Mixtapes of 07

joe budden mood muzik 3

Even though it was released two weeks before the end of the year, it didn't matter; as long as Joey released it, he was going to be the best. Joey's in a whole different league. It was two years since his last offerings but MM3 still gives us what we wanted. Every song hits on some level. I could sit and listen to it on constant loop. Like days go by when I listen to MM3 yet it's only 80 minutes long. MM3 is funny, filled with quotables and deep all in the same breath.

termanology hood politics 5

For some reason I never heard of Term before '07. Original production, cool features and his flow is unheard of. Like he is on constant attack. He never seems to want to stop once started. He is my favorite East Coast grit/grume of the moment. When I feel like riding, HP 5 gets put in. And the fact that I just listened to it today is (and it's been in the ride since July) is evidence of why HP 5 is lovely.

bishop lamont n*gger noise

Another unheard of new voice to me, Bishop, with N*gger Noise, was perfectly on point with sociopolitical rhymes. Not all of the mixtape is crazy ridiculous but there are plenty of songs that hit a nerve. Also, Bishop has since released Cal-Troit and Pope Mobile and they've been quite average.

skyzoo cornerstore classic

Skyzoo is so subtle you might overlook his worth. He's got a crazy catalog and CSC adds to it. While it wasn't as deep as I was looking for, he was able to pull off a fun tape with what seems very little mental strain. CSC puts you in lively mood and I know every song by heart. His choice of beats and witty bars continued to set him apart from the rest. I can surly trust him to provide some classic singles whenever he does come on.

styles p the phantom

This was the point at which I expected big things from the Styles. Although the tape was filled with some months-old material, the collection of songs were perfect for the mixtape form. He's been on this vent session thing for more than a year and I like it. But every other mixtape he's pushed out (and yes, SGEG was a glorified mixtape) has recieved lukewarm reception/play.

weezy* the empire tha carter 3 sessions

I hated the Drought 3 double mixtape last spring; it's when Weezy* opened his own gash with wack and silly metaphors that are for battle rappers/kids. The Carter 3 Sessions had decent songs. The beats were mostly good but had he worked on his verses, C 3 Sessions could have been good enough for a real release of C3.

gemini fnf 5 untamed beast

Again, I'd never heard of GemStones. The tape had stretches of undefiable flow. Can't wait for more from dude. And to know he's aligned with Lupe just sweetens the deal. He reminds me of Biggie and Twista a little bit.

royce bar exam

Royce has been on his industry beat freestyle thing a lot this year but his Bar Exam was much better. It had been a while since I've tuned into him but he delivered. I haven't listened to it since the summer in part because it never had a crazy track you could hang you head on--it was average (good) all the way through.

mally the letter

Still haven't listened to it, huh? It has been on the site everyday since May!!! I know you may be like 'who the fuck' but have a little trust in me, I mean you do return back everyday, right? I know dude personally and he's real nice, he just wants to be heard. I don't play favorites (yes I do) but The Letter is 26 tracks of lyrical wit. So just download it and give Mally a listen. You don't have to like but you have got to feel it.

question kush 2008

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question signed hype

I had to find a way to give Question the bump. Kush 08 was okay but at 40 tracks deep, it was way too much to sift through myself. It had it's moments but Signed Hype is where it's at. It's not great but Question is getting a lot better. And I've found being so analytical a little overzealous sometimes, if I find myself listening to something day after day, I like it; Signed Hype is that.

sean price master p

I never got a chance to sit and listen to Master P but I let it play in the background quite a bit over the summer. I don't fiend for Sean Price but I welcome it.

cool kids totally flossed out ep

I had to give it to them. I'm not sold on them at all yet but they're throwback kitsch is hard not to feel. It's fun and straight to the point. I do have a weak spot for hipstet shit too so ya know...