Reflection Eternal – The RE: Union Mixtape
(Statik Selektah)
Veterans are always encouraged to go back to the sounds and approaches that garnered their initial fan bases, but Reflection Eternal is directly responding to those pleas. They’ve each built credible solo careers since their Train of Thought debut, but Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek are back to business as a duo these days. If this new mixtape with Statik Selektah is any indication, they haven’t lost a step. The disc has a crop of new offerings to show where the duo is going now, with the older classics for die-hard fans to reminisce to. The brilliant “Just Begun” with Mos Def, Jay Electronica and J. Cole was a late contender for best song of 2009 honors, and “Revolutions Per Minute” and “In This World” sees Talib showcasing his upgraded flow over minimalistic Hi-Tek boom bap that seems influenced by his work with Dr. Dre and Aftermath Records. “Internet Connection” is more fun than it should be, and “Come Around” sees Talib trading bars with Termanology and Royce Da 5’9”. Meanwhile, offerings from Talib’s past collaborations with Hi-Tek on mixtapes and albums alike still bang like they used to.
Cam’ron – Boss of All Bosses 2 (DJ Drama)
Cam’s 2009 album Crime Pays didn’t boast much replay value, but with Boss Of All Bosses 2, he’s a bit more comfortable in the mixtape forum he took over years ago with his Diplomats crew. Bosses 2 doesn’t have the highs that Crime Pays does (“I Hate My Job,” “Get It In Ohio”), but it does well when Cam displays his signatures—effortless flow, and an endearing combo of deadpan humor and street/misogynistic ruthlessness. Highlights include the mixtape-friendly “Bezel Up” and “Nothing Like Araab Music,” the gutter rags-to-riches confidence of “Always Made It,” and “Ohh Baby” for its nostalgic Dipset sound. for comedic purposes, the two “U Right” skits that see Cam hilariously trying to pacify arguments with a woman. Boss Of All Bosses 2 won’t convert any naysayers, but for die-hard fans that await new Cam’ron music, this has worthwhile numbers.
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Gucci Mane – Diplo Presents: Free Gucci (Diplo/Best Of Cold War Mixtapes)
Confession: this writer hasn’t bought into the Gucci Mane hype. I’m not one of the naysayers that litter message boards and “real Hip Hop” discussions, but aside from the occasional “Burrr!” adlib in my everyday speech, I’m not part of the ATLiens discipleship either. And it seems that I’m the ideal listener for Diplo’s Free Gucci (Best Of Cold War Mixtapes). Known for his penchant to unite seemingly disjointed cultures and music, the Mad Decent producer/deejay uses this effort to couple Gucci’s vocals with soundbeds from a crop of electronic/dance acts. Surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly, if you’re familiar with Diplo), the disc works: Gucci’s frank, endearing delivery perfectly contrasts the busyness and complexity of the electronic music used here. It’s almost like it Diplo makes Gucci’s material migrate from one set of clubs to another. Salem’s remix of “My Shadow” and Douster’s rendition of “Frowny Face” standout, but Diplo himself handles some of the most memorable work here, such as “Excuse Me” and “Break Yourself.” I’m not sure how much of a candle these remixes hold to the originals, but a listener that doesn’t listen to electronic music or Gucci Mane has found Free Gucci enjoyable, so this should be a mission accomplished.
X.O. –One.One.Ten.
X.O. was one third of the trio behind a celebrated 2009 Rap album, Diamond District’s In The Ruff; but with his new mixtape 1.1.10, the D.C. native shows that he can hold his own as a solo emcee as well. Released on New Year’s day, the mixtape has the cohesiveness and the weight of a full-length that would rank amongst the year’s best. X.O. specializes in focused, topical rhymes, and production from Oddisee and AB The Producer packs a soulful, head-nodding punch. Every song succeeds, but songs of choice include the female-friendly “Take You Home” (featuring Raheem DeVaughn) and “Lime Light,” which uses narration to highlight musicians’ and prostitutes’ pitfalls of sacrificing integrity for money and attention. The more established Diamond District member Oddisee may be keeping listeners satisfied with his series of seasonal EPs (Odd Winter will see a review next month), but a listen to One.One.Ten will show what caught Oddisee’s attention.
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Ludacris – The Conjure Mixtape
Considering how fun much of Ludacris’ music is, it only makes sense that the animated emcee forays into the world of alcoholic beverages with Conjure; thankfully, his venture warrants a new mixtape to spread the word. Name-dropping the new product so much gets annoying (especially on the tape-opening remake of Gucci Mane’s “Wasted”), but each of the “Conjure Commercial” skits are separate tracks instead of being attached to the songs before or after, so listeners can delete those and keep it moving. Throughout the tape, Luda showcases the nimble rhymes that garnered his fan base: “Born An O.G.” sees him and Ace Hood spitting hardnosed rhymes, he boasts about his city’s rise to rap royalty on “Atlanta, GA,” and songs with titles like “Sex Therapy” and “Addicted 2 Money” are self-explanatory. Guest spots from Lil Scrappy, Gucci Mane and others help as well. Product placement aside, The Conjure Mixtape showcases the Ludacris that Hip Hop knows and loves, and that’s something to drink to.
Tony Touch Presents: Best Of ‘09 Live From Shade 45
Artists now use mixtapes as albums before major releases, but there have to be some heads out there that miss mixtapes for what they used to be: miscellaneous tracks blended as an easy listen. Leave it up to veteran DJ Tony Touch to stick to the basics for Best of ’09 Live From Shade 45: instead of taking the year’s standout songs or helming a full-fledged project, he simply uses 27 freestyles from emcees that were guests on his radio show. Rookies like Emilio Rojas and staples like O.C. & A.G. get equal love here, showing Touch’s pulse is as balanced as it should be. Some of the emcees here preview verses from future releases (Royce Da 5’9”), some have fun (Sean Price), while others use the opportunity to make an impression on new listeners with hungry, top-tier rhymes (J. Cole, Fashawn). The mixtape conveys respect between guest and host that isn’t as sincere on radio today: the emcees honor the Rocksteady Crew deejay’s longevity, while Touch respects their showmanship. And that makes Best of ’09 even more enjoyable than the rhymes themselves.
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Jay Electronica – Victory (DJ Dub & Furious Styles)
Nevermind the continuous cosigns by the likes of Diddy, Q-Tip, and DJ Enuff—Jay Electronica’s buzz has grown so considerably that once the full version of his Just Blaze-laced “Exhibit C” dropped online, many internet browsers actually thought buying made more sense than downloading for free. Jay Elec’s sudden relevance may have caught many off guard, and Victory, compiled by DJ Dub and Furious Styles, should help them develop an understanding of the New Orleans emcee that has taken the ‘Net by storm. A tracklist wasn’t included with the project, but in a way, it’s fitting: Jay Elec alleges that he was homeless for some time before catching his musical breaks, so listeners are forced along in a similar way with already released/leaked songs and interview clips from throughout his career. But aside from the polish of Just Blaze’s beats, this shows the goods that have listeners excited now: vivid narratives about struggle and witty metaphors and similes like, “I just trying to keep the peace like a Buddhist / But people trying to kiss me on my cheek like Judas.” Only time will tell if Jay Electronica is really worth the hype, but take a listen to this mixtape if you have trouble deciding if you want to tag along.
HiPNOTT Records Presents – 2010 Takeover, Volume 1 (HipHopDX, DJ Booth & Kevin Nottingham)
Blogs partly dictate the direction of Hip Hop music, and they collaborate with worthwhile artists on special releases. But blogger Kevin Nottingham is putting his money and his time where his mouth is: he’s starting his own label, HipNOTT Records. Wisely not making an entire compilation of artists listeners don’t know, 2010 Takeover Volume 1 places HipNOTT signees like CyMarshall Law and JC Poppe alongside more established names like El Prez and Guilty Simpson, virtually gauging how they would hold their own in the indie/Internet Rap landscape. Admittedly, the more known names admittedly make the more memorable tracks—Tiye Phoenix’s authoritatively straddles the percussive boom bap of her self-produced “Down,” and Guilty Simpson’s witty bars and mic presence make a heavy dent on “Get Live With It.” But the newcomers occasionally stand out from their contemporaries: K. Sparks utilizes the horns from producer G.C. on “Vibez” to fuel an energetic hook and punchline-heavy verses (“I’m Spiderman, fuck your name up on the web”) that garners repeated listens, and Cymarshall Law uses another G.C. soundbed to recount his journey with Hip Hop on “Hip Hop Is Me.” HiPNOTT’s in-house producer G.C. seems to show the most promise from the label, while the others have skills to build upon and flaws to improve. But if this mixtape is any indication, they’ll be eased into the blogosphere instead of force-fed to unsuspecting Internet heads. And with a steady approach and a creative environment, they’ve got nowhere to go but up.
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Yelawolf – Trunk Muzik [click to download]
Alabama emcee/singer Yelawolf described his music as a mix between Lynyrd Skynyrd and OutKast, and as off-kilter as the explanation seems, it actually makes sense. Trunk Muzik has the eccentricity and southern sensibilities of 3 Stacks and Big Boi, but Classic Rock influences are clear with his singing voice and strings. Soundbeds from producers Will Power, KP & Malay, and Kane Beatz vary between lean-ready and trunk-rattling, and Yelawolf sounds natural weaving through them. Highlights include the slinky “Box Chevy Pt. 3,” the boisterous Bun B collaboration “Good To Go,” and the club-ready, Juelz Santana-featured “Mixin Up The Medicine.” Trunk Muzik isn’t a go-to source for insightful and introspective lyrics, but as its title implies, it’s a flawless victory for the whip.
