That's That Mixtape, Vol. SE7EN

I've been meaning to post this for about a week or so, but midterms and papers have been piling up, which, though it's resulted in the delay, has also allowed me to refine the final playlist for about two weeks longer than the time I've spent on any other tape thus far.  The result is a mixtape that I feel is the best product that I've put out thus far.  It includes a handful of new songs by great up and coming artists, but also gives spins to some of my favorite older songs that had been gathering dust in the depths of my iPod.  The finished product mixes really well together, which is a relief after spending a tedious amount of time looking for that last song or two to blend into the album.  As much as I'd like to spend more time tooting my own horn, I'll let you get to the actual tape.  Enjoy:

01) Nas - "The Message" - The first track (after the intro) off of Nasty Nas' sophomore album leads the tape off.  It was only right to get things started off with a legend.
02) 88-Keys feat. Colin Munroe - "Wake Up Call" - This may be my favorite new song on the playlist (it's tough to decide between this and "Losing The Signal").  From the beat to the chorus to the lyrics, I can't find anything wrong with the track.
03) Pill - "Hear Somebody Comin'" - I've gotta say that XXL finally got a freshman class right (for the most part...seriously, OJ da Juiceman?!?!).  I would have thrown in K. Sparks and XV, but it's songs like these that show why this ATLien is a worthy member of the 2010 class.  Pill goes in on nearly every song with an intensity and passion that most emcees in the game today are lacking.
04) Scarface feat. Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, & Kanye West - "Guess Who's Back" - A classic collaboration off of a classic album.
05) Kooley High, Median, & Halo - "What's The Deal" - I haven't listened to nearly enough of this North Carolina group, but I've started bumping Kooley Is High fairly consistently since hearing this song.
06) Jay Electronica - "Exhibit C" - Featuring an innovative Just Blaze instrumental, I was lucky enough to have this Big Easy emcee's song stuck in my head for a couple days straight last week.
07) J. Cole - "Grown Simba" - The instrumental on this song off of The Warm Up, is subtle, but it really lends itself to J-Dot's smooth, natural flow.
08) B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars - "Nothin' On You" - An obligatory song for the ladies.  If B.o.B was already an established commodity on the pop charts, this song would have already been played out enough to the point where it would exhaust itself.  Fortunately it still has that pop.
09) Dahlak - "Do It" - Another very good track from the Sacramento artist's Kanye remixtape, Commencement.
10) Lupe Fiasco - "I'm Beaming" - You had me at "Lu."
11) Souls of Mischief - "93 'Til Infinity" - Had to take it back to one of the staples of the genre.  In my opinion this, along with Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "T.R.O.Y.", are the two songs from this era that, more that any other, truly stand the test of time.
12) Eminem - "Infinite" I would be more than content to listen to this song on repeat from now until the end of time.  It's scary how good Em was even at this early stage in his career.
13) Outkast - "Da Art of Storytellin', Pt. 2" - Probably my favorite song off of my favorite album of the legendary duo.
14) Basic Vocab feat. Donwill - "There You Are" - Another song for the girls.  Despite the name, this Miami trio is anything but basic.
15) Stack Bundles - "Please Forgive Me" - I didn't listen to much Stack Bundles while he was still with us, but this recently released song makes me miss him all the more.  On another note, how did they clear the Beatle's sample?  R.I.P.
16) Wale - "Nike Boots" - Just a good song.  I beg you to differ.
17) KiD CuDi - "Embrace the Martian" - Forget jailbird joke "rapper" Lil' Wayne, CuDi is the best of the overcrowded population of martian rappers out there.  This one was on his 08 tape, A Kid Named Cudi.
18) Macklemore - "I Said Hey" - The greater hip hop community may not realize it, but Mack did make some pretty damm good music before the runaway critical acclaim of his Ryan Lewis collab, The Vs. EP. This gem comes from his sophomore album, The Language of My World, and is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard.
19) XV feat. Jupiter One - "Losing the Signal" - XV got screwed by XXL for the second year in a row (goes to show you how much sway major labels have when it comes to getting their artists in major magazines).  This one is a track he leaked back in November and is supposedly off of his debut album, The Kid With The Green Backpack.  XV has game changing creativity, yet continues to be overlooked.  If he isn't signed before the end of the year, it will be time to sound the alarm when it comes to the health of hip hop.
20) Jay-Z - "Allure" - After starting with a member of the New York trinity, it was only fair that the mixtape finished with another Empire State emcee.  On a classic album where songs like "99 Problems" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" garner more attention, this song borders on being slept on.  It's in my top-5 J-Hova songs.

On another note, school is really killing me at the moment and I'm really sorry about the infrequency of posts.  Unfortunately, I have to focus on my academics at the moment and I'll post when I can until the end of the semester (mid-May) when I'll be able to be more consistent with posts.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
WordIsBorn



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