The Hip-Hop Dojo [Vol. 2]

Welcome back to the Hip-Hop Dojo! It seems just like yesterday we put up the first edition of this humble playlist, but we have all this awesome music to remind of us the time that’s passed. This week’s lineup features some true lyrical wordsmiths, from veterans like Talib Kweli and Ras Kass, to youngsters like Kendrick Lamar and Joey Purp. Although we’re only in our second week, a few artists are already making reappearances like the aforementioned Joey Purp, as well as STSSahtyre, King Chip, and Termanology. Since last week’s post ran a little lengthy, we’ve tried to shorten things by highlighting some of the standout material.

We start things off this week with a more conscious vibe. While up-and-comer Eddy B sheds light on some of his harsh realities growing up, Talib and R.A. The Rugged Man take us for a tour around the globe, exploring atrocities many of us may not have been aware of. Meanwhile, ¡Mayday! frontman Wrekonize also provides us with some insight to personal struggles of his own, and the reasons for his “Anxiety Attacks.”

Toning things down in the next section, we’ve assembled a nice collection of songs to share with your other half. One of the most notable items is “Natural Spring Water” from 2AM Club, who flaunt their roots in multiple genres alongside Wichita native, XV. We also have a few recognizable faces in here too. With Tyga & Chris Brown‘s “Fuck For The Road” comes a story of redemption and renewal, while The World Famous Tony Williams and his (arguably more famous) crew of Kanye WestKing Chip, and Freddie Gibbs, assemble together for a remix of his ode to that special someone. Lastly, we have a new cut from some TMN favorites, THEBLKHANDS, who utilize a brilliant sample of The xx‘s “Angels” to introduce us to the darker side of love.

The next section just features some good old-fashioned trash talking, a language that’s clearly spoken worldwide as evidenced by our inclusion of London-based ItsNate on the remix of his hit record, “WSLTA” which stands for “Where She Learnt That At.” We also get some outstanding verses from the likes of Joey Purp, GQ, Rapsody, Rocki Evans, Blu, and Smoke DZA along with his new R.F.C. crew. Old-fashioned wasn’t just a figure of speech either, as just about all of these tracks have some ill, old-school vibes to them.

As always, we also have a few cuts ideal for listening between 4:19 and 4:21. B.I.C.‘s spaced-out “DOPM” is definitely a standout in that category. Credit is definitely due to Chuk Le Garcon, who creates a trippy, ethereal beat for the boys to spit on. We can’t forget to give props to Ras Kass for coming up with the possible line of the week on Termanology’s “We Stay High,” spitting, “I’ll put a rapper in a wheelchair like Degrassi.” Sahtyre‘s got a real banger for the second week in a row, with his powerful new single, “Gettin High.”

Speaking of bangers, we’ve got a real treat for you with our next two songs, both featuring prominent samples. While STS definitely does his thing over Kavinsky‘s “Odd Look,” Zak Downtown and Murda Mook absolutely tear apart TNGHT‘s “Higher Ground.” Finally, we decided we’d wrap things up with some uplifting music. “Jordan vs Bird” is a triumphant song from Puck, a unique rapper, who proves he won’t let being resigned to a wheelchair prevent him from taking the court.

I hope you guys enjoyed our second edition of The Hip-Hop Dojo. As always, if you have any suggestions or submissions, feel free to send them over to baseer@themusicninja.com.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FREE TRACKS

’Eddy B – Hope’
’Gee Watts – Watts R.I.O.T. Ft. Kendrick Lamar (Prod. by Sounwave)’
’R.A. The Rugged Man – Learn Truth (ft. Talib Kweli)’
’Wrekonize – Anxiety Attacks’
’2AM Club – Natural Spring Water feat. XV’
’Tyga – Fuck For The Road ft. Chris Brown’
’Tony Williams – Another You (Remix) ft. Kanye West, King Chip & Freddie Gibbs’
’THEBLKHANDS – In Love (Feat. Kembe X)’
’Joey Purp – Don’t Stop (Prod. Thelonious Martin)’
’GQ – I Know Feat. Rapsody & Rocki Evans (Produced by Khrysis)’
’Smoke DZA – Ghost Of Dipset (Prod. Thelonious Martin)’
’R.F.C. (NYMLo, Den10 & Smoke DZA) – Slave To The Wave (Prod. By 183rd)’
’ItsNate – WSLTA (Remix) Feat. G FrSH, Catch’Em x Phaze One’
’Blu & Bombay – Dre Day’
’Termanology – We Stay High (Feat. Ras Kass & Wais P) (Prod. Statik Selektah)’
’B.I.C. – DOPM (Prod. By Chuk Le Garcon)’
’Sahtyre – Gettin’ High’
’Zak Downtown – Don’t Blow My High ft. Murda Mook’
’STS – Odd Look’
’Puck – Jordan Vs Bird’
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[Hip-Hop/Acid House] ILLA – Doing It Wrong (ILLA Remix) & Smoke Good, Live Good (Acid House Remix)

ILLA, better known as 1/3 of THEBLKHANDS, decided to show off his versatility as a producer by dropping these brand new remixes on his recently created SoundCloud page. The first of these two is a remix of Drake‘s “Doing It Wrong” from his Take Care album. ILLA’s iteration of the track manages to keep the essence of the original, while speeding up the vocals and adding some trap snares to give it a more upbeat vibe. It isn’t a banger by any means, but he does infuse it with a more relaxing melody as opposed to the depressing nature it started out with. We have a feeling Drizzy himself would be proud of this one.

With his second remix, ILLA decides to proceed down another route as he turns the “Smoke Good, Live Good” track he produced for THEBLKHANDS into a certified acid house banger. Even with the bars intact, none of the verses seem to sound out of place. If anything, Three 6 Mafia‘s energetic vocals seem more at home on this version of the song. It’s a major departure from the chill vibes of the original, but somehow it works to perfection. Both remixes can be downloaded for free from ILLA’s SoundCloud page. Also, stay tuned for Serbia, THEBLKHANDS’ upcoming album, dropping on March 19th.

’Doing It Wrong (ILLA Remix) – Drake’

’Smoke Good, Live Good (Acid House Remix)’
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[Hip-Hop] THEBLKHANDS – The Usual Thing (Feat. After The Smoke) (Prod. ILLA)

After releasing the fifth and final single from their debut album, it’s become increasingly clear that THEBLKHANDS are pretty much infallible. With their newest track, the trio has yet another chill-out anthem on their hands. The group’s already proven they have an affinity for those with previous songs like “Smoke Good, Live Good” and “Downtown.” Just as they’ve done with their other tracks, they’ve lined up the perfect collaborators in After The Smoke, who really add the icing atop this cake. For those of you who’ve been following the group’s ascent, make sure to mark March 19th on your calendars, as that’s the release date for their upcoming Serbia LP.

’The Usual Thing (Feat. After The Smoke)’
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[Hip-Hop] THEBLKHANDS – Smoke Good, Live Good (Remix) Feat. Three 6 Mafia & Fenix (Prod. ILLA)

THEBLKHANDS reunites legendary Memphis hip-hop duo Three 6 Mafia to assist them on the remix to their single, “Smoke Good, Live Good.” Judging by the title, it’s pretty safe to assume what the main purpose of this song is. Juicy J and DJ Paul do a great job of adding some energetic flair to this laidback track, but they don’t take away from the atmosphere at all. It provides great contrast to the original version, which featured the sleepy-eyed, relaxed flow of Smoke DZACazzie JetsonDominic Serendip and producer ILLA continue to impress, showing us exactly why they deserve to be mentioned among the top rap groups in the game.

’Smoke Good, Live Good (Remix) (Feat. Three 6 Mafia & Fenix)’
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[Hip-Hop] THEBLKHANDS – Downtown (Prod. ILLA)

THEBLKHANDS are an upcoming independent rap group out of New York City. If you haven’t heard them yet, then consider this a proper introduction. The trio is comprised of rappers Cazzie Jetson and Dominic Serendip and producer ILLA. They’ve already garnered some interest, with endorsements from Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, and Skyzoo, who will all be featured on their upcoming album. Their latest single features a sample of Lana Del Rey‘s breakout hit, “Video Games,” putting a spin on the track quite like any other remix before. It’s this willingness by THEBLKHANDS to consistently push the boundaries of their music that certainly gives the group one of the brightest futures in the game.

If you still haven’t gotten a chance to hear the group’s first two excellent singles, I highly suggest you check them out down below along with the accompanying video for “Downtown” after the jump.

’THEBLKHANDS – Downtown (Feat. Skyzoo)’

Bonus:

’THEBLKHANDS – Im Gone (Feat. Big K.R.I.T)’
’THEBLKHANDS – Smoke Good, Live Good (Feat. Smoke DZA & Fenix)’

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