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.

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Lil’ Wayne New Mixtape – No Ceilings Reviews & Download

July 26th, 2011 | By Edwin

Lil’ Wayne is at it again!

With just over a month until his new rock/rap hybrid album Rebirth is released, the idiosyncratic rapper has released a new official mixtape just for us fans: No Ceilings.

The first song, Swag Surfin’, brings us back to a simpler time when Wayne was busy redefining the mixtape game. The song has no chorus, no guest stars, and no fancy beats – just Wayne going hard with lines that make you rewind the track and play it back as you say “did he really just make that analogy?”

“I mean her bitch, she never met her best friend’s sister
I leave her pussy Micro-soft like Windows Vista”

The above line sums it up pretty well. Other standout tracks which are played over some of the hotter beats of recent times:

Ice Cream – over a clap heavy beat and his traditional slow drawl, Wayne kills this beat. Notable line which highlights a return to his earlier stream of consciousness raps: “Im eatin, yous a waiter / Pistol on my hip, Tomb Raider”

D.O.A, Run This Town – better than Jay-Z’s original songs on The Blueprint 3.

Break Up – another Bangladesh beat and Wayne is completely on point here, as well as a rare guest appearance by Short Dawg and Gudda Gudda, who both shine here.

Banned from T.V. – a standout track.

Overall, this mixtape sidesteps some of the follies from his recent offerings, with less emphasis on guest stars, less distractions with the autotune machine, and more street-level, clever bars. Because Lil’ Wayne explicitly wants this album shared for free, download No Ceilings wherever you can, as long as it is for free because he has a “ton of music” and this is what he does for his fans as stated in the skits.

Get Lil’ Wayne’s Latest Album – hot shit

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Jay Rock – 30 Day Takeover (new mixtape)

July 26th, 2011 | By Edwin

For those who have been following Jay Rock since 2006, we know what we’ve come to expect: hard lines, hard beats, and tales from the streets from Compton, CA. However, with the recent release of his new mixtape 30 Day Takeover, The Game soundalike is making a name for himself on the West Coast scene.

Featuring 30 raw and hard tracks, Jay Rock has expanded his repitore and sharpened his delivery and wordplay while displaying a wider range of emotion than shown before. A solid album that can be played from front to back on the iPod or in the car – I give this album a 4.5 out of 5.

Some standout tracks include:

The Takeover – Jay Rock flexes his vocals here and sets the tone for the rest of the album

Plenty Money – A nice West Coast G-anthem

Mandatory – K-Dot and Jay Rock are becoming quite the West Coast duo, especially with standout tracks such as this one

What’s my Name – I’m sure West Coast veterans will identity this iconic beat, and Jay Rock does this track justice

Download Jay Rock – 30 Day Takeover and let me know what you guys think of it.

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