The Audacity of Dope

Soon = Sunday Night Sound Session late tomorrow.  Tune in.

One thing we really pride ourselves on with Sound Session is that we don’t only play good hip-hop, we play good music.  To the close minded, this week’s show probably drove you crazy.  For those of you who appreciate innovative approaches to the music we love, definitely check out this episode.  We played a little bit of everything:

• Straightforward boom bap with Butta Verses’ ridiculously dope “If I Die” and our homey Jake One’s track “Glow” with Elzhi and Royce The 5’9″.
• Dope laid back joints by Illa J, Devin The Dude, and Pacific Division.
• A nod to the past with Raphael Saadiq’s Motown inspired “Oh Girl.”
• A glimpse at the future of pop, R&B, and hip-hop with Kardinal Offishall‘s “Digital Motown” (also produced by Jake), Janelle Monae‘s epic “Many Moons,” Kanye’s “Love Lockdown,” and the new single, “Daykeeper,” from Foreign Exchange.

And speaking of Foreign Exchange, we aired that interview with Phonte from last week’s Rock The Bells stop in Washington and had some international guests, Cee, Bekah, & Notion, come through all the way from Australia!  We brought it home with new tracks from local artists Shyan Selah and Ike James (feat. Jadakiss and Jazze Pha), and Shyan also joined us live in the studio.  Lastly, if you’re from the town and didn’t listen, you missed a chance to get tickets for the N.E.R.D. & Common show on Thursday.  Stop sleepin’, you gotta listen!

Show #172 (9-14-08)

1. Illa J ft. Guilty Simpson – “R U Listenin’”
2. Devin The Dude – “I Can’t Make It Home”
3. Kardinal Offishall ft. J*Davey – “Digital Motown”
4. Johnson&Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) – “WoW!”
5. Janelle Monae – “Many Moons”
6. The Cool Kids – “Delivery Man”
7. **INTERVIEW WITH SHYAN SELAH**
8. Shyan Selah – “Hollywood Blvd” (Local Artist)
9. Raphael Saadiq ft. Jay-Z – “Oh Girl (Remix)”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH PHONTE #02, PT. 1**
11. Foreign Exchange ft. Muhsinah – “Daykeeper”
12. **INTERVIEW WITH PHONTE #02, PT. 2**
13. Butta Verses ft. Lucian – “If I Die”
14. Jake One ft. Elzhi & Royce The 5’9” – “Glow” (Local Artist)
15. **INTERVIEW WITH CEE, BEKAH, & NOTION**
16. Notion ft. Cee & Bekah – “My Crew”
17. Kanye West – “Love Lockdown”
18. Pacific Division – “Wake Up”
19. Ike James ft. Jadakiss & Jazze Pha – “Callin’ Me” (Local Artist)

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?mit30ocromq
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/188381186582f67b/ )

Link to download just the interview with Phonte - http://www.mediafire.com/?oteqnscax2t
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/187456482714ebd1/ )

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.

Between a few solo appearances and some Little Brother interviews, Phonte has now been on Sound Session five times.  I think that pulls him ahead of a few other artists for our all time most interviewed guest.  This time, I caught up with the big homey backstage at the Washington stop of Rock The Bells last weekend.  Originally, we were gonna grab Big Pooh as well, but I think he got caught up watching Nas tear it down.  It was truly a great day out at the Gorge (especially now that it’s over…I’m not a big fan of festivals…or driving 2.5 hours to get there) and I’m still planning on putting together some footage from it soon.

In the meantime, check out this interview with Phonte.  He played me the entire upcoming Foreign Exchange album (what up Nic!), Leave It All Behind, and it blew me away.  I’m not sure the world is ready for this project.  Instead of giving you my review, peep the interview to hear Tay talk about how it differs from their classic Connected debut, how their creative process worked this time around, and how his music has evolved over the years.  We also discussed his Gordon Gartrell Radio podcast series, the potential sequel to Zo! and Tigallo Love The 80’s, the early plans for the next Little Brother record, and if we’ll see Tay Pain take over the hook game in 2009.  Enjoy.

Phonte on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?oteqnscax2t
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/187456482714ebd1/ )

Remember to cop Leave It All Behind digitally on October 7th or on CD on the 14th.  The CD comes complete with instrumentals (and incredible artwork), so you already know which one I’m getting.  Stay up to date at their official site, TheForeignExchangeMusic.com.

(if you prefer YouTube, here are parts 1 & 2)

One half of Seattle’s own Common Market, RA Scion, came through Sound Session yesterday and we recorded it for y’all.  We chopped it up about their new Tobacco Road album, their unique release party coming up on Thursday at Neumos, their experiences performing at the protests of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and more.  You can watch the video above, or if you prefer just the audio, grab it here:

RA Scion on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?nu43ylmjxn3
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/1839003132f3b8cf/ )

Tobacco Road drops tomorrow…cop that!  Shout to the other half of CM, Sabzi, who we saw over the weekend as the Blue Scholars tore down Rock The Bells.  Some random RTB video will be popping up on TAOD this week.

Damn, how is it already September?  Time is moving so fast, this is crazy.  Anyway, here’s this weekend’s Sound Session for your listening pleasure.  We recapped some of our experiences at Rock The Bells (random RTB video and an interview with Phonte coming soon) and played all sorts of good music from people like Murs, Royce The 5’9″, Kardinal Offishall, Kanye West, Elzhi (in Seattle this week!) and more.  We also debuted songs from Illa J (featuring Guilty Simpson), Madlib (feat. Defari), and Now On (produced by Jake One…who sat in on the show) and chopped it up with RA Scion of Common Market live in the studio.  RA and Sabzi are set to drop one of the dopest albums of the year, Tobacco Road, on Tuesday so be sure to cop that!

Show #171 (9-7-08)

1. Murs – “Me and This Jawn”
2. Royce The 5’9” ft. Kid Vishis – “Kill ‘Em”
3. Elzhi – “Guessing Game”
4. DJ Revolution ft. KRS-One – “The DJ”
5. **INTERVIEW WITH RA SCION (of COMMON MARKET), PT. 1**
6. Common Market – “Gol’dust” (Local Artist)
7. Illa J ft. Guilty Simpson – “R U Listenin’”
8. Kid Cudi ft. Wale – “Is There Any Love”
9. Fusion Unltd ft. Little Brother, Nickleus F, Hall of Fame, & Skillz – “The Sun”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH RA SCION (of COMMON MARKET), PT. 2**
11. 88 Keys ft. Kanye West & Malik Yusef – “Stay Up (Viagra)”
12. Kardinal Offishall – “Nina”
13. Jazmine Sullivan ft. Kardinal Offishall & Lindo P – “Need U Bad (Remix)”
14. Termanology – “Please Don’t Go”
15. DJ Babu ft. M.O.P. – “Dearly Departed”
16. Johnson&Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) – “HalfA’Knot”
17. Jake One ft. Freeway & Brother Ali – “The Truth” (Local Artist)
18. Now On – “Catapults”
19. **INTERVIEW WITH RA SCION (of COMMON MARKET), PT. 3**
20. Shyan Selah – “Hollywood Blvd” (Local Artist)
21. Statik Selektah ft. Consequence – “Mr. Popularity”
22. Madlib ft. Defari – “Gamble On Ya Boy”
23. Janelle Monae – “Many Moons”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?rkxyenwet2o
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/1839028987f82afd/ )

Link to download just the parts with RA Scion – http://www.mediafire.com/?nu43ylmjxn3
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/1839003132f3b8cf/ )

Link to watch the interview with RA Scion – http://www.vimeo.com/1691757
(if you prefer YouTube, watch the 2 parts here – http://www.youtube.com/hyphentv )

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.

3RD UPDATE: The interview Vimeo clip appears to be working at the moment. If it stops, please use the YouTube link right underneath the video. The live footage has been removed at the request of the label, sorry.  Holler @ me if there are any problems.

(if you prefer YouTube, watch it here)

Last weekend, the lovely Ms. Janelle Monae came to Seattle and we had the pleasure of sitting down with her for an interview on Sound Session.  If you’ve somehow missed her huge (and well deserved) buzz all over the net, she’s a singer from Kansas City, Kansas, by way of New York and Atlanta, who broke into the industry with Big Boi’s Purple Ribbon label.  After debuting on his Got Purp, Vol. 2 compilation, she linked up with the other half of Outkast, Andre 3000, and appeared on 2 songs from their Idlewild project.  She then released the first part of her Metropolis mega-series, The Chase Suite, only to re-release the Special Edition after impressing Diddy at a live performance enough that he immediately signed a partnership with her.

Janelle sat down with us to talk all about her background and inspirations growing up, how she connected with Big Boi and Diddy, the intricate storyline behind Metropolis, and much more.  You can either watch the interview above, or, as I would recommend, download the broadcast quality audio feed below (complete with one of the songs off Metropolis).

Janelle Monae on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?glvcjjxcbt5
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/18029402495320a0/ )

Even at such an early stage of her career, Janelle’s live show is legendary so I shot some footage from her concert at the Nectar Lounge later that night.  Watch the clip below to see her run through songs like “Violet Stars Happy Hunting,” “Many Moons,” “Smile, “Sincerely, Jane,” and “Lettin’ Go.”

EDIT:  Video has been removed at the request of the label, sorry.

Go see this woman when she comes to your town, she’s incredible.  Seattle people: Janelle will be back on October 3rd at the Showbox opening for Jamie Lidell.  Be there.

What a weekend.  Between the extra day off because of the holiday, the start of college football (and the continuation of futbol abroad), the end of the Democratic National Convention, McCain’s awful vice president pick (and the ensuing scandals), and Seattle’s annual Bumbershoot Festival, I was ridiculously busy.  Here’s this week’s Sound Session though, better late than never!

We played some of the illest joints out right now from artists like 88 Keys, Jazmine Sullivan, Murs, DJ Babu, Wale, and Royce The 5’9″ and debuted the crazy lead single from our homey, Seattle’s own, Jake One.  We also world premiered a new song from Fashawn featuring Thurzday of U-N-I (what up Thurz & Y-O!) and gave out a ton of tickets for our last Rock The Bells giveaway.  Last but not least, we had an interview with the lovely Janelle Monae.  I managed to grab some footage from her concert here in Seattle last week, so be sure to check that out along with the full interview.

Show #170 (8-31-08)

1. Fonzworth Bentley ft. Andre 3000, Kanye West, & Sa-Ra – “Everybody (Don’t Stop)“
2. 88 Keys ft. Kanye West – “Stay Up (Viagra)”
3. Parker Brothaz ft. Big Pooh (of Little Brother), Talib Kweli, & Naledge (of Kidz In The Hall) – “Text Me (Tha Bizness All-Star Remix)” (Local Artist)
4. Jazmine Sullivan ft. CL Smooth – “Need U Bad (Remix)”
5. Murs – “Me and This Jawn”
6. DJ Babu ft. Evidence – “For Whatever It’s Worth”
7. Johnson&Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) – “MamaAlwaysToldMe”
8. Fashawn ft. Thurzday (of U-N-I) – “Relax”
9. Game ft. Common – “Angel”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH JANELLE MONAE, PT. 1**
11. Janelle Monae – “Mr. President”
12. **INTERVIEW WITH JANELLE MONAE, PT. 2**
13. Butta Verses ft. Lucian – “If I Die”
14. Shad – “The Old Prince Still Lives At Home“
15. Now On ft. Buff1 – “The A”
16. The Let Go – “Sun Don’t Shine” (Local Artist)
17. Neema ft. Grynch, D. Black, & Adrian Sims – “Coffee Shop” (Local Artist)
18. Jake One ft. Freeway & Brother Ali – “The Truth” (Local Artist)
19. Wale ft. Young Chris, Freeway, & Beanie Sigel – “Cyphr”
20. Royce The 5’9″ ft. Kid Vishis – “Kill ‘Em”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?lbzmnhjagwo
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/1800200236d1b0f8/ )

Link to download the full interview with Janelle Monae – http://www.mediafire.com/?glvcjjxcbt5
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/18029402495320a0/ )

Link to watch the interview with Janelle – http://www.vimeo.com/1647729
Link to watch Janelle’s live performance in Seattle – Video has been removed at the request of the label, sorry.

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.

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.

Another dope Sound Session in the books, as we played great joints from artists like Q-Tip, Wale, Rhymefest, Bishop Lamont, Game, Shawn Jackson, Buff1, and many more. We also debuted an instant NW classic by our friends The Parker Brothaz, which features Talib Kweli, Big Pooh, and Naledge. Crazy track. We ran another posse cut that’s all over the net these days, the new one from T.I. featuring Kanye, Jay, and Wayne, when we gave away tickets to see Tip and Keyshia Cole at the upcoming Bumbershoot festival. Next week, we’ll have more Rock The Bells tickets for y’all…

Lastly, Maryland based MC SoulStice stopped by the show for the 2nd time (peep our first interview here), so be sure to check out the full interview through one of the links below. We talked all about his last album, Dead Letter Perfect, his upcoming Beyond Borders project, the international hip-hop scene, balancing his music career with his day job at the Department of Defense, the presidential race, and more. Also, shout to local artists Grynch and DJ Nphared for swinging through the studio as well. Be sure to check them out on Saturday at Bumbershoot!

Show #169 (8-24-08)

1. Q-Tip – “Gettin’ Up”
2. Buff1 ft. Tres Styles – “Love The Love”
3. Kam Moye (aka Supastition) – “Black Enough?“
4. Shawn Jackson – “Feelin’ Jack”
5. Parker Brothaz ft. Big Pooh (of Little Brother), Talib Kweli, & Naledge (of Kidz In The Hall) – “Text Me (Tha Bizness All-Star Remix)” (Local Artist)
6. Wale ft. Young Chris, Freeway, & Beanie Sigel – “Cyphr”
7. Strong Arm Steady – “Can’t Let Go“
8. Janelle Monae – “Sincerely, Jane”
9. **INTERVIEW WITH GRYNCH & DJ NPHARED, PT. 1**
10. T.I. ft. Kanye West, Jay-Z, & Lil’ Wayne – “S.L.U. (Swagger Like Us)”
11. **INTERVIEW WITH SOULSTICE #02, PT. 1**
12. SoulStice ft. Kev Brown – “Bird’s Eye View”
13. **INTERVIEW WITH SOULSTICE #02, PT. 2**
14. Johnson&Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) – “TheOnlyWay”
15. DJ K.O. ft. Torae, Talib Kweli, John Robinson, & Tiffany Paige – “Someday”
16. The Let Go (Type & Kublakai) – “Sun Don’t Shine” (Local Artist)
17. Fonzworth Bentley ft. Andre 3000, Kanye West, & Sa-Ra – “Everybody (Don’t Stop)“
18. Rhymefest – “Bring It Back”
19. **INTERVIEW WITH GRYNCH & DJ NPHARED, PT. 2**
20. Neema ft. Mistah F.A.B. – “Light That Fire” (Local Artist)
21. Elzhi – “Brag Swag”
22. Bishop Lamont – “Can’t Figure It Out”
23. Shad – “The Old Prince Still Lives At Home“
24. Game ft. Nas – “Letter To The King”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?9wfryn8lwpl
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/17606830ab3e1524/ )

Link to download the full interview with SoulStice – http://www.mediafire.com/?sgslqaughak
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/176309330398e9b2/ )

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.

When describing my taste in hip-hop, I’ve always explained that my favorite kind of artists are those that make that “everyman” kind of music. Not only is it generally truthful and authentic, but I can relate to it much more than the trite, generic, exaggerated styles that usually receive so much exposure. That’s not to say that music can’t be good and I won’t bump it, but I’ve always preferred to listen to good ish that I connect to and can make me think.

Most of the time, this split launches the useless “commercial vs. underground” debate, but I think the best artists are those that can exist in both sub-genres. People like Outkast, Nas, and Kanye have become legends in this lane, and there are a ton of upcoming artists staking their claim as well. A lot of them seem to be coming out of Los Angeles right now, with Blu, Inverse, U-N-I, and Pacific Division leading the way. Another MC that fits into that category is one I’ve been listening to for years, Bishop Lamont.

Since signing with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label in 2005, Bishop’s seen his popularity skyrocket, and deservingly so. He’s released a series of excellent mixtapes (Pope Mobile, Caltroit w/Black Milk, The Confessional, etc.), and now he’s prepping his debut album, The Reformation, due out in November. At the same time, he’s been working with Dre on his mythical Detox project, serving in the same capacity as Snoop did for The Chronic.

He recently took time out of that busy schedule to call in to Sound Session and discuss all things Aftermath. He talked about all the details surrounding The Reformation, what it’s like working with Dre, what’s hiding in the legendary Aftermath vaults, and much more. Bishop even told some behind the scenes Detox stories. You can check out the entire interview here:

Bishop Lamont on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?jwofmqs2c4k
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/17246074f1977a07/ )

With Bishop leading things off and new projects from Eminem, 50 Cent, and Dre on the way, look for Aftermath to make a huge impact over the next year. It all starts with The Reformation in November. Get ready.