The Audacity of Dope

From a song perspective, this is miles better than Will’s “Yes We Can” video, but it may not be as inspirational.  That said, this ish is dope!  It’s catchy as hell and does a good job capturing the feelings we all felt on Tuesday night.  It’s crazy to think that everyone – college kids, celebrities, children, foreign governments, people in 3rd world countries, scholars, etc. – were all celebrating like this when we finally did it.

Now it’s up to us to fight and work hard for what we believe in.  Obama is merely the inspiration.  We are the movement.

Some footage of Capitol Hill here in Seattle after Barack’s our victory swiped from Blogs Is Watching.  Do you realize that Obama literally had people dancing in the streets throughout the entire world?  I’ve been telling you this is big.  [Usual Suspects] I mean ‘orca’ big [/Keyser Soze].  We’ve never seen anything like this and it’s almost like all our mistakes have been erased.  We have a chance again…

More footage from my dude Druuuu:

Dru, you need to add that Journey dance mix to the gym soundtrack ASAP.

Wow. I can’t believe we’re here: less than 24 hours from Election Day.  After all the hard work everyone has put in over the past year (and more for some of y’all), it’s finally time to go to the polls and vote for change.  By voting for Barack Obama tomorrow, we’re telling the world that America is ready to turn the corner on the last 8 years and move into the future with the right policies, strategies, beliefs, and behavior.  It’s time to regain our position at the head of the table and make the world a better place.  We’ll lead by example from here on out.

Throughout the election cycle, hip-hop has played an important and influential role, one that future generations will look back upon and recognize much more than we do right now.  Yes, at times, our culture does more harm than good, but overall, hip-hop continues to be the voice of young people around the world.  It drives popular culture and was synergistically tied into Barack’s entire campaign, providing an ever changing soundtrack throughout the primary and general elections.

On last night’s Sound Session, we ran an entire prObama show and played nothing but songs written for and inspired by Barack.  Big shout to all the artists who used their platform to speak on such important issues and apologies to those who we didn’t get to play on the show due to time constraints.  It may seem corny, but everyone who has made Obama songs over the past 2 years has really played a part in this campaign.  Somewhere, somebody was moved by the art you created…and that’s what it’s all about.

Another huuuuuge shout to Michelle Gregoire, daughter of Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, for coming through and co-hosting the show.  She broke down exactly why Barack and Michelle Obama have endorsed Gov. Gregoire’s bid for reelection, and why we all need to vote for Gregoire when casting our ballots for Obama.  This may be a “change” election nationally, but here in Washington, Gov. Gregoire has done a great job and deserves another 4 years…especially with like-minded people coming into power in Congress, the Senate, and the White House.  With everyone pushing progressive policies, we’ll see a lot of great things happen in the next 8 years, both nationally and at home here in Washington.

Lastly, many thanks to the founder of Hidden Beach Recordings, Steve McKeever, for calling in to talk about the Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement album they released in conjunction with the Obama campaign.  Be sure to check out the full interview through one of the links below.

Download this episode of SNSS and spread it around to anyone who’s fired up about this historic time.  If you’re waiting in line tomorrow at the polls, bump this in your mp3 player and remember what you’re doing this all for.  Change is coming and it starts with us.  GO VOTE TOMORROW!

Show #179 (11-2-08)
**Co-Hosted by Michelle Gregoire**

1. Big Boi ft. Mary J. Blige – “Sumthin’ Gotta Give”
2. DJ Green Lantern – “Stand Up (Interlude)”
3. Dres (of Black Sheep) – “The Choice Is Yours (Taster’s Choice Remix)”
4. 6th Sense – “Ignite The People (Like Obama)”
5. Daytona – “Can I Kick It”
6. Jay Smooth – “A Poem For The Young Voter”
7. John Mayer ft. Twista & Joe Budden – “Waiting On The World To Change (DJ Green Lantern Remix)”
8. M.anifest – “Age Of Obama”
9. Kidz In The Hall ft. Talib Kweli & Bun B – “Work To Do (Change Remix)”
10. Cocoa Tea – “Barack Obama”
11. DJ Green Lantern ft. Gabe Real & Jay-Z – “What We Need”
12. Wyclef Jean – “Obama For President”
13. Nas ft. Johnny Polygon – “Black President”
14. Joell Ortiz ft. Dante Hawkins – “Letter To Obama”
15. H-Town All-Stars (Bun B, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Cory Mo, & Trae) – “Obama ‘08”
16. **INTERVIEW WITH STEVE MCKEEVER (CEO OF HIDDEN BEACH)**
17. Malik Yusef ft. Kanye West & Adam Levine (of Maroon 5) – “Promised Land”
18. DJ Green Lantern ft. Jay-Z – “Lick A Shot”
19. Ludacris – “Get Buck Freestyle (Politics (Obama Is Here))”
20. DJ Noodles – “Division & Fear (Interlude)”
21. RAtheMC – “Ready Or Not”
22. DJ Green Lantern – “Find Ur Dreams (Interlude)”
23. Alpha – “Obama ’08 (Do The Knowledge)”
24. DJ Green Lantern ft. Wale, Rhymefest, Christina K, & Royce The 5’9” – “Black President (Remix, Pt. 2)”
25. DJ Green Lantern – “1 Mic, 1 People (Interlude)”
26. Rock City – “Paper Planes Freestyle (Ride For Obama)”
27. Nappy Roots – “Good Day (The Barack Obama Yes We Can Remix)”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?di3x3z2oynz
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/513827915293195f/ )

Link to download the full interview with Steve McKeever – http://www.mediafire.com/?zryzqgfj2nu
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/50825349e7680eb2/ )

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.

Over the weekend, I got the chance to talk with Steve McKeever, the founder of Hidden Beach Recordings, for the latest edition of Sound Session.  You’re probably familiar with the label through their releases from some of the dopest soul & jazz artists (Jill Scott, Kindred, Bebe Winans, Mike Phillips, Tony Rich, Lina, etc.), but they also recently teamed up with the Barack Obama campaign to release Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement.  The compilation features great songs from artists like Kanye West, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Ozomatli, and more, and all the money goes directly to the Obama campaign.

With November 4th only 2 days away, I talked with Steve about how this project came about, what issues are most important to him this election, what words of wisdom he wanted to impart to the youth, and more.  You can check out the entire interview below:

Steve McKeever on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?zryzqgfj2nu
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/50825349e7680eb2/ )

After you check out the interview, head on over to BarackObama.com/music to cop the album and donate to the campaign.  Every little bit helps as we push through the finish line.  After the 4th, the album will be available in normal retail locations.  In any case, GET OUT AND VOTE!

Feels good, doesn’t it?

Ok, so we all already knew that Jay-Z and Nas have been two of Barack’s biggest supporters in hip-hop, but it’s great to see the Obama campaign reach out to them and film these official endorsement videos to help win swing states where the artists performed.  Every state has their own page on Barack’s website, so go track down yours and get involved.

Washington people: as we talked about on the last Sound Session, your page is located at Washington.BarackObama.com.  Volunteer.  All the cool people are doing it (…aka…me).  You know, if the campaign wants me to film one of these celebrity endorsements, they should just holler @ a Hyphey hahaha…

This dropped a few days ago, but who would have thought working two+ jobs would make it hard to post up ill stuff regularly?  Eh, no matter!  So if you missed it, here’s Green Lantern’s long awaited Obama inspired mixtape, aptly titled Yes We Can.  The songs are dope, but the real highlight of the tape is how Green cut up various quotes from Obama and his supporters for all the interludes.

1. Intro
2. David Banner,Busta Rhymes,Talib Kweli – “Black President (Remix), Pt. 1″
3. Barack Obama – “Stand Up”
4. Nas Speaks on Politics
5. Styles P and Cassidy – “Make It Out”
6. Jay-Z Speaks “The American Dream”
7. Barack Obama – “One Mic, One People”
8. Russell Simmons Speaks on Obama
9. Joe Budden, Twista, & John Mayer – “Waiting on the World to Change 2008″
10. Angie Martinez – “Yes We Need A Mixtape!!”
11. Malik Yusef, Kanye West, & Adam Levine -  “Promised Land”
12. Wale, Rhymefest, Christina K, & Royce The 5’9″ – “Black President (Remix), Pt. 2″
13. Barack Obama – “My Life”
14. Jay-Z – “Lick a Shot”
15. Russell Simmons on Change
16. Wyclef Jean – “Obama for President”
17. Charles Hamilton – “The Moment”
18. Find Ur Dreams (Interlude)
19. George Bush’s Highlight Reel
20. Mikkey Halsted – “King George”
21. Obama on Hip-Hop
22. Joel Ortiz feat Dante Hawkins – “Letter To Obama”
23. Akon and U.M. – “Aint No Sunshine”
24. Qadir and Dwayne – “Its My Time”
25. Johnny Polygon and Amanda Diva – “Colorblind”
26. Mavado – “We Need Barack”
27. Jay-Z / Gabe Real – “What We Need” (Speech)
28. Qadir – “Yes We Can” Outro

I spent my entire Saturday afternoon handing out instructional literature for absentee voters in my neighborhood, so it’s safe to say I’m “fired up…ready to go.” Nov. 4th: be ready!

Download here.

We’ve seen a bunch of dope Obama shirts over the last year, and here’s another one to add to the list thanks to Mick Boogie and Dope Couture.  Nothing is assured yet, but I’m so excited about the state of the presidential race right now.  I can’t even imagine the fall out if Obama loses.  Not only would people be upset all over the world, but this would throw a huge wedge in race relations and turn off an entire generation to politics.  If he’s up in the polls by a few points and loses, right or wrong, many will see it as an example of racism where people claim to be prObama, only to go behind the curtain and vote McCain.  Things would be really ugly for a long time, since he is clearly the much better candidate.  McCain’s throwing the kitchen sink at him and it’s not going to work.  There’s a reason why voters under 35 are overwhelmingly supporting Obama.  He’s the future.  McCain is the past.

Cop Mick’s shirt right here and check out the quick mixtape he put together with Terry Urban to launch the shirt:

1. Mick Boogie/Terry Urban: Intro
2. Daytona: Can I Kick It? (produced by Garbs Infinite)
3. Mekka Don: Dear Obama (produced by Skinny Vee)
4. Malik Yusef f/ Kanye West: Promised Land
5. Ra The Mc: Ready Or Not (produced by Judah)
6. Jus Mic: Politics As Usual
7. Jin: Open Letter To Obama
8. 6th Sense: Ignite The People (produced by 6th Sense)
9. Doxx: Smile Sarah (produced by Remot)

Download here.  (ZShare has been acting up in the last few days, so we’ll see if this link stays ‘under maintenance’ for long)

Chyea, those A.R.M. boys are on a roll lately.  If you missed Krukid‘s “Swagger Lockdown” voting PSA, download that and then peep M.anifest‘s “Age of Obama” track:

M.anifest – “Age of Obama”

M.anifest drops some great, timely lyrics about Obama and the change we need in this country over an ill beat from Seattle’s own Budo.  Be on the lookout for an A.R.M. mixtape coming soon!