Curren$y’s newest proper album, Weekend at Burnie’s, merely builds on his chill, perpetually stoned persona, with more stellar production from Ski Beats, jazzy and smooth, just as a laid back summertime hip-hop record should be.ĥ. Curren$y – Weekend at Burnie’s (Warner Bros.)įor a dude whose entire identity centers mostly around weed and video games, Curren$y is surprisingly prolific, having dropped two full-length albums in 2010, another new one in 2011, and several mixtapes in between. Video: Beastie Boys – “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” (feat. Still scrappy, still fun, and goofy when they need to be, the newly minted Rock `n’ Roll Hall of Famers made a summer party record that definitely bumps, and they brought Santigold and Nas along for the ride. 2, is on the same level as Check Your Head or Paul’s Boutique, but it still feels great hearing Ad Rock, Mike D and MCA back in fine form again. Nobody’s saying that the Beastie Boys’ latest album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. This is some raucous, harsh sounding stuff, but it’s because of that element of danger and chaos that it’s one of the most exciting hip-hop releases of the year.ħ. On mixtape Exmilitary, the production team of Flatlander and Info Warrior make a noisy and disorienting backing for the harsh bellows of MC Ride, who sounds a little like a hybrid of Ian Mackaye and the RZA. Hyped as a ‘punk-rap’ outfit, Sacramento’s Death Grips is one of the most ugly and aggressive outfits to emerge in American hip-hop in a while, and that’s almost definitely by design. His new mixtape Digital Lows is a great mixture of personality and expertly-used samples, among them Depeche Mode’s “People Are People,” which provides a banging backing to “Die Young.” Cities, himself, however, is an infectious personality, dropping boasts like “ In this 8-bit world, I’m Bowser.” And dude definitely made better use of “Float On” than Lupe Fiasco did this year, which may not be saying much, but Aviv kills it all the same.Ĩ. Cities Aviv – Digital Lows (Self-released)Ĭities Aviv hails from Memphis, but this up-and-coming Southern emcee isn’t so explicitly tied to locale.
#List of lupe fiasco mixtapes full#
More than anything, Jigga and Kanye just sound like they’re having a great time, which is something that’s always welcome, especially when coupled with a trunk full of great beats.ĩ. The end result wasn’t quite so groundbreaking or jaw-dropping, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t still one damn fine hip-hop record.
The superstar team-up of Jay-Z and Kanye West on Watch the Throne promised to be a collaboration for the ages (entirely probable given their appearances on each other’s albums). Jay-Z and Kanye West – Watch the Throne (Roc-a-fella/Def Jam) Check these 10 hip-hop essentials from 2011.ġ0. There was a lot of interesting stuff happening this year, some of it familiar, some of it bizarre, but it was an entertaining ride getting here.
Yet, the best hip-hop record of the year came from an even more unlikely source: an indie rock label.
#List of lupe fiasco mixtapes free#
In any case, it should come as no surprise that more than half of this list of the year’s best hip-hop recordings comprises free mixtapes. Some artists have split the difference, like Main Attrakionz, who are pressing their newest mixtape, 808s and Dark Grapes II, onto vinyl. They’re promotional tools, of course, which ultimately lead to some big contracts (hello, A$AP), but more often than not those mixtapes end up being better than the “real” albums paid for with major label cash (hi, Wale). Nowhere is this more prevalent than in hip-hop, where mixtapes are widely circulated over the internet, free of charge. The big story about music in the ’00s was that people were pirating more music than buying it, but the interesting side effect is that more artists are literally giving their music away.
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