The Audacity of Dope

New visuals from Pusha’s Fear Of God mixtape, which you can download here if you’re sleeping.  This ish is hard.  [Pusha] UGHHHH [/Pusha]

*DEAD* @ what he said about Kix cereal.

I’m a die hard sports fan, but somehow, I missed that one of my all time favorite players, Jason Williams, retired from the NBA (again).  Shout to the Smoking Section for blogging about it here and for posting the above video.

There was a point in high school where I pretty much wanted to be Jason Williams, aside from the West Virginian accent.  As a PG who prided myself on my passing and court vision, I was known to throw a few of these passes before I even started following him.  When I saw him playing in the league, it was a wrap.  I broke out the elbow pass (3:56 in the video) a million times in pick up and practice, but never pulled it in a game.  I did, however, use the fake behind the back cuff (:28 & 3:15) and the mini hop (1:09) a few times.  I’ll never forget being at the game where he crossed over GP in person (4:13) and finished with that floater high off the window.  We must have reenacted that 100 times in the gym the next day and I was KILLING the Sonics fans in my class.  If you’ve ever talked to me on AIM (not likely these days), you’ll now know where the 55 came from.

Thanks for the memories JWill.

This past week, J. Moore and I were joined in studio by the legendary Raphael Saadiq. While we thoroughly enjoy breaking new artists and conducting interviews with up and coming musicians, there’s always something special about chopping it up with someone of Saadiq’s stature. The man has been one of the brightest starts in R&B for over 20 years and yet couldn’t be a nicer, more down to earth dude.

In the first part of the interview above, we spoke about his new Stone Rollin’ album, the “neo” & “retro” soul tags heaped on his recent work, his creative process, his collaboration with Little Dragon, and more.

In the second half of the interview, Saadiq spoke about his fondest memories of the Tony! Toni! Toné! and Lucy Pearl days, his proudest moment in music, his advice for young artists, and even playing basketball with Prince.

If you prefer to listen to the audio instead, you can grab it below:

Raphael Saadiq on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?97cxf19frx4o7r7
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/891679810db2ee03/)

During our discussion, I mistakenly stated that Stone Rollin’ was in stores now (mp3’s have sadly rendered release dates somewhat moot…for listeners at least), when in actuality, the album will be released May 10th.  My bad.  Go support it when it drops!

Generally speaking, we prefer to keep Sound Session focused upon what we’re here for: the music.  However, J. Moore and I have considerable interests in the non-hip-hop aspects of our community and we enjoy shining light on certain issues from time to time, particularly when we have the opportunity to bring in an expert in that field.  Along with all the great music on this week’s episode, we had the opportunity to chop it up with one such person, Nick Cain from a Seattle non-profit company called Vittana.

Without embarking on a long rant and getting too philosophical, I feel the two biggest issues negatively affecting the world are overpopulation and lack of education.  When you swim upstream from most other problems, they all seem to lead back to those two.

Seattle’s Vittana organization is a non-profit company that helps students around the world receive higher education for the first time, directly attacking the education issue and helping break the cycle.  For a more detailed explanation, please see their website here, but in short, the system depends on loans (not donations) from folks like you and me that go towards funding scholarships.  For a fraction of the cost of a college education in America, Vittana can help students attend school, graduate, secure a job, repay the loan, and begin providing a better future for themselves, their family, their country, and the world as a whole.

For more information, check out our interview with Nick Cain on this week’s show.  I’d also recommend you to look at their site for more information and even if their cause isn’t one that you choose to support, hopefully you remember the moral obligation you have to make the world a better place.  Give your time/attention/money to some sort of cause and you’ll be more fulfilled.

On a less serious note, we also welcomed the legendary Raphael Saadiq to Sound Session this past week.  We played a short snippet of our interview on the show, but you can download the entire discussion (or watch the video) through the links below and in this blog post.  Saadiq talked about everything from his new Stone Rollin’ album…to his days with Tony! Toni! Toné! and Lucy Pearl…to playing basketball with Prince.  Enjoy the interview and the show!

Show #307 (4-17-11)

1. Childish Gambino – “Freaks and Geeks”
2. Dom Kennedy – “Playa’s Punch”
3. Dyme Def – “Bring It In” (Local Music)
4. Kendrick Lamar – “Hiii Power”
5. Big K.R.I.T. – “King’s Blues”
6. Curren$y ft. Freddie Gibbs – “Scottie Pippen”
7. Sean Price ft. Mayhem Lauren & Roc Marciano – “How The Gods Chill (Remix)”
8. **INTERVIEW WITH NICK CAIN (of VITTANA), PT. 1**
9. Dice – “Things I Couldn’t Say” (Local Music)
10. Atmosphere – “Your Name Here”
11. MED ft. Blu – “This Is Your Life”
12. Soul Khan – “Soul Like Khan”
13. Busta Rhymes – “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” (Throwback of the Week)
14. Luck-One – “Listening To The Rain” (Local Music)
15. Apollo Brown ft. Oddisee – “The Times”
16. **INTERVIEW WITH NICK CAIN (of VITTANA), PT. 1**
17. Sade ft. Jay-Z – “The Moon & The Sky (Remix)”
18. Frank Ocean – “Lovecrimes”
19. Little Dragon – “NightLight”
20. **INTERVIEW WITH RAPHAEL SAADIQ (SNIPPET)**
21. Raphael Saadiq ft. Little Dragon – “Just Don’t”
22. King – “Hey”
23. Wiz Khalifa ft. Curren$y – “Rooftops”
24. The Weeknd – “The Party & The After Party”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?3sase6eu4esb2m1
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/89167291a9e97cf6/)
(2nd back up – http://www.usershare.net/u3wgilk183iv/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Sunday Night Sound Session, Show 307, 4-17-11.mp3)

Link to download the full interview with Raphael Saadiq – http://www.mediafire.com/?97cxf19frx4o7r7
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/891679810db2ee03/)
(2nd back up – http://www.usershare.net/ryo63hezh7xk/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Interview With Raphael Saadiq, 4-13-11.mp3)

Link to watch the full interview with Raphael Saadiq – http://www.vimeo.com/22587703

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.

So yeah, it’s tax time.  Almost forgot about that, word to Wesley Snipes.  No write up this week, gotta crunch some numbers.  Enjoy the show!

Show #306 (4-10-11)

1. Beastie Boys – “Make Some Noise”
2. Snoop Dogg ft. Too Short, Daz, & Kokane – “Take U Home”
3. Donnis – “Ford Mustang”
4. Big K.R.I.T. ft. Ludacris & Bun B – “Country Sh*t (Remix)”
5. Curren$y – “Ventilation”
6. Dom Kennedy – “Goodbye”
7. Fly.Union – “Hard Sell”
8. Raphael Saadiq – “Good Man”
9. Charlie Smarts – “The Skin”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH J. BRE”
11. J. Bre ft. Grynch – “All Around The World” (Local Music)
12. David Dallas ft. Freddie Gibbs – “Caught In A Daze”
13. Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers”
14. Shyne ft. Barrington Levy – “Bad Boyz” (Throwback of the Week)
15. Recess – “The Gentleman”
16. **INTERVIEW WITH TYPE (OF WUF TIX)**
17. Wuf Tix ft. Jonny October – “Nobody Wants To Hear Your Stupid Theories” (Local Music)
18. Pharoahe Monch – “Evolve”
19. Elzhi – “Verbal Intercourse, Pt. 2”
20. The Weeknd – “House Of Balloons / Glass Table Girls”
21. Steelo ft. Izreal – “My Queen” (Local Music)
22. Apollo Brown ft. Oddisee – “The Times”
23. Jhene Aiko – “Stranger”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?bhxa0byot515td6
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/88902815f61479e1/)
(2nd back up – http://www.usershare.net/u397bxq2psc0/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Sunday Night Sound Session, Show 306, 4-10-11.mp3)

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.

I said this would be an incredible album before it dropped…then watched as many people overlooked it on their year end wrap up lists…and now we continue to see dope visuals drop for the Distant Relatives project.  I’m convinced that when people look back on it years later, they’ll finally give it the respect it deserves.

Damn, can’t front…this was a tough video to watch.  Bambu’s remake of Adele’s incredible “Someone Like You” record takes a strong look at domestic abuse, particularly that emanating from the hip-hop community, and the visuals pull no punches.

As someone who can’t fathom even arguing with a significant other, I don’t understand how anyone can let a situation get to that point.  At the same time, I realize that I’ve lived a lucky life and every aspect of the nature/nurture of my upbringing has been fairly privileged.  For those who haven’t been as lucky, I hope nothing in your life ever drives you to this type of violence.  If it happened in your family, break the cycle.

“In the 2 seater…me and 2 women”
— Rick Ross, “9 Piece (Remix)”

I know rappers like to stretch the truth on records, but I mean…

Special shout to everyone who came through the studio for this week’s Sound Session.  First up, the legendary Kokane stopped by to catch up and pay some respects to Nate Dogg (RIP) and then Donnis hung out with us as we world premiered his new record, “Ford Mustang.”  We were also joined by our homies from the town, Steelo, as we talked about their upcoming project.

On top of it all, we played the dopest new records out right now, including tracks from Pac Div, Pusha T, Big K.R.I.T., Dom Kennedy, Jhene Aiko, Phil Ade, Fly.Union, Frank Ocean, Raphael Saadiq, and more.  Enjoy!

Show #305 (4-3-11)

1. Pac Div – “Anti-Freeze”
2. Pusha T – “Blow”
3. Big K.R.I.T. – “R4 Theme Song”
4. Snoop Dogg ft. Kanye West & John Legend – “Eyez Closed”
5. **INTERVIEW WITH KOKANE**
6. Dom Kennedy – “On The Way Home”
7. Elzhi – “Verbal Intercourse, Pt. 2”
8. Jhene Aiko ft. Miguel & Gucci Mane – “Hoe”
9. Logics ft. Geologic & Adrian Sims – “Focused” (Local Music)
10. Action Bronson – “Brunch”
11. Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers”
12. Childish Gambino – “Freaks and Geeks”
13. Phil Ade – “The Letter”
14. **INTERVIEW WITH DONNIS, PT. 1**
15. **Donnis – “Ford Mustang” (WORLD PREMIERE)**
16. **INTERVIEW WITH DONNIS, PT. 2**
17. IAME – “Lame” (Local Music)
18. Pharoahe Monch ft. Styles P & Phonte – “Black Hand Side”
19. Pharrell – “The Game Has Changed”
20. Fly.Union – “Hard Sell”
21. Frank Ocean – “Songs For Women”
22. **INTERVIEW WITH STEELO**
23. Steelo ft. Izreal – “My Queen” (Local Music)
24. Mos Def – “Umi Says” (Throwback of the Week)
25. Raphael Saadiq – “Good Man”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?6zdutyt8s3ziwld
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/88640128131902a9/)
(2nd back up – http://www.usershare.net/b49eagx04crf/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Sunday Night Sound Session, Show 305, 4-3-11.mp3)

Link to download just the interview with Donnis – http://www.mediafire.com/?dm5xvs61cbi5g5p
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/886403956bcef7c8/)
(2nd back up – http://www.usershare.net/au9ntuapbr8f/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Interview With Donnis (Show 305, 4-3-11).mp3)

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.