The final two weeks of January and the first week of February included a flurry of mixtape releases from across the country. From the endless churn of Brick Squad affiliates to DJ Mustard's increasing refinement of his "ratchet" sound, from Chicago teenagers to New York's retro relapse, hip-hop has an increasing sense of diversity and more voices becoming involved in the conversations about it.
The final two weeks of January and the first week of February included a flurry of mixtape releases from across the country. From the endless churn of Brick Squad affiliates to DJ Mustard's increasing refinement of his "ratchet" sound, from Chicago teenagers to New York's retro relapse, hip-hop has an increasing sense of diversity and more voices becoming involved in the conversations about it.
Kevin Gates "Around Me"
Mixtape: The Luca Brasi Story
Producer: Cy Fyre
Kevin Gates is one of the most well-established rappers in Baton Rogue, a hugely popular local figure with a mature lyrical style. His love songs are particularly strong; the cliche about rappers making throwaway songs "for the ladies" applies to Gates on no level, and the way he blends the urgency of feeling with the physical gives his loverman raps rare kind of spiritual realism. His verses are more than the sum of their parts thanks to evocative imagery. "Around Me" is the closest to a pop moment on dense but ultimately rewarding The Luca Brasi Story, which came out February 1.
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Waka Flocka f/ Gucci Mane and Young Thug "Fell"
Mixtape: DuFlocka Rant 2
Producer: Lex Luger
Waka's newest tape isn't a reinvention, and there are some cool moments, but by far the most interesting flashes come from particular collaborators, whether on the production end or new guests. Much as Kevin Gates' appearance on Pusha T's Wrath of Caine mixtape looks like it could propel Gates to the next level of national attention, here's hoping that Young Thug's high-profile collaboration with Waka and Gucci does the same. He's definitely one of the most charismatic new rappers to emerge in Atlanta's odd new nexus of rapper weirdos, with a good balance between songcraft / hooks and general eccentricity.
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Vado f/ Gunplay "55"
Mixtape: Slime Flu 3
Producer: Stoopid On Da Beat
Vado bulldozes through a series of trebly percussive bangers on Slime Flu 3, and "55" is a perfect example. It's no disrespect to Vado to suggest, though, that Gunplay steals the show. Rap fans still think of Gunplay as more of a character than rapper, but "55" is further proof they couldn't be more wrong, as he links together an unbroken chain of effortless rapper's rapping: "Bitch you know what this is, straight raw and vicious / sea bass and foreign fishes, gold dreams and whore wishes / fight like I got four fist-es."
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The Underachievers "Root of All Evil"
Mixtape: Indigoism
Producer: Mr. Bristol
Flatbush, New York duo The Underachievers wed a surface-level retro aesthetic to more ambitious moves; beats evolve and unfold gradually, and the group's raps are densly acrobatic and full of oblique references. "Root of All Evil" is one of the best songs that hadn't leaked previously, and it rides a piano vamp before evolving in more interesting directions. The rest of Indigoism suggests the investment by Flying Lotus' Brainfeeder label was a wise one.
Listen:
SL Jones "Just Like That"
Mixtape: Trapper's Delight
Producer: M-16
SL Jones is a rapper based in Atlanta who originally came up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Early on, he worked with Killer Mike as a part of his Grind Time Rap Gang. Lately, he's been working on his solo career after shaking through some legal issues; his recent releases have taken the form of short EPs, each with one producer. Trapper's Delight finds the rapper working with producer M-16 and experimenting more with melody throughout. The strongest track, though, is "Just Like That," which benefits from a great balance between a strong hook, memorable chiming beat and borderline-joyful rapping.
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Tink f/ Edai "What U Drivin"
Mixtape: Blunts and Ballads
Producer: Momurda
Tink is a teenage Chicago rapper (I know, right) who has a strong but rewarding Nicki Minaj influence (she both sings and raps, and does both extraordinarily well). She's still developing as a lyricist, but the seeds of success are there; she could become a major threat given the time to develop. The guest verse via Edai is exactly as lethargically cocky as it needs to be. The song is culled from Tink's recent 9-track tape Blunts and Ballads, which is obviously an excellent title.
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Kool John f/ NhT Boyz and ST Spittin "Is That Yo Hoe"
Mixtape: Peace, Love and Shmoplife
Producer: IamSu!
Kool John's latest tape is full of fun reinventions of older rap songs with a modern, thumping Cali twist. For example, "Full Of Dat Weed" transforms Young Bleed's Baton Rouge classic "How You Do That," while "Ya Bitch" flips Lil Jon's "Play No Games," and "Summer Jam" swipes Tupac's "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted." All that is to say, I have no idea what song it is, if any, that IamSu! has nabbed for "Is That Yo Hoe," a feature for the acrobatic rap antics of the NhT Boyz, but it sounds like some New Orleans bounce ish, and that's a refreshing switch-up on a well-balanced record that manages to find new ways to savor old flavors.
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YG f/ Young Jeezy and Wiz Khalifa "Playin"
Mixtape: Just Re'd Up 2
Producer: Cardo
Cardo remains one of hip-hop's most consistent tier-two producers, a guy who isn't known but nonetheless produces incredible songs on an absurdly consistent basis. On YG's latest tape, Just Re'd Up 2, his track stands out thanks to his surroundings; it's the only traditionally-Los Angeles sounding cut on the record, as the rest of the tape finds producer DJ Mustard refining the 'ratchet' club aesthetic he and a few other beatmakers have developed over the past couple of years. Young Jeezy also sounds great over west coast production, and is a welcome evolution for his sound.
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Wooh Da Kid f/ Tre Pounds and Slugg Mania "Controlling Me"
Mixtape: Full Metal Jacket
Producer: Tarentino 808 Mafia
Wooh Da Kid was Brick Squad's most reliable role-player, never quite star quality but always reliable as a rugged force for good music. His mixtape Black Out remains one of the strongest in the first wave of Brick Squad releases. Since that time, his recording has been a little spottier, although he's always good for a few choice tracks. The best on Full Metal Jacket, which just leaked last week, breathes life into a rap cliche (dude, what if, like, weed was like a woman, man?) thanks to a mesmerizing melodic chorus. It also helps that the production, courtesy 808 Mafia's Tarentino, is pretty singular; he also produced "Foreign" for the Fetti Gang, which works on similar floating-R&B thug terms.
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Casey Veggies f/ Dom Kennedy "She In My Car"
Mixtape: Life Changes
Producer: DJ Dahi
Producer DJ Dahi, fresh off "Money Trees" with Kendrick Lamar, is just beginning to get national recognition, and "She In My Car," the highlight from Casey Veggies' Life Changes, should only propel him further. With a Dom Kennedy feature, it already feels like a natural sequel to "My Type of Party," Kennedy's party rap tour-de-force from 2012.
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G Code "Fuck That Nigga U With"
Mixtape: Straight Out Da Trap
Producer: Chop House
A Roanoke, Virginia-based rapper with a pretty straightforward trap sound was graced with a surprisingly elegant closing song about stealing women from their boyfriends. Novel terrain, to be sure, but the floating synthesizers courtesy producer Chop House gives the song a serene prettiness that makes for an interesting friction with the rapper's gruff demeanor.
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8Ball "Neva Luv Again"
Mixtape: Premro 2
Producer: Joe Millionaire
8ball's Premro 2 is yet another strong tape from the Orange Mound legend; "Neva Luv Again" is the tape's most moving narrative, possibly just because, in a genre full of players calloused to love, occasional moments of honest vulnerability seem that much more momentous. "Neva Luv Again" is about heartbreak and it feels especially honest because of little details that seem too precise to be false.
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