#DeepCuts: The Best New Mixtape Tracks

Highlighting the gems on recent rap releases.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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If LiveMixtapes intimidates you, if you often leave browser tabs open at the image captcha, we are here to save you. Welcome to #DeepCuts, where Complex will help you get a handle on the relentless faucet of free rap music.

The first two weeks of the year saw the release of a bevy of rap tapes, and sorting the wheat from the chaff is a full-time job. Our aim is to cover some regions and artists that don't get much attention, to highlight MCs doing something new or discussion-worthy, and most of all, to help rap fans keep track of songs they might otherwise pass by.

So read on as we make a method out of madness, pulling the best tracks from the endless stream of rap tapes. From overlooked singles of rising regional artists to standout moments from bigger stars, this is what a truly panoramic view of hip-hop in 2013 is all about.

Written by David Drake (@somanyshrimp)

RELATED: DJ Drama's 25 Favorite Mixtapes

Freeband Gang "D.N.A."

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Mixtape: Future Presents F.B.G.: The Movie
Producer: 808 Mafia

The purpose of this tape is to introduce Future's crew, but with the exception of Young Scooter's moving "The Appeal," the song that jumps out immediately is Future's own solo cut "D.N.A." The track's nasty, nose-wrinkling production (an appropriately sleazy framework for Future's chorus line, "Had to skeet it in her face, she caught my D.N.A.") is a welcome change-up from the more euphoric sound he's been exploring on songs like "Fo' Real."

Listen:

Juelz Santana "What I Want"

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Mixtape: God Will'n
Producer: Sha Money XL

There's a Dipset revival in the air (on March 25, the crew will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Diplomatic Immunity in NYC) and a Juelz comeback is a necessary part of the process. For a few years the rapper lost his footing, and while nothing on God Will'n sounds like a chart-topping return to form, the tape has some moments that show flashes of his early promise.

There is also some worthwhile synergy on his collaborations with Chicago rappers Lil Reese and (especially) Lil Durk, but the best moment is a solo track produced by Sha Money XL. It sounds for a few seconds like a flip of Future's "Itchin," but quickly switches up into something more distinctive.

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Young Scooter f/ Marco & Kourtney Money "Nothin' Important Than Money"

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Mixtape: Street Lottery
Producer: Zaytoven

Since the regional success of Young Scooter's "Colombia" last year, the Atlanta street rapper has been looking to take some major steps going into 2013. His style is simple but purposeful; gritty and raw; he floats at the beat, rather than falling deep into the pocket. His latest tape, Street Lottery, has a few cuts worthy of attention, from the rare Ma$e comeback "Made It Threw the Struggle" to the springtime optimism of Travis Porter feature "Beautiful Day."

One of the best side effects of his rise is the re-emergence of producer Zaytoven; his beat for last year's Scooter highlight "Fake Rappers" was more baroque and detailed than the stripped-down sound of his most productive era alongside Gucci Mane. "Nothin' Important Than Money" is another step in the right direction. With gentle keyboard tones gliding along in a steady eighth-notes pattern, the beat is a perfect marriage to Scooter's rhythmically loose delivery. All of the song's parts seem to move in orbit rather than lockstep.

Listen:

Raekwon f/ Altrina Renee "'86"

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Mixtape: Lost Jewlry
Producer: DJ Thoro

We premiered Raekwon's Lost Jewlry tape this week. It'll satisfy the Chef's fan base, but one particular track stands out. "'86" has, appropriately enough, an '80s R&B sample courtesy DJ Thoro. Hearing his graphite vocals over a sophisticated old school club track makes for a more dynamic listen, giving the track some more dimension. It's an unexpectedly suave move, an appropriate fit for someone who's grimiest moments are now a couple decades past.

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Master P f/ Alley Boy & Fat Trel "Brick to a Million"

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Mixtape: Al Capone
Producer: Young Bugatti

Master P's new tape is better than it has any right to be. Picking a highlight is tough. P's chorus makes the title track a worthy contender, and "Louie Sheets," which dropped a few months back, remains perhaps the tape's strongest individual song, thanks in part to underrated production crew 1500. But "Brick to a Million" is the tape's best #DeepCut.

Young Bugatti (who joins 1500 and Deezle as the record's beatmaking tag-team) laced P with a beat that could have come from former Beats by the Pound producer KLC's hard drive. The sparse piano bounce has distinctively New Orleans flavor. Rappers Alley Boy and Fat Trel also fit well into P's world, which isn't all that different from the way it was 15 years ago, to great benefit.

Listen:

Joe Moses f/ T-Lanez "Fresh Out"

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Mixtape: From Nothing to Something 2
Producer: Ty Dolla $ign, D.R.U.G.S.

Ty Dolla $ign of the D.R.U.G.S. production team put together this Cali sunset should-be smash for Joe Moses. Moses and Ty dropped the Whoop! tape together last year, and it was a solid release; Joe's latest solo tape is choppier, but the D.R.U.G.S. team's wistful production for "Fresh Out" would be a hit in a just universe. The thumping beat has a groove similar to many recent Southern Cali club-oriented "ratchet" tracks from the past few years (think "Rack City"), but its drop-top palm tree vibe gives singer T-Lanez space to fill in the expansive pop-R&B chorus.

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2Deep "Cruise Control Music"

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Mixtape: #Game4Sale
Producer: DJ Burn One

Memphis rapper 2Deep is an emergent artist from Orange Mound, the same area as renown Southern superstars 8Ball and MJG. As an MC, he's got a conventional approach, and there's a definite Pimp C influence to his flow here. His latest tape is heavy on industry freestyles, but "Cruise Control Music" is a refreshing beat from DJ Burn One, a producer who has worked with a cross-section of Southern artists (Jackie Chain, Scotty, Starlito) and continues to mine a sound that is at once traditional but distinctively his own.

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Hurricane Chris "Down South"

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Mixtape: Caniac
Producer: (Unknown Producer)

You might remember Shreveport rapper Hurricane Chris from 2007 rap radio smash "A Bay Bay," or perhaps when he rapped his song "Halle Berry" for the Louisiana legislature. His flow has a passing similarity to incarcerated Baton Rogue hero Lil Boosie, and although he's not approaching the same level of searing aggression, his latest tape has some pretty ferocious moments. Aside from a barrelling collaboration with regional star Z-Ro ("Here We Go"), it's the Zydeco-esque accordion of "Down South" that channels the most intense energy.

Listen:

Vinny Cha$e "Rolling My Trees"

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Mixtape: Golden Army
Producer: Audio Dope Music

Vinny Cha$e's latest tape has more references to shopping in SoHo than any rap tape in recent memory, but "Rolling My Trees" is basically just a smooth weed smoking record. Obviously this lane has been pretty busy since Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y floated in on clouds of kush smoke, but when done the right way, the relaxed atmosphere and lyrical stunting are worthwhile building blocks. There's nothing too complicated about this one, and that's a good thing.

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