What up mixtape lovers? Here’s our latest Mixtape Madness!
Cassie, RockaByeBaby
Remember Cassie? “Me & U,” Cassie? Well, she recently released a tape and it’s really good. As the all-gold pistol and jewelry tape cover implies, Cassie is at her baddest: “Bad Bitch” may very well become the anthem. The tape shows a growth that separates the songwriter from her previous tongue-in-cheek style. There’s an abrasiveness and confidence in Cassie that had not been fully explored in past releases. Her specialty is mid-tempo, R&B vibes but even on turned up bangers such as “Bad Bitch” and “Turn Up,” she does a great job. Do not let the tape’s title fool you, RockaByeBaby will swaddle listeners in dirty sex-driven narratives, accompanied by sleek and luscious production.
Standout track: “Sounds of Love” feat. Jeremih
Raekwon & Scram Jones, The Chef Vs The Beast
The best of Raekwon and Scram Jones, in 26 head-bobbing tracks. Not much can be said. Whether you’re already acquainted with Raekwon or not, this is a listenable tape that captures some of his most recent work with a great hip-hop producer.
Standout track: “Shaolin Vs Wu Tang”
Jay Ant, Blue Money
Jay Ant’s Blue Money is pretty good. What works to Ant’s benefit is how versatile his tape is. From cloud-rap high vibes to hyphy bounce, the production that backs Ant reflects the Bay Area scene he reps. As a lyricist, Ant can create some telling stories. “You ever wonder why they tell you things but you can’t trust that,” asks Ant on “Temple Run.” Ant is at his best when he’s introspective, providing moments of insight, in similar fashion to Lil B. “Dreams Promises” is Ant’s “wow” song. There’s a well-balanced combination of memorable hooks, production, lyrical content and flow. Ant is still coming into his own, but judging by Blue Money, he’s headed in the right direction.
Standout track: “Dreams Promises”
Corner Boy P, RNS
“The same streets I call home might lead me to a goner,” states Corner Boy P on tape opener, “1997.” Life in ’97 was not so sweet for Corner Boy P, and this serves as his moment of retrospection, especially considering how much more upbeat the rest of RNS is. What’s enjoyable about P is he can follow in suit with his Jet Life cohorts while refining his own sound. His flow resembles that of Master P and Mannie Fresh, which is certainly a plus. At nine tracks, three of which are basically freestyles over other rapper’s songs, it’s hard to fully get an idea of what Corner Boy P is all about. It’s a decent tape but a few more songs or an increase in original tracks would have been nice.
Standout track: “Box Chevy”
Big K.R.I.T., King Remembered In Time
One thing is for certain about K.R.I.T.’s latest tape: he can definitely produce. Every track is luscious and maintains a southern backbone to it that gives the production a warm and inviting atmosphere. Peep our full review here.
Standout track: “My Trunk” feat. Trinidad James
Lore’l, Billboard Bytch
Now a TV star, it’s easy to forget about Lore’l’s rap sessions with the Outsidaz back in the day. This tape serves as a reminder that she can still spit some pretty hard bars. What’s immediately noticeable about Lore’l is her delivery, however. Confident and unwavering, her boasts hearken back to Lil Kim at her prime, and the production only empowers those boasts. The only complaint with the tape is Lore’l’s sing-song moments, which are not good and unnecessary. Aside from that, Billboard Bytch is heavy in all the right ways.
Standout track: “Outta They League”
