The Audacity of Dope

And this is why you won’t find me at a motel.

SebastiAn – “Embody,” directed by the always excellent So Me.  There’s a dope DJ Premier remix too, but you’ll have to search the GoogleWebs to find the mp3…

*pops and locks out of the post*

Following up on the absolutely absurd “controversy” regarding Common’s appearance at the White House, Jon sat down with O’Reilly to dispense more ether, this time face-to-face.

Coming off the audio problems that plagued us on last week’s Sound Session archive, I was horrified to discover that the studio computer we use to record our show was completely inoperable…about 10 minutes before taking the air.  After realizing I wouldn’t be able to fix it in time, I put out a last ditch tweet in hopes that someone might be able to record it from their computer.  Sure enough, our SNSS listeners came through in the clutch!

While one faithful listener recorded the show through laptop speakers (the 2011 version of that old school Stretch & Bobbito tape you have in a shoebox somewhere), the sound quality probably wasn’t going to satisfy y’all.  Luckily, @therealKramer came through with a high quality rip of the show, which actually sounds stronger than anything we’ve recorded in our new studio (we’ll get that figured out, I promise!).  The first few minutes are missing, but if you haven’t heard Frank Ocean’s “Novacane” by now, you have bigger problems than missing the start of SNSS #311.

Enjoy the show and thanks again to all our listeners, especially Greg!

Show #311 (5-15-11)

1. Frank Ocean – “Novacane”
2. DJ Quik ft. Gift Reynolds & Jon B – “Hydromatic”
3. Snoop Dogg ft. Mr. Porter – “My Own Way”
4. Ya Boy ft. Akon – “Lock Down”
5. Killer Mike – “Ric Flair”
6. Curren$y – “#JetsGo”
7. Freddie Gibbs – “Way 2 Fast”
8. Animal Farm ft. Talib Kweli – “Test Of Time” (Local Music)
9. Emilio Rojas – “Breaking Point”
10. Asher Roth & Nottz – “Enforce The Law”
11. REKS – “Underdog”
12. Elzhi – “It Ain’t Hard To Tell”
13. Bad Meets Evil – “Fast Lane”
14. **INTERVIEW WITH STATE OF THE ARTIST, PT. 1**
15. State Of The Artist ft. Shaprece – “Alive” (Local Music)
16. DJ Khaled ft. Drake, Rick Ross, & Lil Wayne – “I’m On One”
17. Big K.R.I.T. ft. Raheem DeVaughn – “Player’s Ballad”
18. **INTERVIEW WITH STATE OF THE ARTIST, PT. 2**
19. Ras Kass – “Soul On Ice (Diamond D Remix)” (Throwback of the Week)
20. Kyle Rapps ft. U-N-I – “Rapps 101”
21. Gods’illa ft. Maimouna Youssef – “You Don’t Have To Be A Star”
22. Fashawn ft. Sam Hook – “Down That Road”
23. Gerald Walker – “The Missing Piece”
24. James Pants – “Darlin’” (Local Music)
25. Fresh Daily – “Easy”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?e1a8fgluyh1t7yl
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/90246287b294062e/)
(2nd back up / streaming link – http://www.usershare.net/fygrjsit4w7r/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Sunday Night Sound Session, Show 311, 5-15-11.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.

Funny haircuts. Funny clothes. Funny Kanye-esque hand movements. Good music.

I might have to rock this on Sound Session tomorrow…

David Dallas has traveled all the way from New Zealand to Harlem in order to help spread the word about his music and he just released a free project called The Rose Tint.  Sound Session listeners already know, but for those who have been sleeping, get familiar!  Download below:

Download here.

When Sound Session debuted on KUBE six years ago, we had the pleasure of welcoming Common to the studio as our first guest.  We dedicated the entire show to his music and he regaled us with behind the scenes tales about his favorite songs off each of his classic albums.  Since then, we’ve had him on the show numerous times (remember this listening party?) and run into him at all sorts of events.  Throughout all this interaction, one thing has stood out to me above even the quality of his music: this is one of the nicest “celebrities” I’ve ever met.

Common has a way of talking to you so genuinely that you know he actually cares about what you’re discussing and more importantly, he cares about you.  Honestly, it’s kind of spooky.  Years after first talking about how I coached youth basketball, he asked me out of the blue: “are you still coaching kids?”  He’s just a great dude and an excellent representative of our culture.

This is not to say he’s without flaws, but much like 2Pac, he represents the natural duality that we all share in our morals/ethics and his music always reflects what he believes, even if it’s not popular.  He’s also grown as an artist and person over the years (haven’t we all?), which makes this Fox News pseudo-controversy all the more hysterical.  If you’ve been living under a rock, Jon Stewart can get you up to speed:

Not much more needs to be said (aside from PLEASE DON’T EVER EVEN PRETEND TO RAP, JON), but rapper SoulStice summed up his thoughts nicely in a recent email:

What’s the word?

I think I’m going to need a late pass on this one. I didn’t realize that Common had been invited to perform at the White House until after Sarah Palin had already gotten on the air and poo-pooed the whole thing.

My response to Common performing lyrics as poetry at the White House is probably as predictable as Sarah Palin’s. Yay! For me, this is a form of acknowledgement by those in power that the voice of my generation as expressed through hip hop is recognized not only for its entertainment value but for its social and political relevance. Never mind that this acknowledgement comes from a President that himself struggles for acceptance as part of mainstream America.

When Sarah Palin says that Common’s body of work doesn’t withstand the scrutiny of representing “all that’s good about America,” she does have a point. Common’s third album, “One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997)” was a very influential one for me. On “Hungry,” Common raps:

“Downtown interracial lovers hold hands,
I breathe heavy like an old man…”

At the time, I remember reflecting on those lines for a while. Although in 1997 I hadn’t yet dated outside of my race (wasn’t the coolest move to make in my segregation-minded Chicagoland high school), I knew that one of my favorite artists and I felt differently on the subject of interracial relationships. Today, as part of an interracial marriage and father to a multi-ethnic child, my view on the subject is as diametrically opposed as ever to the view expressed on “Hungry.” Hopefully Common’s is too.

So no, Common’s body of work doesn’t withstand the scrutiny of representing “all that’s good about America.” But isn’t that bar too high? I wouldn’t pass that test. For that matter, neither would Palin, Hannity, O’Reilly or any of the right-wing (or otherwise) critics of Obama’s choice to bring Common to the White House. Even removing all of moral blemishes like the “Hungry” line from Common’s catalog, it wouldn’t clear the bar that Palin has set here. As an artist, Common has chosen to shine a light on some of the things that aren’t so good about America like police brutality and racial bias in the prison system. Would it be too much to ask for Palin and others to spend some time reflecting on the hard truths in lyrics like those before rushing to shoot the messenger?

I applaud the White House for hosting Common for a performance. Even with his imperfections, I think he’s done more to uplift America than any of the aforementioned pundits whose self-serving divisiveness does more to harm our social fabric than to strengthen it. On “G.O.D.,” another song from “One Day It’ll All Make Sense,” Common spit another couple of lines that have stuck with me all these years:

“Long as you know it’s a being that’s supreme to you,
and let that show towards others in the things you do”

Words to live by.

peace —

SoulStice

It’s one thing for Faux News to do this to other news stories, but when they go after one of the members of our community, it annoys me to no end. They really shouldn’t speak on things that they have no concept of, but I suppose that’s par for the course throughout media, not just on Fox.

As our generation gets older, it’s up to people like you, me, and SoulStice to continue to bring sanity to these “debates.” We have an obligation to push the discourse in the right direction and away from the silliness.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Yin vs. Yang, if you will.  Good vs. Evil, Light vs. Dark, this intro vs. a good one.  You get the picture.

So when I noticed things were on an incredible roll lately, I should have also realized that something was about to go awry.  Luckily, it wasn’t anything that serious, but I’m sad to report that this week’s episode of Sound Session was recorded too ‘hot’ on our computer (thanks engineers!) so it sounds pretty atrocious.  On the plus side, I just got a new whip (and J got one a few months ago), it was Mother’s Day, and everyone in our circle is happy, healthy, and having more success than ever, so, as the cool folks say, it’s all good.

Oh, and did I mention that 5-8-11 marked our 6 year SNSS anniversary? That’s right…through hard work, great support, and an undying passion for the music and culture, J and I have had the pleasure of broadcasting SNSS live and direct for 6 full years.  Massive thank you shouts to everyone involved, especially the listeners.  We appreciate y’all so much and we’re happy to be one of the last outlets for independent/underground hip-hop on commercial radio.  Let’s keep it going y’all.

Die hard SNSS fans who missed the live broadcast may want to check out the archive since the music is still dope.  Sincere apologies if you can’t put up with the sub-par sound for the entire episode though.  At the very least, I recommend fast forwarding to 51:15 and checking out our interview with the founder of The FADER magazine and Cornerstone Promotions, Rob Stone.  You remember Cornerstone Mixtape #115, right?!  Shouts to the homies Jack & Cash for coming through the studio to talk about their new project too.

FADER just released their annual “Icon” issue and this time around, they honored the legendary Notorious B.I.G..  Obviously any Biggie-centric magazine would be dope, but with Rob’s unique history working closely with Puff in the early days of Bad Boy Records, he made sure FADER took it to the next level.  There’s all sorts of great behind the scenes stories and anecdotes, along with some never before seen photos, that make for a great read.  Cop it on newsstands now or hit up their site for more info.

We’ll see y’all next week, with the new and improved audio to kick off year six…

Show #310 (5-8-11)

1. Big K.R.I.T. ft. Ludacris & Bun B – “Country Sh*t (Remix)”
2. Killer Mike – “Blinded By Justice”
3. Freddie Gibbs – “Way 2 Fast”
4. Elzhi – “Halftime”
5. Roc Marciano & Killah Priest – “Slugs Thru Ya Papaya”
6. Asher Roth & Nottz – “Enforce The Law”
7. Focus ft. Phonte – “Uh!”
8. Gods’illa ft. Maimouna Youssef – “You Don’t Have To Be A Star”
9. Rockwell & Ill Pill ft. Grynch & Ra Scion – “My Way” (Local Music)
10. Fashawn ft. Sam Hook – “Down That Road”
11. Schoolboy Q ft. Jhene Aiko – “Fantasy”
12. Consequence ft. Ryan Leslie & Tony Williams – “Waited Too Long”
13. DJ Quik ft. Gift Reynolds & Jon B – “Hydromatic”
14. Fresh Daily – “Easy”
15. **INTERVIEW WITH ROB STONE**
16. The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Puff Daddy – “Who Shot Ya” (Throwback of the Week)
17. Illvibe Collective ft. A.R.M. – “Medicine Men”
18. **INTERVIEW WITH JACK & CASH, PT. 1**
19. Jack & Cash – “Bad Girl” (Local Music)
20. CunninLynguists ft. Big K.R.I.T. – “Murder (Act II)”
21. **INTERVIEW WITH JACK & CASH, PT. 2**
22. Tyler, The Creator ft. Frank Ocean – “She”
23. Joe Budden – “Ordinary Sh*t, Pt. 3 (Closure)”
24. Luck One – “Palestine” (Local Music)
25. Apollo The Great ft. Joell Ortiz – “Call It Quits (Remix)”
26. Dom Kennedy – “Playa’s Punch”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?crrq1c7cj73q0dd
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/899743745c742f7e/)
(2nd back up / streaming link – http://www.usershare.net/ikpat35um1yf/DJ Hyphen and J. Moore – Sunday Night Sound Session, Show 310, 5-8-11.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.

We shall overcome.  One day.

I’ve said it before on the site and I’ll say it again. I’m a sucker for flashing lights and when you combine them with crystal clear video and a time lapse…aw man, it’s ALWAYS dope.