Mixtape Release Dates: Saigon, Trae Tha Truth, Troy Ave, Young Buck

These days it seems like “street album” is a euphemism for “mixtape.” While mixtapes used to be comprised of rappers rhyming over someone else’s beats, mixtapes these days actually have some original content. Street albums fall somewhere in the middle. At the close of last week, we got Red Cafe’s “street album” Hell’s Kitchen. Is it really a mixtape ? Maybe? And there’s plenty more of those where that came from.

This week Trae Tha Truth drops his mixtape “King Of the Streets: Freestyles Mixtape” of, you guessed it, freestyles. Trae’s been dropping freestyles like crazy, most recently “Rack City” and “Shot Caller.”The Cool Kids go fishing for instrumentals on January 20th with the beats from “Gone Fishing.” If you’re a fan of their production but not their rhymes, then this might be your dream project.

January 24th looks like a big day in the mixtape world. Young Buck should finally (finally) drop “Live Loyal Die Rich” that week. He delivered the Juicy J assisted “Brand New” at the start of last week. In addition, Saigon will release “Warning Shots 3: Foot In the Grave.” Saigon got MOP’s Lil Fame for his recent leak “Another Man Down.” On that same date, Tez McClain brings “Wishful Thinking Vol. 2” and MMG’s Masspike Miles’ “Say Hello To Forever.” That one is now being called a “street album” too. Here we go again.

Late Pass