The Audacity of Dope

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.

Another busy weekend and another great edition of Sound Session in the books. We played some dope songs from Nas, Strong Arm Steady, Dwele, and more, plus debuted the Jay-Z and Game tracks that had the net buzzing this week. Local producer DJ Semaj came through to world premiere his new track with L.E.G.A.C.Y. (of the Justus League) and 5th Ave too. Also, check out that Johnson&Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) joint, as their oft-bootlegged collaborative effort is FINALLY being officially released. It’s a great album from front to back, and now we get to hear it in the way they intended. Cop that on September 23rd!

We also had Dr. Dre’s right hand man, Bishop Lamont, call in, plus, we gave out tickets to go see Janelle Monae, T.I., and Keyshia Cole. If you missed out, we’ll be giving away more Bumbershoot tickets on the next show, so be sure to tune in. Aight?

Show #168 (8-17-08)

1. Jay-Z – “Jockin’ Jay-Z”
2. Strong Arm Steady – “Can’t Let Go”
3. Camp Lo – “Lumdi”
4. Heltah Skeltah – “Everything Is Heltah Skeltah”
5. Nas ft. Eban Thomas & the Last Poets – “You Can’t Stop Us Now”
6. **INTERVIEW WITH DJ SEMAJ**
7. DJ Semaj ft. L.E.G.A.C.Y. & 5th Ave – “Love vs. Hate” (Local Artist)
8. Shaya – “Thinking Gap”
9. DJ K.O. ft. Talib Kweli, Torae, John Robinson, & Tiffany Paige – “Someday”
10. Game ft. Common – “Angel”
11. **INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP LAMONT, PT. 1**
12. Bishop Lamont – “Grow Up”
13. **INTERVIEW WITH BISHOP LAMONT, PT. 2**
14. Johnson&Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) – “WoW!”
15. Elzhi – “Colors”
16. Animal Farm – “Move It” (Local Artist)
17. Large Professor – “Hardcore Hip-Hop”
18. Neema ft. Mistah F.A.B. – “Light That Fire” (Local Artist)
19. The Knux – “Bang, Bang”
20. S1 ft. Skyzoo, Supastition, & Dow Jones – “Upper Echelon”
21. Dwele – “Feels So Good”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?swzmf8mzau7
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/17222666e7db4cf0/ )

Link to download the full interview with Bishop Lamont – http://www.mediafire.com/?jwofmqs2c4k
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/17246074f1977a07/ )

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 prefer YouTube, go here)

The same day that Kardinal Offishall came through the Sound Session studios, Wyclef Jean stopped by for his second appearance on the show.  If you missed the first interview, you can find it on our podcast page right here.  Since we discussed his recent album, Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant, last time, we got to have a much more in depth convo with Clef during this interview.

Some people have criticized his recent hip-hop work and his forays into pop, but Clef will always be one of my favorite artists.  Without exaggeration, I’d rank both the original Carnival and the Fugees’ The Score in my top 5 albums of all time, and maybe even higher.  Perhaps I’m in the minority there, but any way you slice it, they’re classics.  Plus, he was my very first interview back in 2000 when he headlined the MTV Campus Invasion tour during my college radio days (KSPC what up!).  Dude was cool as hell then, and it’s the same today.

In this interview, Clef told us some stories behind his favorite songs from the past, why the Fugees reunion failed, what it’ll take to make it happen, how he’s seen the industry change over the years, how his music reaches around the world, his charity work, politics, and much more.  Plus, just like last time, he wouldn’t leave without dropping a little freestyle for us.  Though I must say, he was the one who wanted to use “A Milli.”  Lord knows it’s been rapped over enough, especially since it’s not even a great beat…at all…but I digress.

You can either watch the interview above (not recommended, since the audio is sketchy), or listen to the broadcast feed below (mixed in with beats & songs).  I’d check the mp3 if I were you:

Wyclef Jean on Sound Session #02 – http://www.mediafire.com/?akv85dmyfbp
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/16860037c2b69ad0/ )

I also tossed in some footage of Clef recording the freestyle at the end of the interview video.  If you just want to watch that part or download the song, here you go:

Wyclef Jean – “A Milli Freestyle (Sound Session Exclusive)”

Caribbean swagger…big up to Clef.

I’m not sure how I manage to have more work on weekends than during the week, but in any case, here’s last night’s Sound Session, apologies that it’s a little late.  It’s worth the wait though, as we played brand new music by The Game (produced by Just Blaze), Heltah Skeltah (with Illmind on the boards), The Knux, our homey Kardinal, the legendary Q-Tip, and more.  We also gave SNSS debuts to Random, OPeriod, and Skyrise (a new group with my man Don Cerino), and had local artist Neema come through to blast off his new single with Mistah F.A.B..  Those listening live got a chance to win tickets to Rock The Bells at the Gorge on September 6th.  If you missed out, we may have more tix next week, so be sure to tune in.

Oh, and did I mention we had Wyclef Jean back on the show for another edition of “Clef’s Corner” and another exclusive freestyle?  Big tings!

Show #167 (8-10-08)

1. Game – “Superman”
2. Heltah Skeltah – “Everything Is Heltah Skeltah”
3. The Knux – “Bang, Bang”
4. Kardinal Offishall ft. Lindo P – “Burnt”
5. DJ Semaj & Charles Herron – “The System” (Local Artist)
6. Murs – “Can It Be”
7. Bishop Lamont – “Everyday”
8. Evidence (of Dilated Peoples) – “Let The Beat Build Freestyle”
9. Nas ft. Busta Rhymes – “Fried Chicken”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH WYCLEF JEAN #02, PT. 1**
11. Wyclef Jean ft. Lupe Fiasco – “Fast Car (Remix)”
12. **INTERVIEW WITH WYCLEF JEAN #02, PT. 2**
13. Wyclef Jean – “A Milli Freestyle (Live on KUBE 93)” (EXCLUSIVE)
14. Buff1 ft. Tres Styles – “Love The Love”
15. Incise ft. Skyrise (Don Cerino & Shuanise) – “Your Soul”
16. Animal Farm – “The Show Must Go On” (Local Artist)
17. Q-Tip – “Gettin’ Up”
18. OPeriod ft. Daily Plannet & Purple St. James – “Soundbad”
19. Elzhi – “Brag Swag”
20. **INTERVIEW WITH NEEMA**
21. Neema ft. Mistah F.A.B. – “Light That Fire” (Local Artist)
22. Random ft. Naledge (of Kidz In The Hall) – “Exhale”
23. Isaac Hayes – “The Look of Love”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?g7qtqyjdqcn
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/168551411b8ea5f7/ )

Link to download the FULL interview with Wyclef Jean – http://www.mediafire.com/?akv85dmyfbp
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/16860037c2b69ad0/ )

Link to watch the interview with Wyclef Jean – http://www.vimeo.com/1510506
Link to watch Wyclef record his freestyle – http://www.vimeo.com/1510385

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 prefer YouTube, go here)

I remember hearing Kardinal Offishall for the first time after stumbling upon his “U R Ghetto” joint (a classic, btw) during the Napster glory days in 2000.  A couple years later, he dropped Quest For Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 and from then on, I was a huge fan.  Nobody combines raw, lyrical, boom-bap hip-hop with dancehall/reggae as well as Kardi.  We brought him through the Sound Session studio a few weeks back while he was here in Seattle to open up for Wyclef Jean.  It was fun to meet him just cause I was a fan, but it was even doper to find out how cool and intelligent dude is.  Definitely one of my favorite artists out there.

We talked all about his upcoming Not 4 Sale album, breaking into the mainstream with Akon, his background growing up in Toronto, the differences between the Canadian and American music industries, his dream collaboration, and much more.  Like I said, he was mad cool, so we ended up having a real long discussion.  If you want a front row seat, you can watch the entire interview above, or you can download the broadcast audio feed below:

Kardinal Offishall on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?hzttvhqcyyv
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/16484508ab15efc9/ )

Remember to cop Not 4 Sale on September 9th!  In the meantime, download his Limited Time Only mixtape here.  It should tide you over.

How is it already August?  How the hell did that happen?  Anyway, here’s another fun episode of Sunday Night Sound Session for y’all to check out.  We debuted a few brand new joints from Heltah Skeltah, Murs, and Skillz, along with bangers from Killer Mike, Elzhi, and more.  I haven’t even seen that Murs cut (from his upcoming album) make its way around the blogs yet, so definitely check for that.

Also, we aired clips from our extensive interview with Kardinal Offishall (peep the whole thing here) and were joined in studio by the lovely Amanda Diva.  Pr1me, an up and coming MC from Los Angeles, even called in to debut his new joint, “Enter-Lude.”  You know what it is.

Show #166 (8-3-08)

1. Killer Mike ft. Ice Cube – “Pressure”
2. Nas – “Y’all My N****s”
3. Big Boi ft. Mary J. Blige – “Sumthin’ Gotta Give”
4. Animal Farm ft. KRS-One – “Peace” (Local Artist)
5. **INTERVIEW WITH PR1ME**
6. Pr1me – “Enter-Lude”
7. Kam Moye (aka Supastition) – “Where & Why”
8. Elzhi ft. Ayah – “The Leak”
9. **INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA DIVA, PT. 1**
10. DJ Semaj & Charles Herron ft. Joe Baker – “Less Steps” (Local Artist)
11. **INTERVIEW WITH KARDINAL OFFISHALL, PT. 1**
12. Kardinal Offishall ft. the Clipse – “Set It Off”
13. **INTERVIEW WITH KARDINAL OFFISHALL, PT. 2**
14. A.R.M. (Krukid & M.anifest) – “Delilah”
15. **INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA DIVA, PT. 2**
16. Amanda Diva – “Windows Over Harlem”
17. **INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA DIVA, PT. 3**
18. J-Steelz – “Maria” (Local Artist)
19. Murs – “Can It Be”
20. Heltah Skeltah – “Everything Is Heltah Skeltah”
21. Skillz ft. Black Thought (of the Roots) – “Hold Tight”
22. **INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA DIVA, PT. 4**

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?s6morxbhgke
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/16500448f0219e5a/ )

Link to download the FULL interview with Kardinal Offishall – http://www.mediafire.com/?hzttvhqcyyv
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/16484508ab15efc9/ )

Link to watch the interview with Kardinal Offishall – http://www.vimeo.com/1459400

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.