Vernon appeared on a handful of tracks on Kanye’s MBDTF and I liked a few of his responses regarding Mr. West from this NyMag article:
“He likes being a star and he’s good at it, but I think he doesn’t enjoy that people try to make him more accountable for something just because he is a star. Everybody is a contradiction of themselves and not only is that not a problem, it’s a beautiful thing. People should be contradictions. If you’re not, it means you’re not evolving or becoming a better person. We talked about, as people, just about trying and becoming a better person. It comes through in the music. It’s just unapologetic: Don’t apologize for being whoever you are, whoever you are.”
“I know for a fact the reason why the Today show had Kanye is to see if he would do something like that. Prodding a person in the limelight is what they do. So, like he said, why go anymore? Man, I could go on a whole rant about fame in general and how people project themselves onto the famous so they don’t have to deal with their own shit … I wish people could forget the tabloids and paparazzi and just be into music for music’s sake”
Didn’t even like the hook a week ago and now I’m walking ‘round work like “Mi-chael Knight, Michael Knight, Michael Knight”.
Notice the Seahawks cap in the video too. Haven’t seen Seattle repped since Fabolous was in a Lil Mo video.
Whoa, and Spitta is on his grind with Pilot Talk 2 out less than 6 months after PT1. If you haven’t heard part one you’re somewhat worthless and now must cop both immediately.
Curren$y was something like a journeyman rapper for most the decade but found his lane the last couple years through independent releases and mixtapes. The shit has been on since then and he’s set to blow up mainstream with Dame Dash scooping him up and pairing him with Ski Beats, dope producer of Reasonable Doubt fame.
Speaking of Dame Dash, dude is on his way to making lightning strike twice with his attempted Rocafella reboot. The strategy? Go back underground and start from the ground up. He didn’t retain any Roc artists nor did he attempt to get Dip Set fixed and running properly. Instead he opened an Art gallery/Recording studio in Manhattan and started searching for new talent. Props to Dame
Trying to get this blog shit rolling but I’m having some indecision on where to begin in the vast mixtape world. I want this blog to cover a mix of new tape reviews as well as look back on some classics. So where do we start?
Sometimes it’s better to just take the first step and post something rather than beating the proverbial bush. So right quick with it, here’s the three biggest mixtapes (so far) of 2010:
WIZ KHALIFA - KUSH & ORANGE JUICE
The boy young Wiz Khalifa had a breakout 2010 and this tape was definitely his So Far Gone moment. The production on Kush & OJ is diverse- moving from synths to funk to reggae- yet the tape maintains a tropical haze vibe that compliments Wiz’s lyrical preoccupation with bad bitches and good weed. The result is a dope mixtape with a polished, album-esque feel. Evenutally Wiz may have to shake up his subject matter or become Snoop Dog 2.0, however young Khalifa will cross that bridge when he gets there.
WALE - MORE ABOUT NOTHING
D.C. rapper Wale returned to the well in 2010 for another Seinfeld themed mixtape. Wale has a knack for endearing himself to listeners in a genuine, everyman sort of sentiment and, likewise, More about Nothing is at its best when he takes an honest look at ongoing situations in his life. The production follows suit with the first Seinfeld tape in featuring live, or at least live sounding, instruments which nicely compliment his straightforward approach. The second half of the mixtape is less focused and contains the bulk of the tape’s guest features. I would guess that a handful of these tracks were studio leftovers from prior recording sessions.
BIG K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. WUZ HERE
Rapper and producer Big K.R.I.T. managed to parlay the success of 2010’s K.R.I.T. Wuz Here mixtape into a shiny new contract with Def Jam. The tape itself acts as an impressive lesson on how to successfully manufacture 90’s style southern hip-hop, a la UGK and Outkast. Over self-produced, and instrument rich, funky basslines K.R.I.T. reflects on his small-town Mississippian upbringing as well as his dreams of future successes. Although the tape is highly enjoyable and near impeccably assembled, seasoned hip-hop heads may ultimately long for a stronger serving of orginality.
The majority of mixtapes are composed of a clusterfuck of recycled material. Shit like that is not worth the trouble. Here’s what I look for in a mixtape:
A sense of cohesion
This shit is hard to explain because mixtapes aren’t mean to be as focused as major releases. Basically, the mixtape should either have a central theme, central artist or central group/duo of artists. Don’t take the theme shit too rigorously, it’s more of a marketing tool than an artistic motif.
Predominately New Material
Obviously beats and hooks can be hijacked but at least 90% of the verses should be new. You tend to see a lot of mixtapes which package standout tracks from old mixtapes with new stuff leaked from the studio. Nothing wrong with that, it’s just not what I’m interested in.
Artist Official (If put out through a DJ)
If the mixtape is put out through an artist, it should be official. That means both the artist and DJ are working together to put out new material. Be cautious of DJ’s who put out mixtapes full of older verses mixed over new beats.
