The Audacity of Dope

Apologies for the massive delay on the last two episodes of SNSS but it’s been a hectic month so far.  Turns out, redesigning the biggest sports website in the world takes a bit of work.  March Madness indeed!  Keep an eye out for ESPN.com‘s relaunch on April 1st…no foolin’.

On episode #507, we ran through joints from Big Sean, Young Buck, Fashawn, Mark Battles & Dizzy Wright, Sam Lachow, Grand Puba, Zion I, Ghostface Killah, George The Poet, Blackbear, NIKO IS, Kali Uchis, and more.  Lots of great music, as always.  Enjoy!

Show #507 (3-1-15)

1.    Big Sean ft. Kanye West – “All Your Fault”
2.    Young Buck ft. Troy Ave & 50 Cent – “Drug Money”
3.    Fashawn ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “To Be Young”
4.    Thelonius Martin ft. Topaz Jones & Saint Ross – “The Home Team”
5.    Mark Battles & Dizzy Wright ft. Euroz – “Too Far”
6.    Kevin Lavitt ft. Sam Lachow – “Night Is Over” (Local Music)
7.    Russ – “My Baby”
8.    Kendrick Lamar ft. Assassin – “The Blacker The Berry”
9.    Grand Puba – “The More Things Change”
10.    Joey Badass – “Piece Of Mind”
11.    Zion I ft. Viveca Hawkins – “Lost In Translation”
12.    Ghostface Killah & BADBADNOTGOOD – “Food”
13.    The Firm ft. Dr. Dre – “Phone Tap” (Throwback of the Week)
14.    Drake – “10 Bands”
15.    Sol – “People” (Local Music)
16.    The Physics ft. Camila Recchio – “About You” (Local Music)
17.    George The Poet – “Cat D”
18.    Blackbear – “I Needed You”
19.    Dej Loaf – “We Be On It”
20.    Kali Uchis – “Call Me”
21.    Tunji Ige – “For Us”
22.    Kali Uchis – “Lottery”
23.    Johnny Rain ft. Xodiak – “Good Day, USA!”
24.    J. Cole – “Apparently”
25.    Asher Roth – “Blow YR Head”
26.    Henry Wu ft. Simeon Jones – “Just Negotiate”
27.    NIKO IS – “Tito Crack That Dutch”
28.    Jay Prince – “Cruisin”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/m1pdse)

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.

Fresh out the oven, here’s the latest episode of SNSS for y’all.  J. Moore held it down and ran through new tracks from artists like Fashawn + Nas + Aloe Blacc (on one cut! with DJ Khalil on the beat!!!), Your Old Droog, Big Sean, Kanye West, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Dej Loaf, Frank Ocean, Kali Uchis, India Shawn, Henry Wu, Tunji Ige, Asher Roth, our good friend Sol, and more.  Be sure to download Sol’s two new songs off his Soundcloud, right here.  For our throwback, we honored the Good Doctor’s 50th and we ended the night with something new off D’Angelo’s Black Messiah.

Speaking of D’Angelo, I got a chance to see him perform on Friday here in London and it lived up to every hope I had.  Thinking about it, I’m giving him the crown of the best R&B artist of the last 25 years and I might just extend that back to MJ’s glory days.  After Mike’s reign, I don’t see who’s topping him.  Yes, he’s only released 3 albums (4 if you count his excellent live release recorded at another London show), but they’re all classics and aging much better than those of his contemporaries.  He’s heavily influenced by some of the greatest references a singer can have (James Brown and Fela Kuti come to mind), but somehow has always had his own distinct style that’s evolved subtly over the years.  He’s not just an amazing singer, but he’s also a writer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.  Watching him completely OWN the crowd for 2 hours…with 2 separate encores…was a sight to behold.  He took us through damn near every emotion with his performance and having seen all his noteworthy competition live before, I can safely say, none of them can do what he does.

Anyway, I’m open to the debate (not really).  Who’s the greatest R&B singer of the last 25 years, if not D?

Show #506 (2-22-15)

1.    Fashawn ft. Nas & Aloe Blacc – “Something To Believe In”
2.    DJ Efn ft. Your Old Droog, Royce Da 5’9”, REKS, & O.C. – “Revolutionary Ride Music”
3.    Big Sean ft. Kanye West – “All Your Fault”
4.    Joey Badass ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “Like Me”
5.    L. Hammond – “Any Hustle” (Local Music)
6.    Sol – “Pages” (Local Music)
7.    Raz Simone – “The Lights” (Local Music)
8.    Kendrick Lamar ft. Assassin – “The Blacker The Berry”
9.    Asher Roth – “Blow YR Head”
10.    Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg – “Still D.R.E.” (Throwback of the Week)
11.    Jay Prince – “Cruisin”
12.    Lupe Fiasco – “Dots & Lines”
13.    Drake – “Legend”
14.    Dej Loaf – “We Be On It”
15.    Frank Ocean – “You Are Luhh”
16.    Sam Sparro – “Rock The Boat”
17.    Kali Uchis – “Lottery”
18.    Zion I ft. Viveca Hawkins – “Lost In Translation”
19.    BJ The Chicago Kid – “Good Luv’n”
20.    Tunji Ige – “For Us”
21.    Henry Wu ft. Simeon Jones – “Just Negotiate”
22.    Jazz Cartier – “Rose Quartz / Like Crazy”
23.    India Shawn ft. James Fauntleroy – “Outer Limits”
24.    D’Angelo & The Vanguard – “Betray My Heart”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud:

(back up – https://www.sendspace.com/file/az3sqa)

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.

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.

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.

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.

Christmas has passed, New Year’s Eve is on the horizon, college football bowl games are on TV, and the Seahawks are primed for another run to the Super Bowl, so it can mean only one thing: it’s time for the last Sound Session of the year and with that, our Best of 2014 show!  This is far from a definitive list and represents just a small sliver of all the great music that dropped this year, but we always enjoy this episode because it gives us a chance to kick back, reflect, and vibe out to 2 hours of amazing records.  As always, we’ve included our playlist, some notes on our selections, and a list of some honorable mention records.

If you’re curious, previous “Best Of” episodes are available here: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009.

Thanks for rocking with us in 2014 and we’ll see you next year!  Make it your best one yet.

Show #498 (12-28-14)
**Best of 2014**

1.    Kendrick Lamar – “i”
2.    Isaiah Rashad – “Soliloquy”
3.    Schoolboy Q – “Break The Bank”
4.    Pusha T – “Lunch Money”
5.    Statik Selektah ft. Action Bronson, Royce Da 5’9”, & Black Thought – “The Imperial”
6.    PRhyme (Royce Da 5’9” & DJ Premier) – “U Looz”
7.    Big K.R.I.T. – “My Sub, Pt. 3”
8.    Drake – “0-100 / The Catch Up”
9.    ILoveMakonnen ft. Drake – “Tuesday (Remix)”
10.    Majid Jordan – “A Place Like This”
11.    Big Sean ft. E-40 – “IDFWU”
12.    Vanni Meursing ft. Tasman Holloway – “Town Biz” (Local Music)
13.    Thaddeus David ft. T Spoon & Stewart Villain – “Everything” (Local Music)
14.    Dej Loaf – “Try Me”
15.    Doja Cat – “So High”
16.    Jessie Ware ft. Miguel – “Kind Of…Sometimes…Maybe”
17.    Dave B ft. Sol – “Boathouse” (Local Music)
18.    Fabolous ft. Jeremih – “Thim Slick”
19.    Tom Misch & Carmody – “Atmosphere”
20.    Mar – “Man x Woman”
21.    TOKiMONSTA ft. Anderson Paak – “Realla”
22.    Esta ft. SPZRKT – “Can’t Wait”
23.    Prince – “The Breakdown”
24.    Bas ft. J. Cole – “My N*gga Just Made Bail”
25.    Melat & Jansport J – “Fanclub”
26.    Sinead Harnett – “No Other Way”

Stream/Download via Soundcloud below:

(back up – http://www.solidfiles.com/d/19ab5db5d9/DJ_Hyphen_and_J._Moore_-_Sunday_Night_Sound_Session%2C_Show_498%2C_12-28-14%2C_Best_of_2014.mp3)

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.

Notes:

1.  Kendrick Lamar – We didn’t get the highly anticipated follow up to GKMC, but we did get the first taste from the next album.  Kendrick’s self-empowerment anthem was much needed in this environment too.
2. Isaiah Rashad – TDE had a monster year and aside from Kendrick, Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock, the future looks especially bright with Isaiah (and SZA). Most talented label in the game?
3. Schoolboy Q – We could have picked “Studio” or “Hell Of A Night” from Q’s album, but we chose this Alchemist produced banger. Congrats to Q on a well deserved Grammy nomination as well!
4. Pusha T – Kanye toying with the “Just To Get A Rep” sample while Pusha flawlessly delivers his standard braggadocio? Yes please.
5. Statik Selektah – Yeah, Action Bronson had a good verse and Royce killed it, but Black Thought BODIED his portion. Verse of the year?
6. PRhyme – Speaking of Royce, his collaborative effort with Premo was unquestionably one of the best projects of the year. Dope beats + dope rhymes. It’s not rocket science.
7. Big K.R.I.T. – Cadillactica is my pick for album of the year, but that said, there really isn’t a singular standout track. The whole album is fantastic, but the 3rd part to K.R.I.T.’s bass anthems is perhaps the catchiest. TWO FIFTEENS!
8. Drake – The record so hot that Diddy actually put hands on Drake for “stealing” the beat…let’s just be glad we never heard Puff’s version.
9. ILoveMakonnen – Only Drake and Kanye can hop on random records and turn them in to some of the biggest tracks of the year. Hell, Makonnen even got a deal and a Grammy nomination out of it.
10. Majid Jordan – PARTYNEXTDOOR is the most hyped OVO artist but this duo are the most talented. Their EP laid the groundwork for an official debut that should make a powerful impact in 2015.
11. Big Sean – An instant anthem.
12. Vanni Meursing – Speaking of anthems, this was Seattle’s unofficial soundtrack during the Seahawks’ last Super Bowl run. Slap.
13. Thaddeus David – Thad linked with 2 talented cats from Portland, flipped the classic Dre sample, and made one of the dopest NW records of the year.
14. Dej Loaf – Drake didn’t even need to hop on this record to make it a hit. He just needed to quote it in an Instagram comment and the world took notice to low key the hardest track of the year.
15. Doja Cat – Every time we played this, the phones lit up and anyone with us in the studio had one response: “yo…who is THAT?”
16. Jessie Ware – Jessie’s Tough Love was one of the best (and most slept on) albums of the year and this BenZel produced slow jam was the highlight. Shout to Miguel on the background vocals too.
17. Dave B – The NW is filled with talent but Dave B is the most exciting up and comer in my book. When the next project drops, he’ll be in the national discussion as well.
18. Fabolous – Typically, NYC hypes up their artists far more than they should be and the buzz doesn’t reach outside the NE, and for good reason. Fab is similar in that he gets love in NYC but has been slept on recently outside the region, but he’s been quietly releasing some really dope projects the last few years. This beat + Jeremih’s hook & Fab’s rhymes should have = a hit record.
19. Tom Misch & Carmody – Tom Misch was my favorite discovery in 2014. This 19 year old singer/producer from London released an EP with Carmody in December but somehow, this track wasn’t included. Flames.
20. Mar – My song of the year pick. Just a highly enjoyable record that has everything mashed up in one track. In a year where rap seemed a little stale, alt-R&B/dance music picked up the pieces nicely.
21. TOKiMONSTA – Anderson Paak’s Venice was one of the best albums of the year, but we went with his contribution to TOKiMONSTA’s EP for our selection. For realla.
22. Esta – Not sure the Soulection camp has ever let us down. Vibes upon vibes upon vibes is what they have.
23. Prince – It was a big year for vibey alt-R&B/ambient soul, but the master also blessed us with some new work and reminded us who influenced all these singers, whether they know it or not.
24. Bas – J. Cole & D’Angelo both dropped projects right at the end of the year, which made it tough to include them in our Best Of, but we had to make sure Cole was represented. This verse might have been his most effortless of the whole year.
25. Melat & Jansport J – This beat. That sample. Those vocals. Yes.
26. Sinead Harnett – We went back to the UK for our last track of the night with this super smooth Snakehips produced R&B jam.

Honorable mentions from artists not otherwise represented:

• 50 Cent ft. Joe – “Big Rich Town”
• Action Bronson – “Easy Rider”
• Alchemist ft. Riff Raff & Action Bronson – “Rookies of the Future”
• All About She ft. Jacob Banks – “I Can’t Wait”
• Anna Lunoe ft. Jesse Boykins III – “Heartbreak In Motion”
• Asher Roth – “Tangerine Girl”
• BANKS – “Drowning”
• BJ The Chicago Kid – “Soul Of A Woman”
• Bipolar Sunshine ft. GoldLink – “Future (Part 1)”
• Boaz – “Like This”
• Cam’Ron & A-Trak ft. Juelz Santana & Dame Dash – “Dipsh*ts”
• Childish Gambino – “Retro (Rough)”
• Choosey – “Fly Me To The Moon”
• Common ft. Vince Staples – “Kingdom”
• Cozz – “Dreams”
• Damon Albarn – “Lonely Press Play”
• denitia and sene – “divided”
• Dilated Peoples ft. Aloe Blacc – “Show Me The Way”
• DTMD (Dunc & Toine Makin’ Dollas) ft. BOOM – “toine&B”
• Emile Haynie ft. Charlotte Gainsbourg, Devonte Hynes, & Sampha – “A Kiss Goodbye”
• Fashawn ft. Dom Kennedy – “Golden State Of Mind”
• FKA twigs – “Two Weeks”
• Fly Union ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “Don’t Count Me Out”
• Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Never Catch Me”
• Freddie Gibbs & Madlib ft. Scarface – “Broken”
• George Maple – “Talk Talk”
• India Shawn ft. James Fauntleroy – “Floating Away”
• Jade De LaFleur ft. James Fauntleroy – “Freedom”
• Jesse Boykins III – “Plain”
• Joey Bada$$ – “Christ Conscious”
• Logic – “Under Pressure”
• Lupe Fiasco ft. Ty Dolla Sign – “Next To It”
• Nao vs. A.K. Paul – “So Good”
• Nemo Achida ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “Hands On”
• Phantogram – “Fall In Love”
• Pharrell ft. JoJo, Leah LaBelle, & Tori Kelly – “Freq”
• Rejjie Snow ft. Loyle-Carner – “1992”
• Run The Jewels (Killer Mike & El-P) – “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry”
• Sam Lachow ft. Raz Simone & Ariana DeBoo – “Dreams of Gold”
• Sam Smith – “Lay Me Down”
• SBTRKT ft. Sampha – “Temporary View”
• Shad & DJ T.LO – “Always Winnin”
• SOS – “Secrets”
• Spooky Black – “Without U”
• The Roots ft. Patty Crash – “Never”
• The Weeknd – “Often”
• THURZ – “Right Now”
• Tory Lanez – “R.I.D.E.”
• Travis Scott ft. Big Sean & The 1975 – “Don’t Play”
• Vince Staples – “Blue Suede”
• Young & Sick – “Glass”
• Your Old Droog – “Gunsmoke Cologne”

2015. You ready?

Getting this week’s edition of SNSS posted a few hours before we hop on the air for our Best of 2014 show.  It’s been a crazy blur of a year.  Hopefully SNSS has provided you with a great soundtrack and exposed you to a few new artists you hadn’t heard of before!

On this week’s episode, we ran new music from PRhyme, Your Old Droog, Joey Badass, Rittz, Mike Posner, Azealia Banks, Emay, Chuuwee, Dayne Jordan, OB Obrien, Drake, D’Angelo, and more.  We were also joined in studio by Ryan Caraveo, one of Seattle’s brightest up and coming artists.  Check out his new album, Swings, and be on the lookout for Ryan to make some serious noise in 2015.

Lastly, be sure to peep the video of our recent interview with denitia and sene right here.  Enjoy the show!

Show #497 (12-21-14)

1.    PRhyme (Royce Da 5’9” & DJ Premier) ft. Dwele – “You Should Know”
2.    Your Old Droog – “Loosey In The Store With Pennies (Extended)”
3.    Joey Bada$$ – “No. 99”
4.    **INTERVIEW WITH RYAN CARAVEO, PT. 1**
5.    Big K.R.I.T. – “King of the South”
6.    Rittz ft. B.o.B & Mike Posner – “In My Zone”
7.    **INTERVIEW WITH RYAN CARAVEO, PT. 2**
8.    Ryan Caraveo – “GODMODE” (Local Music)
9.    OB Obrien ft. Drake & P Reign – “Schemin’ Up”
10.    **INTERVIEW WITH RYAN CARAVEO, PT. 3**
11.    Tunji Ige ft. Wonda – “Day 2 Day”
12.    Azealia Banks – “Desperado”
13.    Anderson Paak – “Luh You”
14.    Emay – “MAIR”
15.    J. Cole – “Wet Dreamz”
16.    Thaddeus David – “Annex” (Local Music)
17.    JR & PH7 ft. Chuuwee – “Meanwhile Off Mack”
18.    Dayne Jordan – “I Want It All”
19.    Blakk Soul & Rapper Big Pooh – “Jukin’ (Alone)” (Local Music)
20.    Crooklyn Dodgers – “Crooklyn” (Throwback of the Week)
21.    D’Angelo & The Vanguard – “Really Love”

Link to download/stream the mp3 of the show – https://soundcloud.com/djhyphen/dj-hyphen-j-moore-sunday-night-sound-session-show-497-122114
(back up – http://www.solidfiles.com/d/956530bcee/DJ_Hyphen_and_J._Moore_-_Sunday_Night_Sound_Session%2C_Show_497%2C_12-21-14.mp3)

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.

Last week, J. Moore held down SNSS solo and this week, I returned the favor while J was in New York, repping Seattle with our boy Nacho Picasso.  Speaking of New York, I know it’s gone through the news cycle a couple times now, but a week removed and the non-indictment in the Eric Garner case is still incredibly egregious.  It’s tough to look at officer body cameras as a step in the right direction when we already have footage of a policeman using an illegal chokehold to kill someone, yet the only person indicted in the case is the man who filmed it.  Depressing.

Anyway, tune in to this week’s episode to hear some more of my thoughts on the issue, along with some excellent new music from artists like the Wu-Tang Clan, Chuck D, De La Soul, PRhyme, J. Cole, Fabolous, Lion Babe, Abhi//Dijon, Vanessa Elisha, and more.  Plus, Kalieb Nash joined us in studio for a special live performance.  Musically, it was a really good show.  Hope you guys enjoy…

Show #495 (12-7-14)

1. Wu-Tang Clan – “A Better Tomorrow”
2. De La Soul ft. Chuck D – “The People”
3. PRhyme (Royce Da 5’9” & DJ Premier) ft. Ab-Soul & Mac Miller – “Dat Sound Good”
4. **INTERVIEW WITH KALIEB NASH, PT. 1**
5. Pusha T – “Lunch Money”
6. J. Cole – “03’ Adolescence”
7. Tope ft. Blu, Rob Milton, & Farnell Newton – “Let It Go” (Local Music)
8. **Kalieb Nash – “Again (Live Performance)” (Local Music)**
9. **INTERVIEW WITH KALIEB NASH, PT. 2**
10. Kalieb Nash – “Merry Little Christmas” (Local Music)
11. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment – “Sunday Candy”
12. Ryan Caraveo – “Where The Sun Sets” (Local Music)
13. The Neighbourhood ft. French Montana – “#icanteven”
14. Choosey – “Broken Hearts”
15. Von Pea & The Other Guys – “Chasing Amy aka In Your Heart”
16. Shad & DJ T.Lo – “Take Flight”
17. Fabolous – “Lituation”
18. Big K.R.I.T. ft. E-40 & Wiz Khalifa – “Mind Control”
19. Rochelle Jordan – “Ease Your Mind”
20. Anderson Paak – “Luh You”
21. Vanessa Elisha – “21 Questions”
22. Nao ft. Abhi//Dijon – “Adore You”
23. Lion Babe – “Jungle Lady”
24. Tom Misch & Carmody – “So Close”
25. Raleigh Ritchie – “You Make It Worse”
26. Gorillaz – “Tomorrow Comes Today” (Throwback of the Week)

Link to download/stream the mp3 of the show – http://www.solidfiles.com/d/6764e842c7/DJ_Hyphen_and_J._Moore_-_Sunday_Night_Sound_Session%2C_Show_495%2C_12-7-14.mp3
(back up – http://www29.zippyshare.com/v/61723441/file.html)
(2nd back up – http://linkmixes.com/aqdry6mdrh77)

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.