The Audacity of Dope

It’s been a minute since Phonte and Brainchild have graced us with an episode of GGR, but believe me, it’s tough to do radio shows when you’re constantly working on other projects.  In the latest edition, Brainchild kills the mix and Tay waxes poetic about his top 10 “black coffees.”  Check it out:

1. The Randy Watson Experience “Tic Tac Know!”
2. The Cool Kids “Delivery Man”
3. FDR “Puff Puff Pass”
4. Erykah Badu “The Healer”
5. Digable Planets “Dial 7 (Axioms Of Creamy Spies)”
6. Bill Withers “Kissing My Love”
7. Lloyd Chalmers “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More”
8. Black Milk “Purple Track 6″
9. Robert Glasper “J Dillalude” (Simon S Extended Edit)
10. Madlib “Ashby Road”
11. Nicolay & Kay “Through The Wind”
12. Georgia Anne Muldrow “Runaway”
13. Reggie B “It Gets Better”
14. Houston Independent Spit District “Recess” (feat. Khimmy J)
15. Towa Tei “Happy” (feat. Viv & Bahamadia)
16. Mr. Dalvin “Get Mine”
17. Ralph Tresvant “When I Need Somebody”
18. Madlib “Chops & Thangs”
19. Phoenix “Congratulations”
20. Dwele “Light Skin Sugar”
21. DJ Premier “Dink”
22. The Clifford Gilberto Rhythm Combination “Soulbath”
23. DJ Krush “Beats”
24. Lakeside “Something About That Woman”

Download here.

In stores now, complete with an extra bonus CD full of the instrumentals.  Copped!

The homies Phonte and Nicolay called in to Toronto’s Real Frequency to talk with Arcee about their upcoming album, Leave It All Behind.  It’s rare that people get to interview both at the same time, so this was dope to hear.  Along with LIAB, they talked about the other projects they’ve released recently and what’s next on tap.

Check out the discussion on the Real Frequency blog right here and make sure you stay up to date with everything FE on the official site.  Oh, and if you haven’t peeped the sampler, what are you waiting for?

(I told y’all FE’s artwork is always incredible.)

Tay and Nic blasted out the sampler for their upcoming Leave It All Behind project, so you can finally hear a little of what all the fuss is about.  Believe me though, these teasers don’t do the album justice.  Check out the sampler for now and cop the entire thing on October 7th (digitally) or the 14th (physical copies…with instrumentals!).

Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind (sampler)

a. Take Off The Blues
b. All or Nothing
c. Something To Behold (this is my jaaaaam)
d. If This Is Love
e. If She Breaks Your Heart

Remember to peep the official FE blog to stay up to date on everything they’re doing.

One thing we really pride ourselves on with Sound Session is that we don’t only play good hip-hop, we play good music.  To the close minded, this week’s show probably drove you crazy.  For those of you who appreciate innovative approaches to the music we love, definitely check out this episode.  We played a little bit of everything:

• Straightforward boom bap with Butta Verses’ ridiculously dope “If I Die” and our homey Jake One’s track “Glow” with Elzhi and Royce The 5’9″.
• Dope laid back joints by Illa J, Devin The Dude, and Pacific Division.
• A nod to the past with Raphael Saadiq’s Motown inspired “Oh Girl.”
• A glimpse at the future of pop, R&B, and hip-hop with Kardinal Offishall‘s “Digital Motown” (also produced by Jake), Janelle Monae‘s epic “Many Moons,” Kanye’s “Love Lockdown,” and the new single, “Daykeeper,” from Foreign Exchange.

And speaking of Foreign Exchange, we aired that interview with Phonte from last week’s Rock The Bells stop in Washington and had some international guests, Cee, Bekah, & Notion, come through all the way from Australia!  We brought it home with new tracks from local artists Shyan Selah and Ike James (feat. Jadakiss and Jazze Pha), and Shyan also joined us live in the studio.  Lastly, if you’re from the town and didn’t listen, you missed a chance to get tickets for the N.E.R.D. & Common show on Thursday.  Stop sleepin’, you gotta listen!

Show #172 (9-14-08)

1. Illa J ft. Guilty Simpson – “R U Listenin’”
2. Devin The Dude – “I Can’t Make It Home”
3. Kardinal Offishall ft. J*Davey – “Digital Motown”
4. Johnson&Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) – “WoW!”
5. Janelle Monae – “Many Moons”
6. The Cool Kids – “Delivery Man”
7. **INTERVIEW WITH SHYAN SELAH**
8. Shyan Selah – “Hollywood Blvd” (Local Artist)
9. Raphael Saadiq ft. Jay-Z – “Oh Girl (Remix)”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH PHONTE #02, PT. 1**
11. Foreign Exchange ft. Muhsinah – “Daykeeper”
12. **INTERVIEW WITH PHONTE #02, PT. 2**
13. Butta Verses ft. Lucian – “If I Die”
14. Jake One ft. Elzhi & Royce The 5’9” – “Glow” (Local Artist)
15. **INTERVIEW WITH CEE, BEKAH, & NOTION**
16. Notion ft. Cee & Bekah – “My Crew”
17. Kanye West – “Love Lockdown”
18. Pacific Division – “Wake Up”
19. Ike James ft. Jadakiss & Jazze Pha – “Callin’ Me” (Local Artist)

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?mit30ocromq
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/188381186582f67b/ )

Link to download just the interview with Phonte - http://www.mediafire.com/?oteqnscax2t
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/187456482714ebd1/ )

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.

Between a few solo appearances and some Little Brother interviews, Phonte has now been on Sound Session five times.  I think that pulls him ahead of a few other artists for our all time most interviewed guest.  This time, I caught up with the big homey backstage at the Washington stop of Rock The Bells last weekend.  Originally, we were gonna grab Big Pooh as well, but I think he got caught up watching Nas tear it down.  It was truly a great day out at the Gorge (especially now that it’s over…I’m not a big fan of festivals…or driving 2.5 hours to get there) and I’m still planning on putting together some footage from it soon.

In the meantime, check out this interview with Phonte.  He played me the entire upcoming Foreign Exchange album (what up Nic!), Leave It All Behind, and it blew me away.  I’m not sure the world is ready for this project.  Instead of giving you my review, peep the interview to hear Tay talk about how it differs from their classic Connected debut, how their creative process worked this time around, and how his music has evolved over the years.  We also discussed his Gordon Gartrell Radio podcast series, the potential sequel to Zo! and Tigallo Love The 80’s, the early plans for the next Little Brother record, and if we’ll see Tay Pain take over the hook game in 2009.  Enjoy.

Phonte on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?oteqnscax2t
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/187456482714ebd1/ )

Remember to cop Leave It All Behind digitally on October 7th or on CD on the 14th.  The CD comes complete with instrumentals (and incredible artwork), so you already know which one I’m getting.  Stay up to date at their official site, TheForeignExchangeMusic.com.

Honestly, I’m amazed Phonte and Brainchild have time for these excellent podcasts.  I always feel like I’m incredibly busy and constantly have projects to finish, but I know these guys do as well.  The fact that they do all their work and put out these episodes of GGR so often shows you how much they love the music.

The interview I recorded with Tay at Rock The Bells will be coming soon…as soon as I get a minute to put it online!  In the meantime, enjoy GGR #9, where he even speaks on the concert in the intro:

The Birth Control Edition

In this week’s edition, Phonte discusses the trials and tribulations of parenthood and explains why you really don’t wanna know how many sexual partners your s/o has had.

1. Pete Rock “Don’t Be Mad”
2. Sleepy’s Theme “Choked Out Saturday Night”
3. Outkast “Elevators (Me & You)”
4. digital underground “Oregano Flow” (Gumbo Soup Mix)
5. Be Rezell “Blowed Away”
6. Timbaland & Magoo “Written Rhymes”
7. Jodeci “Can We Flo?”
8. Brentford All-Stars “Greedy G”
9. Alan Hawkshaw “Mile High Swinger”
10. Sly & The Family Stone “Positive”
11. The Rimshots “Harvey Wallbanger”
12. The JB’s “Hot Pants Roads”
13. Maceo & The Macks “Cross The Track (We Better Go Back)”
14. Kool & The Gang “Funky Stuff”
15. Illa J “We Here”
16. Coultrain “Green”
17. Hueston Independent Spit District “No More”
18. Owusu & Hannibal “Delirium” (Up Hygh Remix)
19. DJ Quik “Down Down Down”
20. Shonie “Come & Get It”
21. Platonic “877″
22. Theo Parrish “The Rink”
23. Samon Kawamura “You Are The Only One”
24. The Randy Watson Experience “Knocking At Your Door”
25. The Foreign Exchange “Daykeeper”

Download here.

And yes, The Audacity of Dope is my blog Tay!  hahahah.  A pensive Phonte at RTB, Washington:

Anyone who reads TAOD knows how excited I am for the upcoming Foreign Exchange album, Leave It All Behind.  Well this weekend at Rock The Bells, the big homey Phonte was kind enough to play the album for me and I was floored.  It picks up where Connected left off and takes it to the next level -  musically (Nic KILLED this album), lyrically, and emotionally.  I’ll have an interview with Tay about the album (and his other projects) coming later this week, but in the meantime, they just leaked the first single, “Daykeeper” with Muhsinah.

Download it at the new Foreign Exchange site right here and be sure to subscribe to their blog as well!

Hahaha, I just clicked play on the newest edition of GGR and it’s already gold.  Phonte’s opening joint is his tribute to Aaron Hall and Keith Sweat, and it only gets better from that point on:

This week Phonte discusses how John McCain has officially ethered himself, the failure of the American education system, and uncovers a lost duet between Keith Sweat and Aaron Hall.

1. Phonte “I Wanna Do Ya Baby”
2. D.R. “Hands Down”
3. Q-Tip “Gettin Up”
4. Jesse Boykins III “Tabloids” (Machinedrum Remix)
5. Dwele “Feels So Good”
6. Spon “Tango Flo” (feat. P.K. The Gift)
7. The Randy Watson Experience “Electric Circus”
8. The Randy Watson Experience “Paisley Rain & Purple Pancakes (i.e. Nigga I Ate Shrimp In Studio B)”
9. The Herbaliser “It’s Just For You”
10. RJD2 “Caged Bird”
11. James Pants “Good Things”
12. Pete Rock “That’s What I’m Talking About”
13. Mary J. Blige “You Bring Me Joy”
14. Slum Village “Fall In Love”
15. Robert Strauss “Rhythm Of Life” (feat. Ritchie Henessey & Chris Rouse) (Yoruba Soul Mix)
16. Capitol A “Serve It Up” (Starship Remix)
17. Zo! “Inertia” (feat. Tiffany Paige)
18. Domu presents Pete Simpson “Play This Song”
19. DJ Vadim “Theme from Conquest of the Irrational” (The Prunes Remix)
20. S1 “Be Sure”
21. FS Green “Chancletas”
22. Fat Jon “Tell Me”
23. Samon Kawamura “How Long?”
24. Eric Rico “Today”

Download here.

(click the image)

By the looks of the newest webisode, it seems like Foreign Exchange’s upcoming Leave It All Behind album is pretty much ready to go. To further that point, Nic & Tay shot out the tracklisting and some info:

Tracklisting:

01. Daykeeper
02. Take Off The Blues
03. All Or Nothing/Coming Home To You
04. I Wanna Know
05. House Of Cards
06. Sweeter Than You
07. Valediction
08. If She Breaks Your Heart
09. If This Is Love
10. Something To Behold
11. Leave It All Behind

DIGITAL ALBUM

-Available 10/7/2008 at iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, Rhapsody and wherever digital music is sold

PHYSICAL ALBUM

-Available 10/14/2008 (US), 10/10/2008 (EUROPE)

-Contains 2CD digipak with the album on disc one and the full instrumental version of the album on disc two*.

*instrumentals limited to physical version only

LIMITED EDITION DOUBLE VINYL

-limited to 1000 individually numbered pieces with gatefold artwork

-includes two bonus remixes not available anywhere else

-streetdate TBA

I’m copping that CD with the instrumentals.  Can’t wait.