The Audacity of Dope

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.

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.

To me, this is the best record that showcases Sam’s voice on In The Lonely Hour.  I still get chills at a few parts of this track.  Powerful vocals.

It’s the morning of Super Bowl XLIX and I can feel the energy in Seattle all the way here in London.  When the Hawks won last year, the feeling in the city was incredible and this year seems even bigger because the hype has now drawn in folks that aren’t even football fans.  It’s great to see everyone in the city come together, further illustrating the power of sports.  The only other time I can remember everyone being collectively so excited about something was when Obama won that first election.  We’ll see if the Hawks can pull it out against a tough Patriots team, but either way, they are massively appreciated.

On episode #502 of SNSS, J. Moore welcomed a few local artists to the studio so peep the show to hear updates from Dave B, Tre Ross, and Key Nyata, alongside new records from Lupe, Joey Badass, Freddie Gibbs, Hanni El Khatib, Warm Brew, Frank Ocean, Sam Sparro, Jean Deaux, The Weeknd, Snakehips, Jay Prince, and our homey Tunji!  We also gave SNSS debuts to two promising artists, Geovarn and Brent Faiyez.  Get familiar and enjoy the music!

Oh…and GO HAWKS!

Show #502 (1-25-15)

1.    Lupe Fiasco – “Mural”
2.    Fat Joe ft. Troy Ave – “How U Luv Dat”
3.    ASAP Rocky – “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2”
4.    Freddie Gibbs & Hanni El Khatib – “Satin Black”
5.    **INTERVIEW WITH TRE ROSS, PT. 1**
6.    Tre Ross – “Deep Lake” (Local Music)
7.    **INTERVIEW WITH TRE ROSS, PT. 2**
8.    Warm Brew ft. Tunji – “We Can Do It”
9.    Joey Badass ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “Like Me”
10.    **INTERVIEW WITH DAVE B, PT. 1**
11.    Dave B – “Leaves” (Local Music)
12.    **INTERVIEW WITH DAVE B, PT. 2**
13.    J. Cole – “No Role Modelz”
14.    Wale ft. Chance The Rapper – “Friendship Heights”
15.    Little Brother – “Speed” (Throwback of the Week)
16.    Action Bronson – “Actin Crazy”
17.    Frank Ocean – “You Are Luhh”
18.    Sam Sparro – “Rock The Boat”
19.    Jean Deaux – “Who Am I”
20.    Brent Faiyez – “Allure”
21.    The Weeknd – “Earned It”
22.    Geovarn – “4am”
23.    Tuxedo (Mayer Hawthorne & Jake One) – “Number One” (Local Music)
24.    Snakehips ft. Syd (of The Internet) – “Gone”
25.    Diamond District – “It Ain’t Over (Black Milk Remix)”
26.    Jay Prince ft. Raheaven – “Polaroids”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud below:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/l5g7bt)

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.

Apologies for the delay in this week’s SNSS archive but hey, that’s what happens when you’ve traveled half way around the world.  So far, life in London is not too dissimilar to life at home, thanks mostly to the amazing technology we have at our fingertips.  Being able to log on to social media to see what everyone back home is talking about and to interact with them is the best cure for any homesickness, and honestly, most of the interaction I have with folks back home was digital to begin with.  As long as my pixels can still talk to your pixels, that’s 2015 and I’m good…though it wouldn’t hurt to be back in the 6 for all this Seahawks madness…

That said, I’ve spent the last week adapting to the time schedule (the absolute worst for a west coast sports fan) and working, so I’m about to head out and explore this city a bit today.  Before then, enjoy this week’s SNSS featuring new tracks from artists like Action Bronson, Fabolous, Wale, OnCue, Black Moon, Diamond District, Fice, Von Pea, Lupe Fiasco, Joey Badass, Jean Deaux, Thelonius Martin, Theophilus London, Little Simz, one of my favorite UK discoveries, Jay Prince, and more.  And don’t forget to peep our 500th show from the week prior if you want to celebrate almost 10 years of the program!

Show #501 (1-18-15)

1.    ASAP Rocky – “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2”
2.    Action Bronson – “Actin Crazy”
3.    Fabolous – “All Good”
4.    Wale – “Chess”
5.    OnCue – “Don’t Forget Your Coat”
6.    Black Moon – “Go To War”
7.    Nipsey Hussle ft. Buddy – “Status Symbol”
8.    Diamond District – “It Ain’t Over (Black Milk Remix)”
9.    Fice – “Coastal” (Local Music)
10.    Lupe Fiasco ft. Crystal Torres – “Adoration Of The Magi”
11.    Von Pea & The Other Guys ft. Kooley High – “Might As Well”
12.    Ghostface Killah ft. AZ & Rell – “Here I Go Again”
13.    Tuxedo (Mayer Hawthorne & Jake One) – “Number One” (Local Music)
14.    Azealia Banks – “Desperado”
15.    Bryn King – “Graduation” (Local Music)
16.    J. Cole – “St. Tropez”
17.    Jay Prince ft. Raheaven – “Polaroids”
18.    Jean Deaux – “Birthday Suit, Pt. 2”
19.    Thelonius Martin ft. Mac Miller – “Malcolm Interlude”
20.    D’Angelo – “Back To The Future (Part I)”
21.    Theophilus London ft. Devonte Hynes & The Force MD’s – “Figure It Out”
22.    Royce Da 5’9” – “Boom” (Throwback of the Week)
23.    Big K.R.I.T. ft. Devin The Dude, Big Sant, & Bun B – “Mo Better Cool”
24.    Little Simz – “Frozen”
25.    Joey Badass ft. Dyemond Lewis & Maverick Sabre – “On & On”
26.    Kanye West ft. Paul McCartney – “Only One”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud below:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/7y53pc)

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.

This was a Sound Session to remember.  In 2015, the show will achieve two significant milestones and this week marked the first of those: our 500th show.  We started SNSS in May of 2005, not knowing how long we’d do it, what it would become, or the impact we would have on the Seattle hip-hop scene (and perhaps the national scene, here and there).  Turns out, J. Moore and I put on a pretty decent radio show that music heads generally enjoy…and 500 Sundays later, here we are, on the verge of our 2nd milestone: the 10 year SNSS anniversary in May.

For episode #500, we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and play a variety of songs from artists we championed heavily on the show.  Some were already well established (Hov, Dilla, Common, Kanye), but the majority were artists that we were able to support early on in their careers.  As a result, we’ve been honored to be the place where lots of our listeners were exposed to developing artists that later grew into some of the best in the game (if I had a nickel for every, “maaaan, the first time I heard ____ was on SNSS!”…).  Lots of artists got their first ever radio spins or interviews with our show and it’s truly a pleasure to help give these cats the shine they deserve.  So enjoy this blast from the past, with classics from the aforementioned heavyweights, plus good friends of the show J. Cole, Black Milk, Royce Da 5’9″, Jake One, Shad, U-N-I, The Physics, Little Brother, Macklemore, Kendrick Lamar, Mayer Hawthorne, Little Dragon, and more.  These were all important records/artists during the last 500 shows and we enjoyed spinning some of their best material all night.

For the last track, we went back…way back…back into time…and pulled out a classic DJ Honda/Mos Def track that I’m sure you all know.  This was the last record I played on my college radio show (KSPC what up!  Kev Sakoda what up!!!) when I graduated (Pomona-Pitzer what up!!!) and it has special significance to me.  As mentioned on the show and hinted about previously on my socials, I’ve decided to pursue a work opportunity at my day job, ESPN, which will require me to take an extended business trip to our London office for about a year.  When a company like ESPN says they want to fly you to London to get international and managerial experience, it’s pretty much a no brainer…

That said, I’m really sad that I won’t be joining J on air during my time abroad.  However, much like the rest of the iceberg you don’t see under the water (SNSS as glacial metaphor: +2 points), there’s a lot of back end work that we put in every week for the show and I’ll still be involved with all of that.  So don’t worry, it’s still SNSS all day, but you’ll just have to do without hearing my silly voice and even sillier jokes on air (connect with me on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram if you need those).  I’ll continue to check in with y’all via these archives and like Mos said, “gotta lotta things I got to do // but God willing, I’m comin’ back to you…”

500 shows down, here’s to 500 more!

Show #500 (1-11-15)
**500th Show Celebration**

1.    Jay-Z – “Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)”
2.    J. Cole – “Lights Please”
3.    Black Milk ft. Royce Da 5’9” – “Losing Out”
4.    Jake One ft. Vitamin D, C Note, Maine, & Ish (of Shabazz Palaces) – “Home” (Local Music)
5.    Blu & Exile – “Dancing In The Rain”
6.    Shad – “I Don’t Like To”
7.    U-N-I – “Beautiful Day”
8.    Dom Kennedy – “1997”
9.    The Physics – “I Just Wanna Beat” (Local Music)
10.    Little Brother ft. Dion – “Step It Up”
11.    Jay Electronica – “Exhibit C”
12.    Kanye West ft. Dwele – “Flashing Lights”
13.    Drake – “Say What’s Real”
14.    Kid Cudi – “Day N Nite”
15.    Theophilus London – “Flying Overseas”
16.    Macklemore – “White Privilege” (Local Music)
17.    Kendrick Lamar – “The Heart, Pt. 1”
18.    Common ft. Kanye West & John Legend – “They Say”
19.    J Dilla – “Won’t Do”
20.    Amy Winehouse ft. Ghostface Killah – “You Know I’m No Good”
21.    Mayer Hawthorne – “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out”
22.    Little Dragon – “Constant Surprises”
23.    Frank Ocean – “Novacane”
24.    BJ The Chicago Kid – “Good Luv’n”
25.    The Weeknd – “What You Need”
26.    DJ Honda ft. Mos Def – “Travellin’ Man” (Throwback of the Week)

Stream/Download via Soundcloud below:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/lvya1b)

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.

One of the best writers in hip-hop, one of our favorite artists, and one of our best friends, the incomparable Shad, visited Sound Session to speak with J. Moore and I recently. We discussed a variety of topics, exploring what it’s like coming up in Canada making his style of music, winning the Rap Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) over his countryman Drake, and how he chooses to promote himself in the US market. He also spoke about his last album, Flying Colours, and his plans to take the follow up project in a new direction, before running through a lightning round of questions covering 90’s sit-coms, left handed basketball players, his favorite sneakers, and more.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Shad represents everything I love about hip-hop and I cosign literally every song/message he’s put out into the world.  Very talented, very humble, and very intelligent, I wish more artists would follow in his footsteps.

These are the kinds of songs that simply put Shad on a level that few other artists can touch.  Truly next level in his message and his delivery.  Wow.

Words from the director, Justin Broadbent:

“The death of music is similar to the death of visual art. The online, numb, browsing experience has (naturally) started to effect the current state of art. We’ve become a Tumblr’d culture, over Googled, educated and bored in 4 seconds or shorter.

“I made a non-music video for Shad’s “Progress”. It’s a website. It’s a comment on the state of art and also maybe the only video that could attach to such an intensely accurate and poignant song for our generation. It is like the movie credits to now. Tumblr on.”