In 2008, mixtapes mattered more than ever before in Hip Hop, with rappers big and small coveting the kind of buzz, success and fame that artists like 50 Cent, Chamillionaire and Lil Wayne built for themselves in years past through the culture of free music.

HipHopDX remains the premier site to listen to the most relevant, talked about and often exclusive tapes in the game. Our monthly Mixtape Wrapup took a break to re-evaluate last year's hard, and outstanding work. As artists like Nas said what they weren't supposed to, Sha Stimuli seemed unstoppable for his monthly, dead-on consistent tapes, and newer faces like Curren$y and Kid Cudi brought the art back into commerce, these tapes, led by Royce Da 5'9"s Bar Exam 2 with Green Lantern, that the over 40 writers, editors and tastemakers behind HipHopDX voted on as best in our 2008 Awards [click to read].

With all tapes ready to listen to, here's what we'll never forget from '08...

A listen to Royce Da 5’9”s catalog lets you know that he’s definitely got the skill level to be one of Hip Hop’s elite emcees. And he’s consistently rubbed shoulders with some of the industry’s heaviest hitters: he rhymed alongside Eminem before he became the superstar he is today, and he’s made timeless records with revered producer DJ Premier. he ghostwrote Dr. Dre’s verses on “The Message” [click to read] from his seminal 2001 album, and last year, he penned Diddy’s Christina Aguilera-featured “Tell Me,” which broke the Billboard’s Pop 100. Unfortunately, circumstance hasn’t been as friendly, as behind-the-scenes politics, industry fuckery and jail time have held him up from being the star he should be.

But as Royce would say, “I’m the shit, fool!” He used The Bar Exam mixtape reestablished his foundation as one of the most talented emcees in rap. And that November, he began leaking track after track to prep listeners for its sequel: a freestyle to Lil Wayne’s “Gossip,” a remake of Jay-Z and Nas’ “Success” alongside former foe Obie Trice. And once Bar Exam 2 [click to download] [click to listen] hit the net as a HipHopDX exclusive in September after delays that had fans up in arms, it proved worth the wait. With a busy new year that will include his DJ Premier-executive produced album Street Hop; more material from the Slaughterhouse supergroup of himself, former rival Joe Budden [click to read], Crooked I and Joell Ortiz [click to read]; and prayerfully, a record with him and reconciled friend Eminem; Bar Exam 2 will be remembered as a to more relevance, and sleepers’ last warning before Royce’s career popped off the way it was supposed to years ago.

Even though the mixtape’s intro claims that Royce “doesn’t give a fuck,” this writer doesn’t believe him. He may not give a fuck about whom he offends, hence the potshots and sucker punches to other emcees and tastemakers. But he does care about making an impression, and that’s the fuel behind what makes Bar Exam 2 so engaging. Theoretically, it showcases the same technical skills that Royce has always displayed: interesting rhyme schemes and strong lines are still here ("I turn a nigga to stone, send out a blast like an email to shoot ya, v-mail Medusa/‘it wasn't me’ like Shaggy, ‘Denaun did it’ like a fag was snitchin' on D12's producer," he rhymes on “Happy Bar Exam 2”). Solid conceptual material like “Been Shot Down,” which sees him talking about victims of gunfire, both popular ones and people that he knew, makes an appearance as well. But what’s so apparent on Bar Exam 2 that isn’t as clearly familiar is his tenacity; as the summary for DX’s Mixtape Of The Year Award said, “Royce is spitting like he has beef with every beat he raps on.” He’s not just showing his hunger by showing off his talents in the best way possible, but he’s also showing it by the manner in which he does it: long-winded tirades are preferred over structured 16-bar verses, and Royce lets momentum take him where it wants to, as verses regularly escalate from a normal voice to scowling, bellowing assertions of authority. Hearing such an unsatisfied approach from a veteran who has the skill to back it up makes Bar Exam 2 engaging from beginning to end.

Though Royce does give a fuck about the impression he’s making, he doesn’t give a fuck about who he knocks down on the way there. On “It’s The New,” he claims that he’s the new best rapper alive, not the dreadlocked New Orleans emcee who was ubiquitous last year: “This ain’t Wayne, it’s more pain/and I ain’t talkin’ T-dash in front, I’m more like needin’ rehab for months/hock and spew lyrics on Dr. Drew’s spirit until he has the mumps.” Wayne isn’t the only one who catches shots, though: everyone from Jesse Jackson and George Bush to Yung Berg and Raz-B get got throughout the duration of this tape, with comical, asshole-by-nature punchlines that take note of current events and their involvement in them. And Royce is just as notably not-sorry, does it unapologetically, too: on “I’m Me Freestyle,” he scoffs, “Niggas say, ‘When Royce gon’ stop beefin’ wit rappers?’ When hell freeze over, and Wayne sobers up.” He admits on the outro that he’s usually just joking around when he name-drops people in his lines, but it’s clear that here, no one is safe from Royce’s wrath—presumably, a metaphor for how unaware rap listeners and success don’t have anywhere to hide, either. Continued on page 2 »