I’m going to spend some time this week putting together our “Best Of 2011” wrap up show and this track from the DMV crew, Gods’illa, was already on my radar. We’ll see next Sunday if the visuals help solidify it’s status…
While in town for the “Ambition” tour on 11/25/11, Wale stopped by KUBE and the SNSS studio to chat with me for a few moments. We talked about his Ambition album, years of grinding for success, what it’s like seeing fans quote his lyrics on Facebook & Twitter, and more. Since he’s always known as one of hip-hop’s most fervent sports fans, we had to talk some football so I asked about his recent debates with Skip Bayless at ESPN, who is the best running back in the NFL, his take on Tebow-mania, and what we should do with the BCS.
If you’d prefer to just listen to the audio, download/streaming links are below:
Wale on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?hdqw9fmweo1trjc
(back up / streaming link – http://hulkshare.com/rosy83wfkyfi)
Ambition is in stores now, cop that.
The final track on Phil’s A Different World mixtape was easily my favorite record on the project, so I’m glad to see the heartfelt song got some visuals. If you like what you hear, download the full album here.
The homegirl DJ Heat has been putting in work in DC for a minute, and she just released the third volume of her Mumbo Sauce mixtape series. For those unaware, mumbo sauce is what they put on fried chicken out there in the other Washington. While I can’t say I’ve tried it, I have sampled Heat’s mixes before and I recommend y’all check this one out for some of the dopest talent in the DMV area. It features appearances by people like Wale, RAtheMC, Raheem DeVaughn, Thad Reid, XO, and more. Peep the tracklisting and download link after the jump!
One of my favorite artists in the industry, SoulStice, came through Sound Session again recently to chop it up. If you missed our interview from last year where we covered a lot of his background (from the Chi, relocated to DC) and previewed his Dead Letter Perfect album, you can download it here. This time around, we talked about the reception that album received, his upcoming Beyond Borders project, the various hip-hop scenes around the world, the presidential race, how he balances his music career with his day job at the Department of Defense, and more.
It’s always fun to talk about substantive issues with real intelligent artists who are passionate about their music and their ideas. Sadly, that’s kind of rare in this industry, so I enjoy it when people like SoulStice come through. You can check out the entire interview, which also includes his “Bird’s Eye View” song with Kev Brown, through either of the links below:
SoulStice on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?sgslqaughak
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/176309330398e9b2/ )
Track down Dead Letter Perfect if you missed it from last year and be on the lookout for Beyond Borders. It’s shaping up to be a great record.
The homey Modi over at DCtoBC sent this over for y’all to check out. He recently paired up with two other blogs specializing in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area, StartOfTheLine and KNOWxONE to highlight some of the best talent from the area in a monthly mixtape series. If you missed July, you can find it over at the Dopehouse.
As for this month’s edition, Modi explains:
we’re not here to whine about how our region is overlooked when it comes to hip hop; we’ve already made progress. wale had arguably the best mixtape of the year, and sold out that show at S.O.B.’s in NYC last month. tabi bonney’s videos were all over cable, and one even earned an MTV awards nomination. we have definitely made an impression on the music industry, and are on the way to a movement.
people are hungry to see what else the region has to offer, so we went extra hard in creating the best possible august edition of the DMV mixtape. in addition to the names you already know, we wanted to introduce a few that you may not. we got exclusives, we got unreleased tracks, we have some major label talent, and we have people who grinded out their tracks in their basements on makeshift studio equipment. and we can honestly say it all cranks. so take a second and check it out.
There it is. Tracklisting and download link after the jump. Speaking of the DMV, Soulstice will be on this week’s Sound Session. Be sure to tune in!