[Hip-Hop] Isaiah Rashad – Menthol (Feat. Jean Deaux) + Soliloquy

Isaiah Rashad
Menthol (Feat. Jean Deaux)

As the newest member of the TDE collective, Chattanooga native Isaiah Rashad is out to prove his merit, and show us exactly how he fits in with the West Coast crew. With these last two leaks from his new Cilvia Demo album, he accomplishes exactly that, displaying a mature flow over two gritty, piano-laden instrumentals. The first of these, “Menthol,” provides for a much smoother ride, complimented by the gentle vocals of Jean Deaux on the chorus. The simple black and white visuals for  “Soliloquy” below are designed to keep focus on Rashad’s lyrical acumen, as he rolls through punchline after punchline with the confidence of a seasoned emcee. If you had any doubts before listening to these two tracks, they should have clearly vanished by now, so head over to iTunes and grab a copy of the new project for yourself.

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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’
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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)’
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[Hip-Hop] BET Hip-Hop Awards 2013: The Cyphers

The BET Hip-Hop Awards finally aired earlier tonight, and while I personally am not a huge fan of the show, there’s one segment that I eagerly anticipate every year: The Cyphers. The Cyphers are really where the event truly shines, bringing together some of the most talented emcees in the game, underground and mainstream. This year’s lineup is certainly a formidable one, featuring the likes of TDE, A$AP MobSlaughterhouseAction BronsonTravi$ ScottRittzJon Connor, and even some jokes courtesy of J.B. SmooveKevin Hart, and Nick Cannon. Check out the cyphers below, and let us know who you think went in the hardest (we’re guessing the popular answer will be Kendrick Lamar).

Top Dawg Entertainment (ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Ab-Soul, Isaiah Rashad, Kendrick Lamar)

Watch the rest of The Cyphers after the jump

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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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