Clipse – We Got It 4 Cheap Volume 2 (2005)
Clipse’s We Got It 4 Cheap mixtape series foreshadowed the music industry of today, where rappers release free music in hopes of getting signed by a label or just building a fan base. At the time, Clipse were involved in litigation with Jive, and the series served as a way to build buzz for the eventual release of the acclaimed Hell Hath No Fury. Operating outside of the aegis of a label suited Clipse, who here made the musical equivalent of cinéma vérité, documenting the drug trade with uncanny, sinister verisimilitude. The mixtapes conceptually put them a step closer to the streets, giving their violence a hard-edged menace (“the coke calls straight to they soul like a ministry“). Lyrically trafficking in baroque metaphors and similes, Clipse nevertheless hit hard like a punch to the gut because they cultivated a collective persona expertly adept in nefarious activity and street slang. Clipse also sought to explore the dark side of their lifestyle’s conspicuous consumption, lamenting, “All the money in the world, and I ain’t fulfilled.” Treading the line between fiction and reality, Clipse brought their world to life with rare vividness. – Trevor Link
Immortal Technique – The 3rd World (2008)
Immortal Technique does shit on his own terms, and The 3rd World is no different. After a five-year hiatus, he returned in 2008 with this mixtape/collaboration with DJ Green Lantern, whose production fingerprints are all over this hour-long beast. Though still focused on the social issues within the United States, Technique points a lot of his lyrical fury outwards, spitting verses about the atrocities from around the globe where “Police brutality isn’t half as nice/ Makes the ‘hood in America look like paradise.” Every track acts as an encyclopedia of injustice as Technique’s perspective as a Peruvian-born MC adds an undeniable layer of first-hand experience. It’s a breathtaking and dense mixtape, intimidating in its scope and intelligence, serving as a necessary contrast to the multiplicity of weed-and-booze mixtapes out there in the hip-hop world. - Kyle Fowle
50 Cent – Sincerely Yours, Southside (2008)
In 2001, 50 Cent revolutionized the mixtape medium with 50 Cent Is the Future, effectively building enough of a rep and demand off its strength to land a million dollar deal with Interscope. In 2008, following a humiliating first-week sales loss to Kanye West, 50 returned to the mic in the most unexpected of ways. On Sincerely Yours, Southside, 50 raps over the instrumental backing tracks of 12 different ‘80s quiet storm R&B classics. I’m serious. This is a thing. With all original verses over everything from “Genius of Love” to “Ring My Bell,” it’s absolutely flooring that not only does this mixtape exist, but that it’s excellent. In between verses, 50’s genuinely happy exclamations over the beats reminds us that no matter how many bullet holes or Vitamin Water billboards he has, he’s just another guy that passionately loves music like the rest of us. – Chaz Kangas
Das Racist – Sit Down, Man (2010)
Das Racist broke out with Shut Up, Dude but as far as I’m concerned, it’s the follow-up Sit Down, Man that deserves the attention. More developed and consistent than the predecessor but still just as fun and fresh, Sit Down, Man found Das Racist not maturing so much as getting craftier. Tracks like the brilliant “Amazing” showed off a depth that Shut Up standouts like “Rainbow in the Dark” barely even hinted at, while crowd pleasers like “Puerto Rican Cousins” made it clear that Das Racist’s patent smart-ass antics hadn’t gone away. At 20 tracks, Sit Down, Man also just feels more epic than the debut, giving more bang for your (nonexistent) buck. With its wealth of ideas, it’s no wonder the proper full length from Das Racist couldn’t help but fail to meet the expectations Sit Down, Man encouraged. – Nick Hanover
Lil Wayne – No Ceilings (2009)
Released at the height of Wayne’s powers in October of ‘09, No Ceilings is, true to its name, a rambling summation of the potential of the mixtape form. Wreaking havoc on beats culled from Jay-Z and the Black Eyed Peas, Wayne uses these templates as playgrounds, letting loose torrents of words and ideas, all in his signature creaky flow. The results are messy but exhilarating, confirming the mixtape’s status as the perfect proving ground for developing new material and a free space to mess around with, comment on and play off the work of others. – Jesse Cataldo
Drake – So Far Gone (2009)
These days Aubrey Drake Graham is one of the most successful recording artists in modern music, as well as the butt of any jokes about the “game” and how things have changed. Granted, his style of emotionally forward music is contrary to the jingoistically male dominated hip-hop game, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. So Far Gone was Drake’s third mixtape and an instant success. It’s a raw and expressive record, featuring frequent collaborator Noah “40″ Shebib’s quietly lush and atmospheric drum-and-bass production, and Drake’s lyrics and persona are like a jolt of life. His ability to switch from rapping to singing and back is not an innovation, but the way he can adjust his flow and meter almost effortlessly is a striking and welcome change of pace from the cardinal rule of “Must have R & B songstress or wack R&B producer” on the hook. Though technically a mixtape as it was released for free, the effort and the sheer quality of the record would make it worth any amount. It’s been said that mixtapes are the new albums, and So Far Gone is a strong argument in that favor. – Rafael Gaitan
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