RESPECT.

The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture

The hip-hop nation demanded respect, and they got it in RESPECT., a magazine that has raised the bar for hip-hop media for 16 years with world-class photography and editorial that values substance over spectacle.

Founded in 2009, RESPECT. has celebrated the photographers and writers who defined hip-hop culture, pairing iconic images with in-depth stories that elevated the genre’s visual and editorial voice. From its earliest issues, the magazine stood apart as “The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture,” a publication where every spread treated the artists and the visuals with the same reverence usually reserved for fine art or fashion. At its peak, RESPECT. reached a print circulation of 250,000 copies per issue, with readership surveys reporting an average read time of over 85 minutes per issue. When the magazine shifted online, Spencer helped increase the brand’s digital presence and influence.

Spencer has contributed across digital, editorial, and social projects, strengthening the magazine’s reputation and managing campaigns that have brought hip-hop storytelling to new platforms. Over the years, he has overseen web and social content, coordinated interviews and shoots, and edited and transcribed copy to maintain RESPECT.’s distinctive voice and extend its reach beyond print. His work continues to bridge print and digital, ensuring RESPECT. connects with audiences wherever they consume culture.

Building RESPECT.’s Social Presence

Spencer launched RESPECT.’s first social media presence, establishing its Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts. At a time when publisher strategy on social platforms largely meant sharing news and blog links to drive traffic, he built the magazine’s baseline presence and ensured its voice carried over into these new spaces, making sure to constantly post whenever new content was published on RESPECT.’’s website.

He also oversaw a team of editorial interns, guiding them in posting and scheduling content so the channels stayed consistent and active. By putting these systems in place early, Spencer not only kept RESPECT. visible in the daily flow of hip-hop conversation but also laid the groundwork for its later growth on social, giving the magazine a head start at a time when many traditional outlets were still slow to embrace digital. His steady, practical approach gave RESPECT. a reliable social presence even as the industry’s platforms and algorithms continued to shift.

From Print to iPad

As RESPECT. expanded beyond print, Spencer took ownership of the magazine’s iPad app, maintaining and managing it as each new issue went to print. He updated Musinart’s Drupal CMS with every asset, uploading images, porting over articles, interviews, and captions, and creating the tags that made each piece searchable and properly credited by author, photographer, artist, location, and year. Over time, he curated and organized over 25 issues’ worth of content, preserving the integrity of the print edition while ensuring it translated smoothly for a digital audience.

Free to download in the iTunes Store, the app gave readers access to RESPECT.’s website content along with the option to purchase digitized back issues or subscribe for six months at a time. Spencer’s behind-the-scenes work made sure the archives were organized, accessible, and faithfully adapted for digital consumption, turning RESPECT.’s print legacy into a dynamic digital library and giving fans new ways to explore the magazine and the culture it celebrates with just a tap.

RESPECT. X Twenty Grand Advertorial Video with Seth Dynomite (Event Assisted by Spencer)

RESPECT. X G-SHOCK Advertorial Video with Dae Dae (Shoot Managed by Spencer)

Branded Campaigns & Creative Partnerships

Spencer played a key role in RESPECT.’s branded campaigns, where the magazine’s distinctive photography and editorial voice extended into collaborations with partners like K-SWISS, Crown Royal, G-SHOCK/Casio, and Twenty Grand. He coordinated and project managed photo and video shoots, worked with artists, photographers, videographers, and production teams, and helped bring these campaigns to life in ways that aligned with the magazine’s visual identity. These projects bridged RESPECT.’s cultural credibility with the marketing goals of global brands, expanding the magazine’s presence and influence while keeping it rooted in hip-hop’s authentic voice.

RESPECT. X G-SHOCK 35 Winter Style Guide Feature (Shoot Managed by Spencer)

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