It’s been a long time in the making, but it’s finally here! Ladies and Gentleninjas, I now present to you: The Hip-Hop Dojo: Volume 1. You may find yourself asking what exactly to expect upon entering the Dojo.Well, that’s a very good question. The Hip-Hop Dojo allows us to share with you all the great hip-hop music that’s dropped over the last week that either a) we didn’t have time to get to OR b) we may have mistakenly missed. We then present all those tracks in one neat little playlist, with a short sentence or two describing each song. Take a listen below, and make sure to download all the FREE tracks here.
Serving as the intro to our playlist, we have Skizzy Mars‘ “15,” a cascading and uplifting song that’ll be the project starter on his upcoming mixtape, Phases. We then continue the trend with three more inspirational tracks. The first of those is “All I’ve Ever Dreamed Of” by HS87, which takes the namesake of their recent mixtape release. “All I’ve Ever Dreamed Of” is a song with almost two sides. Just as you begin to get a feel for Robin Thicke‘s triumphant chorus, the song slaps you in the face with some banging drums. What else would you expect from a Hit-Boy produced track? Next up on the list is a new single from up-and-coming Philly-duo OCD: Moosh & Twist from their Back to the Basement mixtape. Through the song, the two take turns rapping and singing about their ascent towards worldwide notoriety. If you’re looking for something particularly cheery to brighten up your day, I suggest checking out the music video for this one as well. Finally, rounding out our trio, we have an extremely playful and fun track by DMV-bred Roy Murci called, “Magic Johnson” that definitely has a Wale-esque vibe to it. The next track in the lineup we have is essentially a remix of a remix, as STS tackles Adventure Club‘s remix of Flight Facilities‘ “Crave You” to profess his absolute love for gold. Following things up, we have another new track with a famous sample as Big K.R.I.T. flips James Blake‘s “The Wilhelm Scream” to reflect on his state of mind as he prepares for his upcoming mixtape, King Remembered In Time.
Moving on, what Dojo would be complete without an appearance from a member of the Wu-Tang Clan? Raekwon reminds us of the good ol’ 90’s with his newest effort, spitting some elegant bars over a soulful backdrop. Keystone-native, Tayyib Ali also revives that old school aesthetic, proving that he does anything but follow “The Script.” Next up, we have duo Kidz In The Hall, who bring us a dazzling, head-bopping single in “No Doz.” We then shift over to the West Coast to the savvy pairing of TiRon & Ayomari who forget their filters when discussing their ideas of love and women. Crossing back across the country to New York, we we find Torae and Skyzoo who to want to remind us of the message Wu-Tang made famous 20 years ago, letting us know that “Cash Still Rules” everything.
As we continue forward, we come across a couple of bangers to turn up with your headphones plugged in. Termanology, Ea$y Money, and Nitty Scott MC all flex their mic skills for the hell of it over a reverberant, guitar-laden beat on “Bars For Days”. Our next two tracks feature a common subject: every rapper’s favorite herb. While King Chip takes us to a place known as Clevelafornia to tell us where he prefers to smoke his, the boisterous Sahtyre creates a complete dedication to his favorite vegetable over an insanely wild, high octane beat. Chitown natives Joey Purp and Kami De Chukwu may still be young, but they provide us with some brief insight to all the fun to be had at an “Illuminati Slumber Party.” Staying within the confines of the illest city in the Midwest, Cracko Kain & Vic Spencer speculate upon the state of Chicago operating under martial law. Boldy James’ “Goose Egg,” is a haunting yet infectious number, that’ll have you pressing play again the second it ends.
The final three tracks are meant for more mellow occasions, when you’re looking to just kick back and unwind to some relaxing tunes. We start that process off with SMKA‘s “Good Life.” Laced with a euphoric beat from Kato, ATLiens Playboy Tre, Spree Wilson and Marian Mereba all discuss the struggles endured during the quest for the good life. Coming from young Japanase duo BenZel, “Semi Detached” is a raw, emotional track with stellar, ethereal production that reaches you right to the core. Chance the Rapper blesses the track with a casual, yet introspective guest verse, while British crooner Cass Lowe tugs at our heartstrings with his delicate, whispering vocals. Last but not least, we have the multi-talented MeLo-X, coming to us with “Handle It” which will be featured on his upcoming GOD: LoFi project. With this latest effort, MeLo is able to show off his skills as both a producer and rapper, as he takes M-Phazes‘ remix of Gotye‘s “Somebody I Used To Know” and transforms it into a seductive, soothing bedroom anthem.
We really hope you enjoyed the first edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo. If you have any submissions or suggestions for the next edition, feel free to send them to baseer@themusicninja.com.
Illuminati Slumber Party’
Goose Egg’
Semi Detached (Feat. Cass Lowe & Chance The Rapper)’
