The State of the Modern Mixtape—Appreciation Thread

[Bean]

i love it.

 

[Insensitive]

I agree the mixtapes have reached a level of polish that wasn't present before in Hip Hop
BUT I do NOT think they should be counted in an artists legacy like they're ALBUMS.
At this point in time I don't feel that way maybe I'll change my opinion later down the line though.

 

[The_Third_Man]

Too much music out there.

 

[WhiteDawg3000]

I kinda miss the excitement there was 5-6-7 years ago when an artists new mixtape dropped...
like a elzhi - witness my growth etc etc


these days it's just too much shyt to check out


today a lot of mixtape shyt is mos def quantity over quality,
I'm almost certain of this

/rant

 

[MoneyBags]

i hate the new mixtape game, shyt is over saturated like hell. it used to be a big deal when a mixtape used to drop, then lead up to the album. now it's quantity over quality.

*edit* just seen the post above me

 

[LucaBrasi]

I kinda miss the excitement there was 5-6-7 years ago when an artists new mixtape dropped...
like a elzhi - witness my growth etc etc


these days it's just too much shyt to check out


today a lot of mixtape shyt is mos def quantity over quality,
I'm almost certain of this

/rant

"You dudes is noodles we got more ziti to bake"
The game is always going to be more quantity over quality if you look at it like that fact is more undeniable music is released today for free than ever before in Hip-Hop history!

 

[Digga38]

So we giving props to nikkas for dropping they best material for free & on mixtapes so when they put out label driven sub par/garbage they have a excuse. "Oh well i gave my fans the real me for free"
Yeah Lupe etc....

says the dumbass who still buys albums

 

[iPod Raheem 2.0]

Let's not act like this isn't fukkin up the rap game at the same time though.

Alot of artists give a away their best music months and maybe even years before they drop a debut album, this is one of the reasons nikkas album sales look like they do. Why pay for a nikkas album and he's givin you all he's got 3 or 4 times before his shyt officially drops? There is no element of suprise or exciting suspense when it comes to releases anymore.

You make some fair points. The excess of free music may be negatively affecting people's album sales. (For the record, I don't care that much about record sales because I'm not eating from that. I do like to see my favorite artists win because I think it encourages them to continue making quality music. I just don't like focusing on the record sales.)

I don't know if you can lay the blame of poor record sales at the the modern mixtape's feet. If anything, the shyt was fukked up already. When Napster hit, that's when the game changed. nikkas stopped regularly going gold/plat because people stopped buying albums. People stopped buying albums because Napster made that shyt free. All you needed to do was point and click your mouse. The lack of surprise/suspense element is attributed to this development. People's albums leak weeks ahead of the release date. And because some people, for whatever reason, can't resist downloading, they spoil the listening experience for themselves. (I, for the record, am starving myself from any Life is Good leaks. ) WTT is rare in this day and age.

The industry's action/inaction to this phenomenon is a thread for another day, though.

The modern mixtape, I think, is current and newer artist's response to the "internet problem." I'm convinced that their mentality is the following: "We want to be big artists. Great music will get us fans, even if we have to give it to the people for free at first. Eventually, this will lead to us getting "thanked later" because we will have created a loyal fanbase by feeding them a steady diet of lobster and crab meats for free."

You asked why pay if they're giving it away for free. My short answer: because you're a fan and you like the music.

Let's be real, KRIT's Live From the Underground is arguably not better than any of his mixtapes. I read a bunch of mixed reviews. Had he never released a mixtape, I may not have given his debut album or him a shot.Those mixtapes made me a fan, though. I bought that debut off the strength of Return of 4eva and KRIT Wuz Here being so damn good. Could I have downloaded LFTU for free, too? I guess. I like to support artists that I think make good music, though--I like to think it helps them eat and encourages artists like them to make good music. So I don't mind paying $10 for essentially 70+ songs: (1) that's a really good fukking deal, (2) I'm not trying to starve these good artists that I like.

Let's face it, the game has changed. Artists aren't being broken the same. They've had to adapt to changed circumstances and the modern mixtape has been the byproduct.

I never liked lobster meat.

Serving crab meat, too.

 

[GetInTheTruck]

This would be a good thing except that hip-hop is trash now.

 

[Kaydigi]

Too bad there hasn't been a mixtape to fukk with Dipset VOL 2-5. That run was madness.

 

[iPod Raheem 2.0]

i honestly think we're in one of the best era's of hip hop EVER but a lotta old heads are too stubborn to realize it

people keep talking all this shyt about how NY is terrible now

have any of those people listened to the new DZA? meyhem lauren? bronson? rocky? exquire? rocky? el-p? pro era? roc marciano? flatbush zombies? anything harry fraud has done recently? frenchie?

im just waiting for people to realize whats going on so i can laugh and say "i told you so"

I've only listened to Bronson's Blue Chips. I love Hookers at the Point and 9-24-2011.

My belly's still full from all this Dom Kennedy . I heard the Yellow Album , then upon recommendations from our coli brehs, checked out From the Westside with Love II , then FTWWL I . I'm bout to try this 25th Hour and Original Dom Kennedy for dessert. It might be a awhile before eat anything else, but let me know if there's something from the above artists that I should be ordering from the menu next.

 

[neph27]

I've only listened to Bronson's Blue Chips. I love Hookers at the Point and 9-24-2011.

My belly's still full from all this Dom Kennedy . I heard the Yellow Album , then upon recommendations from our coli brehs, checked out From the Westside with Love II , then FTWWL I . I'm bout to try this 25th Hour and Original Dom Kennedy for dessert. It might be a awhile before eat anything else, but let me know if there's something from the above artists that I should be ordering from the menu next.

my fav dom tape is futurestreet/drugsounds, the production has this ill vibe where everything knocks and develops in really odd ways, kinda a neptunes vibe without the flat drums

try out ASAP Rocky - LiveLoveASAP, Mr. Muthafukkin Exquire - Lost in Translation, and Smoke DZA - The Hustlers Catalog for starters.

 

[36 Chambers]

I love the cohesiveness and original production of these mixtapes but I also really like when MCs just go in on other peoples shyt and flip it around.

 

[iPod Raheem 2.0]

Nothing lasts forever...

http://www.the-coli.com/booth/30813-old-heads-messing-up-mixtape-game.html

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[stealthbomber]

looks like this is coming to an end