The Audacity of Dope

The trippiest one, none other than Juicy J himself, came through Sound Session while in town for the Smoker’s Club Tour.  We chopped it up about life on tour, his favorite city to perform in, linking up with Wiz Khalifa and the Taylor Gang, his upcoming Stay Trippy project, the success of “Bandz A Make Her Dance,” a possible return to Hollywood, and more.

Turn up!

Wiz connects with the homey Jake One (again…they did multiple records for the Snoop/Wiz project) on “The Grinder” off Taylor Allderdice.  A lot of folks have complained Wiz’ label projects but honestly, if he makes more accessible records for the masses and still drops quality mixtapes for the “underground,” then don’t we all win?

As I mentioned last week, I was supposed to miss this edition of SNSS but my trip out east was postponed thanks to Hurricane Irene.  God hit me on Twitter later and said he had to do it.  He’s been listening since day one and just didn’t think it’d be right if I wasn’t there.  Thanks big homey.

Thanks to DJ Descry as well, who allowed us to world premiere his new record with TiRon, Outasight, and Theo Martins.  Dope stuff.

Enjoy the rest of the show and if you’re in the Northwest, I hope to see you at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival this weekend.  Here are a few snapshots of some of the hip-hop related artists performing for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  J. Moore and I will be running around the festival all weekend, but you can catch us hosting the mainstage for Kendrick Lamar and Big Boi on Monday for sure.  Also, you’ll be vibing to my music picks during that show and the Macklemore/Wiz Khaifa performance.  It’ll be like listening to SNSS with 10,000 of your closest friends.  With beer spilled on you.

See you there!

Show #326 (8-28-11)

1. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton – “Can’t Hold Us” (Local Music)
2. Kendrick Lamar – “Hol’ Up”
3. Game ft. Drake – “Good Girls Go Bad”
4. Trackademicks ft. Freddie Gibbs, Phonte, & 1-O.A.K. – “Chill”
5. Phonte ft. Elzhi – “Not Here Anymore”
6. KJ – “Just Sometimes”
7. Jay-Z & Kanye West ft. Elly Jackson – “That’s My B*tch”
8. Little Dragon – “Ritual Union”
9. SBTRKT ft. Little Dragon & Shabazz Palaces – “Wildfire (Drumma Boy Remix)”
10. Dom Kennedy & Curren$y – “Hennessey Beach”
11. DTMD – “You”
12. Slum Village – “Players” (Throwback of the Week)
13. The Physics – “Love Is A Business” (Local Music)
14. Asher Roth – “Ampersand”
15. Maffew Ragazino ft. Action Bronson – “Jordan vs. Bird”
16. Danny Brown – “Radio Song”
17. Lil Wayne ft. Tech N9ne & Andre 3000 – “Tha Carter IV Interlude”
18. **Descry ft. TiRon, Outasight, & Theo Martins – “Money Won’t”** (World Premiere)
19. DJ Jazzy Jeff & Ayah ft. Kardinal Offishall, Skillz, & Shad – “Notorious (Remix)”
20. JayKin – “V.A.N. II” (Local Music)
21. The Weeknd – “Lonely Star”
22. STS ft. Count Justice – “WWW”
23. Union ft. Elzhi – “Wings”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?ns91jgodi71fsfk
(back up / streaming link – http://hulkshare.com/an11olixfqkc)
(2nd back up – http://www.zshare.net/audio/94250171a66430c2/)

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.

The ongoing joke is that Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa are always rapping about hooking up and smoking weed with YOUR girl. Even Macklemore referenced it in “Tommy Chong” off the Blue Scholars’ new project. And what do you know, Spitta’s newest video touches on that subject (and your girl) yet again. Don’t get it twisted though, if they keep making records this dope, they can rap to my girl anytime.

If you follow me on Twitter (and if you don’t, you should…#humblebrag), you know that I was down at SXSW last week in lovely Austin, Texas. The first night that I arrived, the staff at MTV hooked up a pass for the MTVu Woodie Awards and I got my first experience on a red carpet. Aside from just enjoying the overall environment, I was able to chop it up with everyone who walked by. I grabbed a couple quick videos for y’all with Wiz, Yelawolf, Skylar Grey, and Lil B. Enjoy.

In a few days, we’ll all celebrate the end of another year (or do you celebrate the start of the next…glass half full vs. half empty?) but before 2011 arrives, it’s tradition that every media outlet in the world releases some sort of wrap up on the previous 12 months.  Here at SNSS, we’re no different…although ours is [hubris] inherently better [/hubris].  In reviewing last year’s Best of 2009 list, I noticed my explanation still applies:

Keep in mind, these are not the biggest records of the year…nor the blogosphere favorites…or Twitter picks.  Nah, these are 26 24 of our favorite songs that we played heavily on SNSS in 2009 2010.  They are not in any sort of countdown or follow any other ranking schema.  We included a few of our favorite records from the town and crossed into other genres as well.  In other words, we followed our normal formula for spinning great music on the radio, but we just supersized it on some Barry Bonds-Roger Clemons-Alex Rodriguez super powered steroid type steez.

Speaking of baseball, we’re closing in on our 300th show.  Not exactly at Cy Young level yet, but still a notable accomplishment in today’s radio environment.  As always, we’re thankful to have the opportunity to shine light on great music and talented artists, plus we really appreciate every soul who tunes in.  We had more positive feedback and new listeners in 2010 than ever before and SNSS continues to move onward and upward.  In all seriousness, it’s humbling to be one of the last bastions of the culture on commercial hip-hop radio.  Thank you.

As I did last year, I’ve included some notes for our selections below, as well as a few honorable mention picks that we would have included on the air if we had enough time.  Any feedback/debate is welcome.  Did we miss any joints in particular?

Enjoy!

Show #291 (12-26-10)
**Best of 2010**

1. Nas & Damian Marley – “As We Enter”
2. Big Boi ft. Andre 3000 & Sleepy Brown – “Lookin’ 4 Ya (Full Mix)”
3. Candidt ft. Maya Jenkins – “Imaginary Stereo” (Local Music)
4. N.E.R.D. ft. Nelly Furtado – “Hot-N-Fun”
5. Freddie Gibbs – “National Anthem (FTW)”
6. Big K.R.I.T. ft. Devin The Dude & Curren$y – “Moon & Stars (Hyphen Remix)”
7. Wiz Khalifa ft. Killa Kyleon – “Spotlight”
8. Concise Kilgore – “Alaska”
9. Freeway & Jake One ft. Raekwon – “One Thing” (Local Music)
10. Aloe Blacc – “Dollar”
11. Nottz ft. Dwele – “You Need This Music”
12. Reflection Eternal ft. Jay Electronica, J. Cole, & Mos Def – “Just Begun”
13. The Physics – “My Place” (Local Music)
14. U-N-I ft. Miguel – “Lately”
15. Kanye West ft. Dwele – “Power”
16. Rick Ross ft. Jay-Z & John Legend – “Free Mason”
17. The Roots ft. STS & Joanna Newsom – “Right On”
18. Bilal – “All Matter”
19. Shad – “Rose Garden”
20. Theophilus London – “Flying Overseas (Version 1)”
21. Sol – “Dear Friends” (Local Music)
22. Dom Kennedy – “1997”
23. The Kid Daytona – “On The Hill”
24. Drake – “Fall For Your Type (Same Mistakes)”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?dgoqsov4ft9aqld
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/84451733eaf81c64/)
(2nd back up – http://usershare.net/vfjlt0697jzy)

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. Lead single off a hugely underrated album.  Damian’s production guidance + Nas’ introspective social commentary = WIN.
2. It’s a shame that this flawless Outkast record (Dre’s verses!) wasn’t even on Big Boi’s album because of label politics. The Clipse told y’all bout Jive…
3. Speaking of ‘Kast, this local gem sounded like it was birthed at Stankonia…but with a west coast and distinctly Seattle influence.
4. “Ok, we wrote this for a purpose…” and they succeeded.  Stadium music, 50 thousand at a time.
5. Gibbs is everything that hip-hop purists want in a MC.  We almost picked “The Ghetto,” but this record was harder, thanks largely to a chorus reminiscent of Pac’s best.
6. When a record has an incredible chorus and Devin The Dude featured on it, you just assume he supplies it.  Not here, where Krit’s crooning steals the show.  I blended Curren$y’s verse from the remix with the original to round it out.
7. There were a handful of great records on Kush & OJ and we were one of the shows to help break “Black and Yellow,” but our favorite was “Spotlight.”  Wiz wins the best adlib of 2010 with, “this beat go perfect with my belt.”  TGOD.
8. I guarantee we’re the only show with this record on our Best of 2010 list, but that’s a shame.  The Sade sample gets flipped so nasty, you can’t help but make the Cliff face when you hear it.  Possibly my favorite beat of the year.
9. Extended fam of SNSS (you may have caught J. Moore as Free’s hypeman on tour this year) dropped a great album and thanks to a careful clean edit, this was our favorite track to play off The Stimulus Package.
10. Aloe was EVERYwhere in 2010 and his success is well deserved.  Many in the country don’t know the artist, but they know the song.  And he murdered “Politician” live in studio with us.  Epitome of an artist.
11. Between the title, the lyrics, the hook, and the beat, no record summed up SNSS better than this song.  Take your corporate $$’s thaaaaattaway.
12. Talib and Hi-Tek not only reunited with each other and Mos, but they brought along newcomers Jay Elec and J. Cole for an instant classic.  As Kweli mentioned in studio with us, this record could fit right in with any early Blackstar/RE project.  And that’s a beautiful thing.
13. The Physics delivered our favorite local record of 2009 with “I Just Wanna Beat,” and they’re on the list again with the less direct, but equally sultry, “My Place.”
14. And when wifey is at your place, play this record and let Miguel talk to her.  “You on my mind right now…”
15. My favorite artist of the year (and the decade…and ever?) with the biggest song of the year.  Everything Yeezy did in 2010 was an event and this comeback record sparked it all.  Plus, the homey S1 got introduced to the rest of the world with a great look.  “No one man should have all that power”…but he does.
16. I was ready to go back to back ‘Ye with “Live Fast, Die Young,” but J picked another great track from the Bawse.  Kudos to Ross, who successfully evolved from an industry punchline a few years ago to making some of the best mainstream hip-hop music we have.  His ear for beats might be the best in the whole industry.
17. An incredible beat is complemented by a somewhat lackluster verse, until we hear, “I’m Black Thought, what could be more prolific?” and the song kicks into the next level.
18. J’s favorite song of the year has an eerie Marley-esque feel to its lyrics and Bilal hitting notes that only he can.  Honorable mention for one of my favorites, “Think It Over,” off the same album.
19. Sharing the “best writer in the game” title with Lupe Fiasco, Shad finally got some well deserved respect stateside in 2010.  If you’re still sleeping, you’ll wake up soon.  Don’t worry.
20. Anytime your song acts as my ringtone for a good 6 months of the year, you’ll likely make the Best Of wrap up.  Your getaway anthem.
21. As I mentioned in the post for this video, Sol is one of Seattle’s rising stars.  And with our well respected scene, he’ll soon be making noise around the country.  Cop it now while his rookie card is cheap.
22. “1997” sounds like it was a great year for Dom and a 15 year old Hyph would agree.  I also agree that “I hate how rappers use the term fresh so looooooosely.”
23. Daytona is one of our favorite MC’s in the game right now and his flow over this classic sample are a match made in heaven.  Add in a Nutso/Leon “Above The Rim” reference from the greatest movie ever made and I’m all in.  “He’s playin ball…with no ball!”
24. Yes, Drake’s singing.  Yes, he has limited range.  Yes, 40’s beats aren’t the most varied (…yet).  Yes, he gave this record to Jamie Foxx.  But yes, he has an incredible knack for capturing situations many of us have been in through his lyrics and yes, this is one of the best records of 2010.  Don’t make the same mistakes in 2011.

Honorable mentions from artists not otherwise represented:

• Black Milk ft. Royce Da 5’9″ & Elzhi – “Deadly Medley”
• Donnis – “Gone”
• Homeboy Sandman – “Mean Mug”
• Janelle Monae – “Cold War”
• Jay Electronica ft. Diddy – “Ghost Of Christopher Wallace”
• J. Cole – “Who Dat”
• Kidz In The Hall – “Grizzly Man”
• Laws – “Hold You Down”
• Lupe Fiasco – “I’m Beaming”
• Miguel ft. J. Cole – “All I Want Is You”
• Slum Village ft. Posdnuos & Phife Dawg – “Scheming”
• The Foreign Exchange – “Maybe She’ll Dream Of Me”
• Trek Life – “Wow”

Of course there are more, but if you really want to know all the records we liked in 2010, peep our archives!  See you in 2011!

I know it’s a bit lazy to go bullet-point style, but it’s a fairly effective way to communicate, right?  Here are your weekly SNSS highlights:

• Shout to the State of the Artist (SOTA) crew and Candidt for dropping by the studio to chop it up with us.  We also world premiered a new SOTA record called “Chief Seattle.”  Yeah, you know what it’s about…
• Thanks as well to Joell Ortiz for coming by a few weeks ago when he was in town.  Peep our interview through the links below to hear updates on his Free Agent project, working with Jake One, whether or not Slaughterhouse is signing to Shady Records, and more.  YAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOWWWAAAAAA!
• Lastly, be sure to check out two video interviews we released in the last week: 1st with Wiz Khalifa (70k views, Wiz is a STAR) and yesterday’s with my favorite writer in the game, Shad.  Surreal to be able to connect with such dope artists left and right…we’re just happy to be able to provide a platform for ’em:
• Wiz Khalifa – https://www.theaudacityofdope.com/2010/10/20/wiz-khalifa-on-sound-session/
• Shad – https://www.theaudacityofdope.com/2010/10/25/shad-on-sound-session/

Enjoy the show!

Show #282 (10-24-10)

1. Nottz ft. Dwele – “You Need This Music”
2. Child Rebel Soldier (Pharrell, Lupe Fiasco, & Kanye West) – “Don’t Stop”
3. Freeway – “Escalators”
4. The Kid Daytona – “Fly Lullaby”
5. Kendrick Lamar ft. Jhene Aiko – “Growing Apart (To Get Closer)”
6. Wiz Khalifa – “Mezmerized”
7. Celph Titled & Buckwild – “Miss Those Days”
8. **INTERVIEW WITH STATE OF THE ARTIST, PT. 1**
9. State Of The Artist – “Chief Seattle” (**WORLD PREMIERE**) (Local Music)
10. **INTERVIEW WITH STATE OF THE ARTIST, PT. 2**
11. Cee-Lo – “Old Fashioned”
12. theFEW ft. Cilvaringz & Blue Raspberry – “Homage To RZA”
13. **INTERVIEW WITH JOELL ORTIZ #02**
14. Joell Ortiz – “Battle Cry”
15. 7L & Esoteric ft. Inspectah Deck – “12th Chamber”
16. Mayday ft. Money Making Jam Boys – “Worst Case Scenario”
17. **INTERVIEW WITH CANDIDT**
18. Candidt ft. Maya Jenkins – “Imaginary Stereo” (Local Music)
19. Common ft. Bilal – “The 6th Sense” (Throwback of the Week)
20. M.anifest – “Coming To America”
21. DJ Nphared & Grynch – “Air Max ‘Em” (Local Music)
22. La Roux ft. Kanye West – “In For The Kill (Remix)”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?qw7x36t3b821dew
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/819873988cf85373/)
(2nd back up – http://usershare.net/wywpyp5rpky8)

Link to download only the interview with Joell Ortiz – http://www.mediafire.com/?v43tdydgwml15x9
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/819879679df95f7d/)
(2nd back up – http://usershare.net/1zwf2itwan0k)

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.

Just realized I never posted up this video, my bad.  One of my favorite records off Kush & Orange Juice…crazy beat and overall, just a smooth joint from front to back.

This past weekend, I had a chance to check out the Seattle stop of the Waken Baken tour when it hit the Showbox Sodo.  I’ll be posting up my interview with the opening act, Yelawolf, soon, but I was also able to chop it up with Wiz Khalifa backstage and we recorded this quick interview for y’all.  We discussed the tour, Wiz’ incredible buzz, his experiences in the Pacific Northwest, getting his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers to support “Black and Yellow,” and more.

Shout to Wiz, Will, Artie, and Motti for hooking everything up.  Cop that Kush & Orange Juice if you haven’t already…definitely one of the best projects of the year.  Just wait until the official album drops…

I sure hope this is an anthem in Pittsburgh right now.  Catchy record too, and he’s not lying about the “just made a million…got another million on my schedule” either.  We might be chopping it up with Wiz and Yelawolf this Friday when their tour hits the town, so keep your eyes on the twitter for updates…