It’s been long time, I shouldn’t have left you, without some dope mixtapes to listen to . . .
Hitmaker Jermaine Dupri has a new mixtape out called I Think I’m Berry Gordy, which is named after the legendary Motown Records founder. On the mixtape, Jermaine spits a freestyle over Rick Ross’ infamous track “B.M.F,” as well as Kanye West’s “Power” and Chris Brown’s “Deuces.”
Jermaine Dupri – I Think I’m Berry Gordy [DOWNLOAD] (via Rap Radar)
Jay-Z’s Roc Nation signee J. Cole flips the cover art and title of Nas’ classic LP Illmatic for his new freestyle song called “Villematic.” The North Carolina rapper goes in over Kanye West’s just-released “Devil in a New Dress” tune. According to reports, J.Cole was so inspired by Yeezy’s track that he now plans to record a full mixtape.
Miami rapper Plies teamed up with DJ Scream for his latest mixtape titled You Need People Like Me. This mixtape isn’t for everybody. There are a lot of crappy foolish rap songs on here. But a few standout joints include the somber “Boosie” and the socially-conscious track “Why U Hate.”
Plies – You Need People Like Me (STREAM | DOWNLOAD)
Sedgwick & Cedar Present Planet Rock – Paris is one of the best mixtapes of 2010. For those who don’t know, Sedgwick & Cedar is the New York address of the birthplace of hip-hop and its founder DJ Kool Herc. (Recently, the building, in which Kool Herc would spin back-to-school parties there, was saved by developers after years of financial turmoil.)
For this mixtape, S&C tapped famed DJ Just Dizle from Paris to seamlessly mix old-school rap classics. The 28-song compilation features gems from LL Cool J, Davy DMX, Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC, Fantasy Three, Disco Four, Jazzy Jay and more (Track List). This is a tremendous hip-hop mixtape. Unfortunately, you can’t download it. But you can stream it below:
SC73 presents a mix from Just Dizle AKA Le Champion inspired by Planet Rock Paris
Fashawn is a rapper from Fresno, California, who has been putting in major work in 2010. His new mixtape Grizzly City 3 (hosted by DJ Skee) represents the quality music he’s been dropping within the past year or so. The 18-song compilation boasts guest appearances from Ron Artest, Dirty Money, Lil Wayne and Grafik. Standout tracks include the reflective “Remember the Times,” the jazzy “Desperado” and the cautionary track “California Streets.”
Fashawn – Grizzly City 3 [STREAM | DOWNLOAD]
Last month, Aug. 27 to be precise, a milestone came and went without anyone noticing — the 20th Anniversary of LL Cool J’s 1990 comeback album Mama Said Knock You Out.
Considered by many as LL’s greatest album, it saved the New York rapper’s career from obscurity after the critical backlash of his previous LP Walking With a Panther. Mama Said Knock You Out garnered a few hit singles: “The Boomin’ System,” “Around the Way Girl” and the title track (all produced by Marley Marl).
The good folks at hip-hop blog KevinNottingham.com recently paid tribute to LL’s classic LP with a Mama Said Knock You Out (20th Anniversary) Remix Album. You can either stream the album online in its entirety or download individual tracks. The collection features indie artists and producers who were selected as part of an eight-month-long contest to remix songs from the album.
The end result is a nice compilation that is perfect for your boomin’ systems. Here are a few songs from the collection:
“Mama Said Knock You Out” by KevinNottingham.com
“The Boomin’ System” by KevinNottingham.com
“To Da Break Of Dawn” by KevinNottingham.com
You may not remember the name Aaron Smith but you may remember his 2008 summertime anthem “Corona and Lime” when he was known as the rapper Shwayze. He’s back on the solo tip and he’s using his real name this time. His mixtape Love Stoned is an introduction to the new music he’s cooking up. Much of the music on the compilation is “Malibu Rap” — laid back rhymes with sing-a-long choruses. Check out a couple songs below:
“If That’s What You Want” – Aaron Smith
Buff1 is from Detroit rapper who has been inspired by fellow D-Town icon and late producer J Dilla. He’s not a household name just yet but that might change with his new FREE mixtape Ghosting. For the project, Buff1 gave himself one week to write original rhymes on classic songs he handpicked himself by various artists (The Beatles, Shuggie Otis, Portishead) without changing the original song arrangements. The term “ghosting” also happens to be a game where one person follows behind another, mimicking their movements as closely as possible, without being detected. Peep a few tracks from the collection below:
Shuggie Otis – “Aht Uh Mi Hed” (featuring Buff1)
The Beatles – “Sun King” (Featuring Buff1)
Robert Glasper & Bilal – “All That Matter” (Featuring Buff1)
Other Noteworthy Mixtapes:
Sean Garrett – The Inkwell Mixtape ( via Def Pen Radio)
Da Best Of: Ghost & Rae Mixtape (via Da Best)
Rich Kidd – We Don’t See ‘Em (Hosted by DJ Khaled) (via Miami New Times)
K-OS – The Anchorman Mixtape (via Different Kitchen)
