will only stop when we band together, unafraid. TimesUp.”

About last night. @postmalone @thisiswatt @haileesteinfeld @amas @republicrecords #amas #republicrecords #artists

A post shared by Charlie Walk (@charliewalk) on Nov 20, 2017 at 11:31pm PST

Republic Records placed Walk on leave shortly after the allegations first came to light.

At the time, Walk released a statement denying all accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct made against him.

“It is very upsetting to learn of this untrue allegation made by someone who worked with me 15 years ago, without incident,” he said. “There has never been a single HR claim against me at any time during my 25+ year career, spanning three major companies.”

He continued, “I have consistently been a supporter of the women’s movement and this is the first time I have ever heard of this or any other allegation — and it is false.”

Walk was also one of the original four judges on FOX’s talent show The Four but was removed after only a handful of episodes.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46364/title.charlie-walk-exits-republic-records-following-sexual-harassment-allegations

Apple Denies Report It’s Shutting Down iTunes Music Downloads In 2019

Los Angeles, CA – The internet got hit with a whiff of fake news Thursday (March 29) after reports circulated that Apple was preparing to cease digital downloads for its famed iTunes music application come 2019.

HipHopDX reached out to Apple PR who told us “it’s simply not true.”

The rumors stem from a recent interview Apple executive Jimmy Iovine did with BBC where he predicted it would be “inevitable” for iTunes to phase out the downloading feature due to streaming’s immense popularity, but didn’t explicitly say it was actually happening.

Apple has been denying similar rumors since almost two years ago.

Embed from Getty Images

“If I’m honest, it’s when people stop buying. It’s very simple,” Iovine was quoted saying about a possible timeline.

The erroneous reports of iTunes stopping downloads come on the heels of a factual report courtesy of the Record Industry Association of America that highlights how vinyl records and CDs outsold digital downloads for the first time since 2011.

According to the RIAA, digital downloads fell to 1.3 billion in 2017, down 25 percent from the previous year.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46365/title.apple-denies-report-its-shutting-down-itunes-music-downloads-in-2019

DJ Scratch Says Diddy Didn’t Know About Craig Mack’s Memorial Service

Hempstead, NY – DJ Scratch has provided more information about the services for the late Craig Mack, noting that Diddy was actually unaware of the recent memorial. The veteran DJ raised some eyebrows when he noted he was the “only famous person” to attend.

According to Scratch, the service was put together by a childhood friend of Mack because his friends and colleagues weren’t allowed to attend the actual funeral. In fact, Diddy offered to pay for the funeral but was turned down by Mack’s fellow church members.

“When I left Craig’s memorial service I called @Diddy to thank him for giving Craig the platform for the world to know Craig Mack’s music,” Scratch wrote. “I told him I just left the service, he said “They buried Craig already, what service are you talking about?!?”. He didn’t know about the memorial service. @diddy offered to pay for Craig Mack’s funeral, but the religious community Craig was in declined. None of his Friends or colleagues were allowed to attend his funeral. Diddy respected their wishes. Craig was immediately buried on the property where he lived. Yesterday’s service was a memorial for Craig’s friends in NY for fans to attend thrown by Craig’s childhood friend Alvin Toney.”

When I left Craig’s memorial service I called @Diddy to thank him for giving Craig the platform for the world to know Craig Mack’s music. I told him I just left the service, he said “They buried Craig already, what service are you talking about?!?”. He didn’t know about the memorial service. @diddy offered to pay for Craig Mack’s funeral, but the religious community Craig was in declined. None of his Friends or colleagues were allowed to attend his funeral. Diddy respected their wishes. Craig was immediately buried on the property where he lived. Yesterday’s service was a memorial for Craig’s friends in NY for fans to attend thrown by Craig’s childhood friend Alvin Toney. When I speak of Craig Mack, I speak of him BEFORE Bad Boy. When I spoke at his service yesterday I mentioned that when I met Craig he’s was being bullied by his friends. So I kept him close to me because I didn’t like the way EPMD’s entourage treated him. Craig was the first Hit Squad member, he was on tour with EPMD, he was around while 4 Albums were recorded. Strictly Business, Unfinished Business, Business As Usual Business Never Personal were all recorded while Craig was there but Craig never got one verse. When I found out he was sleeping in cars while we were away on tour I suggested he come on tour with us be my assistant. Because the people he grew up with weren’t helping him. I didn’t understand that. Then EPMD broke up everybody careers were in jeopardy BUT they all had record deals. Craig didn’t have a deal so he was assed out. After the breakup Alvin Toney took Craig to Puff shit took off. I was happy for Craig because he finally made it!!! Then Puff hired me to do scratches on Bad Boy Albums, like 112’s “Dance For Me” read the credits. Diddy knew my group broke up he made me his DJ, provided opportunity for me when no one would as well as Craig. If you look at my post the day Craig passed I praised @Diddy for signing Craig because I saw what he went through. I said no famous people showed up to Craig’s memorial service was weird because I saw so much love online, but I didn’t see a line outside. If @Diddy didn’t say yes, there be no Flava in our ears. Salute Diddy!!!

A post shared by Turntable Whisperer (@djscratch) on Mar 29, 2018 at 1:51pm PDT

Much of the post details Scratch’s history with Mack, but it’s mainly a clarification of his previous remarks. His original comments prompted some criticism of Diddy.

“If you look at my post the day Craig passed I praised @Diddy for signing Craig because I saw what he went through,” he continued. “I said no famous people showed up to Craig’s memorial service was weird because I saw so much love online, but I didn’t see a line outside. If @Diddy didn’t say yes, there be no Flava in our ears. Salute Diddy!!!”

(The original version of this article was published on March 29, 2018 at 8:50 a.m. PST and can be found below.)

DJ Scratch hit Instagram late last night to reveal that he was “the only famous person to show up” at Craig Mack’s memorial service at the Faith Baptist Church in Hempstead, New York on Wednesday (March 28).

Scratch — who was one of the first to post about Mack’s passing earlier this month — shared an image of the late rapper’s order of service along with a startling caption.

“I’ve never been to a service for someone famous I was the only famous person to show up. Very weird day today, but what puts a smile on my face is that Lil Bro was at peace way before he passed away. That’s what matters most to me,” he wrote.

I’ve never been to a service for someone famous I was the only famous person to show up. Very weird day today, but what puts a smile on my face is that Lil Bro was at peace way before he passed away. That’s what matters most to me. ?? Craig Mack.

A post shared by Turntable Whisperer (@djscratch) on Mar 28, 2018 at 3:59pm PDT

He later shouted out memorial organizer Alvin Toney.

I want to Salute my Bro Alvin Toney. Alvin is the Man that put together Craig Mack’s NY Memorial service. I’ll give you a little history on Alvin Toney. Alvin was EPMD’s friend bodyguard from Wyndanch Long Island. Alvin was knocking n#ggas out for EP, I seent it lol. He was there from the beginning of EPMD’s career until the group broke up in 1992. A few years after the breakup, Alvin took Craig Mack to Puff got him a deal on Bad Boy, the rest was history. Alvin was putting together a documentary for Craig right before he passed. He recorded 2 hours of footage with Craig talking about his life. Craig knew he wasn’t going to be here too long so he wanted to tell his story. ?? Craig

A post shared by Turntable Whisperer (@djscratch) on Mar 29, 2018 at 2:11am PDT

R.A. the Rugged Man and well-known Hip Hop journalist Shaheem Reid both posted clips from the service to social media. Reid also reported that the memorial was attended by Mack’s friends and industry associates International Special, former Bad Boy executive June Balloon, and DJ Curt Flirt.

Memorial service for #CraigMack today in Hemstead Long Island.

A post shared by shaheemreid (@shaheemreid) on Mar 28, 2018 at 11:54am PDT

Mack passed away on March 12 at the age of 47. It was later reported that the “Flava In Ya Ear” rapper died from heart failure at a hospital near his home in Walterboro, South Carolina.

Many Hip Hop stars, including Bad Boy Records founder Sean “Diddy” Combs, turned to social media to pay tributes and share their memories of Mack following his passing.

Article source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.46361/title.dj-scratch-says-he-was-only-famous-person-at-craig-macks-memorial