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)’
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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. 7]

What up ninjas? We’re really excited to be bringing you the seventh edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo. This week’s collection leans a little towards the younger side, with a terrific assortment of raw, up and coming artists and burgeoning underground acts. We start things off on a rather mellow note, as Dally Auston and Joey Purp “do their thang” on the compulsory SAVEMONEY track of the week. The Chicago collective is constantly working to provide us with quality material week after week, and I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed with their product. We then slide on over to Tennessee native, Isaiah Rashad’s “Part III,” presumably a reference to Jay-Z‘s classic, “Dead Presidents II.” Those are huge shoes to fill, but Rashad definitely holds his own over the instrumental. Next up, we have Locksmith standing his ground over some stellar 9th Wonder production. It’s nearly impossible to hate anything 9th is involved in, and Locksmith does his part by providing some ill bars. Over some swinging production, Joey Bada$$ and Action Bronson prove “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt” that they deserve to be mentioned alongside the brightest young names in hip-hop.

With summer right around the corner, we decided to dedicate a portion of this playlist to our favorite season of the year. Kicking things off with the breezy vibes are Kool A.D. (of Das Racist fame) and Kassa Overall who make up the tag team duo of Kool & Kass. On “Pleasance,” the two emcees detail some of the thoughts that might circle through your brain during one of those late summer afternoons. One thing everybody looks for during this time of the year is summer love. N’Vante Santos describes his ideal specimen with the fun and hilarious single, “Hipster Girl.” By now you must have pictured the scorching sun beating down on you from above, so why not cool off with a delicious, refreshing beverage? NatNaiel proves that nothing beats the quintessential tall glass of “Lemon-Aid.” Before you know it, you’ll find yourself at the beach, ready to “Take Off” for a dip in the ocean. Let the waves wash over as you relax to UK native, Cynikal‘s ambient, relaxing new single. Once you’re out of the water, it might be time to kick “your shoes” off (if would be weird if you haven’t already) and start a party alongside ATL’s Scotty. Things have progressed pretty fast thus far, and the clock’s now hit “6:10 PM.” What better things do you have to do than toking up a bit and cruising down the coast in your whip (as long as you’re not the driver of course)? We’re pretty sure Chitown’s A.J. Crew would agree nothing. Finally, after that busy day of yours, why not unwind with a few videogames? Maybe you could even dust off that Pokemon cartridge to play on your old “Gameboi.” On “Insert Coin,” Gameboi and his crew of Clear Soul Forces and Illingsworth lace an 8-bit backdrop with some incredibly ill verses.

Things definitely take a turn for the darker side with our next three tracks. Chuck Inglish, crafts together a slinky, trunk rattling new single with bass-heavy “Drops.” The track definitely harkens back to the sound Inglish first established during his early days with The Cool Kids.  Next up, we have a haunting new Harry Fraud single, which brings to our attention the little known issue of “Yacht Lash,” something that occurs when the wealthy among us happent to crash their yachts. Earl Sweatshirt sounds right at home over the brooding instrumental, while Riff Raff seems to serve as little more than comedic relief. We then move on to Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire, who details his desire to forever be “Draped In Gold.”

Our next segment is dedicated to some heavy hitting bangers that are bound to get you amped up and out of your seats. Opening things up is Run The Jewels, a hip-hop duo comprised of Killer Mike and El-P. The two have proven they have chemistry in the past, which is what makes this collaboration seem effortless as the two trade bars over some manic production. Our second offering comes from P-Money, with his new song, “The Hardest.” The track definitely lives up to its name, thanks in no small part to M.O.P., who are literally the kings of hyped-up music. Closing things up in this section is R.A. The Rugged Man, who’s been bringing us quality material all month from his new album, Legends Never Die, which is definitely worth picking up.

This next ensemble of tracks keeps things on a more conscious tip. We begin with two fresh tracks from Eddy B, a name that should be familiar from previous editions of The Hip-Hop Dojo. The North Carolina spitter just dropped his Hopeless Act mixtape, and both “Paper” and “Trouble” are standouts from the project. While the first track describes the daily struggles involved in the quest for paper, the second describes many of the other problems on Eddy’s block. While Eddy recounts his experiences locally, King Wojack decides to tackle some prominent issues ailing this country as a whole in regards to politics and the media. Finally, A.Jay.D. and Maffew Ragazino take us down a trip through “Ghost Lane Drive,” a lonely road that I’m sure many of us have traveled on before.

Rounding out this playlist are three of my favorite tracks from the bunch. All three of them utilize some pretty recognizable samples. In fact, I’ll let you see if you can guess them before I move on. The first one should be relatively easy, as it shares its name with the original Purity Ring single. Angel Haze absolutely murders the lush, cascading backdrop, allowing us to view the song in a whole new light. Next, we shift our attention over to Donwill (1/2 of Tanya Morgan) who eviscerates a keen sample of James Blake‘s “Retrograde.” Ending out our playlist is one of the funnier and more intelligent pieces we have here. MeLo-X produces a nice little ode to Rihanna that serves as a remix of Drake‘s latest single, while also interpolating elements from “Pour It Up” and “Diamonds.” The track isn’t all gimmicks however, as MeLo is able to showcase both his talents as a rhymer and as a producer.

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

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS

’Dally Auston x Joey Purp
Do Ya’ Thang’
’Isaiah Rashad – Part III (Prod. The Antydote)’
’Locksmith – Stand It feat. Anesha (prod. 9th Wonder)’
’Joey Bada$$ – Beyond A Reasonable Doubt Feat. Action Bronson’
’Kool & Kass – Pleasance (WDGAF) (Prod. Carlos Overall)’
’N’Vante Santos
Hipster Girl’
’NatNaiel – Lemon Aid’
’Cynikal – Take Off’
’A.J. Crew – 6:10pm’
’Scotty – My Shoes ft. Starlito & Killa Kyleon (Produced by DJ Burn One)’
’Gameboi – Insert Coin ft. Clear Soul Forces & Illingsworth’
’Chuck Inglish – Drops’
’Harry Fraud – Yacht Lash (Ft. Earl Sweatshirt & Riff Raff)’
’Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Draped in Gold (prod. by Bowery Beats)’
’Run The Jewels – Get It’
’P.Money – The Hardest ft. M.O.P.’
’R.A. The Rugged Man – Sam Peckinpah (ft. Vinnie Paz & Sadat X)’
’Eddy B – Paper’
’Eddy B – Trouble’
’King Wojack – Freedom Is Not Free in America’
’A.Jay.D – Ghost Lane Drive feat. Maffew Ragazino’
’Angel Haze – Lofticries’
’Donwill – Miserable (Prod. By seventyMHz)’
’MeLo X – Girls Love Rihanna’
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