The Audacity of Dope

New music on this week’s Sound Session from the likes of REKS, Run The Jewels, Earl St. Clair, John Legend + Chance The Rapper, Tom Bailey, The Weeknd + Kendrick Lamar, Jorja Smith, starRo + Jesse Boykins III, Childish Gambino, Ryan Caraveo, Smoke DZA + Pete Rock + Big K.R.I.T. + Dom Kennedy, and more.  Can’t go wrong with that classic throwback either.  Back in Sydney, Australia for a few more weeks and then we’ll be broadcasting from Seattle again at the start of the new year…

Enjoy!

Show #579 (12/4/16)

1. REKS – “Jump Shots”
2. Juelz Santana – “Up In The Studio Gettin Blown (Freestyle)”
3. Smoke DZA & Pete Rock ft. Big K.R.I.T., Dom Kennedy, & theMIND – “Dusk 2 Dusk”
4. Common ft. PJ – “Unfamiliar”
5. A Tribe Called Quest – “We The People…”
6. Run The Jewels ft. BOOTS – “2100”
7. The Cool Kids – “Connect 4”
8. Topaz Jones – “Howlin’ To The Moon”
9. Angel ft. Rich Homie Quan – “Get With You”
10. Bruno Mars – “Chunky”
11. Earl St. Clair – “Good Time”
12. John Legend ft. Chance The Rapper – “Penthouse Floor”
13. Like – “Leanin’”
14. Kung Foo Grip x SCLY – “When I Was Young” (Local Music)
15. Donae’O ft. Jme & Dizzee Rascal – “Black”
16. The Weeknd ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Sidewalks”
17. Ryan Caraveo – “Real Right Now” (Local Music)
18. Tom Bailey – “Light vs. Darkness”
19. Tanya Morgan – “Stoops”
20. Childish Gambino – “Baby Boy”
21. Amine – “Baba” (Local Music)
22. starRo ft. Jesse Boykins III – “My Oh My”
23. Jorja Smith – “Imperfect Circle”
24. Amy Winehouse – “In My Bed” (Throwback of the Week)
25. Daniel Caesar – “Japanese Denim”

Link to download – https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B72U-rgJjvmWNVpIdkZHN3RxN0E

If you’d like to be added to our weekly email list to receive the playlist and stream/download links after every show, just shoot me an email, DJHyphen@gmail.com.

There are few things better than when an artist comes out of (relatively speaking) nowhere to floor you with some incredible music.  I had heard the name Kali Uchis for the past few months but peeped my first track about 3 weeks ago, and have been anxiously awaiting this project since that moment.  Definitely feeling some Amy vibes on this.  Download her free debut project immediately!

Download here: Kali Uchis – Por Vida

I feel like a broken record, but apologies for the delay on this week’s SNSS.  Some companies are no joke with the workload and I’m finding firsthand that Amazon is one of those.  But never fear, here’s your archive of another great set of music.

We played new music from Dilated Peoples, Aloe Blacc, Sam Lachow, Big K.R.I.T., PARTYNEXTDOOR, Majid Jordan, BJ The Chicago Kid, MF Doom, BANKS, and more.  That week marked the 3 year anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s passing, so we played a throwback set in her honor.  RIP to one of the greatest voices ever.  Lastly, we aired part of our interview with Black Milk.  If you didn’t see the whole thing, you can peep the video right here.  Lots of good, exclusive info about his new album, don’t sleep.

Enjoy!

Show #476 (7-27-14)

1. Dilated Peoples ft. Aloe Blacc – “Show Me The Way”
2. Shad & DJ T.LO – “Always Winnin”
3. Sam Lachow ft. Jarv Dee, Gifted Gab, J. Byrd, Dave B, B Skeez, and Ryan Campbell – “Young Seattle, Pt. 3” (Local Music)
4. Big K.R.I.T. ft. Rico Love – “Pay Attention”
5. PARTYNEXTDOOR – “East Liberty”
6. Majid Jordan – “A Place Like This”
7. B.o.B ft. Jake Lambo & Victoria Monet – “The Nation”
8. AWAR & Vanderslice ft. BJ The Chicago Kid – “Ready For The World”
9. Russ ft. Bugus & Musa – “Lately”
10. Devante Cash ft. Mundy & Haole – “Blue & Red Gummy W3rms” (Local Music)
11. THURZ ft. Kelsey Bulkin – “Perfect Words”
12. Nikki Jean – “Summertime Girl”
13. **INTERVIEW WITH BLACK MILK**
14. Black Milk – “What It’s Worth”
15. Travis Scott ft. Big Sean & The 1975 – “Don’t Play”
16. NehruvianDOOM (Bishop Nehru & MF Doom) – “Om”
17. Amy Winehouse – “F*ck Me Pumps” (Throwback of the Week)
18. Amy Winehouse – “Help Yourself” (Throwback of the Week)
19. Amy Winehouse – “Me & Mr. Jones” (Throwback of the Week)
20. Amy Winehouse – “Valerie” (Throwback of the Week)
21. Theoretics ft. Grynch & Afrok – “Sunsets” (Local Music)
22. LE$ & Cookin’ Soul ft. Curren$y – “Prosper”
23. BANKS – “Beggin’ For Thread”

Link to download/stream the mp3 of the show – http://www.solidfiles.com/d/6be8b7484a/DJ_Hyphen_and_J._Moore_-_Sunday_Night_Sound_Session%2C_Show_476%2C_7-27-14.mp3
(back up – http://linkmixes.com/lseou0vwwo46)
(2nd back up – http://www58.zippyshare.com/v/60558493/file.html)

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.

After “Like Smoke” with Nas, which we’ve been playing on SNSS the past few weeks, “Our Day Will Come” is the second track to leak from Amy’s posthumous Lioness: Hidden Treasures album dropping December 5th.  I can’t wait for a new Amy album, but it’s tragic that we’re getting it under these circumstances.  So talented.  RIP.

This collaboration between Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse marks the final track Amy recorded before passing away.  Today would have been her 28th birthday.  RIP Amy.

I feel like this Tony Bennett duets album might get a lot of spins around the loft during the cold weather this winter, but I’m a little worried to see folks like Lady Gaga and Mariah Carey on the tracklisting…

Seeing footage like this from the promotional campaign for Frank is bittersweet.  While the challenges she faced a few years later undoubtedly contributed to the classic nature of Back To Black (her pain was our gain), it’s interesting to think what could have been if she never got too deep in to depression and drugs.  Frank is a more upbeat record — emotionally, not necessarily tempo-wise — though “I Heard Love Is Blind” is one of the more caustic songs on the album.  If the lyrics truly depict a situation she went through with her boyfriend at the time, I can’t imagine hearing anything more gut-wrenching coming from your lady.

We shouldn’t be surprised though, she was handing out ether left and right on that record.  Sorry ladies, but she got at a TON of y’all with this one:

RIP Amy.

In a nutshell, the last few days provided yet another reminder of the frustratingly consistent duality of life.  You know, Ying Yang…wait, Yin vs. Yang.  Or as The Dude so eloquently put it, “strikes and gutters.”  If you prefer the more timely, yet equally brevity conscious, hip-hop version, Big K.R.I.T. calls it “Highs & Lows.”

On on hand, we had a beautiful, music filled weekend here in Seattle and on Sound Session.  We kicked off things with the Capitol Hill Block Party, where I DJ’d for the homey Shad on Friday night, sharing the stage with good friends Sol, Brothers From Another, and Thee Satisfaction, three of the most talented acts in Seattle.  Thee Sat took the occasion to officially announce their signing to the legendary Sub Pop label, putting a stamp on another historic moment in Seattle’s music scene.

Speaking of Sub Pop, J. Moore carried the festivities down to Dallas, Texas on Saturday, where he accompanied Shabazz Palaces for their performance at the Gorilla vs. Bear Festival.  We closed the weekend off by inviting The Physics and Sonny Bonoho to our studio to debut new music from their forthcoming projects, and we even world premiered a record from Thurzday (formerly of U-N-I) and his LA Riot album.

All in all, a fine weekend celebrated in 80 degree, flawless weather, where our only concern should have been SPF levels.

Right?

Wrong.

On Saturday, music lovers everywhere reeled from the news we all feared would come someday, and deep down, we knew it would be sooner rather than later: Amy Winehouse passed away in her London apartment from an apparent overdose.

Since we’ve been on the air for the last six years, we’ve lost a lot of folks and I never know quite how to summarize these feelings and thoughts in text.  However, that’s what great writers do and to that end, there have already been a few well constructed pieces on Amy’s passing (I particularly recommend Russell Brand’s heartfelt, poignant entry).  Ultimately, when an artist passes, I (selfishly) always focus on what his/her work meant to me and how it affected my life. If I had a chance to meet or work with the person, that always adds an extra element as well.

In this case, I never met or spoke with Amy.  My only story about her is a loose connection that’s happened to us a few times as we’ve watched superstars develop.  We were early supporters of her Back To Black records in the NW region (essentially the equivalent of seeing LeBron as a high school senior and telling your friends he was pretty good…we didn’t exactly go out on a limb) and the label told me she was thankful for our airplay.  I distinctly remember waiting in our studio one Friday afternoon, late in the summer of 2006, for the interview they scheduled with her, only to get a cancellation call from her management instead.  They explained that they were sorry, but MTV and the New York Times decided at the last minute to do pieces on her first performance in NYC and they had to bump us to accommodate the larger outlets.  I knew then that our underground hip-hop/alternative R&B show in Seattle likely wouldn’t have the chance to interview her again and sure enough, by the end of the year, she was one of the biggest musicians in the world.

Granted, it’s not as interesting a tale as the time Guru threatened to leap over the table and punch me, but at least it’s a more positive way to remember one of our musical heroes.  I digress.

Amy’s voice, songwriting, and the resulting music she blessed us with was amazing.  Throughout her rise to stardom, we continued to play it on the air, but even more on our own time.  Back To Black provided the soundtrack for some of my favorite memories and any time I hear something like “Just Friends,” I’m instantly back in THAT moment.  You know the feeling.

Both Back To Black and Frank are certified 5-mic classic albums to me (yes, I’m using the Source rating system…Amy was more hip-hop than a lot of these cats) and there are countless awe inspiring live/acoustic/demo versions for her songs.  When I asked followers on Twitter for a few suggestions on what to select for our Throwback of the Week, I was flooded by replies and almost every song of hers was mentioned.  In the end, I picked two of my personal favorites, but I had about a hundred alternate options ready to go.

While it’s devastating to finally accept that she won’t be adding to this catalog, it’s comforting to know that like all great artists, her work will live on forever.  As much as I look forward to pulling out her records years from now and reminiscing about her talent, what I’m really excited about is for the next generation to randomly discover her through their own exploration.  The same way I stumbled upon an artist like Shuggie Otis or Gil Scott-Heron (RIP), some 10 year old without a clue who Amy Winehouse is right now will hear the demo for “What It Is” and fall in love with music all over again.

That’s the power of art and why losing a great artist always presents such a conflicting dichotomy.  We mourn the loss of a creative spark, but we also celebrate the contributions that were made.

As I write this, Amy has 4 of the Top 10 albums on iTunes (even her b-side collections are charting) and I know some of those purchases are from kids wondering what all the hype is about.  They’ll soon find out and for those that truly love music…those that zone out and let these sounds impact their moods and ideas and redefine how they see the world and interact with others…her voice will hit them like few others have.

RIP Amy.

And for anyone out there struggling with addiction, she left you this message.  There’s someone out there who cares.  Take action and get help.

Show #321 (7-24-11)

1. Pac Div – “Saved”
2. Crooked I – “Mr. Porter Meets Mr. Pigface”
3. Jay Rock ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Hood Gone Love It”
4. Kardinal Offishall – “Ol’ Time Killin’, Pt. 2 (Anywhere)”
5. Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse – “Valerie” (Throwback of the Week)
6. Jay-Z & Kanye West – “Otis”
7. Big K.R.I.T. – “Highs & Lows”
8. Kendrick Lamar ft. Ashtro Bot – “Keisha’s Song (Her Pain)”
9. Wu-Tang Clan ft. Ghostface Killah, Sean Price, & Trife – “Laced Cheeba”
10. Pusha T ft. Tyler, The Creator – “Trouble On My Mind”
11. **INTERVIEW WITH THE PHYSICS, PT. 1**
12. The Physics – “Seward Park” (Local Music)
13. Dom Kennedy ft. Polyester – “Mr. Champagne”
14. **INTERVIEW WITH THE PHYSICS, PT. 2**
15. Sol – “WTF” (Local Music)
16. Rapsody ft. Tab One, Charlie Smarts, & Phonte – “One Time”
17. Thad Reid – “Unholy War”
18. **INTERVIEW WITH SONNY BONOHO, PT. 1**
19. Sonny Bonoho – “We’ll Be Stronger” (Local Music)
20. The Black Opera – “Timeline”
21. **INTERVIEW WITH SONNY BONOHO, PT. 2**
22. CyHi The Prynce – “Take You Back”
23. Wordsmith – “Rhymesayer Revival”
24. **Thurz – “Dope”** (WORLD PREMIERE)
25. Shad – “Call Waiting”
26. Purple HeArts – “ReMinder Smiles”
27. Amy Winehouse – “Stronger Than Me” (Throwback of the Week)

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?buwprapcd5pflcb
(back up / streaming link – http://hulkshare.com/xue54dm3im8f)
(2nd back up – http://www.zshare.net/audio/92995614e5676c7c/)

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.

QN5‘s Domingo remixed a classic joint from Amy’s first album and they synced it up to the original video.  After one listen, I still prefer the original, but that’s cause I’ve bumped that one about 23981293218 times (and cringed at the homophobic lines each time).  Domingo did his thing on the remix though, good ish.  Some of you younger cats might be familiar with part of this song, since B.o.B. sampled it for “Grip Your Body.”  And the nerve of them to label it as “featuring Amy Winehouse.”  I hate when people do that.

Sidenote: get yourself together Amy, we need you back.