The Audacity of Dope

Man…I’ve been trying to tell you about Shad.  This little freestyle he recorded off the dome in the back of his Warped Tour bus with DJ TLO and Dallas Green is just another example of the incredible talent dude has.  Remember this too?

Be sure to follow along with Shad’s Warped Tour experience over on his site and you better catch his set when he comes through your town:

6/26/09    Pomona, CA
6/27/09    San Francisco, CA
6/28/09    Ventura, CA
6/30/09    Phoenix, AZ
7/1/09    Las Cruces, NM
7/2/09    San Antonio, TX
7/3/09    Houston, TX
7/5/09    Dallas, TX
7/7/09    Indianapolis, IN
7/8/09    Pittsburgh, PA
7/9/09    Cleveland, OH
7/10/09    Toronto, ON
7/11/09    Montreal, QC
7/12/09    Hartford, CT
7/14/09    Columbia, MD
7/15/09    Scranton, PA
7/16/09    Buffalo, NY
7/17/09    Camden, NJ
7/18/09    Uniondale, NY
7/19/09    Oceanport, NJ
7/21/09    Boston, MA
7/22/09    Virginia Beach, VA
7/23/09    Charlotte, NC
7/24/09    Orlando, FL
7/25/09    Miami, FL
7/26/09    St.Petersburg, FL
7/28/09    Atlanta, GA
7/29/09    Cincinnati, OH
7/30/09    Milwaukee, WI
7/31/09    Detroit, MI
8/1/09    Chicago, IL
8/2/09    Minneapolis, MN
8/3/09    St.Louis, MO
8/4/09    Kansas City, KS
8/7/09    Boise, ID
8/8/09    Salt Lake City, UT
8/9/09    Denver, CO
8/12/09    Calgary, AB
8/14/09    Vancouver, BC
8/15/09    Seattle, WA
8/16/09    Portland, OR
8/19/09    Fresno, CA
8/20/09    Mountain View, CA
8/21/09    Sacramento, CA
8/22/09    San Diego, CA
8/23/09    Los Angeles, CA

Oh…and The Old Prince is officially in stores now in the U.S.!  [Diddy] COP THAT Cop That cop that [/Diddy]

What up G!

(^^reminds me of why we used to go to our high school volleyball games)

The long awaited video for Drake’s “single” (in quotes cause they didn’t really choose it in the traditional sense) dropped tonight, courtesy of OnSmash with the world premiere.  As I mentioned on the Twitter, the combination of hot girls and basketball is pretty much a slam dunk for me, and the Kanye directed clip did not disappoint.  Well, unless you’re a sports bra manufacturer…cause you were not represented well here at all.

The highlight is definitely the 2nd skit break and Drake’s double entendre, but there is a weird Law & Order SVU kind of vibe jumping off here.  Anyone who has played or coached sports (I do both) knows the player/coach bond is definitely familial.  I understand the girls are on “his team” in a different sense, but it’s still stepping into an awkward area.

Shrug.  I’m sure he could recruit the same cast for an appropriate “HoustAtlantaVegas” video though…

I’ve been waiting for Daytona’s official album to drop for a minute and the day is finally here.  Don’t get it twisted either…despite my blog tag calling Come Fly With Me a mixtape, this is indeed a full length project full of original material…and it’s dope as hell.  Peep the press release if you need to get up to speed on Daytooooooooona and then download the project below.

New York, NY – The Kid Daytona, born in Atlanta, GA to a set of Caribbean parents, grew up with a unique blend of cultural identities, which was only further expanded by his teenage years in The Bronx, NY. It was these formative years in New York’s northern borough that led The Kid Daytona to his current path as a musician — and the June 30th release of his full length studio album, Come Fly With Me.

The flight path leading  to the release of Come Fly With Me has been a long one. The Kid Daytona attained early success when his group The Aces was signed to Atlantic Records in 2002. Though the group dismantled shortly thereafter, Daytona managed to establish himself in the eyes of legendary MC Busta Rhymes, who quickly enlisted the young artist for a role in Flipmode Squad. In addition to Busta Rhymes, Daytona has also been blessed with the guidance of Cipha Sounds (Hot 97 WQHT), who has helped create the dynamic artist that appears on Come Fly With Me.  Daytona and Cipha started out by releasing A Tribe Called Fresh in 2008,  which garnered the attention of major media outlets like The Fader. Daytona explains that, “the success of the Tribe tape helped me realize it was time to put an official album together. I want people to be able to hear my music, and this is best way for me to make that happen – by making it available, and doing it well.”

On Come Fly With Me, The Kid Daytona shares airspace with musical superstars such as Bun B (UGK), Kardinal Offishall, and seasoned newcomers such as Mickey Factz, Amanda Diva, Harlem’s Cash, Outasight, and more. Production credits for the album include 6th Sense, Double 0 (Kidz In The Hall), Cook Classics, Jet Audio, Ill Bomb, The Government, and Deputy.

Both Come Fly With Me and its single, “Contact” featuring Kardinal Offishall, will be distributed digitally by Community JUICE beginning Tuesday, June 30, 2009.

1.  Just Fly {prod. 6th Sense}
2.  Air Jordan feat. Harlem’s Cash {prod. The Government}
3.  The Groove feat. Mickey Factz  {prod. Deputy}
4.  Honestly feat. Avriel Epps {prod. Cook Classics}
5.  Twilight  {prod. Jet Audio}
6.  Contact! feat. Kardinal Offishall {prod. 6th Sense}
7.  Flava Season {prod. Double 0}
8.  The Minimum feat. Tiara Wiles {prod. 6th Sense}
9.  In The Wind {prod. 6th Sense}
10.  Lately feat. Amanda Diva  {prod. Ill Bomb}
11.  Eye Know feat. Mike Maven {prod. 6th Sense}
12.  Perfect feat. Outasight {prod. 6th Sense}
13.  Right Now Till Then {prod. 6th Sense & Frequency}
14.  Air Born feat. Bun B {prod. 6th Sense}

Download here. (right click, save as)

I look forward to the day when Toby and Tunji are rich and famous so I can brag to people that I used to DJ for ’em when we were in college.  These guys played such an important part in the development of “DJ Hyphen” (yes!  first 3rd person reference on the blog ftw!) that it means a lot to finally see their first music video released to the public.  This is a great day…

Shout to everyone involved in this track (Oren Yorel and Paul Dateh killed it) and video (directed by rising star Donlee Brussel).  Go vote right now to help Inverse win MTVu’s Freshmen video contest this week and get it added to MTV – http://www.mtvu.com/music/the-freshmen/nominees-062909/

You can vote as many times as you’d like, so get on your grind people!  Sidenote, Inverse’s excellent So Far (The Collection) project will be re-released through QN5 Music on July 6th…you’ll need to cop that too.

Yes, I’m a ‘Ye stan, but I really do dig damn near everything Kanye is involved in.  This track with Mr. Hudson was recorded during the autotune phase, which he seems to be pretty much done with…probably half on his own volition and the other half thanks to Jay.  Either way, it came out pretty dope and the video has a really ill star effect that I haven’t seen before.  Plus, it’s catchy…

And I feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeel like takin’ off

While I get the opportunity to interview lots of dope artists, it’s standard practice that their conversational abilities pale in comparison to the music they make.  However, when someone as talented, eclectic, and interesting as K’Naan drops by the Sound Session studio, it’s virtually guaranteed to be a good time.  Sure enough, chopping it up with the man who fled Somalia’s civil war on the last commercial flight to leave Mogadishu proved to be an enlightening, and humbling, experience.

We discussed the current political upheaval in Iran, the pirates off the shores of Somalia, the gifts and curses that come with being a cultural ambassador, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, his recent Troubadour album, and more.  He even leaked some information on upcoming projects that hasn’t been reported yet…enjoy!

K’Naan on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?nttezgrtzz3
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/620305724e5447e5/)

If you’re still sleeping, wake up and cop Troubadour in stores now.

It’s strange how doing a weekly radio show means that whenever a major event happens, your thoughts are automatically documented.  I’m sure nobody else does, but I’ve gone back and listened to some old shows after historic moments and it’s kind of cool/strange to have these moments frozen in time.  This episode of SNSS is no different, since I’ll always remember it as the show after we lost literally the most popular person on the planet, Michael Jackson.

By now, there’s really nothing left to be said about the situation, but obviously Mike will be remembered for his incredible highs as well as disturbing lows.  As I mentioned in my initial blog post, regardless of all the trouble he had in his life, his music was exceptional and will live forever.  As we do for all talented musicians that were part of this hip-hop culture, we’ll continue to play songs on our show that carry on Mike’s musical legacy the best we can.  RIP to the King…

Peep this week’s show to hear new cuts from folks like B.o.B, Mayer Hawthorne, Ayah, Chali 2Na, The Kid Daytona, Mos Def, and more, plus an excellent local lineup featuring M64, Mycle Wastman, and The Physics.

Also, be sure to check out the full interview with K’Naan.  We talked all about the uprising in Iran, the pirates in his home country of Somalia, the gifts and curses that come with being a cultural ambassador, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and…oh yeah…his music.  It was a good one.  Shout to Enrique, Jesse, and Simi from IGA/Octone for bringing K’Naan through the station.

Show #213 (6-28-09)

1. Mos Def ft. Talib Kweli – “History”
2. B.o.B – “Do You Have The Stamina”
3. De La Soul – “Big Mouf”
4. Mayer Hawthorne – “When I Said Goodbye”
5. Ayah – “Fallen”
6. Wu-Tang Clan ft. Ghostface Killah & Tre Williams – “I Wish You Were Here”
7. The Physics – “Callin’” (Local Music)
8. Chali 2Na ft. Damian Marley & Stephen Marley – “Guns Up”
9. Slaughterhouse ft. M.O.P. – “Woodstock (Hood Hop)”
10. J. Cole – “Grown Simba”
11. DJ JS-1 ft. CL Smooth, Brother Ali, & Sadat X – “Nuthin’”
12. Drake ft. Phonte & Elzhi – “Think Good Thoughts”
13. **INTERVIEW WITH K’NAAN (SNIPPET)**
14. K’Naan – “Fire In Freetown”
15. M64 (Ragen Fykes & Ohmega Watts) – “Rhythm Of The Drum” (Local Music)
16. Big Pooh ft. Darien Brockington – “Move”
17. Outasight – “Brand New Day”
18. Lupe Fiasco ft. Matthew Santos – “Shining Down”
19. The Kid Daytona ft. Bun B – “Air Born”
20. Mycle Wastman – “As Long As I’m With You” (Local Music)

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?51mhznyoz1z
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/62029183c749b9f9/

Link to download the FULL interview with K’Naan – http://www.mediafire.com/?nttezgrtzz3
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/620305724e5447e5/)

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 was debating whether or not to post this video, since I know it’s been plastered on virtually every blog in existence today, and then a reader commented his appreciation for NOT posting this…BUT…I’m afraid I gotta.  I just like this song, though the video doesn’t do a whole lot for me.

I’m not sure what’s funnier:

• The haircut ending
• Jewelry and bottles that will probably appear in his next video being blown up
• The ugly lefty jumper…[clipse] EEGGHHHCCKKK [/pusha]

But in the end, ‘Ye told me to kill y’all to keep it one hunnid.

Is this really the official video?  Even for a viral clip, it seems a bit shoddy for ‘Ye.  Either way, I love this song. Mood music…that I can kind of relate to right now. Sigh.

Between the leak of “Shining Down” and this teaser video, I’m officially geeked for Lu’s new album.