Needles » mixtapes

Oddisee – Odd Winter [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:47:13 +0000

I posted Oddisee’s previous mixtape, Odd Summer, last August. With it’s groovy, laid-back, summery grooves, it didn’t disappoint. Oddisee came back a bit harder in January for the third in his Odd [season] series (how did he know it would be such an odd winter?). We had 3 feet of snow just two weeks ago here in DC, the town that nurtured Oddisee and the DMV crew. There are a few guest MCees on this effort, but it’s the instrumentals that are the standouts, as usual. Check out “Blizzard of ’09″ below or download the whole mixtape yourself here from the Bandcamp website.

Oddisee – Blizzard of ’09 | mixtape

PPF House – Attic [mixtape]

needles — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:25:18 +0000

Well, it’s been a little while since I posted. Unfortunately, that has been a trend for me lately. I have moved a few times and have had a small bit of trouble getting Internet access at the new crib…but that problem is now solved! What better way to reenter the scene then to put my man LEO37 and the PPF House crew on blast. I first met LEO37 when I was gigging in Taipei. We hit it off instantly. The cat has a nice flow and is type ILL with the freestyle. The PPF hail from Canada and cover a wide range of artistic talent, from music to visual arts. Check out their website here. They continue to pump out new material on a regular basis. This particular mixtape actually hit the web this past spring, but it is my favorite so far. Check out two of the tracks below and judge for yourself:

PPF House – Glorious (f/MAGNOLIUS) | mixtape
PPF House – Sometimes Things Go Wrong (f/LEO37, The Worst Pop Band Ever) | mixtape

Pac Div – Church League Champions [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:10:21 +0000

My apologies for the hiatus; I have been bouncing around the country and making some moves, but I am now back in The Lab and ready with some fresh music. The sonic assault from southern Cali continues (what’s up New York? Brooklyn where we at??)… Pac Div has been dropping gems for a few years, but a few months ago dropped their very strong mixtape: Church League Champions. Of course, it’s full of sports metaphors, but lyrically they touch on a lot of issues and cover many styles. Pac Div also recently made an appearance on the wonderful L.A.U.S.D. compilation/mixtape that I posted on last month, along with fellow Cali rappers U-N-I, who I posted up the month before that. Apparently Pac Div is now signed to Motown / Universal, who will be putting out their full-length sometime this year. You can check up on Pac Div on their website, but be sure to download their mixtape here. In the meantime, here is a taste of one of the stronger cuts from the mixtape:

Pac Div – Whiplash | mixtape

50 Cent – Forever King [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:49:41 +0000

Why should I post a 50 Cent mixtape? Because his last two have been unlike anyone else’s out there. With Forever King, and Sincerely Yours before it, 50 subtly presents a theme that threads each mixtape into a cohesive and unique experience. I can’t help but admire the artistry of it. On Sincerely Yours he rapped straight ahead over classic 80s r&b cuts, kind of like how Ghostface Killah smothers those sweet-soul records. On this go-round, 50 goes over 90s r&b acts such as Intro, Case and Jeff Redd (save for the special Michael Jackson tribute). It’s not that the rhymes are ground-breaking; that’s not the point of this mixtape. Instead, they have a natural and easy-going flow to them, and dare I say it… swagger. I’m not talking about that swagger that everyone and their mom has been arguing over, but rather that classic, effortless delivery. It’s like Melle Mel playing the MC to Grandmaster Flash at Bronx Science in 1978, except that 50 Cent is playing hype-man to (himself?). You get the idea… You think 50 Cent has captured that fun “rock the party” vibe here? Check him out rhyming over an old Horace Brown track or download the whole mixtape here:

50 Cent – Forever King [mixtape] | mixtape

L.A.U.S.D. – Curly Tops and Nautica Jackets [mixtape]

needles — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:21:06 +0000

What I hope to be an increasingly popular trend, rap artists have increasingly been forming “super” groups. Of course, some, like Slaughterhouse, are more well-known than others, but usually, it’s a nice way to showcase and leave behind all the filler you get with 19 tracks can get from a solo artist. (Did it really take two years to make Loso’s Way, Fab?) The Los Angeles Unified Sound District (L.A.U.S.D.) consists of a grip of MCs and producers that include Diz Gibran, Blu, U-N-I, Pac Div and many others. The thread that ties them together here is the subject matter on this mixtape and the production: rhymes about mid-90s LA culture (post-Chronic era) over beats by Polyster, L4zy Lou and a few others. You can download the mixtape directly from their website here. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of this “mixtape”. In the meantime I have included two of the tracks (the first one features Jack Davey from J*Davey on the guest vocals) I have in heavy rotation right now:

L.A.U.S.D. – iFeel (f/Blu, Jack Davey) | mixtape

L.A.U.S.D. – It’s Not Right (f/Smooth, Diz Gibran, El Prez, Polyster, Dnez, L.Iv) | mixtape

The Cool Kids – Gone Fishing [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:58:36 +0000

This duo out of Illinois and Michigan by way of Chicago has been doing their OWN thing for at least two years now. What I mean is, while inspired by rappers of the “Golden Age”, they really do have a style of their own: a laid back, syrupy flow with smooth and clever lyrics. They could be compared to Clipse, because of their metaphorical creativity. The Cool Kids aren’t afraid to be independent, and I encourage you to check out their latest Don Cannon-assisted mixtape. Download it hear on their website. But, if you want a taste first, check out these two tracks:

The Cool Kids – Takin’ a Break (Cut It Up) | mixtape

The Cool Kids – Step Back | mixtape

Oddisee – Odd Summer [mixtape]

needles — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:32:04 +0000

I first heard this cat on DJ Jazzy Jeff’s classic The Magnificent LP back in 2002. I didn’t start hearing any of his production work until Little Brother released their …and Justus for All mixtape a few years ago. Since then, he has worked with a number of artists including Freeway (for his Month of Madness in December), on last year’s mixtape EP with Hot97′s Peter Rosenberg, “A Rosenberg Oddisee” and then finally with DC-based Diamond District, a group he founded with XO and yU. Check out DJ Jon Oliver’s blog for a review of this one. This summer, Oddisee has released a new mixtape of his own new instrumental material, save for the last track with Muhsinah Abdul-Karim who has most recently appeared on Common’s and The Foreign Exchange’s last albums. Odd Summer is a groovy and yes, very summery, mixtape (download it here). It is only eight tracks long and mostly very fun and upbeat. I have included the very Roy Ayers / Donald Byrd jazz-funk-sounding track “When Everything Changed” to give you a taste of his work:

Oddisee – When Everything Changed | mixtape

Skyzoo – The Power of Words [mixtape]

needles — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:35:03 +0000

I’m still catching up with my pile of mixtapes here, but as promised, here is a new Skyzoo post. Back in April, this Bucktown up-and-comer released yet another very solid mixtape with great production. I mentioned his last mixtape in my last post. This dude continues to impress (and I have a new 9th Wonder-produced track to prove it, but that will have to wait till next week). For now, peep this Dilla-produced gem from The Power of Words. Jay flips the old Faze-O “Riding High” classic, and Skyzoo shreds the track with his final verse:

Skyzoo – Alphabet Soup | mixtape [click for download link]

U-N-I – A Love Supreme [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:36:02 +0000

Hailing from California, this duo has been bubbling up on the underground scene for a couple of years now. Earlier in 2009, they released their sophomore album for free in the Internet (so, yes, it’s technically not a mixtape). This effort is a collaboration between U-N-I and Ro Blvd, who provide all of the soundscape. Some of Ro’s work is really beautiful, especially on the title track. U-N-I have worked with a number of artists, like Evidence and Little Brother, but have stayed mostly to their roots on the underground. I can’t recommend all the tracks on the album, but the few that do stand out are really strong, especially when it comes to lyrics. These guys tell good narratives and like to drop knowledge. You can download the mixtape here… in the meantime, here is the title track for your listening pleasure:

U-N-I – A Love Supreme | mixtape

Marsha Ambrosius – Yours Truly [mixtape]

needles — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:12:33 +0000

I know I haven’t been keeping up these posts as often as I thought I might, but I promise to redouble my efforts! And, I also am going to start posting mixtapes that I think you should check out. So, I’m setting off this new category with a mixtape that came out earlier this year from Marsha Ambrosius, one half of Floetry. She is (was?) signed as a solo artist to the purgatory known as Aftermath. She has appeared on many of the Aftermath-related projects in recent years, to include Busta Bus and The Game. She tends to curve her r&b flavor towards the tracks with some knock in it, like old Mary J. and Zhané. In fact, all of the tracks on this mixtape are produced by Focus, who makes some pretty bangin’ stuff in his own right. You can download the mixtape here. In the meantime, here’s one of the hotter joints off the Don Cannon-hosted album…

Marsha Ambrosius – Sunshine (f/Little Brother) | mixtape