The Audacity of Dope

I’ve been meaning to post up the full interview with TiRon that we recorded a few weeks ago right before his new Ketchup project dropped, and I finally got some free time this weekend to get it out there for y’all.  If you’re still sleeping on TiRon, you’re missing out on one of the most talented dudes doing it right now.

Be sure to download Ketchup and peep this interview to hear him talk all about his background coming up in the L.A. scene, linking with Pacific Division, the new mixtape and the Handshakes & Pounds, Pt. 2 follow up, how the web helps (and hurts) new artists, and much more.

TiRon on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?mddijmkn5zj
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/57110291095b68ba/ )

Get some of that New West in your life…

Oh it was ugly…but my Arizona squad is in and the streak is alive.  We’ve made the tournament virtually every year of my life (25 straight).  Sorry St. Mary’s…sorry Penn State…sorry Auburn.  Now let’s go give Utah some payback for one of the worst days of my life.

Seeing as how my last post got someone riled up with my defense of Lupe, I thought this would be an appropriate follow up.  The home girl KayCee has been helping run the big Lupe blog on the net for a minute now and they just recently changed URL’s.  So not only is this post a reminder to hit their new site at TheLupeFiascoShow.com, but you can also head there now to read an interview with producer/clothing designer Le Messie.  He talks about his production on The Cool, Lupe’s clothing lines, and even touches on the mysterious Japanese Cartoon project that’s in the works.

Peep it all right here.

I hate them for reasons to numerous to even begin to list, but PackFM, Masta Ace, Sadat X, Poison Pen, Skyzoo, Stimuli, Peter Rosenberg, Iron Solomon, B-Real, and more do a good job giving their opinions.  For me, the biggest problem is that everyone’s a rapper.  Most folks just need to stop.

Thumbs down @ the shot to Lupe though.  I suppose his public persona puts a lot of people off, but seeing as how he raps better than 99% of the MC’s in the game, I’m fine with him classifying himself as an “artist” rather than a “rapper.”  I’d actually agree with that.  Anybody can be a rapper these days.  Few rappers can be artists.  Just my 2 cents.

Hahaha, Tunj is hilarious.  I remember GregTheDude shot me this video along with the earlier clip of Tunj freestyling with Cook about the New Classics mixtape the night he did ’em.  While the first free was dope, I was sad this one didn’t get released too…until now.

If you haven’t downloaded the mixtape, stop sleeping!

One of my favorite crews out, Kooley High, just dropped this brand new mixtape in conjunction with K-Salaam and IllRoots.com.  Listening to this group reminds me of the good ol’ days in college when I discovered their North Carolina predecessors, Little Brother & TheThyrDay.  Just dope, genuine hip-hop from the soul by some cool ass folks…the exact kind of hip-hop that I love listening to.  You can’t beat it.  Shout to the whole Kooley fam – Charlie Smarts, Rapsody, Foolery, Tab-One, Sinopsis, & Digitz…

1. Intro(ducing)
2. Gettin’ Up (Remix)
3. Daykeeper (Kooley High Remix)
4. Phonte’s Movie in a Minute
5. Stay Up (Young N’ Fresh Remix) feat. HaLo
6. Flow Glow (Kooley High Remix)
7. I’m Fresh (Remix)
8. Due Process (Kooley High Remix)
9. G Building (Foolery Koolery High Remix)
10. Bodega (HaLo Remix)
11. Jacques Cousteau
12. Kooley is High
13. Soldier (Kooley High Remix)
14. Rude Bwoy
15. The Next Episode (Foolery’s Fooldogg Remix)
16. Trix (1983 Kooley High Remix)
17. The Light (Outro)
18. Worldwide (BONUS TRACK)

Download here.

Still sick, so the commentary is at a minimum, but I had to post up the new video from the homey Stan before I crash.  To be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of this hook, but the verses are so on point and the beat is ill.  These new visuals from Matt Hobbs (same dude who helped with the CunninLynguists’ “Never Come Down” clip) add a fresh touch too.

Umm, yeah…not mad at this…at all.

What up, what up?  I know it’s been a minute since I’ve posted anything up, but your boy has been mad busy.  After heading down to Oregon last weekend for a basketball tournament with my 6th grade select team that I coach, I promptly caught a crazy cold that has me stuck in bed.  I fought it all last week and seemed to be doing pretty well, but when you have a nagging cold and don’t eat or sleep well all week, it usually catches up to you.  Running around from 9am – midnight every day for weeks at a time definitely got to me.  And someone please tell me why it’s still snowing in March in Seattle…wtfffff.

Anyway, I hope to be blogging more again soon.  Here’s this week’s Sound Session to get things started.  Darn good show if I say so myself…

Show #197 (3-8-09)

1. Buggs Tha Rocka ft. Little Brother – “Get Away”
2. Reflection Eternal ft. Bootsy Collins – “Internet Connection”
3. Focus ft. Big Pooh, Sha Stimuli, & Kurupt – “Homage To Pete Rock”
4. DJ Babu ft. MF Doom & Sean Price – “The Unexpected”
5. **INTERVIEW WITH MACKLEMORE & CASSIUS**
6. Blame One ft. Sean Price – “Disturbed”
7. Nottz ft. Kardinal Offishall & Cory Gunz – “Can’t Hide The Truth”
8. Braille & S1 – “For Life” (Local Artist)
9. John Legend – “Lay Your Head Down”
10. Mayer Hawthorne – “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out”
11. Zion I ft. K. Flay – “Coastin’”
12. LaRue – “Rise Up” (Local Artist)
13. Kid Cudi – “Sky Might Fall”
14. TiRon ft. Ayomari – “3 Drink Minimum”
15. Ms. One ft. Black Milk & Big Pooh – “2 MC’s”
16. Drake – “Lust For Life”
17. Saigon & Statik Selektah – “The Rules”
18. Ripynt ft. Jazz Digga – “Can’t Take It” (Local Artist)
19. Pacific Division – “Mayor”
20. Slaughterhouse (Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz, Royce The 5’9”, & Crooked I) – “Fight Club”
21. Method Man & Redman – “A Yo”

Link to download the mp3 – http://www.mediafire.com/?ododhcoedzi
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/56841816dcd6056c/)

If there are any problems with the links or if you’d like to be added to our weekly email list to receive the playlist and download links after every show, just shoot me an email, DJHyphen@gmail.com.

Musiq just dropped a video for the best track on his new album, and aside from that awfully slow intro, it’s dope.  Once the song drops, it’s just like the good ol’ Musiq sound you’re used to…i.e., not “Radio.”