Mixtape Wrapup: February

B.o.B. – May 25th (DJ Sense and DJ Drama)

B.o.B’s new mixtape May 25th is sponsored by L-R-G and assisted by DJ Sense and DJ Drama, but big names aside, the ATLien musical wunderkind knows what he’s doing. Like his other most recent tapes, this showcases B.o.B’s wide range of rhyming, singing, writing and beat-making talents. “Gladiators” sees him trading razor sharp bars with fellow newcomer J. Cole over a dark instrumental from The Alchemist, and the self-produced “Out Of Time” employs Bluesy guitar riffs, singing, and raps about self-improvement through adversity. And while “The Rain” shows B.o.B’s Pop sensibilities with catchy vocals and an infectious soundbed, May 25th’s “The Biz” intro shows the complete opposite, as he rhymes over Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Pt. 2.” B.o.B again shows his multitalented skill set, and if he keeps this up, rap listeners are in for an entertaining, musically rich treat with his April Atlantic Records debut.

Bun B – No Mixtape

With Bun B, what you see is what you get. Despite his veteran status as the co-founder of legendary Port Arthur duo UGK, the Texas-bred emcee doesn’t see himself as beyond hopping on industry beats to showcase his skills. Not many new artists could pull off a project like this, but Bun has what it takes: his signature throaty baritone and authoritative flow breathe new life into new instrumentals like Jay-Z’s “On To The Next” and classics like Twista’s “Adrenaline Rush.” There aren’t many highlights, ‘cause Bun brings the same amount of heat on every song. It isn’t well-rounded, but No Mixtape provides further evidence for why Bun is so appreciated: the accessibility and respect to value new instrumentals as much as older ones, and the skills to make all of them his own.

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Curren$y – Smokee Robinson: The Mixtape

New Orleans gem Curren$y has established himself as a mixtape titan for a few years now, and with Smokee Robinson, ain’t nothin’ changed. Flexing verbal calisthenics over a myriad of original productions and industry beats, “Spitta”—as he’s also known—shows why Dame Dash recruited him as one third of a new trio that includes Mos Def and Jay Electronica. Aside from narratives on “Yet Another Story” (which is a remake of Ice Cube’s “Today Was A Good Day”), Smokee Robinson doesn’t flaunt much diversity when it comes to the rhymes. Fortunately, Curren$y makes up for it with his alluring flow, digestible punchlines, and innate ear for beats. Songs like “I Don’t Fucks Wit Em” see him holding his own alongside other talented youngsters like Wiz Khalifa and Big Sean, while he uses “Audio Dope,” “Jordan 3’s” and “17.5 Cannons” to hold things down solo. Curren$y is more of a game manager than he is a big play quarterback, but sometimes consistency is all that’s necessary.

Joell Ortiz & Novel – Defying The Predictable

If only Jay-Z and R. Kelly’s Best of Both Worlds series was this good. On Defying The Predictable, Brooklyn mixtape monster Joell Ortiz links with the Los Angeles Soulster Novel for one of the most compelling collaborative projects Hip Hop has seen in a while. The disc combines previously-released tracks with a crop of newbies, rounding out at a hearty 17 tracks—and all of them are dope. Simply put, both artists hold their own weight while still helping each other out. Novel sings potent hooks/verses and crafts melodic, radiant soundbeds, while Ortiz pairs his expected lyrical density with a mellowed, but still intense, delivery. The duo handle a myriad of topics, as well: the title track praises individuality while bucking trends, “Ghetto Pt. 1” and “Pt. 2” speak about the pride and pitfalls of hoods worldwide, and “Here The Next” chronicles music industry woes. Add a couple of on point remixes of previous songs, and you’ve got mixtape perfection.

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Freeway – Freelapse (DJ Wonder)

Aside from the catchy name, there’s no telling how the idea for this project—Freeway rhyming over instrumentals previously used by Eminem—was conceived, but the results are dope. Freeway’s beat choice gets nostalgic wheels turning, as he adds his own spin to older joints like D12’s “Shit On You” and Dr. Dre’s “Forgot About Dre.” And the Philly Freezer’s multiple syllables and effortless flow sounds one with the beat similarly to how Em’s does. While the rhymes don’t vary much from his braggadocios drug-pushing formula, it’s still a fun listen from beginning to end, and a quick fix/supplement to his new album with Jake One, The Stimulus Package.

Slim Thug – Welcome 2 Texas: All-Star 2010 Mixtape  (DJ Mr. Rogers) [download here]

NBA All-Star Weekend’s Slam Dunk Contest in Dallas, TX may have been a bust, but at least we had Slim Thug here to help us through it with his Welcome 2 Texas mixtape that commemorated the festivities. This mixtape does a good job of showing what the Longhorn state has to offer: with its slinky, booming production (“Goin Hard”), chopped and screwed vocals (“What’s Happenin’), and fun, materialistic rhymes throughout. Guests like Ludacris, 3-6 Mafia, Rich Boy and Dom Kennedy offer worthwhile verses as well. A playlist of 26 songs is a bit lengthy, but at least it’s a solid, cohesive listen from top to bottom.

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Oddisee – Odd Winter

Oddisee keeps his seasonal series of free EPs going with Odd Winter, and as usual, it’s a worthwhile listen. Songs like the percussive, minimalistic “Riiight (feat. Stik Figa)” and the vivid imagery of Tranquil’s verses on “City Life” emulate the trudge of winter, while the smooth “Blizzard Of 09” seems perfect for nights by the fireplace while avoiding the elements. But whether the disc’s weather themes hit home with you or not, good music is undeniable. Oddisee’s instrumentals succeed with rhythmic drums and layered samples and instruments, while emcees like Stik Figa, Homeboy Sandman, and X.O. all lend serviceable, substantial 16s. It’s a short EP at only 32 minutes, but with its lack of filler, listeners will get a lot more time out of it.

Doo Wop – V-Day Coolout 2010

To chronically single folks, Valentine’s Day is a villainous 24 hours that looms over their heads for months before it actually happens. Fortunately, music fans have a reason to look forward to the Hallmark holiday: Doo Wop’s yearly Valentine’s Day tape. The tape’s tagline says it all: “Carbonated R&B joints. High quality non-corny shout outs or deejay drops, natural flavors.” The tape’s ’90s and ’80s blends play smoothly from top to bottom, and the drops play like a radio station’s shout-outs instead of the tacky mixtape yells. Great as a mood-setter for QT with a significant other, or as chillaxation music while enjoying your own company.

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Cypress Hill – Leakers Of The Funk (LA Leakers)

Projects like this are always fun. To help build awareness of their upcoming album, left coast legends Cypress Hill teamed with LA Leakers to chronicle their career of 20-plus years. What’s great about this tape is that it doesn’t only play the group’s old songs to send listeners down memory lane; it also includes commentary from B-Real and DJ Muggs about the songs’ creation, how they were received by fans, and how the songs helped them move throughout their career. Plus, Leakers Of The Funk isn’t littered with gratuitous drops—the attention is solely on the legends that made the magic happen in the first place. Leakers Of The Funk works as a history lesson for the unfamiliar and as a collectable for the die-hard fans, making it a universal heater.

Mistah FAB – Prince of the Coast  (September 7th) [download here] 

Rap heads who only associate Mistah FAB with freestyling or the hyphy movement may want to give a listen to his new mixtape, Prince of the Coast, for a pleasant surprise. Uninspiring (but not unbearable) production nonwithstanding, the Bay Area emcee showcases capable, vivid bars about the plights of inner-city poverty and drugs on songs like “Broken Home” and “Be Quiet.” When those rhymes meet a capable soundbed, like Illmind’s piano-heavy bang of “Follow Me,” results are spectacular. Ironically enough, carefree songs that would seem like FAB’s bread and butter—the wannabe lady-pleaser “By My Side” and the E-40-assisted club song “Drinks R On Me”—fall short with formulaic concepts and insipid beats/rhymes. If Mistah FAB can put it all together with his next effort—the newly aware rhymes, the fun-loving songs he made before, and top-notch production—then he’ll be in good shape.