So today we decided to switch it up a little bit and give you a Music Monday that was ALL mixtapes. Crazy right? It’s almost like we’re trying to promote new music around here. So either way, these are the four mixtapes that have been on Repeat at the Swag headquarters for the last month and a half, so you’ll have to forgive us if some of the releases are a little dated. But these are four artists that we see as having real potential in the industry in the next few years, so you should take a listen and say that you heard it here first. So let’s get into this: it’s Mixtape Monday.
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Danny Brown – XXX
First up we have Danny Brown – everyone’s favorite toothless rapper, and XXL Magazine’s 2012 Freshman Top 10′er. This is his debut album, entitled XXX the details the daily debacle that is life in Detoroit, Michigan: Danny Brown might be the first rapper to make being broke sound cool. On songs like “Bruiser Brigade” Brown proudly boasts about drinking low-quality beverages such as PBR and Colt 45. Throughout the whole mixtape, which was named Spin Magazine’s 2011 Album of the Year, Danny Brown tells us how it was to come up in the slums, and how he has finally mad a way out at the ripe age of 30. It is definitely an inspiring story – albeit sprinkled with lots of “XXX” content – that any true hip hop fan could really appreciate. Trust us: take a listen to XXX below and do not sleep on this guy.
Dom Kennedy – Yellow Album
I’m not going to lie, I slept on Dom Kennedy for a minute. I remember hearing dude on a couple of Curren$y and Smoke DZA joints, but I never thought to check out his solo stuff. Big mistake. Straight out of Los Angeles (Game, Kendrick Lamar), this is Dom’s sixth solo mixtape, and it is some of the best music I’ve heard in a minute. It is very rare in my opinion to find artists these days that are both good at rhyming and good at making music. The two are very different, really (Guys like Curren$y and Big K.R.I.T. are examples of guys with this talent) , and Dom manages to do it for 13 songs straight on his Yellow Album. Standout songs are “We Ball” feat. Kendrick Lamar, and “Lately”, which is featured above. Lots of different sounds on this album, and I think there’s someting for everybody. Check out Dom Kennedy’s Yellow Album below.
Joey Bada$$ – 1999
This has to be one of the most talented cats in the game right now. Joey Bada$$ is a 17-year old kid out of Brooklyn, NY, and his debut mixtape, 1999 is taking critics by storm. The album is an ode to the rap greats of the 90′s era, such as Nas, B.I.G., and Hov, and all of the songs have that old-school, New York feel. With production features from the likes of Lord Finesse (who recently had beef with Mac Miller), Statik Selektah, and MF Doom, this album is on its way to becoming a prodigal class. And JB hasn’t even finished high school yet. Anything is possible these days. Either way, check out Joey Bada$$’ 1999 below.
Dizzy Wright – Free Smoke Out Conversations
Dizzy Wright is a Las Vegas-born rapper, and Free Smoke Out Conversations is his second solo mixtape. The rapper represents his own self-created “HyLyfe” movement, and is not shy about spitting on his disdain for major label-deals. Dizzy raps often with Illmind rapper Hopsin, but this project proves that he’s got what it takes to stand out on his own. The mixtape is laden with bass-filled drum tracks, that are laden with surprisingly heartfelt lyrics, which is what makes this tape a definite bright spot on the map for Nevada. Be on the lookout for Dizzy Wright, and check out his Free Smoke Out Conversations below:
