Great Mixtape Rappers Equate to Bad Album Releases?
July 26th, 2011 | By Edwin
Sometimes, a mixtape can be a wonderful thing. An unadulterated mixtape often consists of raw, emotional bars over (often) stolen beats. Some of the best mixtapes (a la Drought 3) often draw critical acclaim, press coverage, and are more listenable than full featured studio albums.
Some ridiculously good mixtape rappers: Papoose, Killer Mike, Chamillionaire, Canibius, Joe Budden, 50 Cent, etc…
The list goes on and on. These mixtapes help form an intricate underground buzz for artists both old and new, and can often represent a rapper’s true thoughts and feelings as they are not reviewed and watered down by studio executives who are thinking about the “target audience” and the “return on investment” of a typical studio album. Perhaps this is why studio releases tend to be so dumbed down, boring, or lacking passion. One of Little Brother’s recent mixtapes, they talk about working in a retail hell (i.e. Macy’s):
Smile at the management, wave at the white folks (Hi, Bob!)
Gotta meet a quota, but I don’t know how
And all these broke motherfuckers just tellin’ me the browsin’
Till around eleven, that’s when you see the soccer moms
Spendin’ they husband’s money, that’s how they roll up
Got three little girls, steady fuckin’ up my store
And an eight year old, still ridin’ in a stroller
Around one, the Mexicans come in the store
Coppin’ all the shit that rocked five summers ago
(Yeah, homes!) They gotta be the realest niggaz alive
Buy 400 dollars woth of Nautica and pay for it in fives
They also go on to stereotyping Middle Eastern people, as well as African Americans. It would be hard for me to see this type of free-flowing creativity coming from some of the label executives out there (I’m looking at you, Sony). Another reason why some mixtapes sound better is that some rappers just seem to function better getting blunted with their buddies, writing and recording with abandon, and not having to worry about popular guest rappers, sample clearance issues, and all the other red tape that can make rapping seem like work. Other rappers just like the freedom of repetitively trashing other rappers or discussing their favorite topics without having to think about anybody but themselves.
Let me know if you can think of any other reasons why some rappers don’t seem to go as hard on studio albums vs. mixtapes.
Share and Enjoy
Related posts:
How about Lupe Fiasco? The clever wordplay and creativity is constant, but his persona and bravado takes a complete 180 between his mixtapes and albums.
I have trouble determining who’s the ‘real’ Lupe, but I do know I’d love to hear an album with a better balance of audacious mixtape Lupe and thoughtful album Lupe.
Lupe Fiasco is a great mixtape rapper who displays a surprising, bigger than life quality on his illegitimate albums (such as Fahrenheit 1 15) – who can’t like lines such as:
But I cant fade like fantastic Sams/
or taper off/ Im a better nigga man this is Edward Sisscor hands/
With my back against the wall/
Till Ima V-12 sixer I’m a 113 round Clipper/
As if I was Elton Brand/ But I could never leave Chicago/
Unless heavily cargo/ My jeans heavily argo/
My stride is stiff/ See I rides as if/
I dont need a helpin hand/
Pride is this/ Never/ you see I’s content/
Im slick I slide/ I dont slip I ride/
Dont flip I grind/ When the shit hits the fan/
like a line drive into the stands/
The shoe fits the foot/ the mitt fits the hand/
Misfits, hollow tips hit ya man/
He did make his name with battle-type rhymes such as this. Maybe when LAZERS comes out we’ll see deep, introspective Lupe and street Lupe mixed together if he gets over the fact that his album doesn’t have to be 100% “pure” lyrical art.