The Audacity of Dope

Fresh out the oven, here’s the latest episode of SNSS for y’all.  J. Moore held it down and ran through new tracks from artists like Fashawn + Nas + Aloe Blacc (on one cut! with DJ Khalil on the beat!!!), Your Old Droog, Big Sean, Kanye West, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Dej Loaf, Frank Ocean, Kali Uchis, India Shawn, Henry Wu, Tunji Ige, Asher Roth, our good friend Sol, and more.  Be sure to download Sol’s two new songs off his Soundcloud, right here.  For our throwback, we honored the Good Doctor’s 50th and we ended the night with something new off D’Angelo’s Black Messiah.

Speaking of D’Angelo, I got a chance to see him perform on Friday here in London and it lived up to every hope I had.  Thinking about it, I’m giving him the crown of the best R&B artist of the last 25 years and I might just extend that back to MJ’s glory days.  After Mike’s reign, I don’t see who’s topping him.  Yes, he’s only released 3 albums (4 if you count his excellent live release recorded at another London show), but they’re all classics and aging much better than those of his contemporaries.  He’s heavily influenced by some of the greatest references a singer can have (James Brown and Fela Kuti come to mind), but somehow has always had his own distinct style that’s evolved subtly over the years.  He’s not just an amazing singer, but he’s also a writer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.  Watching him completely OWN the crowd for 2 hours…with 2 separate encores…was a sight to behold.  He took us through damn near every emotion with his performance and having seen all his noteworthy competition live before, I can safely say, none of them can do what he does.

Anyway, I’m open to the debate (not really).  Who’s the greatest R&B singer of the last 25 years, if not D?

Show #506 (2-22-15)

1.    Fashawn ft. Nas & Aloe Blacc – “Something To Believe In”
2.    DJ Efn ft. Your Old Droog, Royce Da 5’9”, REKS, & O.C. – “Revolutionary Ride Music”
3.    Big Sean ft. Kanye West – “All Your Fault”
4.    Joey Badass ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “Like Me”
5.    L. Hammond – “Any Hustle” (Local Music)
6.    Sol – “Pages” (Local Music)
7.    Raz Simone – “The Lights” (Local Music)
8.    Kendrick Lamar ft. Assassin – “The Blacker The Berry”
9.    Asher Roth – “Blow YR Head”
10.    Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg – “Still D.R.E.” (Throwback of the Week)
11.    Jay Prince – “Cruisin”
12.    Lupe Fiasco – “Dots & Lines”
13.    Drake – “Legend”
14.    Dej Loaf – “We Be On It”
15.    Frank Ocean – “You Are Luhh”
16.    Sam Sparro – “Rock The Boat”
17.    Kali Uchis – “Lottery”
18.    Zion I ft. Viveca Hawkins – “Lost In Translation”
19.    BJ The Chicago Kid – “Good Luv’n”
20.    Tunji Ige – “For Us”
21.    Henry Wu ft. Simeon Jones – “Just Negotiate”
22.    Jazz Cartier – “Rose Quartz / Like Crazy”
23.    India Shawn ft. James Fauntleroy – “Outer Limits”
24.    D’Angelo & The Vanguard – “Betray My Heart”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/az3sqa)

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.

If you follow me on my socials, you’ve probably noticed that I’m out in London for my ESPN day job and while I’m here, I’m really trying to explore as much as I can, both geographically and culturally. I’m getting put up on some really good music left and right, and here’s a track that kind of floored me on first listen. George The Poet is just that, a spoken word artist from London, who puts some of his pieces to music and the results are incredible.

Here’s the video for “Cat D,” a title that most folks in the States won’t understand (myself included, until it was explained to me).  Category D is a term used to describe damage a vehicle sustained in an accident, before it was rebuilt/refurbished.  D is the most extreme, meaning the vehicle may look new, but it was heavily damaged at one point.  Watch the video to see how George extends the metaphor brilliantly.

What up y’all?  Hope things are all good in your world.  No complaints from my end, as London’s treating your boy pretty well.  Exploring a bit, learning a lot, and experiencing as much as I can.  Life’s crazy…much like the playlist on this week’s SNSS episode!

Peep show #505 for new heat from Jadakiss, Fabolous, Kendrick, Emilio Rojas, Joell Ortiz, Tunji Ige, The Weeknd, Chris Faust, Melat, Johnny Rain, Kali Uchis, Jay Prince, and you know we had to get something in the mix off Drizzy’s surprise mixtape.  That dude.  Sheesh.

Oh, and peep a great discussion between J. Moore and one of Seattle’s rising stars, Raz Simone.  RIP BIG L too!

Show #505 (2-15-15)

1.    Chinx ft. Jadakiss – “Dope House”
2.    Joey Badass – “Hazeus View”
3.    Fabolous – “Cinnamon Apple”
4.    Kendrick Lamar ft. Assassin – “The Blacker The Berry”
5.    Blakk Soul ft. The Good Sin – “Breathe” (Local Music)
6.    **INTERVIEW WITH RAZ SIMONE, PT. 1**
7.    Raz Simone – “My People” (Local Music)
8.    **INTERVIEW WITH RAZ SIMONE, PT. 2**
9.    Emilio Rojas ft. Joell Ortiz – “Nada”
10.    Drake – “Energy”
11.    Yonas Michael – “Blessed”
12.    L. Hammond – “Any Hustle” (Local Music)
13.    Russ – “Hoe Love”
14.    Tunji Ige – “Pocketed Lighter”
15.    The Weeknd – “Where You Belong”
16.    Chris Faust ft. Cocoa Sarai – “All Day, All Day”
17.    Zion I ft. 1-O.A.K. – “Last Nite”
18.    Melat – “Rockabye”
19.    Johnny Rain – “Harveston Lake”
20.    Geovarn – “Start Me Up”
21.    Kali Uchis – “Rush”
22.    Jay Prince – “4U / Lately”
23.    Big L – “Street Struck” (Throwback of the Week)

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/edkgy7)

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.

New visuals off the most slept on album of 2014, Anderson Paak’s Venice.  What are you waiting for, cop that!

It’s early, but I’ll make two statements I’m pretty confident will end up being true: this is one of the best songs of 2015 and Joey’s B4DA$$ is one of the best albums of the year.  J. Cole at the end of 2014 and now Joey, Lupe, Drake, and soon to be Kanye and Kendrick to kick off 2015.  Not too shabby…

btw, Dilla and The Roots on the beat!

Running around like crazy this week so unfortunately I don’t have too much time for a recap, but never fear, we’re back with another great episode of SNSS to hold you down.  J. Moore was joined in studio by DV One and ran through dope tracks from folks like Tunji Ige, Kali Uchis, Warm Brew, Drake, Joey Badass, Nefew, Alina Baraz, TUT, a few throwbacks to honor two of the greatest musical geniuses of all time, and more.

As often happens with our show, we have the privilege and honor to give some artists their very first radio spins, and no matter how many times it happens, I will never get tired of seeing their reactions.  Moments like Russ hearing his track played over 100k watts while in the home studio he recorded it in, or Johnny Rain’s tweet below are what SNSS are all about!

shoutout to @KUBE93 & @DJHyphen for showing love tonight in Seattle! first radio station to play my music! much love! 🙏

— Johnny Rain (@JohnnyRainOD) February 9, 2015

Enjoy the show (and peep that Johnny Rain album ASAP!):

Show #504 (2-8-15)

1.    Big Sean ft. Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings”
2.    King Reign – “Happylaidback”
3.    Nefew ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “Lionheart”
4.    Raz Simone – “These Words” (Local Music)
5.    Tunji Ige – “Pocketed Lighter”
6.    Joey Badass – “Hazeus View”
7.    Warm Brew ft. Arima Ederra – “In A Bottle”
8.    Russ – “Hoe Love”
9.    TUT ft. Angel Mae & Taylor Freeman – “Holy Water”
10.    Vic Mensa – “Down On My Luck”
11.    Slum Village – “Raise It Up” (Throwback of the Week)
12.    Bob Marley – “Waiting In Vain” (Throwback of the Week)
13.    Kali Uchis – “Know What I Want”
14.    Tuxedo (Mayer Hawthorne & Jake One) – “Two Wrongs” (Local Music)
15.    Malice Sweet – “Try You” (Local Music)
16.    Alina Baraz & Galimatias – “Fantasy”
17.    Johnny Rain – “Oakland Ting / 808 and Patron”
18.    D’Angelo & The Vanguard – “Really Love”
19.    Von Pea & The Other Guys ft. Kooley High – “Might As Well”
20.    J. Cole – “Fire Squad”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/u2a3iv)

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 haven’t had time to archive the latest SNSS until now, so I’ve had a few days to recover and decompress from the Super Bowl.  Hmm, where to begin?  I could write a book on it, but let’s just summarize it from a perspective I think most Seahawks fans will agree with: it was a great game with a few chances for both teams to really seize control (that 3rd down play to Kearse will never be forgotten), but it was always going to be difficult with our lack of dynamic WR’s and an increasingly hobbled secondary.  That said, magic happened and there we were, just 1 yard away from back to back Super Bowl victories, a feat almost unthinkable with free agency and the parity fostered by the league.

2nd down, 50 seconds, 1 time out…and the Seahawks OC, Darrell Bevell, makes the worst (on field) decision in American sports history.  I’ve heard folks complain about this “exaggeration,” but umm…name one that’s worse?  Webber’s timeout gets mentioned, but that’s a mental error, not a premeditated decision.  There’s nothing that eclipses this in terms of stature, scale, importance, opportunity, etc..  Hindsight is 20/20 but as soon as they walked to the line with an empty backfield, every Seahawks fan sick of Bevell’s misuse of Marshawn inside the red zone felt it coming.  Run. The. Ball.

There’s been a lot of talk trying to defend the call (and Bill Belichick’s clock errors too) this week, but I’m not having it.  You run the ball with #BeastMode on 2nd down and still have every option you want on 3rd and 4th if he doesn’t get in.  There’s even a decent chance the Patriots let him score there to ensure Brady has a little bit of time left.  And say for some ridiculous reason you decide to pass…you do not run THAT call with THAT personnel and in THAT situation.

Malcolm Butler made an incredible play, possibly the greatest in NFL history, but it never should have happened.  Patriots fans will say Kearse’s catch never should have happened too, and they’re probably right.  Sports just happen like that sometimes, which, cruelly enough, is why we watch.  You never know what’s going to happen, unless you’re a Hawks fan and you see Marshawn spread out wide at the goal line.

ANYWAY, back to the music.  J. Moore continued to hold it down in the studio while your boy is across the pond on that international steez (“hardly home but always reppin”).  Peep #503 for new tracks from Fabolous, Lupe, Joey Badass, Raz Simone, J. Cole, Elzhi, OverDoz., OnCue, Meek Mill, Vic Mensa, Sampha, Kali Uchis, Warm Brew, Alina Baraz, Wale, and my theme song of the moment (despite the game), Big Sean’s “Blessings.”  Sometimes I’ll be walking through these London streets and randomly belt out, “waaaaaaaaaay up, I feel blessed!”

Show #503 (2-1-15)

1.    Big Sean ft. Drake & Kanye West – “Blessings”
2.    Fabolous – “Rap & Sex”
3.    Lupe Fiasco – “Dots & Lines”
4.    Joey Badass ft. Raury – “Escape 120”
5.    Raz Simone – “Why Aren’t You Mine” (Local Music)
6.    J. Cole – “Role Modelz”
7.    Flip ft. Phat Kat & Elzhi – “Without Warning”
8.    Dave B – “Leaves” (Local Music)
9.    OverDoz. ft. Hit-Boy – “Rich White Friends”
10.    BJ The Chicago Kid ft. Schoolboy Q – “It’s True”
11.    OnCue – “No Way”
12.    Tre Ross – “Deep Lake” (Local Music)
13.    Meek Mill – “Monster”
14.    Snakehips ft. Syd (of The Internet) – “Gone”
15.    Vic Mensa – “Down On My Luck”
16.    Scarface ft. 2Pac & Johnny P – “Smile” (Throwback of the Week)
17.    Jay Prince ft. Fabienne – “The Trip”
18.    Emile Haynie ft. Sampha, Charlotte Gainsbourg, & Devonte Hynes – “A Kiss Goodbye (Reprise)”
19.    Kali Uchis – “All Or Nothing”
20.    Geovarn – “4am”
21.    Alina Baraz & Galimatias – “Fantasy”
22.    Warm Brew ft. Dom Kennedy – “Hold On To Her”
23.    Wale ft. Chance The Rapper – “Friendship Heights”
24.    Jean Deaux – “Who Am I”
25.    Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West – “Put On” (Throwback of the Week)

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/x2u6a0)

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.

Man…Kwabs has one of the most powerful voices around. It gives you chills, quite literally in this video for “Perfect Ruin,” shot beautifully in a sub-zero location. Captures the song wonderfully…

Kwabs will release Love + War in May and this is the instant grat track when you pre-order now. iTunes / Amazon.

There are few things better than when an artist comes out of (relatively speaking) nowhere to floor you with some incredible music.  I had heard the name Kali Uchis for the past few months but peeped my first track about 3 weeks ago, and have been anxiously awaiting this project since that moment.  Definitely feeling some Amy vibes on this.  Download her free debut project immediately!

Download here: Kali Uchis – Por Vida

Jay Smooth expertly summarizes why so many of us are rooting for Marshawn Lynch, aside from the fact he’s an incredible football player.  Talk to ’em Jay.