My Mixtapes

Friday, February 26, 2010

Album: Freeway & Jake One - The Stimulus Package (2010)

 

1. Stimulus Intro (feat. Beanie Sigel)
2. Throw Your Hands Up
3. One Foot In
4. She Makes Me Feel Alright
5. Never Gonna Change
6. One Thing (feat. Raekwon)
7. Know What I Mean
8. The Product
9. Microphone Killa (feat. Young Chris)
10. Follow My Moves (feat. Birdman)
11. Sho' Nuff (feat. Bun B)
12. Freekin' The Beat (feat. Latoiya Williams)
13. Money (feat. Omilio Sparks & Mr. Porter)
14. Free People
15. Stimulus Outro

It doesn't happen often, but occasionally I listen to an album and afterwards I think to myself, "wow, this actually would have been worth buying". Sadly, I've grown so accustomed to free music that this doesn't even cross my mind most of the time. But The Stimulus Package by Freeway & Jake One is an all around solid album from start to finish with no filler tracks. You can thank Jake One's exclusive production for that. 

A native to Seattle, Jake One's beats are always dope (influenced by legends such as DJ Premier and Pete Rock) and he makes this album a consistent body of work. He has done production work for many artists, both underground & mainstream, and does a good job of showing his versatility (just listen to tracks 10 & 14 back to back to see what I mean).

Freeway, aka Philly Freezer, is a Philadelphia rapper known for being signed to Roc-A-Fella Records and his rather crazy huge beard (check video below if you don't "Know What I Mean"). Freeway is not an amazing lyricist by any means, but his delivery and intensity is on point and his rapping over Jake One's beats brings out some intriguing storytelling sessions (Preview tracks above to get a taste). This album definitely changed my feelings towards Freeway and made me respect him a lot more as an artist.

I definitely recommend you download this hotness. I've already given it 3 listens today. Enjoy!

Video for Track 7 - "Know What I Mean"

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Album: Reks – In Between The Lines (2010 Mixtape)

 

1. Green Lantern Intro
2. Self Titled (off R.E.K.S. album) (produced by Statik Selektah)
3. I Don’t Play (LFHQ Dj Premier Exclusive)
4. Understand (produced by Lee Bannon)
5. Rap-a-nomics ft. Slaine & Torae (produced by Statik Selektah)
6. Count If Off ft. CurT@ins (produced by Statik Selektah)
7. 2012 (produced by Statik Selektah)
8. God Damn! ft. Freddie Gibbs (produced by Statik Selektah)
9. I Too, America (produced by Statik Selektah)
10. 7am ft. Termanology, Steven King, J-Status, & JFK (produced by Statik Selektah)
11. That’s What’s Up ft. Bossman (produced by Statik Selektah)
12. Hennessy (produced by Statik Selektah)
13. Henny @ Halftime ft. Ron artest (produced by Statik Selektah)
14. Dangerous (Showoff) ft. JFK, Statik Selektah, & Kali (produced by Statik Selektah)
15. 21st Century Rap (prod. by Anthem)
16. Banner City ft. Termanology & Easy Money (off Dj Deadeye album, prod. by MGI)
17. Diesel ft. Chi Knox & Lucky Dice (produced by Rain)
18. City Night Stories ft. Nature, Soul Theory, and G Huff (produced by Soul Theory)
19. Down Like That (Lawtown) (produced by Statik Selektah)
20. Evil That Men Do ft. JV (produced by DEMOBeats)
21. Problem ft. LMS and Saheed (prod. by OZNY)
22. In Between The Lines Freestyle (prod. by Infinite Archetype)
23. Lucky Man (produced by Statik Selektah)
24. International ft. El Da Sensei and Insight (produced by Insight)
25. Something From Nothing ft. Mr M.O.E. & B.R. (ATL) (produced by S-Type)
26. Jena Side (produced by 1914)
27. Invasion Outro

So this is a promo mixtape called In Between The Lines from the artist REKS hosted and backed by super-producers Statik Selektah & DJ Green Lantern. In anticipation of his 2010 album titled R.E.K.S. coming in March, this mixtape shows just how worthy REKS is to break out onto the rap scene. The upcoming album will have production by hip hop legends DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Large Professor (not everyone can get these guys supporting them!).

On this mixtape here, REKS's flow is superb and his content is fueled by the "pain of being brought up on the grind". You can tell by his lyrics in track 2 "Self Titled" (preview above) just how hungry he is to make a name for himself as a lyricist/writer and as a hip hop artist. He frequently references old school hip hop and pays homage to the culture, which makes me respect him even more. Also, he has a lot of insight and explains his internal drive for rapping/writing, which makes him more three dimensional as an artist. I suggest you look up his last album More Grey Hairs if you like what you hear. That album has one of the most powerful rap songs that I've ever heard - "Dear Winter". I see a ton of future potential in REKS even though he has already proven his worth. Check for his new album coming in March. It's sure to be more hotness.

Another dope song: REKS ft. Termanology & Krumb Snatcha - Big Dreamers (Remix)


Big ups to DJ Statik Selektah and the whole Showoff Records crew, who are doing some really great work right now.

Peace.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Filet-o-Mix 06 / The Monti Mash 01 - "Coming Of Age"

Download "Coming Of Age" HERE

Note: This exclusive Filet-o-Mix, write-up, and cover art were created by my friend John-Carlo Monti. If you would like to submit your own Filet-o-Mix, hit me up at HeadPhoneHome(at)gmail.com.
 
Mix the phrase coming-of-age with hip-hop and the visual most people will get will be something straight out of Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. However, one can grow up on hip-hop never having to hold a gun, deal with an accidental pregnancy, or ever having to cruise down the street in a '64. This Filet-O-Mix contains elements in the minds of those coming-of-age. Themes of first loves, friendship, self doubt, self acceptance, and other themes are apparent throughout this mix. Enjoy.

-Mix Master Monti

Tracklist
01 Atmosphere - Me
02 Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon (The Anthem)
03 Kanye West - Everything I Am
04 Fatlip - What's Up Fatlip?
05 Brother Ali - Forest Whitiker
06 Macklemore - I Said Hey
07 Common Market - Re-Fresh
08 Atmosphere - The Number One
09 Rhymefest - Build Me Up (Feat. O.D.B.)
10 Murs - Freak These Tales
11 Blu & Exile - In Remembrance Of Me
12 Kanye West - My Way Home (Feat. Common)
13 Murs - H-U-S-T-L-E
14 Atmosphere - Don't Forget
15 People Under The Stairs - Time To Rock Our Shit
16 Teenage Fanclub & De La Soul - Fallin'
17 Dyme Def - LetitBe
18 Brother Ali - Self Taught
19 Dyme Def - ForTheWorld

Friday, February 5, 2010

Filet-o-Mix 05 - This DJ Kno's Best

01 CunninLynguists Ft. Natti & Versatile - Diamond Sky
02 Mr. SOS Ft. Deacon The Villain, Flip Flop & Juicy - Stay High 
03 Celph Titled Ft. Cashmere The PRO & Oktober - Clap
04 CunninLynguists - Beautiful Girl
05 CunninLynguists - Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)
06 CunninLynguists - Lynguistics
07 CunninLynguists - Since When
08 Tonedeff Ft. Deacon The Villain - Love Ain't (Remix)
09 Mr. SOS - Time (What Is It)
10 CunninLynguists - To Be For Real
11 CunninLynguists - Move
12 CunninLynguists - K.K.K.Y.
13 CunninLynguists Ft. Substantial & J. Bully - Nasty Filthy (Remix)
14 CunninLynguists - Hellfire
15 CunninLynguists Ft. Tonedeff - The Gates
16 CunninLynguists - Halfanimal, Halfman
17 Tonedeff Ft. Deacon The Villain - No Hope
18 CunninLynguists - The South
19 Inverse Ft. Substantial - Spark My Soul
20 Inverse Ft. Trek Life & Deacon The Villain - Til' The End (C.A.L.I.)

For the theme of this Filet-o-Mix, I decided to turn to the music of an influential and visionary hip hop producer, DJ Kno. Kno has created some of the most unique and interesting beats out in the hip hop underground since 2001 when he debuted his skills by producing the majority of the CunninLynguists first album Will Rap For Food. This mix is meant to give you an introduction to some of Kno's best work. You will find that he has a very signature sound of huge bass, crazy soulful vocal samples, and snares that slap you across the face. You shouldn't even play this music unless its loud enough to annoy your neighbors. 

There is no other producer who can copy Kno's style because it is ever changing with his projects. Each project has a concept behind it as Kno explains below in an interview about his group the CunninLynguists,
"We're a shining representation of the fact you have to have an angle to sell records, because people honestly don't know what to make of us.  Horrible name.  Too white for black people, too black for white people, too mainstream for backpackers, too underground for mainstream rap fans, too southern for people outside of the south, too "hip-hop" for southerners.  Too many rock samples for Common fans, too much soul for Sage Francis fans.  I've witnessed it with my own eyes and ears over 6 years. People we reach are people who simply love good music and don't give a shit what anyone else says about their tastes."
This is truly some GOOD music. If you have been following my Filet-o-Mix series, you will notice that at least one track of Kno's appears on each of my four previous Filet-o-Mixtapes. 

Filet-o-Mix 1: CunninLynguists - Love Ain't (Remix)
Filet-o-Mix 2: Jay-Z - Dirt Off Your Shoulder [Kno vs. HOV: The White Al-bu-lum]
Filet-o-Mix 3: Cunninlynguists - Never Come Down (The Brownie Song), Mr. SOS - Stay High Ft. Deacon The Villain, Flip Flop, & Juicy
Filet-o-Mix 4: Tonedeff - No Hope Ft. Deacon The Villain

Now go download the mix and discover why Kno is one of my favorite hip hop producers to date.

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