So here it is. The April installment of series. I would be lying if I said that this tape has been the easiest one to put out. As I've toiled over it when I've had the time over the past few weeks I've had to scrap entire playlists two or three times and start over. Despite this, I feel like the final product is very refined and may very well be the best tape yet. It's a bit lengthier than previous incarnations (the only mixtape that has been longer was Vol. II), but it also provides a diverse sound that still flows fairly well and I think you'll really enjoy bumping. Big props to 206up for hooking me up with the dope picture of the Town that provided the inspiration for the cover. Hit the jump for the tracklist/download link:
Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
Notorious Noah
01.) Spaceman - "Intro 40" - I was looking for a change of pace for the start of this tape as most of the intro tracks on prior installments were purposely low key. After hearing Greetings Earthlings last week I knew I found the perfect way to start the mixtape.
02.) Dyme Def - "Get Down" - I've been trying to include this Space Music track on a mixtape for some time now, but had yet to find a song that it really meshed with. Sonically, I feel this song just flows well following the Spaceman track.
03.) K. Sparks - "Momma Say" - This was the intro track for quite some time during the development of this playlist. K. Sparks is a very talented and equally slept on emcee that listeners need to pay much more attention to.
04.) Marky - "Rasta Monsta" - An early candidate for song of the year, the sample of Aloe Blacc's "I Need A Dollar" elevates this track to nearly divine status. Expect big things from this up and coming DMV artist.
05.) Symmetry & Ryan Lewis - "Make Me Yours" - It has a very appealing pop sound without being mind numbing. Ryan Lewis is quickly becoming my favorite sample-based producers.
06.) Sene - "Follow Leaders" - I'm not too proud to admit that I haven't heard any other material from this Brooklyn emcee. After hearing this song I definitely plan on tuning in to his future material.
07.) Nipsey Hu$$le feat. Snoop Dogg - "Gangsta's Life" - Nothing conscious about that track, but that's perfectly fine as the Doggfather trades verses with his protégé.
08.) Method Man & Raekwon - "Mef Vs. Chef 2" - Fuck you, pay me! Meth and Chef give us the sequel to the track off of Meth's 1994 solo debut, Tical. Joined by fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah, the trio put out one of the best albums of the year earlier this week in Wu Massacre. Expect a forthcoming review.
09.) Slaughterhouse feat. M.O.P. - "Woodstock Hood Hop" - Mash Out Posse has always been the AC/DC of hip hop. his song fails to disappoint as the veteran Brownsville duo joins supergroup Slaughterhouse on this rock-infused track. How about some hardcore?
10.) Nas & Damian Marley - "Strong Will Continue" - This isn't the full version of the song (which can be purchased on iTunes), but I like this alternate version and it works well with the flow of the tape. Other than J. Cole's debut album, Distant Relatives is perhaps my most anticipated album of the year and looks to be a distinct work in the discography of both artists.
11.) Grynch - "That's Hip-Hop" - Simply an ode to the Seattle artist's love of the culture.
12.) Bobby Creekwater - "Exhibit B.C. (Squared)" - The ATLien rocks kills ravages this Jay Electronica/Just Blaze original. BC's flow is undeniable on this song.
13.) Drekidd - "Hometown Glory" - The Southern California emcee samples Adele's song of the same name in paying tribute to the City of Angels.
14.) Sunni Ali Ber - "Yurugu" - Cobe Obeah's younger brother gives us this beautiful song that's one of the best I've heard in a while.
15.) KiD CuDi - "Down & Out" - Cleveland's native martian rhymes over OutKast's "Chonkyfire" for this song off of his critically acclaimed mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi.
16.) Ryan Lewis - "'Pac vs. Ferdinand" - The Seattle producer mashes up 2Pac's "Crooked N***a Too" with Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" and the results are pure genius.
17.) GemStones - "My Hood"- The Lupe-collaborator brings the heat on this politically-charged track.
18.) Fresh Espresso - "Bedroom V1" - The Seattle duo gives us another synth-heavy track that's easy on the ears.
19.) Inverse - "So True" - The title track off one of my favorite EPs of '09. Keep an eye out for this talented Cali duo.
20.) State of the Artist feat. Helladope & Jarv Dee - "Extrahelladope" - This laid back electro-hop song is impossible to hate. If anyone can inform me as to how I can acquire the recent Helladope album I would be eternally grateful.
21.) Jay-Z feat. LaToiya Williams - "All Around the World" - This No I.D. produced track is one of the more overlooked of Jay-Z's pop tracks. Then again, The Blueprint 2 as a whole is generally overlooked.
22.) Saukrates - "Soarin' Pt. 2" - My favorite Canuck emcee hooks up with Toronto producer Rich Kidd for this laid back track.
23.) XV- "Come Back Down" - As usual, the Kansas native kills this track. One of my favorites on a very good mixtape.
24.) Wale - "Contemplate" - This song covers a wide range of topics from an unfaithful girlfriend to the price of fame to thoughts of suicide. It's a prime example of the sound of my favorite album of 2009, Attention Deficit. Wale is going places. You heard it here (probably not first).
25.) Atmosphere - "Little Man" - One of my favorite hip hop tracks of all time, "Little Man" is an honest examination of Atmosphere frontman Sean Daley's life. Slug first considers his relationship with his son and then with his father before finally turning the microscope to himself. The song proves to be incredibly candid and the listener really gets a good idea of who Daley is as a (flawed) human being.
26.) Jus Mic - "Tell Me Where The Truth Is" - Mick Boogie knows how to pick them. Nearly everything the Cleveland DJ has put his name on has been golden as was the case with Jus Mic's self-titled CD sampler. Jus Mic has been sporadic in regards to the quality of the material that he's released since the project, but Jus Mic remains one of my favorite mixtapes ever.
Previous: That's That Mixtape, Vol. SE7EN
Good look on the mixtape. And well-done with keeping at it. I did one last year but it seems like I never have enough time to put together an adequate follow-up. You weren't at K'naan/Wale on Wednesday were you? Nas made a surprise appearance. F-cking, NAS, son!! It was bananas!
ReplyDeleteGood stuff man, this is a dope blog. I really dig your taste in music. A lot of the tracks you spotlight have been in heavy rotation on my itunes for years. (Little Man, Room With a View, He Got Game in the first few pages alone).
ReplyDeleteYou also are hip to some tight shit I haven't heard before tho. I'll definitly be checking back. Can you re-up your older mixes? As far as I can tell only 7-8 are still online.
I just re-upped the previous tapes (2 and 3 were missing). I'm glad to here you like the blog and hope you keep checking in.
ReplyDeleteLoving it. I've been checking this blog for about a month and am yet to be significantly disappointed.... especially thanks for turning me on to Macklemore. Went to a show last night and it was probably top-5 concerts I've ever been to. Props
ReplyDelete