#DeepCuts: The Mixtape Tracks You're Sleeping On

This summer, the record industry stumbled. Despite plugging many of the holes in the dam separating music from Internet users, U.S. album sales hit historic lows.

In hip-hop, several rappers—Kanye, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Mac Miller—saw sales from their most recent record fail to match the one before it. Even Drake only managed to push his first-week total up slightly over his last, suggesting he might have already plateaued.

Of course, the underground still produced thousands of mixtapes, uploaded to DatPiff, LiveMixtapes (and Indy.Livemixtapes), HotNewHipHop, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp. Promising new artists arrived, as did hundreds of retreads and unmemorable, bland trend-chasers.

Hopefully, this column will help draw attention to the songs that are worth your time, regardless of positioning or pedigree. So let's take a look at September's #DeepCuts: The Mixtape Tracks You're Sleeping On.

RELATED: #DeepCuts: The Mixtape Tracks You're Sleeping On (August)
RELATED: The Best Albums of September 2013

Mixtape: Ya Feel Me?
Producer: Dun Deal and DJ Spinz

It is mystifying how a major label could see this video and think Ca$h Out was the one deserving of a major label deal and promotion (vs. Young Thug, whose gangly charisma made him seem like a standout star). Of course, a label likely didn't do that level of investigation into his career anyway; he just had a hit, and that hit was "Cashin' Out," which was last spring's irrepressible, undeniable anthem. (That's also something Young Thug has yet to provide.) At any rate, Ca$h Out's new tape Ya Feel Me is full of expensive beats and fairly generic rapping, until this slow jam shows up at the end and make it all worthwhile. Sparse and licentious, "Addicted To Your Love" has an erotic grace that somehow makes it the most subtle song on the tape.

Mixtape: INNANETAPE
Producer: Peter Cottontale

With Chance starring as Chicago's breakout star of 2013, naysayers have already stepped in claiming Vic sounds too much like Chance, or is a lesser Chance, or why do we need another Chance? Which is all pretty ridiculous for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that he doesn't really sound all that much like him—his voice shows considerably less Lil Wayne influence, and has a steadier tone. Vic was also a local star before Chance; he played Lolla two years before him (in 2011, as a the only rapper in Kids These Days). And the mix of ambitious good kid who's also a little more streetwise than your average backpacker was his lyrical style before many people knew Chance's name.

His INNANETAPE has a distinct sound all its own, too. Although it's tough to say exactly who is responsible for the record's core sound—after all, it was executive produced by Cam from J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, underrated R&B songwriter Om'Mas Keith, frequent Chance collaborator Peter Cottontale, and Vic himself—I like to consider it the "Cottontale Record," while Acid Rap is the "Nate Fox Record." "Magic" epitomizes INNANETAPE—and by extension, the "Cottontale Record" sound. Drums take up space, sounding like 45's played at 33 and a third, each cymbal and kick full of reverb, like a more organic gated drum. (On the Thundercat-assisted "RUN!" it actually sounds like Wang Chung.) The overall feel is like an ’80s R&B record—like, say, something by Jam & Lewis, or the reference Cottontale himself made when I spoke with him: Bobby Caldwell.

In contrast, the Acid Rap sound is more like a Quincy Jones-meets-Rod-Temperton vibe—the sound is thinner, more agile.

Mixtape: 24 Karat G.O.L.D. (Gangstaz Only Live 4 Death)
Producer: Lakieth

Que Tha Truth is from Baton Rouge, where something in the water makes it so each child pops out of the womb with a mic in hand and a complete Lil Boosie discography in the other. Que has an incredibly fluent, comfortable flow, which is especially remarkable when he goes into a quick double-time, as he does here. It is also just awesome hearing someone spit over a remix of DJ Premier's "Devil's Pie" beat for D'Angelo. This song is everything good about rap music.

Mixtape: Fathers Are the Curse
Producer: Ron Shaw

When Two-9 first emerged among a flurry of rapper "collectives" whom blogs were eager to crown as the next A$AP Mob or Odd Future, the enthusiasm felt a bit premature. Slotting in as a slightly less distinctive Raider Klvn was probably not an ideal way to introduce yourself to the industry. But much as Raider Klvn members like Yung Simmie have proven that, with time and experience, they can develop into more formidable talents, Two-9 members like Curtis Williams and now Key! have shown signs of finding their own respective lanes.

The smartest thing Williams and Key! have done is to choose production carefully. They work with producers like Sonny Digital, FKi, or Childish Major, who have each gotten a reputation for their strip club/street rap-oriented work. But Key! and Williams are drawn toward fully fleshed out, melodic production from those beatmakers. The result is a kind of classier, more tasteful version of contemporary ATL street beats. (For the best example, listen to the jazzy, Sonny Digital-produced "Don't Believe Me.")

A highlight of Key!'s latest mixtape, though, is the far-too-short New Orleans tribute (maybe?) ".45," which has a minimal KLC-esque swagger that serves as a regional gangster rap throwback. (It may turn out that this is, in fact, an older beat I missed in Southern Rap 101, in which case: mea culpa.) For a more representative flavor, don't skip "Cathedral." The bulk of the beats, by producer Trap Money Benny, have a lush, glossy feel at odds with the kind of lo-fi "lushness" valued in the Clams Casino era.

Mixtape: Cheez N Dope 2
Producer: Drumma Boy

This is probably Project Pat's 11th best release or thereabouts, which is only to say that there's nothing game-changing here. But Pat fans should be able to find a few songs in the tracklist to their liking without too much trouble, even if they have to sift through semi-awkward Mac Miller verses to get to it. Let's not kid ourselves about what the real goal here is, anyway: If Juicy J can get a major-label record released in 2013 (and a good one at that), a Project Pat record in 2014 would be even better. Cross your fingers and go out and buy 10 copies of Stay Trippy in support.

On the tape, "Where The Fuck" has the strongest visceral heft of anything on the record, and so is highlighted here. However, also worth checking out: "Dick Eatin Dog," which is the most "Project Pat" Project Pat song in recent memory; "Weed Smoke" just to hear Mac Miller on his Make-A-Wish collaboration steez; "Don't Fuck Wit Me," a great gangster noir; "Ridin' Drakin' Smokin' Thankin'," which goes for the breezy late-period Three-6 soul sample feel; "I Wonder," which is about wondering whose dick your girl is riding while you sit behind bars; And "Gas," which inspired the high point of Complex history, 12 Fart Rap Anthems.

Mixtape: 44108
Producer: Rami

King Chip remains one of the Midwest's most underrated performers, although he's built a bigger fanbase than many in the media may realize. (This is partly the fault of the "INTERIOR CROCODILE ALLIGATOR" meme.) His last tape, 2012's Tell Ya Friends, didn't quite live up to its memorable cover art, although it did contain perhaps the last truly great beat of Lex Luger's incomparable 2010-2011 run (it had been recorded the previous year).

This year's 44108, on the other hand, is a pretty great record, from the aggressive cop-hating anthem "Police in the Trunk" to the Cardo-produced single "Blk On Blk" to ’90s throwback narratives like "Nigga Who Shot Me." (They don't make them like this any more, seriously.) But the standout tracks are the combined "Bitch Ass World" and "Malcolm X" joints, primarily because the latter features Boldy James (who has an Alchemist-produced album dropping this month) and a beat that is reminscient of floral T-shirt songs like Andre Nickatina and Equipto's "Jungle" or Cormega's "Verbal Graffiti."

Mixtape: Fresh Out of Jail
Producer: Unknown

Not to be confused with the Spitta also known as Curren$y, Spitta is also from Louisiana. The Baton Rouge MC has a rap style that is packed with punchlines, but delivered in a way that makes him seem super threatening, so you're sorta afraid to laugh, because he's that serious. His delivery reminds me of a few different rappers who would deliver their bars with an unexpectedly lengthy panache. Think Mitchy Slick, Young Zee, or Mac Dre. But unlike those three, his flow has a distinctly Baton Rouge ferocity. The whole tape is packed with knee-slapping wordplay delivered with unblinking viciousness.

We considered posting "Probation & Parole," for "Them hollow-tips loud, they don't know how to mute/Your main bitch know I shot you but she still think I'm cute." (He follows this up with a "One time at band camp..." joke.) But in the end, we had to go to "Bust Ya Head," despite its brevity and only containing one of the rapper's 16s. This is partly because of the beat switch-up after the chorus, but mostly because of the following couplet: "The clip curved like a macaroni/Put a hole in you and your bride, hole-y matrimony."

Mixtape: The KiDD Classic
Producer: Beazy Tymes

Cinematographer/beatmaker DGainz has the ear and eye for talent; he worked closely, early on, with a who's who of Chicago MCs, from Chief Keef to Spenzo to Tink, before each artist ended up moving on without him. When he speaks about artists, he talks confidently and with blunt honesty about their strengths and weaknesses. But considering how often he speaks of wanting to work behind the scenes, it must have been frustrating to watch talent he had ID'd early end up elsewhere.

Jay2 is the first major project for DGainz's new Distinguished Gorillaz label. Jay's tape Visions came out earlier this month to little fanfare. Jay2 is from Chicago's north side, and is—like many of his city's new crop of artists—just a teenager. From Keef to Tink to Lucki Eck$ to Lil Herb, teens have received a bulk of the considerable buzz in the windy city.

Jay2 sounds like a driven writer on his debut, someone whose lyrics are carefully considered, if occasionally pro forma. The record, overall, is not as distinctive as Lucki Eck$'s unusually distinct Alternative Trap. It is, though, a very carefully crafted piece. Jay2 is a thoughtful kid (at one point, he raps over the "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" beat, which suggests where his head is at), but still somewhat flexible, stylistically. When the stripper track "Go To Work" arrives, it's refreshingly malevolent, although its escapist fantasy also feels a bit more like an attempt to touch all the bases than a piece of an authentically felt vision.

Jay2 has many pieces in place, he has an easy chemistry with his main producer, Beazy. His persona at this point has an anonymity that makes his tape feel a little like a business card at times. Overall, the record feels clean and well constructed, with plenty of room (and potential) for growth.

Mixtape: Respect Tha Grind 12
Producer: Trail Hawthorne

Picture it: "I'm gon' make you folks remember me," a melodious voice says over the radio. "Sounds good, Future," you think.

The Future/Rich Homie Quan similarity is such a strange thing, like a momentary ripple in the space-time continuum, a glitch in the matrix. There is something different about the two of them, despite the evident similarities. It's difficult to put your finger on. Quan himself has said, in his defense, that he can't help how his voice sounds, so he'll just talk about his own story, which no one else has. And it's what makes a track like this seem so moving. His story isn't unheard of, but he presents it in a novel way, less oblique than Future, more autobiographical and specific.

Another theory as to why he's stood out: Everyone is emulating Future, while trying to sound like they're not. Quan has differentiated himself from the pack by sounding slightly more like Future than anyone else. But these are his memories, of course—no one else's. So he can get away with it.

Who knows.

Mixtape: Diary of a Trap God
Producer: Lex Luger

When Young Scooter was first ascendant, after the success of "Colombia," then on the strength of the Street Lottery mixtape and his subsequent appearances on Future's FBG tape, a few critics seemed baffled by his rise. He has a good, distinctive rapper's voice, but his flow was fairly straightforward and his lyrics seemed full of almost impossibly mythic drug talk. But one of his underrecognized strengths was an ability to compelling project pathos. (Consider "Appeal.") So he's a good fit here, even if he ends his verse with the line "Hoes shitted on me five years ago/Now I'm shitting on these hoes like a toilet bowl."

Yeah, the whole song is basically Mike Jones's "Back Then," just with an additional heartfelt Akon hook. But that makes all the difference. And considering this might be Gucci's last released record for some time (he was arrested for gun possession in mid-September), there's an added emotional undercurrent. The song is hooky enough that it's not tough to envision some kind of alternate Gucci history, one without recurrent trips to jail, in which the rapper crests atop the pop charts over a track like this one.