Mixtape Wrapup (October)
By: William E. Ketchum III & Legend
The Empire & Lil Wayne - The Drought Is Over pt.4 (Click to listen!)
So the Empire is back at it again with yet ANOTHER Lil Wayne mixtape. It seems like hes a big commodity out in the streets these days and this tape offers nothing different than the regular formula. I guess someone stole a CD from Weezys car (again??) with songs from a B.A.G. project slated for release in 2008. The mixtape starts off with a Cassidy feature which sounds like more of a radio single than anything. On Trouble we see Lil Wayne profess his heart out on record over a saddened melancholy beat. The stand out track of the tape has to be Big Dogg Status featuring Mr. Scarface, T.I. & UTP. The track has that southern bounce with raw lyrics from some of the biggest names in the south. Rider is a track that definitely stands out like a sore thumb though. Not only is he biting 2pacs Ambitions of a Ridah but he is getting his T-Pain on? Not too good of a combination. With appearances from Swizz Beatz, Twista, Wyclef, Babyface (with Kanye West on the production), this is just what the Weezy F. Baby fans have been waiting for until Carter III drops (or I mean, until someone steals another CD from Waynes ride and sends it to The Empire and we see another Drought mixtape).
Whoo Kid & 50 Cent - G-Unit Radio 25: Sabrina's Baby Boy (Click to listen!)
With what theyre dubbing as the last installment of the crews heralded G-Unit Radio series, Whoo Kid and 50 go all in with everything thats made the mixtapes so successful. Hilarity ensues with skits that tease T-Pain, country singer Kenny Chesney (The 9-11 [record sales] tallies are in, and there is a certified loser *drum roll* Kenny Chesney, from Nashville!) and Camron. Curtis is at his best: his mic presence is as fierce as ever, his bars are notably solid, and his shit-talking is still classic material. In a fantasy world, this would have been in stores instead of Curtis; but well settle for a phenomenal finale to a series.
Mick Boogie, Terry Urban & 9th Wonder - The Graduate (Click to listen!)
With Kanye Wests musical catalog and a line-up that includes Mick Boogie, Terry Urban and 9th Wonder at the helm, The Graduate plays like the 07-08 New England Patriots: an all-star team with jaw-dropping precision. Over a 28-track, hour-plus playlist that bangs from top to bottom, the boardsman tandem drops live performances, incredible remixes, freestyles and exclusive verses that pair Kanye with everyone from Common and Consequence to Termanology and 50 Cent. One of the years best.
Tapemasters Inc - American Gangster (Re-Loaded)
The strongest team in the streets is back! Word is, Jay-Z found his inspiration for his new album title after seeing what Tapemasters Inc did the first time around (American Gangster: The Mixtape). Coincidence? Thats for the people to decide. The tape starts out with Jigga man on the phone explaining the idea behind the album. Maybe someone should have asked him about the original Tapemasters tape when the panel was open for questions. Dead Presidents III is old according to Just Blaze. Regardless, its new music to our ears. With a couple more leaks from the album (Blue Magic & Roc Boys), and some unreleased tracks, we see Tapemasters take it to true mixtape form. What separates this mixtape more than anything is all the remixes. From tracks produced by Black Friday (see: Me and My Radio & Heart Of The Black City), AC (see: Follow The Girl), Hasan Insane (New York f. Raekwon & The Return), Basshedz (Can I Get A), and newcomer Chester French (Excuse Me Miss Remix), this rounds out to be a breath of fresh air as far as mixtapes go. I guess well have to wait to see what Jay-Zs next album is called. Hopefully its not called Codeine Hits or anything.
Dub Floyd, DJ Unexpected & Smooth Denali - The 5th Element
What happened to creativity in mixtapes anymore? Who said exclusives were the main reason to drop a tape? If youre looking for any of the regular formulas that we see in the mixtape game now, youre not going to find them here. Besides the fact that most of the tracks on here, have been heard from by your average hip-hop head, I think Tapemasta said it best when he said this mixtape is a history lesson on the history of hip-hop for all you young bucks who havent studied the game and its roots. Now as we all know, the 4 elements of hip hop are the MC, the DJ, B-boys and of course, graffiti. And essentially, what Dub Floyd, Smooth Denali and Unexpected are trying to prove is that mixtapes are the 5th element no one talks about. They have become such an integral part of the game nowadays, and most people overlook them as part of the equation. Thanks to the RIAA, and the whole DJ Drama fiasco, they are potentially trying to wipe them out when its been proven that mixtapes have launched careers (50 Cent, Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne). As far as songs, we find nothing new here. I think the newest song on here is Nas One Mic, but the tape is broken down to each element showcasing DJ songs, MC songs, break beats etc. Who said a little innovation with a sprinkle of old school was bad? Most young guns that have grown up on Weezy dont even know who the Supreme Team or who Marley Marl is. This is just a history lesson boys and girls.
Oddisee - Oddisee 101 (Click for free download!)
With his latest mixtape, Washington D.C. producer/MC Oddisee drops a hefty helping of exclusives, remixes and songs hes laced with rhymes and/or beats. Oddisees soundscapes are as musically copious as usual, ranging from the soulful to the trunk rattlers, but sleepers on his mic skills will wake up after hearing tracks like the intro, A Song For That and Money On The Clock. Plus, for this to be a free mixtape, the guest list is abundant: Phonte, Jean Grey, J-Live, Zion I, Kenn Star, HipHopDXs own Donwill(of Tanya Morgan) and others. The disc is available for free download at his relatively new blog, oddiseemusic.blogspot.com along with liner notes for all the songsbut he plans on selling it at shows as well. The people who buy music, buy music and the people who don't, don't, Oddisee says on the site. So I now leave the choice up to you, Buy this cd when I perform in your city or download it now. Whether you actually cop or not, Oddisee 101 is definitely worth the dollars.
DJ Drama - Gangsta Grillz 17
Arguably the best mixtape DJ in the business, Mr. Thanksgiving offers another heater with the 17th in his Gangsta Grillz series and a prequel to his major label Gangsta Grillz: The Album. His sequencing is flawless, and his exclusives bang: Andre 3000s flow is water over Jay-Zs 30 Something, Twista annihilates Dramas previously-released Feds Takin Pictures, and Mr. Scarface is back harder than ever with Never. The fam is represented with strong offerings from Atlantic and Grand Hustles rosters and Aphilliates protg Willie The Kid, but competition like DJ Khaled show off too. Drama successfully tries his hand at the radio-ready tune with the multi-featured 5000 Ones, and even tracks from Boosie and Gucci Mane sound good in this mix. A worthy addition to Dramas unfuckwitable catalog.
The Empire & Lil Wayne - The Drought Is Over pt.4 (Click to listen!)
So the Empire is back at it again with yet ANOTHER Lil Wayne mixtape. It seems like hes a big commodity out in the streets these days and this tape offers nothing different than the regular formula. I guess someone stole a CD from Weezys car (again??) with songs from a B.A.G. project slated for release in 2008. The mixtape starts off with a Cassidy feature which sounds like more of a radio single than anything. On Trouble we see Lil Wayne profess his heart out on record over a saddened melancholy beat. The stand out track of the tape has to be Big Dogg Status featuring Mr. Scarface, T.I. & UTP. The track has that southern bounce with raw lyrics from some of the biggest names in the south. Rider is a track that definitely stands out like a sore thumb though. Not only is he biting 2pacs Ambitions of a Ridah but he is getting his T-Pain on? Not too good of a combination. With appearances from Swizz Beatz, Twista, Wyclef, Babyface (with Kanye West on the production), this is just what the Weezy F. Baby fans have been waiting for until Carter III drops (or I mean, until someone steals another CD from Waynes ride and sends it to The Empire and we see another Drought mixtape).
Whoo Kid & 50 Cent - G-Unit Radio 25: Sabrina's Baby Boy (Click to listen!)
With what theyre dubbing as the last installment of the crews heralded G-Unit Radio series, Whoo Kid and 50 go all in with everything thats made the mixtapes so successful. Hilarity ensues with skits that tease T-Pain, country singer Kenny Chesney (The 9-11 [record sales] tallies are in, and there is a certified loser *drum roll* Kenny Chesney, from Nashville!) and Camron. Curtis is at his best: his mic presence is as fierce as ever, his bars are notably solid, and his shit-talking is still classic material. In a fantasy world, this would have been in stores instead of Curtis; but well settle for a phenomenal finale to a series.
Mick Boogie, Terry Urban & 9th Wonder - The Graduate (Click to listen!)
With Kanye Wests musical catalog and a line-up that includes Mick Boogie, Terry Urban and 9th Wonder at the helm, The Graduate plays like the 07-08 New England Patriots: an all-star team with jaw-dropping precision. Over a 28-track, hour-plus playlist that bangs from top to bottom, the boardsman tandem drops live performances, incredible remixes, freestyles and exclusive verses that pair Kanye with everyone from Common and Consequence to Termanology and 50 Cent. One of the years best.
Tapemasters Inc - American Gangster (Re-Loaded)
The strongest team in the streets is back! Word is, Jay-Z found his inspiration for his new album title after seeing what Tapemasters Inc did the first time around (American Gangster: The Mixtape). Coincidence? Thats for the people to decide. The tape starts out with Jigga man on the phone explaining the idea behind the album. Maybe someone should have asked him about the original Tapemasters tape when the panel was open for questions. Dead Presidents III is old according to Just Blaze. Regardless, its new music to our ears. With a couple more leaks from the album (Blue Magic & Roc Boys), and some unreleased tracks, we see Tapemasters take it to true mixtape form. What separates this mixtape more than anything is all the remixes. From tracks produced by Black Friday (see: Me and My Radio & Heart Of The Black City), AC (see: Follow The Girl), Hasan Insane (New York f. Raekwon & The Return), Basshedz (Can I Get A), and newcomer Chester French (Excuse Me Miss Remix), this rounds out to be a breath of fresh air as far as mixtapes go. I guess well have to wait to see what Jay-Zs next album is called. Hopefully its not called Codeine Hits or anything.
Dub Floyd, DJ Unexpected & Smooth Denali - The 5th Element
What happened to creativity in mixtapes anymore? Who said exclusives were the main reason to drop a tape? If youre looking for any of the regular formulas that we see in the mixtape game now, youre not going to find them here. Besides the fact that most of the tracks on here, have been heard from by your average hip-hop head, I think Tapemasta said it best when he said this mixtape is a history lesson on the history of hip-hop for all you young bucks who havent studied the game and its roots. Now as we all know, the 4 elements of hip hop are the MC, the DJ, B-boys and of course, graffiti. And essentially, what Dub Floyd, Smooth Denali and Unexpected are trying to prove is that mixtapes are the 5th element no one talks about. They have become such an integral part of the game nowadays, and most people overlook them as part of the equation. Thanks to the RIAA, and the whole DJ Drama fiasco, they are potentially trying to wipe them out when its been proven that mixtapes have launched careers (50 Cent, Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne). As far as songs, we find nothing new here. I think the newest song on here is Nas One Mic, but the tape is broken down to each element showcasing DJ songs, MC songs, break beats etc. Who said a little innovation with a sprinkle of old school was bad? Most young guns that have grown up on Weezy dont even know who the Supreme Team or who Marley Marl is. This is just a history lesson boys and girls.
Oddisee - Oddisee 101 (Click for free download!)
With his latest mixtape, Washington D.C. producer/MC Oddisee drops a hefty helping of exclusives, remixes and songs hes laced with rhymes and/or beats. Oddisees soundscapes are as musically copious as usual, ranging from the soulful to the trunk rattlers, but sleepers on his mic skills will wake up after hearing tracks like the intro, A Song For That and Money On The Clock. Plus, for this to be a free mixtape, the guest list is abundant: Phonte, Jean Grey, J-Live, Zion I, Kenn Star, HipHopDXs own Donwill(of Tanya Morgan) and others. The disc is available for free download at his relatively new blog, oddiseemusic.blogspot.com along with liner notes for all the songsbut he plans on selling it at shows as well. The people who buy music, buy music and the people who don't, don't, Oddisee says on the site. So I now leave the choice up to you, Buy this cd when I perform in your city or download it now. Whether you actually cop or not, Oddisee 101 is definitely worth the dollars.
DJ Drama - Gangsta Grillz 17
Arguably the best mixtape DJ in the business, Mr. Thanksgiving offers another heater with the 17th in his Gangsta Grillz series and a prequel to his major label Gangsta Grillz: The Album. His sequencing is flawless, and his exclusives bang: Andre 3000s flow is water over Jay-Zs 30 Something, Twista annihilates Dramas previously-released Feds Takin Pictures, and Mr. Scarface is back harder than ever with Never. The fam is represented with strong offerings from Atlantic and Grand Hustles rosters and Aphilliates protg Willie The Kid, but competition like DJ Khaled show off too. Drama successfully tries his hand at the radio-ready tune with the multi-featured 5000 Ones, and even tracks from Boosie and Gucci Mane sound good in this mix. A worthy addition to Dramas unfuckwitable catalog.
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