MIXTAPE: 50 Cent - The Lost Tape: Gangsta Grillz
Mixtape master of old 50 Cent is trying to resurrect the whole 'aggressive content' style that made him a household name and Vitamin Water baron. One strategy? Going back to his mixtape roots and collaborating, here for the first time, with DJ Drama. The Lost Tape also features Eminem ("Murder One), Snoop Dogg ("Remain Calm"), 2 Chainz ("Riot (Remix)") and even some production araabMUZIK.
MIXTAPE: SL Jones x DJ Burn One - Paraphernalia
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In hip-hop, there's nothing like a great organic relationship between a single rapper and producer. And that's certainly the deal with Little Rock rapper SL Jones and the always-fantastic DJ Burn One, who went from experimenting on a few tracks to a full-blown collaborative mixtape. The 12-track Paraphernalia is like spending the day at a barbecue. There's soulful lyricism and the sort of stoned throwback organic funk at which Burn One excels. It's free! Rock it!
Mixtape: DJ Green Giant x Just Blaze - Just Did It
Just Blaze! For a long while, that random shout at the beginning of a track has been a guarantee of quality. From Cam'ron to Jay-Z and then later Rick Ross, Eminem, T.I. and so many more, Just Blaze has certainly achieved status as an iconic rap producer. Here, he hosts a DJ Green Giant-spun journey through some of his latest and greatest hits. As Cam once said, "Take a couple bars off, let Just live." Yep. Do that.
MIXTAPE: Jadakiss - Consignment
Jadakiss albums are, unfortunately, usually hit-or-miss affairs. Mixtapes, though, those are a very different story. Jada, here teaming with frequent collaborator/yeller DJ Drama, does one for the streets with Consignment – a new effort featuring Wale, French Montana, Styles P, Meek Mill, Fabolous, Lloyd Banks, Young Jeezy, Yo Gotti, Ace Hood, Waka Flocka, 2 Chainz, Swizz Beatz, A$AP Rocky, Future, Gucci Mane, Trae Tha Truth and more. If that sounds like a real murderers' row, you're right.
MIXTAPE DOWNLOAD: Zuzuka Poderosa - Carioca Bass
Brooklyn party monster Zuzuka Poderosa recently released her Carioca Bass mixtape – a thick, 40-minute bootylicious ride put together by Kush Arora. Rooted in bass-heavy baile funk, the tape bangs through global ghetto sounds, from bhangra to soca crunk. Plus, there are bunda-shaking appearances from Los Rakas, Spoek Mathambo, Sany Pitbull and many more. Carioca Bass is definitely what Poderosa calls an "interracial music baby." What does that mean? That it's time to learn Portuspanglish. Rumor has it there's more to come on Poderosa's Carioca Bass EP, which is expected sometime this spring.
MIXTAPE: Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape Vol 1
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Mixtapes from rock bands are usually tossed-off, poorly-recorded throwaways, but Titus Andronicus works in so many different directions and successfully covers so many different bands, that the idea is pretty appealing. They agree, apparently. Here's Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape Vol 1, which features the new track "Upon Viewing Oregon's Landscape With The Flood Of Detritus," some rarities and covers of Television Personalities, Velvet Underground, Weezer, The Replacements and the theme from "Hot Pockets" commercials.
Download Mixtape: Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus LLC Mixtape Vol 1 [Tumblr]
MIXTAPE: Wiz Khalifa - Taylor Allderdice
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For the follow-up to last year's Cabin Fever and spiritual sequel to the breakout Kush & Orange Juice, Wiz Khalifa leaked just the right songs to whet appetites for a less poppy, more stoned effort on the brand new Taylor Allderdice mixtape. His new, Prodigy-referencing major label effort O.N.H.I.C. comes later this year, so bump this one – with features from Rick Ross, Juicy J and more – to hold you over in the meantime.
Mixtape Download: Wiz Khalifa - Taylor Allderdice
MIXTAPE: Action Bronson & Party Supplies - Blue Chips
Action Bronson is my main man for a few reasons. First, dude sounds like Ghostface without the intermittent wheezing (mad props for this as AB is mad corpulent). Second, dude is mad corpulent because he’s constantly busting-out canard on his cooking series and referencing these skills on tracks like “Brunch” and “Shiraz.” Third, he sounds like the New York hip-hop of old: straightforward erudite flow layered over out-of-the-box production like string quartets or Harry Fraud sex sax samples. So, it's an understatement to say I'm extra stoked on his new mixtape with Party Supplies called Blue Chips, which is perfect for a ride to Queensbridge and chock full of tracks to get me faded on the way.
Download: Action Bronson & Party Supplies - Blue Chips [DJ Booth]
