The Audacity of Dope

Not too much to discuss this week, aside from the tempering of a holiday weekend with the sad news that Gil Scott-Heron passed away on Friday.  We’ve lost many influential figures over the past few years, but few, if any, meant more to hip-hop music and culture.  Gil was not only an incredibly talented and intelligent musician, but the themes he worked with and the social causes he fought for formed the foundation of hip-hop.  We felt it was only fitting to dedicate our throwback to GSH this week and we decided to spin an extra track of his as well to help further educate the youngsters that listen to SNSS.  RIP to Gil and shout to his daughter Gia, my freshman year R.A. in college.  Thoughts with their family.

As for the rest of the show, peep the archive to hear new records from J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Primeridian, Blu, Blue Scholars, U-N-I, Oddisee, Sleepy Brown, J. Rawls, and more.  Also, shout to Black Stax for coming through the studio to kick it and discuss their new album, Talking Buildings.

Show #313 (5-29-11)

1. Gil Scott-Heron – “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” (Throwback of the Week)
2. J. Cole – “Return Of Simba”
3. Big K.R.I.T. – “My Sub”
4. Primeridian – “Drop The Needle”
5. Maffew Ragazino – “Black Sheep”
6. Action Bronson ft. Lil Fame – “Time For Some”
7. Blu ft. Planet Asia & Killa Ben – “Doowhop+”
8. Asher Roth ft. Akon – “Last Man Standing”
9. Pusha T ft. Kevin Cossom – “Feelin’ Myself”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH BLACK STAX, PT. 1**
11. Black Stax – “They Want Me” (Local Music)
12. Blue Scholars – “Slick Watts” (Local Music)
13. **INTERVIEW WITH BLACK STAX, PT. 2**
14. Sene – “A Purple Life”
15. The Weeknd – “Rolling Stone”
16. H.O.P.E. ft. Jhene Aiko – “Body On Me”
17. L.A.U.S.D. ft. U-N-I & Vida Jafari – “Ignite”
18. The Hood Internet ft. Freddie Gibbs, Telli, & Elizabeth Harper – “VCR”
19. Oddisee – “You Don’t Close Your Eyes”
20. J. Rawls – “Why You Do”
21. Miss Casey Carter ft. Avatar – “Losers” (Local Music)
22. Sleepy Brown – “You’re My Lady”
23. Gil Scott-Heron – “We Almost Lost Detroit” (Throwback of the Week)
24. Kanye West ft. Bon Iver – “Lost In The World”
25. Kanye West – “Who Will Survive In America”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?l57o25r3hs5yqbx
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/908157318e6586e7/)
(2nd back up / streaming link – http://www.usershare.net/dfyt3qmg1gh0/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Sunday Night Sound Session, Show 313, 5-29-11.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.

As the hip-hop community, and all who love music, reel from the loss of the legendary Gil Scott-Heron, I thought to myself about the messages in his records.  Do today’s artists have the desire and ability to make music that elevates to the levels Gil effortlessly resided in? 

While mass media would certainly tell you otherwise, I think they can.  We certainly need music that offers us escape, but it’s vitally important that we continue to create good music with real purpose.

Shout to Kendrick for doing just that with one of the best songs of 2011 so far.

Quiet as kept, the Recess EP is one of the best projects of the year.  If you’re an avid Sound Session listener, you likely know that already, but for those who have been sleeping, download it here.

I shouldn’t have watched this video before eating dinner, because now I want to hit up a diner for that good, good (chicken tenders + milkshake = win). One of my favorite up and coming MC’s, Rapsody, links up with Mac for this Khrysis produced track. Straightforward, no-nonsense, fun, and dope. Can’t beat it.

Now where are those chicken tenders…

Mitch: Brand new single from Logics featuring Element of Second Family, with production by Tryfe. Vintage Flow drops June 6th. Get ready…

Logics – Can’t See ‘Em Ft. Element (Prod. Tryfe)

First came the above interview at SXSW and with Curren$y recently completing his Pacific Northwest trip, Nardwuar posted the follow up:

Nardwuar is obviously legendary, but for his bits to work, he needs the interviewee to play along. There have been plenty of good examples, but the interaction between these two is on another level. Plus, Curren$y’s personality is high comedy, no pun.

During one of the 329821329834230 times I saw the Pac Div homies rock live at SXSW, I remember tweeting that they make the exact kind of hip-hop I like the most. “Fallin'” off their Mania release is just such a record.  While I may take excursions into other sub-genres, it’s essentially the same experience I have while consuming other forms of media: fantasy land is fun to visit, but I live in the real world and relate to that real music.  Exhibit A above.

As soon as I saw the still for this video, I noticed Frank and director Dave Wilson didn’t actually use an Integra, but as Mr. Ocean mentioned on his blog, the visuals were a “decent excuse to drive a NSX through mountains.”  I’m not mad one bit.  The song itself is simply constructed, with Frank riffing over an Adele-esque piano loop, so the video is a fitting accompaniment.

However, I am a little salty that I can’t see a NSX without thinking of one of my exes, who was obsessed with them hahaha.  What up girrrrrrrrrl?

Another fun week on Sound Session, where we played new music from artists like Killer Mike, Maffew Ragazino, Big K.R.I.T., H.O.PE., The Hood Internet, SBTRKT, DJ JS-1, Pharoahe Monch, Pete Rock, Smif-N-Wessun, James Pants, and more.  Special shout to Animal Farm for trekking up from Portland to be on the show and the homey Dhruva from Shocking Goat for coming through as well.  Last, but not least, @therealKramer delivered in the clutch with another recording of SNSS!  We’ll be hiring him on as an engineer shortly.

Enjoy…

Show #312 (5-22-11)

1. Termanology ft. Joell Ortiz, Bun B, Saigon, & Freeway – “Say It (Remix)”
2. Killer Mike – “American Dream”
3. Pusha T – “Blow”
4. Maffew Ragazino – “Black Sheep”
5. Pete Rock & Smif-N-Wessun ft. Styles P & Sean Price – “That’s Hard”
6. REKS – “Underdog”
7. Jelani The MC – “De La Vega”
8. Fresh Daily ft. Cocoa Serai – “Good Dude”
9. Moe Green – “Extra, Extra”
10. Big K.R.I.T. – “The Vent”
11. The Nonce – “Mix Tapes” (Throwback of the Week)
12. Elzhi – “Memory Lane”
13. **INTERVIEW WITH ANIMAL FARM, PT. 1**
14. Animal Farm ft. Talib Kweli – “Test Of Time” (Local Music)
15. Emilio Rojas – “Breaking Point”
16. **INTERVIEW WITH ANIMAL FARM, PT. 2**
17. H.O.P.E. ft. Jhene Aiko – “Body On Me”
18. Gods’illa ft. Maimouna Youssef – “You Don’t Have To Be A Star”
19. The Hood Internet ft. Freddie Gibbs, Telli, & Elizabeth Harper – “VCR”
20. SBTRKT ft. Little Dragon & Drake – “Wildfire (Remix)”
21. James Pants – “Dreamboat” (Local Music)
22. DJ JS-1 ft. KRS-One & Rahzel – “Boom Slap”
23. State Of The Artist ft. Shaprece – “Alive” (Local Music)
24. Pharoahe Monch ft. Jill Scott – “Still Standing”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?4if945x7975lajv
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/90535905a977143f/)
(2nd back up / streaming link – http://www.usershare.net/w8n1ox2jamo8/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Sunday Night Sound Session, Show 312, 5-22-11.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.

Of all the “EEEGGGHHHHHCKK”-worthy verses on Pusha’s Fear Of God mixtape, this one might be the hardest.  The visuals do the right thing and keep it simple for this track that would make Tony Montana himself blush.