The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 16]

It’s no secret now that The Hip-Hop Dojo hasn’t been the most consistent playlist here at TMN, and that’s due to a multitude of different factors. I’m not here to make excuses however, and the lack of hip-hop goodness lately is totally on me. It’s a new year though folks, and my resolution from here on out is to continue providing you with the dopest hip-hop content from across the net on a regular basis.

Let’s get the ball rolling quickly with this first edition of 2014, because it’s definitely one of our strongest playlists to date. Right off the bat you may notice that we’re starting things off with a Christmas anthem. We know the Holidays are over, but that Peanuts sample by producer J1K was way too good to pass up. Since we didn’t have a December edition anyway, just think of BIZ’s “Christmas Time Is Here” as a late present from all of us to you. Speaking of Christmas, we follow our first entry up with a laidback  single from Michael Christmas named after the Quentin Tarantino classic, “Jackie Brown.” Our next few items carry on the chill vibes, with many of them utilizing a throwback sound similar to the one employed by Joey Bada$$ and Pro Era. Of course Joey and his collective are featured here as well, spreading the love on the eclectic “Sol Luna.” While those dudes from Brooklyn keep with the sweet talking, Nemo Achida prefers to take a more “Hands On” approach, teaming up with 88-Keys and BJ The Chicago Kid for a smooth new cut.

Our next selection would’ve been a perfect one to start your day off with, as rapper Chris Morris opens with “Yo it’s like Sunday morning waking up,” over some supremely ill production from Nabeyin. Moving on, we’ve got the return of Dojo veteran and TDE signee, Isaiah Rashad, who brings us a sly tribute to “Brad Jordan,” better known to the rap community as Scarface. You should be familiar with two of our next collaborators, as Waldo and Sango have both been featured on this page multiple times before. This time around, they’re accompanying British femcee Little Simz on the juicy cut, “Mandarin Oranges.” Speaking of familiarity, hip-hop heads should definitely recognize the instrumental on GoldLink‘s “The Heart,” which is the same one used by Kendrick Lamar for “The Heart Pt. 2.” It’s always tough to beat an original from K Dot, but the West Virginia brings his A-game here, with a spastic delivery definitely that gives the track an edge of its own. Meanwhile, Azizi Gibson hops on some bluesy Flying Lotus production to ring in the New Year properly with “Libras Don’t Die.”

Things take a darker turn in our next suite of entries, with the always slick Rapsody leading this group off over some dope, downtempo 9th Wonder drums. Hefna Gwap is certainly not in a celebratory mode on “Happy Birthday (Fuck That)”, while Dillan Ponder brings us another ominous track with his latest single, “Hive.” While Alexander Spit‘s “Bitter Suite Symphony” sounds nothing like The Verve classic, it’s certainly a formidable number all its own. Sa-Roc shows us her “True Mastery”  of the English language on this fierce new cut, while Verbal Kent teams up with Khrysis to give us all a gritty lesson in “Raponomics.” If there ever were an expert in that subject though, it would be Raekwon, who brings along T.I. and the late Doe B to help him out on “I Wanna Know.”  Like most rappers, Truck North is out to prove he’s the number one “Chief Rocka,” hopping on a revamped version of the Lords of the Underground classic. Find out if he does that one any justice.

 Alexander Dreamer employs his “Freedom of Speech” on this dope tune that samples the intro to Coldplay‘s “Charlie Brown.” Julian Malone keeps things rather abrupt on the hard hitting “Bitche$,” but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pack a mean punch. Bodega Bamz brings us a real banger on the Electric Bodega remix of his single, “Don Francisco,” featuring French Montana. Next in our lineup, we’ve got a few well known commodities, as Audio Push strive to prove they’re better than all these other “Juveniles,” hooking up with Logic and Jill Scott over a spectacular beat provided by Hit-Boy. Miami emcee Eskeerdo is out to fight the “Devil’s Work,” hopping on a sample of Miike Snow‘s single of the same name. Meanwhile, Topaz Jones questions whether he’s “Living A Lie,” on his recent introspective single. K.B. Starr is ready to plead his case for why he thinks “New England Girls” are the best over some incredibly fresh production from SevnthWonder. Our final pair of tracks comes in the form of two upbeat remixes, first with Yonas putting his own stamp on Lorde‘s “Team,” and then Zak Downtown closing things out with the addicting “City’s Ours,” which flips another remix, the Flume revision of Hermitude‘s “HyperParadise.”

We hope you guys enjoyed our sixteenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo as much as we did! As always, you can send all submissions/suggestions to baseer@themusicninja.com and ash@themusicninja.com.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS (ALT. LINK)

’BIZ
Christmas Time Is Here (Produced by J1K)’
’Michael Christmas – Jackie Brown ft. Manu Manzo (prod. Jasper Sheff)’
’SK The Greatest – Ounces (featuring Mad One, D.O.S. & Poppadop)’
’Dessy Hinds – Mo’Wetter Blues (Prod. 6thBoro)’
’Mike Melinoe – Steady Vibe (Pro. By Stereo Symphony)’
’A$hton – Knighty Knight’
’Termanology – Set It Off (Feat. Ransom)’
’Chris Faust – Black Manta Featuring Donwill (prod. Hannibal King)’
’Chox Mak And Henny Tha Brain – 40 Ounces (Prod. By Bunty Beats)’
’PRO ERA – SOL LUNA (Feat. Joey Bada$$, Dyemond Lewis & A La $ole) (Prod. Navie D.)’
’Nemo Achida – Hands On ft. BJ The Chicago Kid (Prod. 88 Keys)’
’Chris Morris
Morning Dew (Prod. Nabeyin)’
’Yo Dot – Never Shines (Produced By Regular Joe Productions)’
’Isaiah Rashad – Brad Jordan feat. Michael Da Vinci’
’Little Simz & Waldo – Mandarin Oranges (Prod. Sango)’
’GoldLink – The Heart’
’Azizi Gibson – Libras Dont Die (prod. Flying Lotus)’
’Rapsody – Illuminaughty (Chinchilla) Prod. by 9th Wonder’
’Hefna Gwap – Happy Birthday (FUCK THAT)’
’Dillan Ponders – Hive (p. DMNDBK)’
’Alexander Spit – Bitter Suite Symphony’
’SA ROC – True Mastery’
’Verbal Kent  – Raponomics (prod. Khrysis)’
’Raekwon – I Wanna Know (Feat. Doe B & T.I.)’
’Dag Savage (Johaz & Exile) – God Body ft. CO$$, Gonja Sufi & Blu’
’Truck North – The Man’
’P.Genz – Grandslam!’
’Lashaun Ellis – Whatever You Want’
’Alexander Dreamer – Freedom Of Speech (Soundcloud Bonus)’
’Julian Malone – Bitche$’
’Jourdan Jackson – Triple Crowned Ft. Marion Write & TR@bb (prod. by Bliss)’
’Bodega Bamz – Don Francisco (Remix) Feat. French Montana’
’Raz Fresco – Slang Rap (Prod. By Raz Fresco)’
’Audio Push – Juveniles ft. Logic & Jill Scott (prod. Hit Boy & Rey Reel)’
’Eskeerdo – Devils Work (feat. Miike Snow)’
’Topaz Jones – Livin’ A Lie’
’K.B. Starr – New England Girls (Prod. By SevnthWonder X Rilla Force)’
’Jered Sanders – Boys On the Radio’
’YONAS – Team (Lorde Remix) prod. sean ross’
’Zak Downtown – City’s Ours’
Related items:

The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 15]

Guess who’s baaaaaaccckk? Did you miss me? The Hip-Hop Dojo’s finally ready to reopen its doors for business, and I’ve got plenty to share with you today. I’ve traveled far and wide, sailed across the seven seas, climbed the highest peaks, and braved the hottest deserts to hone my craft, learning from the very best, meditating, and planning my return (basically picture the whole training sequence from Batman Begins). In all honesty though, I appreciate your patience over the last few months, and hope I can finally get back on my grind to deliver you the freshest hip-hop product on a consistent basis.

So without further ado, let’s get this party started. This very special fifteenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo features plenty of familiar names, from hip-hop heavyweights like Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Raekwon and Kendrick Lamar, to Dojo frequenters like Kings Dead, MeLo-X, Audio PushTito Lopez, and Devine Carama. We’ve even got a few fresh faces for y’all like Michael Christmas, Dom McLennon, A La $ole, GoldLink, and Fresco Nerd. Given the sheer size of our comeback playlist (over 45 tracks!), I’ll keep it light on the words this week to conserve your precious time and keep you focused on the music. However, if you like what you hear from any of these artists and want to check out any relevant projects from them, I’ll include a link roll below.

We hope you guys enjoyed our fifteenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo as much as we did! As always, you can send all submissions/suggestions to baseer@themusicninja.com and ash@themusicninja.com.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS (ALT. LINK)

Roc Marciano – The Pimpire Strikes Back

Jabee – Deliver Us From Evil

MED & Blu – The Buzz EP

Waldo – NSDE/OUTSDE

MoRuf – Shades.Of.Moo

Alexander Spit – Dillinger

Eddie B & Harry Fraud – Paper, Piff & Polo

Lecrae – Church Clothes Vol. 2

Fresco Nerd – Unexpected Expectations

Village of Pharaohs – Pharaodysseus (1996 A.D.)

Fly.Union – Loose Releases

OverDoz – Boom

MeLo-X – GOD: Pièce de Résistance

Tyrone Briggs – Scattered Thoughts

’Eminem – Don’t Front (feat. Buckshot)’
’Busta Rhymes – Thank You ft. Q Tip’
’Raekwon – It’s My Thing’
’A La $ole – Been Swank (Prod. Hames)’
’Devine Carama – 16 Bars In A Clip (produced by J
Ideas)’
’Devin Miles – Show You The Cool {Prod. Air Kalo} Ft. Scolla’
’Audio Push – So Far To Go (Freestyle)’
’Hollywood FLOSS ft. Like of Pac Div – Underdog Remix’
’Roc Marciano – Sincerely Antique Ft. Action Bronson & Willie The Kid (prod. Alchemist)’
’Styles P. – All I Got (feat. Action Bronson & Easy Money) (Produced By Statik Selektah)’
’ELMNT – Tesla’s Son (Prod. Cam)’
’Jabee – PLVYVHVT3 ft. Kool AD’
’Stik Figa – Untitled +1 ft. Add 2′
’MED & Blu – The Buzz feat. Mayer Hawthorne (prod. Madlib)’
’ShowYouSuck – 80’s Boobs (prod by J. Arthur)’
’Waldo – Kobe’s Room (Truth Be Told) (Prod. by Sango)’
’MoRuf – Homie.Lover.Friend ft Jesse Boykins III’
’Isaiah Rashad – Ronnie Drake feat. SZA (Prod. by The Antydote)’
’Casey Veggies – Faces Remix (Ft. Dom Kennedy)(prod. Rob Holladay)’
’Casey Veggies – Life$tyle Remix (Ft. Curren$y)’
’Smoke DZA
Legends In The Making (Ashtray Pt.2) (Ft. Wiz Khalifa & Curren$y) Prod. By Harry Fraud’
’PrezSport – Same King (prod by Jansport J)’
’GoldLink – Creep’
’Blended Babies – See The World Ft. Asher Roth & Chuck Inglish’
’Alexander Spit – 94 Logo Blur feat. Chuck Inglish’
’Eddie B – The Warning ft. Sean Price & Termanology (Prod. By Harry Fraud)’
’Sean Price, Billy Danze & Maffew Ragazino (feat. DJ Babu) – Land of the Crooks (prod. by M Phazes)’
’Kuniva (of D12) – Michiganish ft. Jon Connor, Boldy James, Guilty Simpson’
’Lecrae – Was It Worth It (feat. Derek Minor & Crystal Nicole)’
’Shelton Harris & Tyler Dopps – No Gods’
’MoRuf – Fallen (prod. MeLo X)’
’Fresco Nerd – Real (Feat. A.J. Crew) (Prod. By ToneBeatz)’
’Brian Fresco – CIRCUMSTANCES ft. CRich’
’Dom McLennon – UNTLTD FLX’
’Jon Waltz – LNIA (Last Night In Atlanta)’
’Jon Waltz – Magic City (FNIA)
’Ryan Hemsworth & Starlito – “Can’t Get Over You”‘
’Fredo Santana – Jealous (Ft. Kendrick Lamar)’
’Kid Ink – My Own Lane (Prod by Ned Cameron)’
’Village of Pharaohs – Back to Cairolina (MMA & IV League) (Prod. by Ski Beatz)’
’Fly.Union – I’m There’
’OverDoz – These Niggas Ft Nipsey Hussle (Prod by. THC)’
’Kings Dead – Don’t Need Much’
’Tito Lopez – #BUSSIN (Prod. By Lone Lez)’
’Michael Christmas – Kunishi (Prod. Jasper Sheff)’
’MeLo X – Remember Remember (Feat. Cheri Coke)’
’Rockie Fresh (Feat. Lunice) – HEADQUARTERS Freestyle’
’Phive – Blowing Up! (feat The Graduates)’
’Tyrone Briggs – LOSER (Prod. by Mike Cash)’
Related items:

The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 14]

After way too many delays, I finally present to you the fourteenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo. These playlists keep getting larger and larger, which is really a good sign for the state of hip-hop, as it means there’s way too much quality material for me to even sort through on a weekly basis. Like a trooper though, I’ve powered through to bring you some of the best the game has to offer. We have quite the eclectic group here for you, with a few artists showing off their versatility by making repeat appearances throughout the playlist. Among them are returning veterans like Chance The RapperHit-Boy, Alchemist, Action Bronson, and Domo Genesis as well as newcomer, Sean Dee. Hit-Boy in particular had a strong showing this week, tackling some recent singles from two of his favorite idols. For his first effort, Hit-Boy recruits Rockie Fresh to aid him with a remix of Jay-Z‘s “Somewhere In America.” While Jay’s line about Miley Cyrus had everyone in stitches, I have to say Rockie’s little jab at Amanda Bynes might actually be just as clever. On the second cut, Hit-Boy puts his own stamp on Kanye’s “New Slaves,” flashing his shiny “New Chains” for the whole world to see. It’ll be interesting to see what Hit-Boy has ahead of him now that he’s officially parted ways with G.O.O.D. Music.

Leading off this week’s lineup is one of my absolute favorite groups from the 90’s, Camp Lo, who team up with Pete Rock and Mac Miller for a fun little ode to the always alluring Megan GoodAlchemist came through this week as well, releasing a mini-EP in collaboration with streetwear company SSUR, featuring the likes of Freddie Gibbs, Domo Genesis, Action Bronson, Blu and more. If I had to base my decision on production alone, then the dreamy soundscape on Na$im Williams‘ “61 Lilies” would be a lock for the top honors this week. Luckily, each emcee that touches the record has the bars to match. Devin Miles reminds us of at least one reason why summertime happens to be the most beloved of all seasons through his latest single (hint: it has something to do with “Sundresses”). Bishop Nehru recently dropped off one of the most impressive mixtapes of the year with strictlyFLOWZ. We’ve only provided you with a small bite here, but we’d like to think that at only 16 years old, it’s pretty evident that Nehru has a bright future ahead of him.

With the feverish temperatures escalating throughout the country, it’s only appropriate that Ibn Inglor would come through with a furious “COLD STORM” to help rescue us from this blistering heat. If Cazzie Jetson sounds familiar to you at all, it’s probably because he constitutes 1/3 of TMN favorite, THEBLKHANDS. Cazzie brings that same focus and dedication to quality to his solo effort, “$eminole.” Jarred A.G. and Dally Auston continue to show off why Chicago is one of the preeminent cities for hip-hop at the moment, ruthlessly shredding apart this C-Sick produced number like the “Barbarians” they claim to be. Meanwhile, Da YoungFellaz display why they’ve been a constant staple on these pages over the last few weeks with yet another excellent single in “Presidential Rolex.”

Words cannot describe my excitement when I first discovered Atmosphere‘s new single, “Bob Seger.” While the title may seem odd at first, it has plenty to do with this exchange right here. I guess Slug draws his inspiration from Twitter now. With a rumored seventh studio album in the works, we’re hoping “Bob Seger” is just a taste of what’s to come from one of the most accomplished hip-hop acts of the last fifteen years. Speaking of accomplished underground artists, Tech N9ne surprises us with one of his most personal tracks to date, addressing much of the criticism he’s received towards his art, and how he handles it. It doesn’t hurt that he gets a fiery new verse from Kendrick Lamar too.

If you need any more convincing that MeLo-X is one of the illest emcees doing it right now, look no further than “Natural Vibez,” which is equal parts chill-out anthem and equal parts trunk rattler. In case you missed it, check out MeLo’s terrific GOD: HiFi project; it’s an absolutely must listen. Chance The Rapper isn’t quite done with the acid rap, teaming up with ProbCause to bring us a trippy new ode to “LSD.”  It’s a well known fact that Space Jam is easily one of the greatest films ever made (anyone who tries to argue this just doesn’t understand modern cinema), so when I saw this single from Audio Push appealing to my nostalgia, I just had to press play. Sampling a portion of the classic theme song, the West Coast duo transforms the hyped up tune into a certified dance floor anthem.

We hope you guys enjoyed our fourteenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo as much as we did! As always, you can send all submissions/suggestions to baseer@themusicninja.com.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS

’Camp Lo & Pete Rock – Megan Good Ft.Mac Miller’
’Alchemist – Camp Registration feat Step Brothers, Action Bronson, Blu & Domo Genesis’
’Alchemist – Tesla feat Domo Genesis, Freddie Gibbs & Hodgy Beats’
’Na$im Williams – 61 Lilies feat. Scheme, Doc, & Sulaiman’
’ANTHM – I Remember’
’Rapsody – Dark Knights featuring Wale’
’Devin Miles – Sundress’
’Bishop Nehru – Mobb Dizzle’
’Joey Bada$$ – Norwegian Breakfast’
’Sean Dee – LiT.’
’Kami de Chukwu – Won’t Not.’
’Mickalas Cage – Cross Roads ft. Chance The Rapper & Vic Mensa’
’Martin $ky
PEARL GAWD’
’Ibn Inglor – COLD STORM (prod. Mhone Glor)’
’Ken Rebel – Rebel Life (Remix) Feat. Brandun DeShay’
’Cazzie Jetson – $EMINOLE’
’Snoop Dogg – Passenger Seat (Prod. Cardo)’
’Curren$y – I Can’t Stop’
’Dom Kennedy – Erica Part 1 (Prod. by Lord Quest)’
’Jarred A.G. – BARBARIANS ft. Dally Auston (Prod. C Sick)’
’Willie The Kid – Medusa feat. Action Bronson & Roc Marciano’
’The Procussions – Fall to Fly’
’True 2 Life Music – We Go’
’Da YoungFellaz – Presidential Rolex (feat. Kepstar & DeVo D)’
’The Underachievers – The Proclamation’
’Blame One & J57 – B.L.A.M.E.57 (featuring DJ Rhettmatic)’
”Ezko – Wake Up Feat. Andy Gruhin, Scolla & THURZ’
’Hit Boy – SomeWhereInAmerica (Remix) Feat. Rockie Fresh’
’Atmosphere – Bob Seger’
’Archie Bang – Blasphemy (prod. By 12 Keyz)’
’Tech N9ne – Fragile feat. Kendrick Lamar, ¡MAYDAY! and Kendall Morgan’
’Doley Bernays – Till We Fall’
’Hayk x dFresh – Elevate (prod. Mike C)’
’Kings Dead – Honest Abe’
’MeLo X – Natural Vibez (Prod. Tom Richman)’
’ProbCause – LSD ft. Chance The Rapper’
’Sean Dee – Bow and Arrows (Feat. Anna Yvette)’
’Audio Push – Space Jam ft. Lil Wayne’
’Chuckie – Makin’ Papers ft. Lupe Fiasco, Snow Da Product & Too $hort’
’DJ Katch feat. Izza Kizza – Let Me In’
’E40 – All My N*ggas featuring Danny Brown & Schoolboy Q’
’Hit Boy – New Chains (James Sommerset)’
Related items:

The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 11]

What up ninjas? Today we’re looking to start your June off the right way with a fresh edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo. We’ve stacked together one of the largest hauls we’ve ever had, making this quite the exciting week for new music. Given that this week’s playlist boasts a whopping 36 tracks, I won’t be detailing every track on here, but I’ll do my best to sum up the highlights.

We kick things off with the whimsical ode to everyone’s second favorite Peanuts character, “Charlie Brown.” Taking on the perspective of the beloved loner, ScienZe and Blu bring us a charming feel-good single complete with plenty of references to the cartoon. Our next selection focuses on Kel’s favorite subject, as Chicago’s Vic Mensa tells us exactly why he shares that same love for “Orange Soda.” We keep things local to Chitown with the homie Jahzel who hopes to clue us into what the next “Chapter” of his life will entail. One of the most impressive submissions of the week comes from Brooklyn’ King Jul who absolutely shreds apart a familiar sample of Kool & The Gang‘s classic “Summer Madness.”

Moving on, we welcome the return of Jadakiss with his brand new single, “Big Boy Dialogue” alongside The-Dream. While Kiss hasn’t had a hit in quite awhile unfortunately, he’s still out to prove that he’s Top 5, Dead or Alive, which happens to be the name of his upcoming album. Meanwhile, we bring back Al-Fatir for his second appearance in The Hip-Hop Dojo, this time to discuss his dream of finally making it big. Tito Lopez and Jon Connor are two other veterans of the Dojo who are really just “Tryna Get On” with their lives as they continue on their endless hustle. Joey Bada$$ upholds that “Word Is Bond” with the first single from his upcoming Summer Knights project, set to drop on June 12th.

KRBL Rebel Radio reduce all other emcees to “Dust” when they step up to the mic. Need more proof? Check out their self-titled debut album here. One of this week’s most intelligent tracks comes in the form of “80-D” from St. Louis beat maestro Mvstermind. In case you missed the worldplay in the song’s title, “80-D” really stands for A.D.D. which also happens to be the title of Mvstermind’s latest project, A.D.D. (Artistically Day Dreaming); check it out here. If you’re in need of a relaxing number to start off your weekends this summer, look no further than Witty Rock‘s “Morning Breath,” one of many standout tracks from his recently released EP of the same name. One of this week’s most original pieces comes to us from indie rock outfit, The Neighbourhood. “West Coast” serves as a stark contrast to anything heard on the band’s much lauded debut, I Love You, yet it still fits perfectly within the realm of their musical sound. The laidback number hearkens back to West Coast hip-hop influences of the 90’s like The Pharcyde and Dr. Dre, with lead singer Jesse Rutherford trying his hand on the mic as an emcee.

Another artist making his second mark on The Hip-Hop Dojo this week is wordsmith Martin $ky with two exceptional new joints, “TRACK O1” and “critiCALI.” Both cuts serve as a reminder that Martin is clearly one of the top young emcees in the game. With his latest single, Odd Future’s Hodgy Beats invites us to take a crucial step back and envision where our lives will be “Years” from now. Given that today is the first of June, who better to help us ring in the start of the month than a man who derives his moniker from the name of the month itself? June brings us his latest joint straight from the “Gutta,” alongside his talented brother Teddy Walton who handles the production duties. Over the last few weeks we’ve been impressed with the output from J. Cole‘s Dreamvillain imprint, most notably from NYC’s Bas. Now Omen is primed to display his talents over the guitar-driven “Medusa.” If there’s one thing you take away from this song it’s that “Death to the duckface” should be an actual movement.

It’s not very often that you hear about emcees from Seattle, but once in awhile a special one will emerge from the underground depths of the Pacific Northwest. With his raspy, guttural voice and exasperating flow Raz Simone falls somewhere between Macklemore and Gorilla Zoe, though making such easy comparisons may seem a little lazy. “These Kids Throw Rocks” takes a little while to grow on you, but after a few listens, you’ll realize this one easily shines among the collection of singles we have today. We’d also like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Hayk, a 22 year old emcee hailing from Watertown, MA. An Armenian refugee, Hayks’ first two singles here serve as his comeback  to the rap game after being assaulted while promoting his mixtape in Boston three years ago. It’s a sad story that resulted in the young rapper having to get a metal plate inserted into his jaw, and he details his experiences in both “A Sad Song” and “Fly Away.”

Childish Major is proving to be one of the most gifted young producers out there, and he puts his raw talents on display once again with Nemo Achida‘s “Slave To The Wave.” Nemo is no slouch either, blessing the instrumental with his infectious, head-bopping flow. Last week we alluded to the possibility of Da YoungFellaz stretching their run in The Hip-Hop Dojo to three weeks straight. Well the duo heeded our calls by dropping “Welcome To NYC Part II,” which serves as a makeshift sequel to the Hov and Killa Cam classic. It would be fair to say they far exceeded our expectations with this one. With their latest collaboration, Sir Michael Rocks and Mac Miller look to introduce us to the “Madness” that accompanies life in the fast lane. Speaking of madness, Mac’s new single with Diplo is just about as crazy as it gets, as he spits over some blaring horns sampled from the song, “Bulgarian Chicks.” Diplo never ceases to amaze and perplex us. Our next piece comes from hard-hitting twosome Run The Jewels. Maybe it’s from all the Arrested Development I’ve been watching lately, but for some reason the title “Banana Clipper” instantly reminded me of this scene right here. THURZ provides a little fuel to all the Illuminati conspiracy buffs as he bodies the otherworldly beat on “ThirdEye.”

When Windy City representative Wonda says “Please Don’t Listen To This Song,” he’s being serious; he’d rather have you watch the music video instead. This certified banger’s visuals might be the most random you’ll witness all year, but that’s exactly why they add to the charm of the song, which doesn’t really take things too seriously. It’s almost freaky just how talented Wrekonize and Tech N9ne are as they absolutely eviscerate every instrumental they touch, this one included. We then take things over to The Kings Dead who seem to be settling in nicely to their new moniker bringing  us the cinematic cut, “Over Dinner.” Finally, we wrap things up with ScHoolboy who gets us ready for the party of a lifetime with “Hell Of A Night.” ScHoolboy’s upcoming major label debut, Oxymoron, is easily one of our most anticipated of the year.

We hope you guys enjoyed our eleventh edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo as much as we did! As always, you can send all submissions/suggestions to baseer@themusicninja.com.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS

’ScienZe – Charlie Brown feat. Blu (prod. EOM)’
’Vic Mensa – Orange Soda’
’Jahzel – Chapters’
’Kahali Oden – 80 Proof Diaries (prod. by Willie Staxx)’
’King Jul – Whatever’
’Jadakiss – Big Boy Dialogue ft. The Dream’
’Al Fatir – One Man’s Dream’
’Tito Lopez – Tryna Get On (feat. Jon Connor)’
’Joey Bada$$ – Word Is Bond (Prod. Statik Selektah)’
’KRBL Rebel Radio – Dust’
’Mvstermind – 80D (Ft AtM,Lyrique, Ciej, Sixella Yoccum)’
’Witty Rock – Morning Breath’
’The Neighbourhood – West Coast’
’Martin $ky – TRACK 01 (Prod. by Knxledge)’
’Martin $ky – critiCALI (Prod. by Mndsgn)’
’Hodgy Beats – Years’
’June – Gutta (Prod. Teddy Walton)’
’Omen – Medusa’
’Raz Simone – These Kids Throw Rocks’
’Notes To Self – Recoil (Crimson)’
’Hayk x dFresh – A Sad Song (prod. EVO Productions)’
’Hayk – Fly Away (prod. EVO Productions)’
’Nemo Achida – Slave To The Wave (Intro)’
’Calliko – High Life (prod. by Luxury)’
’Tory Lanez – Fourteen & 40’s (Prod. The Mekanics x Tory Lanez)’
’Da YoungFellaz – Welcome To NYC Part II (feat. Crome)’
’Sir Michael Rocks – Madness Feat. Mac Miller (Prod Syk Sense)’
’Mac Miller x Diplo – Goosebumps’
’Run The Jewels – Banana Clipper feat Big Boi’
’THURZ  – ThirdEye (prod. by KHAN)’
’Olu – Nwanko’
’Wonda – Please Don’t Listen To This Song’
’Doley Bernays – Blessed’
’Wrekonize – Freak (Feat. Tech N9ne)’
’The Kings Dead – Over Dinner’
’ScHoolboy Q – Hell Of A Night (Prod. By DJ Dahi)’
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The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 10]

This week hasn’t been very kind to me folks. From nagging injuries to a nasty lingering cold, I’ve spent most of my week resigned indoors as I try to recover. Despite all of those hurdles though, I’ve managed to push through to bring you all the tenth edition of the Hip-Hop Dojo. Last week was all about introducing you guys to new artists, and while we do have a few fresh names around here again, you should be familiar with a majority of the lot. I won’t be able to elaborate on every track today, but I would like to point out some of the standout material from this week’s collection. We just hope this playlist can serve as a nice break from the Arrested Development marathon we all know you’re currently having.

We start things of with New Jersey native MoRuf, a recent college graduate who decided to celebrate by crafting a song about it. Looking forward to the road ahead, Mo hopes to dodge some stormy weather as he seeks the clear path towards success. Next up to the plate is Devine Carama who hopes to enlighten his listeners through his lyrics and his flow. Da YoungFellaz hope to take us on a trip to “New Rich City” with their latest effort. This marks the second straight week that the duo has been featured in the Dojo, and we hope that streak continues going forward. Our fourth selection reminds us of a lesson Bay Area emcee A-1  taught us a few weeks back. On “Funeral Season” Statik and crew provide us with a few more details about the spike in violence that occurs during the hot summer months. Bun B and Hit-Boy in particular come through with some surprisingly stellar verses.

A good chunk of this week’s compilation comes to us from Chicago. In fact, two of the best works lyrically are featured back to back: the first one being F.Stokes‘ “1954” and the second being Psalm One‘s “Queen Until.” We also can’t ignore our newest piece from the SAVEMONEY clique. The ensemble provides us with bars for days as they absolutely tear through the seven minute remix of Giftz’s “Nino.” Another phenomenal number comes to us from Waldo who “Finally” makes his Hip-Hop Dojo premiere. The Michigan emcee certainly impresses on the mic as he spits over a lush, atmospheric instrumental from Sango. Our final offering from Chitown comes courtesy of Julian Malone, who preps us for the release of his upcoming Diff.Rnt mixtape with the first single, “Tokyo.” 

Tate Tucker‘s “Fire” wins the title of smoothest track of the week, but Bas‘ “Lit” might be a close second. Featuring a sample of Miguel‘s “Do You” and an excellent guest verse from J. Cole, “Lit” definitely stands out as one of the top tracks to drop this week (seriously, I can’t emphasize enough how clutch that Cole feature is). Interpolating the chorus of the Fresh Prince classic, Blu wants to remind us exactly what time it is (even if it might not feel that way in certain parts of the country) on “Summer Time.”

Now I don’t normally feature freestyles on here, but there’s something about Drake‘s “5 AM In Toronto” that brings the best out of every emcee that touches it. A few weeks ago we shared Joell Ortiz‘s rendition of “5 AM In Brooklyn,” and today we bring you Voli‘s “5 AM.” The Jersey representative definitely brings his A-game as he steps up to the mic on this one. When you first press play on Lecrae‘s “Round of Applause” it might sound like your average trap banger, but if you pay close attention to the lyrics, you’ll realize the true message behind the song. The track is all about emerging from the stereotypes that many of these rappers fall victim to, and proving that it’s possible to be successful through hard work and education. That provides a perfect segue to our next selection, as Goodie Mob attempts to provide us with “Special Education” of their own. Featuring the vocal stylings of Janelle Monáe, the newest single from the legendary quartet is sure to make your headphones explode with its whirring, hard-hitting instrumental. The track also proves that Cee Lo can still rap his ass off, as he completely demolishes the beat with his tremendous wordplay.

Snow Tha Product is the only artist to be featured twice this week, and for good reason. If you don’t know about Snow yet, it’s still not too late to jump on her bandwagon. The Mexican-American emcee absolutely bodies tracks with her rapid-fire flow, proving she can hold her own on both “On. Now” featuring Trae Tha Truth and “Cali Luv,” a record produced by The Cataracs that includes a sample of Tupac‘s classic “California Love.” The next selection I’d like to highlight is from Travi$ Scott. Kanye’s latest protégé recently released his Owl Pharoah mixtape, and this particular track was too good to pass up. “Dance on the Moon” has a very Kid Cudi-esque vibe to it, mostly thanks to Theophilus London‘s vocals on the chorus. The final track on our playlist might be the most upbeat (and the most random) of them all. Featuring the unlikely pairing of 2 Chainz and Macklemore, Clinton Sparks brings us an energetic number all about chasing paper and having a generally good time.All in all, it’s a perfect way to wrap things up.

We hope you guys enjoyed our tenth edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo as much as we did! As always, you can send all of your submissions/suggestions to baseer@themusicninja.com.

(As a bonus, I wanted to direction your attention to a fun little video I’ve included below. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will always have a special place in the hearts of all hip-hop fans, so I feel it’s my duty to alert you of any mini-reunions of the show’s cast.)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS

’MoRuf – Dodging.Dark.Clouds.’
’Devine Carama – Light Switch Flow’
’Da YoungFellaz – New Rich City (feat. Sal Capone)’
’Statik Selektah – Funeral Season (feat. Styles P, Bun B, & Hit Boy)’
’Giftz – Nino (Remix) Feat. Tree, Joey Purp, Kami de Chukwu, Dally Auston, Brian Fresco & Caleb James’
’Julian Malone – Tokyo’
’Waldo – Finally (Prod. by Sango)’
’F. Stokes – 1954’
’Psalm One – Queen Until (Prod. By Panik)’
’Tate Tucker – Fire’
’Bas – Lit feat. J. Cole and KQuick (Prod. by Ced)’
’MeLo X – Mojitos and Little Dragon’
’Blu & Bombay – “Summer Time” feat. Arima Ederra’
’Spose – I’m Starving’
’Chuck Inglish – For The Love (Feat. Asher Roth)’
’Sir Michael Rocks – In a Minute feat. Ab Soul & Dash (Prod. Larry Fisherman)’
’Earl Sweatshirt – Guild (feat. Mac Miller)’
’Kid Ink – Bossin’ Up  ft A$AP Ferg & French Montana’
’Voli – 5AM’
’Lecrae – Round Of Applause ft. B.o.B’
’Goodie Mob – Special Education f. Janelle Monae’
’Machine Gun Kelly – Peso ft. Pusha T & Meek Mill’
’Snow Tha Product – On. Now ft. Trae Tha Truth (Prod. by Cardo)’
’Snow Tha Product – Cali Luv (Prod. by The Cataracs)’
’Travi$ Scott – Dance On The Moon Feat. Theophilus London & Paul Wall’
’YONAS – Pocket Full of Dreams’
’Clinton Sparks – Gold Rush feat 2 Chainz, Macklemore & D.A.’
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The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 6]

Sorry for the delay this week folks. I had some unforeseen issues with my computer, which had me out of service for a few days. No need to worry though, because the Hip-Hop Dojo still lives on stronger than ever. To compensate for my tardiness, I’ve assembled the largest collection of music we’ve ever had for volume six. While I won’t be able to go into too much detail for this round, please note that there’s something here for everybody. Considering that last Saturday was 4/20, you know we definitely have a steady lineup of stoner anthems for you out there. From Odd Future’s Domo Genesis to longtime cardholder Redman, everybody was caught discussing the notorious green bud last weekend. We’ve also got a couple of bangers in here as well, with “94” by Kings Dead (formerly known as The Dean’s List) possibly being the standout track of the week. Additionally, quite a few artists make multiple appearances in this edition. Among them are notable names like Mac Miller, Kami de Chukwu, Los, and The White Mandingos, an alternative hip-hop band featuring the talents of Murs, Darryl Jennifer and Sacha Jenkins. Hope you guys really enjoy this edition of the Hip-Hop Dojo. As always, send all submissions and suggestions to baseer@themusicninja.com. Peace.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS

’Quasimoto – Planned Attack’
’SAVEMONEY: Brian Fresco x Joey Purp x Sterling Hayes x Kami de Chukwu – Red Kool Aid’
’Kami de Chukwu – The Lean…1 2 D(ie) 4’
’Domo Genesis – Drugs Got Me Spiritual (Ft. Remy Banks)’
’Los – Burn Slow Feat. Wiz Khalifa & Mickey Shiloh’
’Larry Fisherman – Boat Races (Feat Boldy James & Freddie Gibbs)’
’Redman – Hands Up Ft. Doitall & Mr. Cheeks’
’OverDoz. – F$WSAD Ft. Problem’
’Mac Miller & DJ Jazzy Jeff – CPR (prod. Hannibal King)’
’Cheech & Chong – Marijuana (Remix) Ft. Mod Sun’
’The White Mandingos – Black Girl Toof’

’Gerald Walker – One Life To Live’

’Chris Faust – Prom Queen (feat. Sunny Jones & ScienZe)’
’Shuko – Be Yourself feat. Blu’
’20 Grand Pikaso – Life Is What You Make It’
’Quake Matthews – We Can Do Better Ft. Freeway & RS Smooth (Prod J. Cardim)’
’Memphis Bleek – Never’
’Tito Lopez – Unsung’
’Los – Disappointed Feat. Diddy & Ludacris’
’Zemek – Death & Taxes’
’Fonz E Mak – BRKFST’
’Denzil Porter
Bishop’
’Silent Knight – Craig Sagers Suit’
’The White Mandingos – Mandingo Rally’
’Marco Polo – Stand Up (Remix) f/ Tragedy, Lil Fame (of. M.O.P.), Adrian Younge & The Delfonics’
’Add 2 – Underdog (prod. Thelonious Martin)’
’R.A. The Rugged Man – Holla Loo Yuh (ft. Tech N9ne & Krizz Kaliko)’
’Big Boi – In the A (Shoes For Running Remix) Feat. Killer Mike’
’Logic – Nasty’
’Joell Ortiz – 5 AM In Brooklyn’ Freestyle
Details & Track!’
’Emilio Rojas – Pray’
’Joey Fatts – Choppa (Feat A$AP Rocky & Danny Brown)’
”Kings Dead – 94’
’Thesis43 – The Era’

’iSH – All Fall Down’

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The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 3]

What up y’all? The Hip-Hop Dojo is back for round 3 and ready to bring you an onslaught of new hip-hop music. This week was dominated by Harry Fraud and Peter Rosenberg. With Rosenberg dropping his New York Renaissance mixtape today, we were provided with a slew of great releases from some of The Big Apple’s best and brightest young emcees. The intro to the tape, is also the first collaboration between Joey Bada$$ and Harry Fraud. “Day In The Life” showcases that throwback flow that Joey and his Pro Era crew have been perfecting since they first entered the game. On the next track from the compilation, Queens collective, World’s Fair, revive the gritty spirit of the ’96 Knicks, harkening back to the heated rivalry between two of the NBA’s toughest squads of the late 90’s. The last single from the tape is Action Bronson‘s “Compliments 2 The Chef” where he spits a few bars about his favorite subject: exquisite food. Anyone else think a remix with Raekwon is in order for this one?

Speaking of New York, we’ve included a nice little project from Jay Shell that all you hip-hop heads will definitely enjoy. Taking quotes from various rap songs about specific spots in NYC, Jay Shell then posted those quotes as signs around the city in the exact locations mentioned. It’s a pretty neat idea that really connects you with the artists and the meaning behind their lyrics. Check out the video after the playlist.

Before we even get to New York though, we have to travel through Chicago. While Martin $ky tries to capture his memories in the form of a “Polaroid,” SaveMoney‘s Sterling Hayes recruits D2G and Kembe X to reflect on some of their own. We then take a brief detour to the Southwest, to visit a “Church” in “West Texas” as Austin native M.I and Blu reveal their struggles with faith. Next up, we have a great new track from California’s Audio Push, who sample the most badass quote of all time, from the greatest show on television, Breaking Bad.

Our next two tracks may have the illest beats to be featured on here this week. The first of these comes in the form of Smith‘s “Don Sh*t”. Smith, who may want to consider using with a more distinctive moniker, absolutely murders the Woodro Skillson (now that’s an awesome name) produced cut alongside Maffew Ragazino. Following that up, we have a dope, chilled-out track from Al-Fatir , where he describes to us the life of a “Man From The Sky.” We also have “Bubble Gum Blues,” a Mac Miller produced cut that features Top Dawg’s Ab-Soul trading bars with Young Money’s Short Dawg. Making his third appearance in the Dojo, is King Chip, with the grimy new track, “Heinous.” At this point, we might as well just give him a key to the building. We’ll have to see if he keeps his streak going next week.

As we approach the home stretch, we decided to take a turn a more “fun” approach towards the remainder of our selections. Wale‘s freestyle over the group’s “Sight of the Sun” definitely fits the bill, and is a refreshing break from the MMG dynamic we’ve been hearing from the DMV native lately. Sol‘s “Dope” is a light and airy track that definitely lives up to its name. Next up, we have Outasight‘s “Remember Me” which is a smooth leftover from his debut album, Nights Like These. Finally, we wrap things up with a two-for-one with Honors English‘s “Insanity Plea Pt. 1 & 2.” Honors English describes life as an artist with integrity and consequently, an outsider looking in. What originally sold me on the track is the incredible lyrics video, which is definitely a must watch.

I hope you guys enjoyed the third edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo. As always, send all submissions and suggestions over to baseer@themusicninja.com.

 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS

’Martin $ky – Polaroid’

’Sterling Hayes – Retrospect ft. D2G x Kembe X (prod. Antydote)’
’Joey Bada$$ – “Day In The Life” (Prod. By Harry Fraud)’
’World’s Fair – ’96 Knicks !!’
’M.I – Church West Texas (ft. Blu)’
’Audio Push – Red Wine Remedies (Feat. Kent M$ney)’
’Eddie B feat. AG Da Coroner & Meyhem Lauren – “Michael Landon” (Prod. By Harry Fraud)’
’Action Bronson – Compliments 2 The Chef feat. Lauriana Mae (Prod. by Harry Fraud)’
’ScienZe – The Answer (prod. Lord Quest)’
’Young Roddy – Life Ft Curren$y’
’Rome Cee x Greenspan – The Harvest (prod. August Flight Gordon)’
’OnCue – Live Forever (feat. Skizzy Mars) (prod. by Mike Kuz)’
’Smith – Don Sh*t (feat. Maffew Ragazino) (Prod. Woodro Skillson)’
’Al Fatir – Man From The Sky’
’Ab Soul & Short Dawg – Bubble Gum Blues (prod. Larry Fisherman)’
’King Chip – Heinous ft. Tezo’
’Sol – Dope (Prod. by The Zillas)’
’fun. – Sight of the Sun Freestyle Ft. Wale’
’Outasight – Remember Me’
’Honors English
Insanity Plea ft. Joe Budden Part 1 and 2 (The Complete Saga)’

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