[16 To End 2016] Ninja Dom Edition

#1 – “Tangle Formations” by Explosions In The Sky from their seventh studio Album, The Wilderness.

  • The experimental post-rock band has moved past their days of scoring Friday Night Lights and set their sights on even more ambitious goals with a reinvented sound. The Wildnerness is as much of a conceptual and enjoyable journey as the previous projects, but with more structure and direction.
Explosions In The Sky
Tangle Formations

#2 – “Laputa (Taylor McFerrin Remix)” by Hiatus Kaiyote from their remix LP, Recalibrations Vol. 1.

  • After releasing one of my favorite projects from 2015, the Early Riser LP, McFerrin made another splash this past May by reimagining a track from Hiatus Kaiyote’s 2015 album Choose your Weapon.
Hiatus Kaiyote
Laputa (Taylor McFerrin Remix) (feat. Anderson .Paak)

#3 – “It’s A Memory Feat. Elohim and Mansions on the Moon (Amtrac Remix) by Fred Falke from his remix EP, It’s A Memory – the Remixes.

  • In an unsurprising turn of events, Amtrac has put together the most impressive EDM remix of 2016, fusing the elements laid out by Fred Falke with his own brand of wizardry to create a one-of-a-kind track.
Fred Falke
It’s A Memory ft. Elohim, Mansions On The Moon (Amtrac Remix)

#4 – “Earth Girls” by Jesse Boykins III from his mixtape, Bartholomew.

  • While the album has features from the likes of Noname, Little Simz, Willow Smith, Syd, Mick Jenkins and others, his best work is done on a solo piece, Earth Girls. I wrote about this song earlier this year here.
Jesse Boykins III
Earth Girls

#5 – “Nights” by Frank Ocean from his second studio album, Blonde.

  • While it took Frank 4 years to give us another album, he certainly delivered with Blonde. In releasing his 2016-version of “Pyramids”, Frank gives us a growing piece that stands up to any criticism lobbed his way.
Frank Ocean
Nights

#6 – “Ultralight Beam Feat. Kelly Price, Donnie Trumpet, Chance the Rapper, The-Dream and Kirk Franklin” by Kanye West from The Life of Pablo.

  • The introduction track from the most hyped release of 2016 also gave us the best hip hop verse of the year – in addition to the most diverse contributors to a single track. Another instant classic to go in Kanye’s hall of fame catalog.
Kanye West
Ultralight Beat (feat. Chance The Rapper)

#7 – “My True Name” by Bloc Party. from their fifth studio album, Hymns.

  • 4 years after the release of Four, and after a major band member shakeup no less, Bloc Party returned to the studio headed by Kele to deliver one last time with another intimate, topical record.
Bloc Party
My True Name

#8 – “With Me” by Lane 8 from his project, This Never Happened.

  • The Leipzig-based producer started out 2016 with “Midnight” and has been a beacon of consistency for the electronic music world. Each of his releases have been of superb quality, but “With Me” is the best of the bunch. I wrote about it earlier this year here.
Lane 8
With Me

#9 – “All Night Feat. Knox Fortune (Kaytranada Remix)” by Chance the Rapper from Kaytranada’s 0.001% mixtape.

  • In a year where Kaytranada finally got over the hump, graduating from blogospher fame to mainstrem musical fame, he took a victory lap of sorts in the latter months, giving us some of his best material yet. His remix to Chance’s “All Night” will be a mainstay in dance clubs for many months to come.
Chance The Rapper
All Night (feat. Knox Fortune) (Kaytranada Remix)

#10 – “Alaska” by Maggie Rogers.

  • Maggie Roger’s rise based on the strength of Alaska mirrored the same path Ryn Weaver took after her song Octahate became the flavor of the year in 2014. While Roger has not yet amassed the same following, her single is as impressive and minimalistic as one could hope for from a debut.
Maggie Rogers
Alaska

#11 – “Eva” by Punctual.

  • As an eclectic deep house track with samples and influences ranging from Indian pop to 80’s synth, Eva is as groundbreaking and novel today as it was the first few hundred times I listened to it.
Punctual
Eva

#12 – “Clementine Feat. Lex Famous” by Rambo V.

  • Claiming this song as “Soul House”, Rambo V set off the soundtrack to my summer with Clementine. This dreamy, fun-loving track grooves along fusing the line beautifully between future bass and house.
Rambo V
Clementine Ft. Lex Famous

#13 – “All Night Feat. Dornik” by SG Lewis.

  • SG Lewis released one of my early picks for song of the year, dropping All Night with Dornik in February. This track harnesses some of the emotion captured in his previous classic “Warm” while adding a more upbeat, poppy spin to the piece.
SG Lewis
All Night(ft. Dornik)

#14 – “Homemade” by Matthew Chaim.

  • Hailing from Montreal, this Canadian pop producer unleashed a catchy piece along with the help of Noah Barer and Cavewerk earlier this year. I wrote about the track previously here.
Matthew Chaim
Homemade (prod. Noah Barer & Cavewerk)

#15 – “Gettin’ it Done” by Ross From Friends.

  • As perhaps the best named artist from this group of sixteen, Ross from Friends also put together one of the best house tunes to come out in 2016. While injecting elements of 90’s R&B with a persistently building bassline, the song has elements that appeal to a wide range of aficionados.
Ross From Friends
Gettin’ It Done’

#16 – “The Look” by Halpe and Sophie Meiers.

  • My favorite track that maybe 2% of my friends have heard before. This vocalist has a handful of mesmerizing tracks, but pairing with Halpe pushes The Look into another category entirely.
halpe
The Look w/ sophie meiers
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Sunday Night Soul [Vol. 13]

Valentine’s Day is this Friday, and depending on your situation, that last statement probably elicited some very different reactions. For most of you out there (we hope), you’ve had this date circled on your calendars for weeks now, and have already got the perfect day planned right down to the last detail, while others undoubtably are panicking at the prospect of  having only five days to throw something together. Finally, there’s those of you who have now come to the crushing realization that–like our friend Dawson James Van Der Beek above–you’re destined to lead a sad and lonely life, and will most likely spend that day drowning your sorrows in a heart shaped box of assorted Russell Stover chocolates. Regardless of what category you fall under, we guarantee that we’ve got the perfect playlist here to make your special day that much more special.  From puppy love to heartache, contributions from Oceaán, Gallant, Jamie Lewis, K-Young, Aches, vaisle, Giraffage, Genius and salute have you covered, and are sure to help power the soundtrack for whatever the night’s festivities may hold for you.

’Låpsley – Painter (valentine)’
’lapalux – without you (bsd.u rework)’
’Kelela – The High (Prod by Gifted & Blessed)’
’Palmistry – Vapore’
’Oceaán – To Lose’
’Gallant – Forfeit (prod. Felix Snow)’
’SHIVUM SHARMA  – ONLY YOU’
’Alfa Mist – Stay Here’
’Jarrell Perry – Black Valentine’
’Jamie Isaac – She Dried’
’Ed Thomas – Away’
’SLK – Be (Prod Embody)’
’The Weeknd x Hucci – Cashmere Mornings (aywy)’
’DearKarma – Deception’
’Jalen Jenkins – Come Around (Prod. by Jalen)’
’Soulblime – Wildfire (SBTRKT Ft. Drake & Little Dragon Cover)’
’Christian Joseph – Stay The Night (Hayley Williams x Zedd R&B Cover)’
’Tink – Money Ova Everything’
’Jamie Lewis – Just Friends feat Dubzy Snazz Produced R Kay (Musiq Soulchild Bootleg)’
’Childish Gambino – I’d Die Without You (P.M. Dawn Cover)’
’Alice Jemima – Bloodsport (Raleigh Ritchie Cover)’
’K. Michelle – I Don’t Believe’
’Kenya Eugene – You are My World’
’Noel Gourdin – Can’t Wait Ft. Avery Sunshine’
’Jhene Aiko – Everything Must Go (New Version)’
’Angel Taylor – Weak’
’BOY/FRIEND – Theme Song (Prod. MNTN)’
’Wande Coal – Plan B’
’Pleasure P – Letter To My Ex’
’K Young – Don’t Ever Leave Me (prod. by Composer)’
’Eric Bellinger – SAME OL Feat. Jon B’
’Rashad
First Move’
’Lonny Bereal – Things I Would Say’
’Ciara Ft. Future – Anytime’
’Katt Rockell – PUSHIN’
’Sevyn Streeter – Wicked’
’starRo – Seduction (FREE DL)’
’Extro – After The Fact’
’Aches – Her’
’vaisle – more for less’
’Giraffage – I Luv Your Girl’
’Dreamclub – Tamia (Dreamclub)’
’K∪⌥ – Baby When We’re.. (Next ReFIX)’
’Aaliyah x Mr. Carmack – If Your Girl Was Humble (aywy)’
’Cherish – killa (Rmonik remix)’
’Sevnth Wonder – Fall 4 U’
’G R A D E S vs Brandy – I Wanna Be Down’
’Mar – Man / Woman (Genius Vision)’
’John Hart
Who Booty ft IamSu (Jeftuz Remix)’
’Kid Ink – Show Me (ft. Chris Brown) (esta. remix)’
’LAKIM – Need Want
’Sweater Beats & B. Lewis – Giving Up On U’
’Alex Mills – Forever Young (Axel Kacoutié Remix)’
’Brian Folk – IXCU (Circle Work Forthcoming on Shimmy Records)’
’Ginuwine – Pony (salute Remix)’
’Giraffage – Falsetto’
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Sunday Night Soul [Vol. 11]

As more and more talent emerges in 2014, our Sunday Night Soul playlists have gotten increasingly larger. This week’s collection features over 50 unique songs to choose from, all featuring some supremely gifted artists. Some of our favorites this evening include particularly strong entries from newbies to the series like Nick Hakim, Kyan, Esco Williams, Johnny Stimson, Eric Bellinger, Fortune, Tanika and BOY/FRIEND, while other notable selections come from such familiar names as Sango, Jeftuz, Jakwob, BANKS, Sam Smith, Slakah The Beatchild, Mikky Ekko, Danity Kane, and Alicia Keys. That previous sentence doesn’t even remotely represent the immense amount of talent we’re working with tonight, however. The best way to find out for yourself is to press play and dive right in, because you’ve got plenty of swimming to do.

’Nick Hakim – COLD’
’George Maple X Slime
Began to Say’
’Harrison – Next to You Feat. Maddee’
’Marian Hill – One Time’
’Gary Clark Jr – Blak and Blu (BIG K.R.I.T. Remix)’
’Melo B. Jones – Be With Me (Extended Version) /// Produced by T.Hemingway’
’Johnny Stimson – SO. GOOD.’
’Jenna G – Senseless – Uncut’
’Lucille Ghatti – At Your (Neck)’
’Reva DeVito – Kisses (Produced By B.Bravo)’
’Algebra Blessett – Danger Zone’
’Anne Marie – Forget My Number – Demo’
’Eric Bellinger – Road Trip’
’Aaliyah – Rock The Boat (Brother Bruno’s Rework)’
’Slakah the Beatchild – Something About Her – Soul Movement vol 2’
’Danity Kane – Bye Baby’
’Alicia Keys – Power’
’Nick Hakim – THE LIGHT’
’Ed Thomas – Hurt’
’Shivum Sharma – FLICKER’
’Emily Colombier & Jessica Rotter – Stay/Animal MashUp’
’Mikky Ekko – Stay (Original Demo)’
’Esco Williams – Breaking Bones’
’Kyan – Rosetta’
’Love Mansuy – Meant It’
’Blue Daisy – Fallin’ Circles feat. Barnaby’
’Muhsinah
L.M.O. (Giant Step Mix)’
’Alpines – Oasis’
’Loe – Glass Table (Prod. By Klmeks)’
’Mizan – Anxious (Aei Remix)’
’Sam Smith – Nirvana (Harry Fraud Remix)’
’JMSN – Love & Pain (aywy. Rework)’
’Joe – Priceless (RillaForce x SevnthWonder Remix)’
’NΞHZVIL – A Ooh (I Like It)’
’Sango – Maluco
’Danity Kane – Damaged (T AARONmusic REMIX)’
’Jhene Aiko
My Mine (Jeftuz Remix)’

’OutKast – Prototype (starRo Bossa Edit)’

’TVNE. – Love & Lingerie’
’Destiny’s Child – Bills Bills Bills ( DGTO Remix )’
’Fortune x RichBeatz – Without You’
’Fortune – Purity’
’BANKS – Change (Jensen Sportag Remix)’
’R ASH – Can I Get With You’
’ΔGØLDWYN – You Remind Me Of Something’
’Destiny’s Child – Say My Name (Chloe Martini Jersey Edit)’
’Jakwob – Somebody New (ft. Tiffani Juno)’
’Tanika – Finally Found It’
’BOY/FRIEND – Never Not Looking (Prod. MNTN & Mel DeBarge)’
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Sunday Night Soul [Vol. 8]

We hope you’ve all had a productive 2014 so far. If you’re like those of us in the Midwest however, you’ve most likely been stranded inside all weekend. While we deal with temperatures dipping into the negatives, we’ve compiled a little something here to help warm you up (DISCLAIMER: we can’t promise you’ll actually feel physically warmer). This latest collection of tracks is sure to distract you from the frigid conditions outside, with enchanting tunes from Phil Beaudreau, Blackbear, Daniel J and Charlie Puth ready to melt your heart. Of course no Sunday Night Soul is complete without the remixes, and we’ve got plenty to offer, ranging from the sensual, the playful, the emotional, and more from producers like Sango, IAMNOBODI, Arnold (M|O|D) and T-AARONmusic. With that being said, it’s officially time to hit play and begin the heating process. We hope you made it your resolution to listen to more Sunday Night Soul in 2014!

’After The Smoke – d r o w s y o u t r o d u c t i o n’
’Tulpa – Shelbie Pt. 2 Feat. Låpsley’
’Uedra & Bonnie Legion – Bottle Me Up’
’Alex Isley – Retro Wilhelm’
’Leo Haze – Colors of Blue (Ft. Willow)’
’Blackbear – Strangers’
’Queensley – Beautiful One’
’Daniel J – Heartbreaker’
’Pia Mia
Complicated’
’King Avriel – Prelude (IAMNOBODI Remix)’
’Miley Cyrus – Adore You (T AARONmusic REMIX)’
’JMSN – The One (Massea Bootleg)’
’Jhene Aiko – The Worst (Austin Millz Remix)’
’Sango – BB Don’t Cry (It’s Gon’ Be Ok)’
’Justin Timberlake feat Jay Z – Suit & Tie (b.cause west coast edit)’
’SevnthWonder – Sunshine (ft. Alexander O’Neal)’
’Phil Beaudreau – Rollolloll’
’Timothy Bloom – Stand In The Way (of My Love)’
’THE GTW – BLEACH POOL’
’Arnold (M O D) – 100 Dreams (i Luv Your Girl Rmx)’
’Knight One – A Second Time (feat. L’Étranger)’
’Charlie Puth – L.U.V.’
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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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[R&B/Hip-Hop] The-Dream – Slow It Down (Feat. Fabolous)

Lost in the Valentine’s Day shuffle was this brand new cut from Terius Nash, a.ka. The-Dream. With this bouncy and infectious tune, the Radio Killa brings us a sound consistent with some of his previous hits like “Shawty is A 10” and “Throw it In The Bag” which coincidentally, also feature frequent running mate Fabolous. Although The-Dream doesn’t think this’ll be played on Top 40 radio, it’s hard to deny that he has yet another hit on his hands. Make sure to be on the lookout for his newest album, Fourplay, in stores May 7th.

’The
Dream – Slow It Down (Feat. Fabolous)’
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