The Audacity of Dope

There are some artists in this industry who are talented, and then there are a few that seem to be on another level, closer to genius status.  I won’t put the pressure on the homey Exile by calling him a genius, but he’s clearly working on another plane than your average ‘dope’ producer.  Between his beats, his live MPC performances, his beatboxing, and even his rapping, he hears things that we don’t, and puts sounds together in ways that we would never think to do.

A little while back, Ex came through Sound Session to talk all about his latest opus, Radio, an album crafted entirely out of sounds culled from his home radio.  He detailed the creative process behind the project and how it gave him a deeper respect for radio in general.  He also talked about his crazy live MPC sets with DJ Day, how his family influenced his music, his upcoming Boy Meets World album with Fashawn, a follow up to Blu’s Below The Heavens, and the 2892412931 other projects he’s got on his plate.  Check it all out right here:

Exile on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?gjnb13y1muj
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/610749136fb90d7d/)

If you haven’t already, cop Radio in stores now!

After another long winter and spring, it finally feels like summer here in the 206.  If you’re anything like me, the perfect complement to 70-80 degree weather is a good soundtrack and that’s exactly what we’re giving you each week with SNSS.  Peep the latest episode featuring dope new music from folks like Drake, Kid Cudi, B.o.B, Asher Roth, U-N-I, P.Casso, Tanya Morgan, Homeboy Sandman, Donny Goines, Outasight, Brother Ali, Marco Polo & Torae, Chester French, Fresh Daily, Oddisee, Santigold, and more.  We were also joined in studio by two of our illest up-and-coming Seattle MC’s, J. Pinder and Shawn Starr, and we aired a snippet of our interview with Exile.  We’ll be posting up the full interview on the site soon, but in the meantime…

Show #209 (5-31-09)

1. Drake ft. Lil’ Wayne – “Ignant Sh*t Freestyle”
2. Kid Cudi – “Super Boo”
3. U-N-I – “Land Of The Kings”
4. B.o.B – “Put It On Me ’09 (Reebok Classic Mix)”
5. Brother Ali – “Real As Can Be”
6. Tanya Morgan ft. Jermiside – “Don’t U Holla”
7. P.Casso ft. Von Pea & Homeboy Sandman – “Best In Show”
8. **INTERVIEW WITH SHAWN STARR & J. PINDER, PT. 1**
9. Shawn Starr ft. GMK – “Past The Games” (Local Artist)
10. Mos Def – “Casa Bey”
11. Skyzoo ft. Talib Kweli & Reks – “When I Rhyme”
12. Donny Goines ft. Outasight & Peter Hadar – “Sublime”
13. Scribes – “Can You Hear Me” (Local Artist)
14. **INTERVIEW WITH EXILE (SNIPPET)**
15. Blu & Exile – “Love Line”
16. Santigold – “Your Voice”
17. Fresh Daily ft. Oddisee & Mela Machinko – “Universal Medicine”
18. Asher Roth – “Sour Patch Kids”
19. Guilty Simpson – “Stress”
20. Bruce Leroy – “Million Dollar Dream” (Local Artist)
21. Marco Polo & Torae ft. Masta Ace & Sean Price – “Hold Up”
22. Chester French ft. Wale – “I’m Sorry”
23. Windimoto ft. Phonte – “Don’t Let Me Leave Alone”
24. **INTERVIEW WITH SHAWN STARR & J. PINDER, PT. 2**

Download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?ldzjtyjy2cj
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/608328707136b4e0/ )

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.

Having been on the airwaves for almost a decade now, sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in the routine and lose some of the excitement that got me into this industry in the first place.  While it’s fun to interview hip-hop’s next generation and meet all the up and comers, there’s nothing better than chopping it up with someone who I listened to back in “the good ol’ days.”

When I got to college in 2000 and discovered the magnificence that was Napster + a T1 connection, I downloaded just about every ‘underground’ track I could find.  Among those gems was Louis Logic’s Music To Drink By compilation, which I definitely consider a personal classic (even though I was never a drinker…shrug).  Since then, Lou’s gone on to release more great projects, many of which have fallen a bit under the radar.  With the upcoming release of his Spork Kills surf-pop meets hip-hop hybrid album, Beaches Love Us, he’s about to burst back on the scene with more noise than ever.  Don’t believe me?  Peep the video for the first single, “Night Of The Hip ‘N Dead”:

A little while back, Lou came through Sound Session to talk all about the early 2000’s underground scene, his work with the Demigodz, his musical and personal evolution, his time as roommates with Travis from Gym Class Heroes, why Spork Kills is his best and most important work to date, and much more.  Do yourself a favor and check out this in-depth interview with one of hip-hop’s best lyricists:

Louis Logic on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?gxzkmkv2ig2
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/607441023e2f958e/ )

Shout to my dude Type for helping bring Louis through the show…now he’s a homey from the real “good ol’ days,” all the way back in middle school.  What up Jeff!

As I mentioned in the post for the most recent Sound Session, Krispy and Al from the Knux came through the studio to kick it and co-host last night’s show.  We talked about their next album, upcoming tour plans, an all-star remix to their “F!re” track that’s in the works, the Twitter phenomenon, and more. Plus, they even kicked a quick freestyle live over the air.

You can watch part of the interview above (including the freestyle) and/or download the audio below:

The Knux on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?aowymygdmhm
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/60507495869da4aa/)

In case you missed their first appearance on SNSS, click here.

Shout to the whole crew for coming through.  Be sure to cop Remind Me In 3 Days if you haven’t already and catch the Knux on tour in your town soon!

On a week where J. Moore was holding it down for us with Jake One in Minnesota at the Rhymesayers’ Soundset concert, I was expecting to run through a normal episode of SNSS solo.  Turns out, I forgot that the long holiday weekend also meant that the yearly Sasquatch Festival was taking place down at the Gorge and the homies The Knux were in town early for their Monday performance.  Krispy Kream and Rah Almillio dropped through the studio to kick it and co-host with me, and we talked about their next album, upcoming tour plans, an all-star remix for their “F!re” track that’s in the works, the Twitter phenomenon, and more.  Plus, they even ripped a quick freestyle live over the air.

You can peep the interview and full show below…video of the freestyle coming soon.  In case you missed their first appearance on SNSS, click here.

Show #208 (5-24-09)

1. **INTERVIEW WITH THE KNUX, PT. 1**
2. Marco Polo & Torae ft. Masta Ace & Sean Price – “Hold Up”
3. DJ Spinna ft. Fresh Daily, P.Casso, & Homeboy Sandman – “Get On Down”
4. Quest Tha Young’n ft. Reks & Termanology – “To Be Nice”
5. CL Smooth – “The Piano”
6. Kanye West & Malik Yusef ft. Common & John Legend – “Magic Man”
7. Kid Cudi – “Super Boo”
8. Santigold – “Your Voice”
9. **INTERVIEW WITH THE KNUX, PT. 2**
10. The Knux – Live Freestyle
11. Scribes – “Roll My Way” (Local Artist)
12. Buff1 – “For U (M-Phazes Remix)”
13. Shaya – “Be Proud”
14. Lykke Li ft. Drake – “Little Bit (Remix)”
15. Julian Marley ft. Damian Marley – “Violence In The Streets”
16. Busta Rhymes ft. Pharrell & Tosh – “Kill Dem”
17. M64 (Ragen Fykes & Ohmega Watts) – “In The Pocket” (Local Artist)
18. **INTERVIEW WITH THE KNUX, PT. 3**
19. Bruce Leroy – “100 Bars Of Death” (Local Artist)
20. Saigon – “Change Gon’ Come”
21. Windimoto ft. Phonte – “Don’t Let Me Leave Alone”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?kcn22gljlwd
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/60507353af892ef7/)

Link to download just the parts with the Knux – http://www.mediafire.com/?aowymygdmhm
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/60507495869da4aa/)

Link to watch the interview/freestyle with the Knux – http://vimeo.com/4835244

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.

If you’ve been following along, we’ve hit some nice milestones recently, namely Show #200 a few weeks ago.  It doesn’t take a math major to realize that 200 shows = 200 weeks and give or take a few Sundays off, that’s adding up to about 4 years.  Well this past week, we officially celebrated 4 full years of Sunday Night Sound Session on KUBE 93.

While we have a lot of fun on SNSS and don’t take ourselves very seriously at all, broadcasting a show like ours on a 100K-watt Clear Channel station in a top market for 4 years is actually a pretty special accomplishment.  As a media studies major from back in my college days, I’ve always been cognizant of the effects of media consolidation and the danger it brings.  To combat that, it’s been a pleasure using the airwaves and the website to provide a powerful, consistent voice for alternative and independent artists from around the world.  It’s a responsibility we take seriously and we work hard every week to create a quality program for listeners to enjoy.  All the while, our number one goal is to be true to our beliefs and represent the hip-hop culture with the respect it deserves.

To four…and hopefully many more…years of SNSS – “raise your glasses to the sky”

Show #207 (5-17-09)

1. Raekwon ft. Method Man & Ghostface Killah – “New Wu”
2. Elzhi – “Deep”
3. Cory Gunz ft. Willie The Kid & MarVo – “A New Day”
4. Drake ft. Bun B – “Uptown”
5. Mos Def – “Casa Bey”
6. Donny Goines ft. Outasight & Peter Hadar – “Sublime”
7. Scribes – “Roll My Way” (Local Artist)
8. Chester French – “Time To Unwind”
9. Eminem – “My Mom”
10. Asher Roth – “La Di Da”
11. Bruce Leroy – “Million Dollar Dream” (Local Artist)
12. Busta Rhymes – “Shoot For The Moon”
13. Izza Kizza ft. Colin Munroe – “Connect The Dots”
14. Colin Munroe ft. Joell Ortiz – “Piano Lessons”
15. The Kid Daytona – “The Engine”
16. **INTERVIEW WITH BLUE SCHOLARS, GRYNCH, & DV-ONE**
17. Toni Hill – “This Thing Called Love” (Local Artist)
18. Slakah The BeatChild ft. Drake – “Enjoy Ya Self (Remix)”
19. Julian Marley ft. Damian Marley – “Violence In The Streets”
20. J Dilla ft. Black Thought – “Reality TV”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?zuuymgqmjjz
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/60217878c91f946b/ )

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.

In case anyone glossed over the weekly wrap up for SNSS below, I thought I’d make a separate post with the audio for my interview with 88 Keys and Izza Kizza from Sunday Night.  Big shout to 88, Izza, Daniel, Drastic, and the whole crew for coming through…definitely some real cool folks and dope artists.  Special thanks to DJ Pheloneous for helping make it all happen too.  More details about the show in the last post.

88 Keys & Izza Kizza on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?mimgontduuq
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/599085806f274121/)

If you missed our past interviews with 88 Keys, check ’em out here and here.

You know with Show #206 of SNSS, we had to make it a good one…Google “206” if you’re confused.

While J was holding it down it Phoenix at Sha Money XL’s One Stop Shop producer conference (“hardly home, but always reppin” – Drake), I was joined in the studio by 88 Keys & Izza Kizza before their show Sunday night at Nectar.  We chopped it up about Mother’s Day memories, Izza’s new Wizzard Of Iz mixtape, the debates 88 & Kanye had for The Death of Adam album, and more.  If one interview wasn’t enough, I also ran a snippet of a discussion I had with Louis Logic from a while back about his crazy new surf rock/hip-hop hybrid project, Spork Kills.

In addition to the special guests, the music this week was one of my favorite collections that we’ve played recently: new joints from Asher Roth, the Clipse, Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Drake, Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Loves, Raekwon, and many more.  Be sure to peep XV’s ode to the leaked pictures from Cassie & Rihanna (hello!) and one of the smoothest R&B songs we’ve played in a while, “This Thing Called Love” by the Northwest’s own Toni Hill.  Enjoy!

Show #206 (5-10-09)

1. **INTERVIEW WITH 88 KEYS & IZZA KIZZA, PT. 1**
2. Jae Millz – “Mother’s Day”
3. Asher Roth – “Fallin’”
4. Scribes – “Roll My Way” (Local Artist)
5. **INTERVIEW WITH 88 KEYS & IZZA KIZZA, PT. 2**
6. Izza Kizza ft. Colin Munroe – “Connect The Dots”
7. Clipse ft. Kanye West – “Kinda Like A Big Deal”
8. **INTERVIEW WITH 88 KEYS & IZZA KIZZA, PT. 3**
9. 88 Keys ft. Bilal – “M.I.L.F.”
10. Maxwell – “Pretty Wings”
11. Eminem – “Déjà Vu”
12. Busta Rhymes ft. Common, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, & John Legend – “Decisions”
13. Slakah The BeatChild ft. Drake – “Enjoy Ya Self (Remix)”
14. Drake – “HoustAtlantaVegas”
15. XV – “ADDicted”
16. **INTERVIEW WITH LOUIS LOGIC (SNIPPET)**
17. Spork Kills – “Black Widow”
18. Eli Paperboy Reed & The True Loves – “I’ll Roll With You”
19. Reflection Eternal – “Back Again”
20. Macklemore – “The Party” (Local Artist)
21. Raekwon ft. Method Man & Ghostface Killah – “New Wu”
22. Kanye West & Malik Yusef ft. Common & John Legend – “Magic Man”
23. Toni Hill – “This Thing Called Love” (Local Artist)
24. **INTERVIEW WITH 88 KEYS & IZZA KIZZA, PT. 4**

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?iwd03y1ztff
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/5990763456f148d1/)

Link to download just the parts with 88 Keys & Izza Kizza – http://www.mediafire.com/?mimgontduuq
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/599085806f274121/)

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’m multitasking a little too much right now (watching the NBA, answering emails, listening to demos, talking on AIM, updating Twitter, blogging, etc.), so I’m not even gonna try to be witty or anything.  You guys know the drill anyway…here’s the latest edition of SNSS, complete with new joints from Maxwell, Slakah The BeatChild ft. Drake, PackFM, XV, P.Casso, Reflection Eternal, Chester French, and many more.  There’s only so much dopeness you can pack into an hour and a half of commercial radio…100K-watts like what.

Show #205 (5-3-09)

1. Dyme Def ft. Saigon – “Pick Up Ya Flow” (Local Artist)
2. Statik Selektah ft. Styles P & Talib Kweli – “The Thrill Is Gone”
3. Blu & Exile – “Love Line”
4. Slakah The BeatChild ft. Drake – “Enjoy Ya Self (Remix)”
5. Drake – “November 18th”
6. Maxwell – “Pretty Wings”
7. Tanya Morgan – “On Our Way”
8. PackFM – “Absolutely Positive”
9. Asher Roth ft. Cee-Lo – “Be By Myself”
10. XV ft. El Prez – “Please Hold”
11. U-N-I – “Windows”
12. Pep Love ft. Otayo Dubb & LB – “No Doubt”
13. Chali 2Na ft. Talib Kweli – “Lock Sh*t Down”
14. Macklemore – “The Party” (Local Artist)
15. Reflection Eternal – “Back Again”
16. De La Soul – “Big Mouf”
17. Clipse ft. Kanye West – “Kinda Like A Big Deal”
18. Toni Hill – “Rose” (Local Artist)
19. Chester French – “Bebe Buell”
20. P.Casso – “Mind Over Matter”
21. Elzhi – “Deep”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?qywvazntzgx
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/596138960972858b/)

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.

Regular listeners of Sunday Night Sound Session probably remember that a few weeks ago, J and I gave out a bunch of these Northwest Fresh mixtapes on the air.  Since we’ve already handed out more than a thousand of ’em in the Seattle streets at various KUBE events,  it’s time to post up and blast it out officially to the net.

Truth be told, it’s past time, as this collection has been finished for months.  So that said, the music on here isn’t necessarily that new, but it’s still dope and it’s a good collection of artists that are making some great hip-hop and R&B here in the Seattle area.  If you’re up on the town bidness, you’ve probably heard all these tracks.  If not, you can take this as a good introduction to one of the most slept on scenes in the country.  Shout to Mountain Dew’s Green Label Sound for sponsoring the project.

Download here.

(back up link – http://sharebee.com/0dcb06ea )