The Audacity of Dope

As mentioned last week, we’re taking the rest of May to celebrate our 10 Year SNSS Anniversary and in that vein, here’s our 2nd of 3 special episodes.  We aren’t stretching this out just to remind everyone that we’ve been on air for a decade (though that’s incredibly dope), but instead, we just wanted to play more of the great music from years past.  You know how hard it is to narrow down almost 10k songs to highlight just a few?  Bruh.

So we followed the same plan from last week, picking 2 tracks from each year and mixing in some of our favorite local records too.  As you’d expect, the music is flames and acts as a nice snapshot of what we’ve done for over 500 consecutive Sundays.  Enjoy some classics, old & new, from artists like Lupe, The Roots, Jay-Z, Kanye, Elzhi, Common, Big K.R.I.T., Bilal, Slum Village, Raekwon, denitia and sene, Hi-Tek, and more!

Show #519 (5-24-15)
**10 Year Anniversary Special, Week #2**

1.    Obie Trice – “Wanna Know” (2005)
2.    Slum Village ft. Dwele – “Call Me” (2005)
3.    Lupe Fiasco – “Hurt Me Soul” (2006)
4.    Hi-Tek ft. Dion & Talib Kweli – “Let It Go” (2006)
5.    DJ Drama ft. Outkast & Marsha Ambrosius – “Da Art Of Storytellin, Pt. 4” (2007)
6.    Common ft. Dwele – “The People” (2007)
7.    Elzhi ft. Royce Da 5’9” – “Motown 25” (2008)
8.    The Roots ft. Dice Raw, Peedi Crakk, & DJ Jazzy Jeff – “Get Busy” (2008)
9.    Timbaland ft. Drake & Lupe Fiasco – “Say Something (Hyphen Edit)” (2009)
10.    Raekwon ft. Cappadonna & Ghostface Killah – “10 Bricks” (2009)
11.    Kendrick Lamar ft. Jhene Aiko – “Growing Apart (To Get Closer)” (2010)
12.    Bilal – “Think It Over” (2010)
13.    Big K.R.I.T. – “The Vent” (2011)
14.    Jay-Z & Kanye West – “Gotta Have It” (2011)
15.    Chief Keef ft. Pusha T, Kanye West, Big Sean, & Jadakiss – “I Don’t Like (Remix)” (2012)
16.    Meek Mill ft. Big Sean – “Burn” (2012)
17.    Smash Brovaz – “Whatever” (2013)
18.    denitia and sene – “trip. fall.” (2013)
19.    Fabolous ft. Jeremih – “Thim Slick” (2014)
20.    The Physics – “My Place” (Local Music) (2010)
21.    Dave B ft. Sol – “Boathouse” (Local Music) (2014)
22.    Framework – “Mom Cries” (Local Music) (2005)

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/jrs0vp)

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 mentioned in the last few updates, we’re in the midst of our 10 year SNSS anniversary, officially occurring on May 8th.  That’s right, our 1st show was May 8th, 2005, so we’re now a few weeks into year 10.  We’ve hit some big milestones in the past (most recently, show #500), but 10 years feels like the biggest.  10 years is a long time to do anything, let alone host an independent music show in today’s commercial radio market. That’s longer than high school + college.  That’s longer than most people have been with their significant other (I know friends who have been married…and divorced…and remarried…during the time we’ve been on air hahah).  That’s longer than Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and the iPhone have existed.  MySpace came and went.  When we started, only fans of Chicago politics had ever heard the name Barack Obama.  The world’s population has almost grown by 1 billion people in the last decade.  In other words, 1/8th of the world doesn’t know what life without Sound Session is like hahaha.

We did our first show when I was just 23, which, aside from making me feel old AF, means that SNSS has been a part of my entire post-college life.  It’s given me friends, memories, and opportunities that I’ll cherish forever.  It’s impossible for me to sum up what it has meant to me and it has been an honor to share that with my brother…a man I used to watch host/perform/organize damn near every hip-hop event in the city when I was in high school…a true Seattle legend, J. Moore.  Salute, OG.

As always, we’re thankful (Marshawn voice) for KUBE giving us the opportunity, especially Eric Powers and Karen Wild, who have always been in our corner.  Their support has given us the freedom to develop the show and SNSS brand into what it is today.  We’re also very appreciative of all the artists, managers, DJ’s, bloggers, promoters, etc. that have been a part of the show and helped us in one way or another.  Most importantly, thanks to you, the listeners.  We’re here to share good music with y’all and that experience alone has made all our hard work worth it.  Thanks for enjoying this run with us.  Here’s to 10 more years, if not more!

To celebrate, we’ve been combing through our archives and looking at all the great records we’ve played.  In a perfect world, we would just run it all back.  Cuts…for…days.  For each show during the rest of May, we’re playing 2 of our favorite tracks from every year in the past decade, plus some classic local records.  Here’s the first special episode, featuring classics from Damian Marley, Little Brother, J Dilla, Mos Def, John Legend, Kanye, Kendrick, Nas, Frank Ocean, Drake, Macklemore, and so many more.  Remember when (and where) you heard ’em first…

Enjoy!

Show #518 (5-17-15)
**10 Year Anniversary Special, Week #1**

1.    Damian Marley – “Welcome To Jamrock” (2005)
2.    Little Brother ft. Darien Brockington – “Slow It Down” (2005)
3.    De La Soul ft. MF Doom – “Rock Co.Kane Flow” (2006)
4.    J Dilla ft. Common & D’Angelo – “So Far To Go” (2006)
5.    Mr. Vegas – “Lean With It” (2007)
6.    UGK ft. Outkast – “International Players Anthem” (2007)
7.    Busta Rhymes – “Don’t Touch Me (Throw Da Water On ‘Em)” (2008)
8.    John Legend ft. Andre3000 – “Green Light” (2008)
9.    Mos Def ft. Slick Rick – “Auditorium” (2009)
10.    Clipse ft. Cam’ron & Pharrell – “Popular Demand (Popeyes)” (2009)
11.    Dam-Funk ft. MC Eiht & Steve Arrington – “Hood Pass Intact (Remix)” (2010)
12.    Kanye West – “Dark Fantasy” (2010)
13.    Kendrick Lamar – “Cut You Off” (2011)
14.    Dom Kennedy – “Goodbye” (2011)
15.    Nas – “The Don” (2012)
16.    Frank Ocean – “Pyramids” (2012)
17.    Drake – “Come Thru” (2013)
18.    The Internet – “Dontcha” (2013)
19.    Doja Cat – “So High” (2014)
20.    Schoolboy Q ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “Studio” (2014)
21.    Jarv Dee – “I Just Wanna” (Local Music) (2012)
22.    Macklemore – “The Town” (Local Music) (2009)
23.    Romaro Franceswa ft. Fearce Vill – “Bounce” (Local Music) (2013)

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/6irdlf)

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.

Sorry for the delay on our recent SNSS episodes, but what can I say…life is hectic.  Show #517 technically marked our 10 YEAR SOUND SESSION ANNIVERSARY, which is, simply, a phenomenal achievement for an independent radio show broadcast on commercial station.  Hell, it’s a phenomenal achievement to do pretty much anything for a decade straight.  We decided to turn the rest of the month into a celebration, starting with the next show, which I’ll post up soon.  More to come on this…

For #517, we played a ton of good music from folks like Curren$y, Freddie Gibbs, Lion Babe, De La Soul, ASAP Rocky, Miguel, Mura Masa, Bas, Oddisee, Alina Baraz & Galimatias, Gallant, Nao, Kehlani, Kooley High, Made In Heights, and more.  Lots of dopeness in the mix.  Enjoy!

Show #517 (5-10-15)

1.    Currensy & Freddie Gibbs – “Fetti”
2.    Lion Babe – “Wonder Woman (DJ Premier Remix)”
3.    De La Soul ft. Nas – “God It”
4.    ASAP Rocky ft. Miguel – “Everyday”
5.    Tope ft. Dizz – “Miss Me When I’m Gone” (Local Music)
6.    Stay Hi Brothers (Vitamin D & Maineak B) – “Johnny Dankworth” (Local Music)
7.    Vince Staples ft. Future & Snoh Aalegra – “Senorita”
8.    Mura Masa ft. Jay Prince – “Low”
9.    Kendrick Lamar ft. Pharrell – “Alright”
10.    Bas ft. KQuick – “Fiji Water In My Iron”
11.    Jay-Z – “Momma Loves Me” (Throwback of the Week)
12.    Kanye West ft. Kendrick Lamar, Allan Kingdom, Theophilus London, & Paul McCartney – “All Day (Remix)”
13.    Oddisee – “Belong To The World”
14.    Illa J – “Strippers”
15.    Miguel ft. Wale – “Coffee (Remix)”
16.    Alina Baraz & Galimatias – “Drift”
17.    Gallant – “Open Up”
18.    Natalie Duncan – “Black & White”
19.    Alessia Cara – “Here”
20.    Nao – “Inhale Exhale”
21.    Snoop Dogg ft. Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar, & Charlie Wilson – “I’m Ya Dogg”
22.    Kehlani ft. Chance The Rapper – “The Way”
23.    Clem Beat’z ft. Kooley High – “Being Free”
24.    Made In Heights – “Slow Burn” (Local Music)

Stream/Download via Soundcloud –

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/k5mqbn)

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.

“Ask my guy how he thought travellin’ the world sound // Found it hard to imagine he hadn’t been past downtown” (c) Common, “Respiration“

When we announced that I would head to London for much of 2015, a few folks asked me if we’d still be able to do SNSS since J. Moore and I would be almost 5k miles apart.  To me, someone who started reading sports news when I was 10 years old off “Gopher,” an online protocol that eventually lost out to “http” in the early stages of the internet (aka WAAAAAY back), I never had a doubt that we’d stay in sync.  The underlying goal of the entire tech industry over the last 20 years (aside from this) has been to connect every corner of the world via zeros & ones.  Safe to say, we’re good.  And I don’t even have my Apple Watch yet.

Instead, I looked at this as an opportunity to take SNSS even more international than we have already.  Yes, we have dedicated listeners from around the globe and already play international artists, but now we have a man on the ground in Europe.  One who even likes to write about himself in the third person, at times.  I’m not “discovering” artists here, but I am able to help connect the dots and bridge the gap further.  If Jay-Z can send his cousin to Nigeria, we can send Hyphen to London.  If I’ve learned anything while here, it’s that music, and the love/passion certain people have for it, is somehow even stronger than I ever thought.  Good music knows no boundaries: physical, mental, spiritual.

For evidence, look no further than this week’s SNSS episode, a veritable Goodwill Games of good music: NYC (De La Soul, Nas, Dipset), Cali (E-40, Kendrick, Duckwrth, Dam-Funk), Australia (Ta-ku), the Netherlands (Mar), the UK (Natalie Duncan)…hell, we even ran a Baltimore themed remix of MJ’s classic “They Don’t Care About Us,” featuring Dilla’s Detroit soul, mixed together by a Seattle OG.  And we can’t forget our friendly neighbors to the north, Canada, for our obligatory Drake cut, plus a gem by newcomer Alessia Cara.  I was told this show marked her first ever radio spin, so when she’s on top of the game in a few years…you already know.

Last, but not least, J. Moore was joined in the studio by Young Fathers, a group from Edinburgh, Scotland, drawing roots from Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Maryland.  Their eclectic mix of hip-hop, R&B, pop, funk, reggae, and rock defies those labels and represents the potential of where music is headed.  Everywhere, every time, everything.  No boundaries, just you and the art.  Vibe to it however you see fit…and when we come back next week, let’s talk about 10 years of SNSS, k?

Show #516 (5-3-15)

1.    De La Soul ft. Nas – “God It”
2.    Duckwrth x The Kickdrums ft. Miloh Smith – “Indica La Roux”
3.    Hezekiah – “Coming Back Is Harder”
4.    Kendrick Lamar – “Hood Politics”
5.    Stay Hi Brothers (Vitamin D & Maineak B) – “Never Seen It” (Local Music)
6.    Michael Jackson – “They Don’t Care About Us (DJ Topspin’s Blendiana Baltimore Blend)” (Local Music)
7.    **INTERVIEW WITH YOUNG FATHERS, PT. 1**
8.    Young Fathers – “Rain Or Shine”
9.    **INTERVIEW WITH YOUNG FATHERS, PT. 2**
10.    Oddisee & Phonte ft. Tamisha Waden – “Requiem”
11.    Currensy & Freddie Gibbs – “Fetti”
12.    The Diplomats – “I Really Mean It” (Throwback of the Week)
13.    Young Fathers – “Nest”
14.    **INTERVIEW WITH YOUNG FATHERS, PT. 3**
15.    Wale – “The White Shoes”
16.    Drake – “Star67”
17.    Ta-ku ft. JMSN & Sango – “Love Again”
18.    Mar – “She’s A Dancer”
19.    Natalie Duncan – “Black & White”
20.    Alessia – “Here”
21.    Lion Babe – “Wonder Woman (DJ Premier Remix)”
22.    Jarv Dee ft. Nacho Picasso – “Problem” (Local Music)
23.    Illa J – “Strippers”
24.    E-40 ft. Ariel Pink & Dam-Funk – “California”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud –

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/615eop)

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.

Only a few hours before the fight of the century, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, so if you need some tunes to get you ready, here’s the latest SNSS episode for ya.  I’m picking Floyd to win the fight, but obviously it’s tough to root for him as a person.  Manny’s got his faults too, but Floyd is over the top with his.  Hopefully we get a fight worthy of all the hype, but something tells me it’ll be disappointing.  Either way, there’s definitely going to be a rematch.  $$$$

Anyway, check out this week’s SNSS to hear new tracks from artists like Substantial, Bambu, Rapper Big Pooh, De La Soul, AZ, Joe Budden, Action Bronson, Meyhem Lauren, Hezekiah, Duckwrth, E-40, Ta-ku, JMSN, Little Dragon, and more.  We went back to an unquestioned hip-hop classic celebrating its 20th birthday for our throwback and J. Moore was also joined in studio by the Moor Gang’s Jarv Dee.  Be sure to cop his new project, Satellites, Swishers & Spaceships right here.  #TownBiz

Enjoy!

Show #515 (4-26-15)

1.    Substantial & The Other Guys – “Priceless”
2.    Bambu – “To The Left”
3.    Rapper Big Pooh & Apollo Brown ft. Blakk Soul – “How I Move”
4.    ASAP Rocky – “M’$”
5.    Donte Peace – “Black Northface” (Local Music)
6.    De La Soul ft. Nas – “God It”
7.    Moss ft. AZ, Joe Budden, & DJ Premier – “Started”
8.    **INTERVIEW WITH JARV DEE, PT. 1**
9.    Jarv Dee ft. Nacho Picasso – “Problem” (Local Music)
10.    **INTERVIEW WITH JARV DEE, PT. 2**
11.    Jarv Dee – “Mary I’m In Love” (Local Music)
12.    Action Bronson ft. Big Body Bes & Chauncy Sherod (of CharlieRED) – “The Rising”
13.    Meyhem Lauren & IceRocks – “Summer Squash Yellow”
14.    Mobb Deep – “Shook Ones Pt. II” (Throwback of the Week)
15.    Wale ft. SZA – “The Need To Know”
16.    Hezekiah – “Coming Back Is Harder”
17.    Dave B – “Church Clothes” (Local Music)
18.    Drake – “My Side”
19.    Will Jordan – “Get Down” (Local Music)
20.    Ta-ku ft. JMSN & Sango – “Love Again”
21.    Laura Welsh – “Still Life”
22.    Duckwrth x The Kickdrums ft. Miloh Smith – “Indica La Roux”
23.    Selah Sue – “Sadness”
24.    Kendrick Lamar ft. Bilal, Anna Wise, & Thundercat – “These Walls”
25.    E-40 ft. Ariel Pink & Dam-Funk – “California”
26.    Snoop Dogg – “Pros”
27.    Little Dragon – “Wanderer”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/7a11o3)

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.