The Audacity of Dope

(if you prefer watching in higher quality on YouTube, peep parts 1, 2, and 3)

This past week, the “Seeing Invincible Sounds of Summer” tour swept through  Seattle and N.E.R.D. and Common tore it down at the Showbox SoDo.  Besides these guys being some of my favorite artists of all time, they’re also some of the coolest dudes I’ve met in the industry.  When I really think about, it’s mind blowing that I’m actually cool with Common, a living legend and inarguably one of the top MC’s in rap history.  Wow.  How the hell did that happen?

Anyway, aside from a few random wack encounters, everyone I’ve interviewed has been pretty nice and down to earth.  However, Com is on another level.  This dude is seriously one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and it was ill to have him come through the studio and make his third appearance on Sound Session.  Random SNSS trivia: 3 years ago, Com was our very first interview as we had him on the show for an hour long discussion, running through stories from each of his albums.  Classic.

This time, we talked all about his upcoming Invincible Summer Universal Mind Control album and what it was like working in full with the Neptunes and Mr. DJ.  We also touched on his acting work, including updates on the next Terminator movie and his role as Green Lantern in the oft-delayed Justice League project.  And you can’t sit down with Com and not talk about politics, so we discussed how the media has been affecting the presidential race and what he would do if he was given executive power.  Before he left, we reflected on his past work and brainstormed some of his favorite verses.

You can either watch the interview above, or, as recommended, download the broadcast audio feed (with his “U.M.C.” single included) through one of the links below.  Enjoy:

Common on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?3mmtwhzzmxt
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/19201421efd3c1a7/ )

Universal Mind Control should be dropping sometime in November and you already know it’s an instant cop.  Also, be sure to check out the tour when it hits your town.  Com performs a few tracks off it that sound incredible, namely “Gladiator.”  You really need to see it live, trust me.

Last night’s Sound Session will be posted later today, hold tight. I’ve got some things I need to tend to first, like…a new job!  Don’t worry, SNSS ain’t goin’ nowhere.  Your boy just got a [Kanye] good ass job [/’Ye], that’s all.

Soon = Sunday Night Sound Session late tomorrow.  Tune in.

This album is in my deck right now (yes, an official copy…you bootleggers) and it’s crazy.  Not only is this one of the best albums of the year, but it’s one of the most important and dopest albums in Seattle history.  Be sure to cop it on October 7th and tune in to Sound Session on the 5th to hear Jake in our studio breaking down the backstories behind every song.

Here’s the video for the new joint from The Cool Kids, done in conjunction with Mountain Dew’s Green Label Sound.  There’s nothing groundbreaking about this track, but it’s one of my favorites at the moment.  [Phonte] Dope beats, dope rhymes, what more do y’all want? [/Tay]

Download this track over at Mountain Dew’s site and look for a Sound Session + Green Label Sound project coming soon…

Swiped from Eskay.

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.

(if you prefer YouTube, here are parts 1 & 2)

One half of Seattle’s own Common Market, RA Scion, came through Sound Session yesterday and we recorded it for y’all.  We chopped it up about their new Tobacco Road album, their unique release party coming up on Thursday at Neumos, their experiences performing at the protests of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and more.  You can watch the video above, or if you prefer just the audio, grab it here:

RA Scion on Sound Session – http://www.mediafire.com/?nu43ylmjxn3
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/1839003132f3b8cf/ )

Tobacco Road drops tomorrow…cop that!  Shout to the other half of CM, Sabzi, who we saw over the weekend as the Blue Scholars tore down Rock The Bells.  Some random RTB video will be popping up on TAOD this week.

Damn, how is it already September?  Time is moving so fast, this is crazy.  Anyway, here’s this weekend’s Sound Session for your listening pleasure.  We recapped some of our experiences at Rock The Bells (random RTB video and an interview with Phonte coming soon) and played all sorts of good music from people like Murs, Royce The 5’9″, Kardinal Offishall, Kanye West, Elzhi (in Seattle this week!) and more.  We also debuted songs from Illa J (featuring Guilty Simpson), Madlib (feat. Defari), and Now On (produced by Jake One…who sat in on the show) and chopped it up with RA Scion of Common Market live in the studio.  RA and Sabzi are set to drop one of the dopest albums of the year, Tobacco Road, on Tuesday so be sure to cop that!

Show #171 (9-7-08)

1. Murs – “Me and This Jawn”
2. Royce The 5’9” ft. Kid Vishis – “Kill ‘Em”
3. Elzhi – “Guessing Game”
4. DJ Revolution ft. KRS-One – “The DJ”
5. **INTERVIEW WITH RA SCION (of COMMON MARKET), PT. 1**
6. Common Market – “Gol’dust” (Local Artist)
7. Illa J ft. Guilty Simpson – “R U Listenin’”
8. Kid Cudi ft. Wale – “Is There Any Love”
9. Fusion Unltd ft. Little Brother, Nickleus F, Hall of Fame, & Skillz – “The Sun”
10. **INTERVIEW WITH RA SCION (of COMMON MARKET), PT. 2**
11. 88 Keys ft. Kanye West & Malik Yusef – “Stay Up (Viagra)”
12. Kardinal Offishall – “Nina”
13. Jazmine Sullivan ft. Kardinal Offishall & Lindo P – “Need U Bad (Remix)”
14. Termanology – “Please Don’t Go”
15. DJ Babu ft. M.O.P. – “Dearly Departed”
16. Johnson&Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) – “HalfA’Knot”
17. Jake One ft. Freeway & Brother Ali – “The Truth” (Local Artist)
18. Now On – “Catapults”
19. **INTERVIEW WITH RA SCION (of COMMON MARKET), PT. 3**
20. Shyan Selah – “Hollywood Blvd” (Local Artist)
21. Statik Selektah ft. Consequence – “Mr. Popularity”
22. Madlib ft. Defari – “Gamble On Ya Boy”
23. Janelle Monae – “Many Moons”

Link to download the mp3 of the show – http://www.mediafire.com/?rkxyenwet2o
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/1839028987f82afd/ )

Link to download just the parts with RA Scion – http://www.mediafire.com/?nu43ylmjxn3
(back up / streaming link – http://www.zshare.net/audio/1839003132f3b8cf/ )

Link to watch the interview with RA Scion – http://www.vimeo.com/1691757
(if you prefer YouTube, watch the 2 parts here – http://www.youtube.com/hyphentv )

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.

Another installment of “Clef’s Corner” is coming to a Sound Session near you this weekend.  Hold tight.

Just a heads up, Sound Session won’t be on the air tonight (Sunday) since we’ll all be at KUBE’s annual Summer Jam concert.  We’ll be back on air next week, and if all goes right, we’ll have exclusive interviews from The Game, Kardinal Offishall, and Wyclef Jean for y’all.

If you need your SNSS fix, just check out the “Download Archive” sidebar (or click here) and listen to some of our older episodes and interviews.  There’s some classic stuff there…