Best Mixtapes of 2010

One of the great barbershop debates, “What was the best mixtape of the year?” To be honest, there is no one single answer. Everyone is always bias to their favorite artist, hometown guy or even bias to a part of country, whether its East, West or South. Therefore, I’m here to settle this debate and if I don’t settle the debate, at least I’ll put it into some kind of perspective.

Imagine a city full of clubs, bars, restaurants, movie theatres and buildings, etc. In this city lies one lonely skyscraper-sized building fill of hungry, underground and established rappers. The name of the apartment is the Pinnacle. Here at the Pinnacle, rappers housing is determined by their mixtape. The better the mixtape, the higher you live. The Pinnacle is broken down into four levels.

Before I set up the levels, let me tell you more about the Pinnacle. Its leasing manager is the Internet, who’s boss is the developer and investor of the building, The Suits. The Suits never visit the Pinnacle but keep their eyes close on it through the Internet. At the Pinnacle they have a 24-hour concierge front desk which rotates between your favorite DJ. Whether, it’s Funkmaster Flex, DJ Drama or Angie Martinez. The janitor and custodial work is handled by the Streets. They know all the inner workings to the building and its little dirty secrets. The Streets and the Internet have a close relationship. Internet just happens to receive more credibility. Now, that you know the setup and people working inside the Pinnacle, let’s head to its floors.

Lowrises: This is the place that’s right above the lobby. Rappers on this floor had a slight buzz before their mixtape was released, but the project either quickly fizzled out or didn’t capture me like I thought it would. This floor could also be renamed the Disappointed Floor, but in the same respect these guys had good projects. Every up-and-coming artists has its highs and lows. Maybe 2011, they will climb higher.

Credentials:
-          Mixtape was decent at best.
-          Some buzz, never met expectations. 
-          Only a few memorable songs and bangers.
-          Has more than a few missing: standout track, overall flow of tape, not enough memorable verses or boring hooks.
-          Not too much replay value and short shelf life.

Midrise: Go a little higher up the Pinnacle and we find our self in an awkward space. Rappers here had projects that we thought were going to blow us away, but fell short, yet still provided a good tape. This can also be called the disappointed level, but to some degree they still showed and proved. What separates this floor from the lowrise is that these tapes at least had somewhat of a replay value. Shelf life was nonexistent for the lowrisers.

Credientials:
-          Mixtape was well put together.
-          A few bangers and memorable songs, but more than a few songs to skip.
-          Expectations were on the borderline of met and not.
-          Missed two or more of these things: standout track, overall flow of tape,  not enough memorable verses or boring hooks.
-          Replay was par. Longer shelf life than low rise

Highrise: This floor is where we can separate the boys from the men. Great projects were established, up-and-coming rappers made their voice loud and clear and even well-known rappers increased their legacy. Here you might find some projects that are debatable for the next floor.  Where they fall short is that, when you think of 2010, these are the tapes that fall slightly short of memorable. For the established artists (i.e. Joe Budden) this continues their legacy, but doesn’t push their legacy to a greater level. Think of Ray Allen making it to another All-Star game for all my basketball lovers.

Credentials:
-          Mixtape could’ve been an album. Very good.
-          Had a few skippable tracks. 
-          Met or passed expectations.
-          Made a slight impact upon release.
-          High replay value and long shelf life.
-          Missed one thing; standout track, overall flow of tape, not enough memorable verses or boring hooks.

Penthouse: This is the place where memories are made and these projects can take you to a certain place and time. For instance, as soon as you think of 2009’s best mixtapes, So Far Gone and The Warm Up immediately jump into your mind. This the place where, if your they may get into the 5-disc changer from time to time. Hardcore fans of these artists will argue me to death about this belonging in the Penthouse, but sorry playas. Atleast you still get to overlook the city.

Credentials:
-          Mixtape should’ve been an album.
-          Two or less skippable tracks.
-          Completely surpassed expectations.
-          Created or added a huge new fanbase and impact to the game.
-          Tape was continuously in your ears for at least a month. These are the mixtapes that if you could only put 5 discs in your CD changer, these are it.

#19: Donwill – Laura’s Tape – LOW RISE

#18:  Skeme’s Pistols and Palm Trees – LOW RISE

http://www.datpiff.com/Skeme_Pistols_Palm_Trees.m161688.html

#17:  L.E.P. Bogus Boys’ Don’t Feed Tha Killaz III – LOW RISE

#16: B.O.B’s No Genre – MID RISE

#15: XV’s Vizzy Zone – MID RISE

http://www.mediafire.com/?zzi582d0ss3p9u6

#14: CyHi Da Prynce’s Royal Flush – MID RISE

http://www.mediafire.com/?6fxz2y6g2kabe12

#13: Big Sean’s Finally Famous 3 – MID RISE

http://www.datpiff.com/Don_Cannon_Big_Sean_Finally_Famous_3.m148582.html

#12: Freddie Gibbs’ Str8 Killa, No Filla – MID RISE

http://www.mediafire.com/?fjyo6unhsa861lh

#11: TiRon’s MSTRD – MID RISE

http://www.mediafire.com/?jmh0l4ilgtm

#10: Pac Div’s Don’t Mention It – HIGH RISE

http://usershare.net/2DopeBoyz/gjy5qwwn0rag

Man, it was tough for me to drop this at 10, but this was just one of those years. Pac Div is by far one of my favorite hip hop groups out right now and Don’t Mention It just established that even more. The kids form Cali kept the house party rocking with “Waves At The Prom” yet kept your spine tingling with “Overcome” and still kept your whip cruising with “Rollin’.” Signing a major deal with Universal and highly anticipated debut album, expect nothing but more success in 2011from the trio.

#9: Yelawolf’s Trunk Muzik – HIGH RISE

Trunk Muzik is correct and this is strictly for your trunk. Yelawolf’s simple, yet speedy flow may cause brain farts, but the dude can handle his own. Besides posting the 3^rd best mixtape for your trunk (#8 & #1), Yelawolf put Alabama back on the map by signing to Atlantic Records and being featured on a tour with Wiz Khalifa. If you ever want to display some bass for a crowd of speaker lovers, just turn on the title track “Trunk Muzik” and watch out for the boom.

#8: Rick Ross ‘ Albert Anastasia – HIGH RISE

http://www.mediafire.com/?tmz1jtemd4o

Out of everyone mentioned on this list, no one had a bigger year that Rick Ross. Before the smash features, before Teflon Don’s incredible success, there was the Albert Anastasia mixtape. Here is where Ross introduced to the Producer of the Year, Lex Luger and compiled two of the five biggest club records of the year, “MC Hammer” and “B.M.F.” Along with other trunk rattling tracks, Ricky Rozay would start one of the greatest runs of his short career thus far. Toast up Rozay!

#7:  Wale’s More About Nothing – HIGH RISE

http://www.mediafire.com/?zqb4s1wvam6mbed

How can I not be bias when it comes to Wale? He’s our hometown hero believe it or not. Crawled thru the belly of the gogo beast and actually formed the D.C. area into a formidable hip hop community. In More About Nothing, Wale concentrates on his amazing lyrical skills with “The Soup” and his appreciation for the ladies with “The Ambitious Girl.” Let’s not forget the club bangers, “Who Don’t” or “No Hands.” The biggest falloff for me that is if this project were 3-4 tracks lighter, it might just have snuck into the Penthouse. Nonetheless, it didn’t. Still a great mixtape to ride to until Attention Deficit 2 hits shelves.

#6: Joe Budden’s Mood Muzik 4: A Turn for the Worst  –HIGH RISE

http://www.mediafire.com/?ajrxhs9m2hr5uhc

The last of the high rises. Joe Budden can see the city wide and clear but it’s a few more mixtapes who have a better view. Budden continued his legendary Mood Muzik series and came thru in the clutch. Yes the mixtape doesn’t meet the Joe standard, but is it a solid mixtape? No doubt. Gang of songs dealing with one’s self inner most feelings on “Black Cloud” and giving the streets anthem “Remember the Titans” the project is a work of art. Biggest reason why this isn’t in the Penthouse? 2010 was a GREAT mixtape year and there’s only five penthouse suites available Joey.

#5:  Dom Kennedy’s From the West$ide, With Love – PENTHOUSE

http://www.mediafire.com/?ncyjjm4nneh

Welcome to Leimert Park. Home of Dom Kennedy and everything that is, what is and what will every be We$tside.  In Dom’s From the We$tside, With Love he tells us his tails from his perspective with tales like “1997” or “Locals Only.” Dom separates himself from the midrise class by establishing himself a certified MCee and living up to the expectations. What was so great about FTWWL was the fact that Dom had a great array of songs. You might ask five people what’s their favorite track and you will get five different answers. Welcome to the Penthouse, pimp.

#4:  J. Cole’s Friday Night Lights – PENTHOUSE

http://release.sonymusic.com/media/release/6d720de94c0aff3012a7?catalog=catalog_51

Remember 2009? Sure we do. Only mixtape that rivaled So Far Gone was J. Cole’s The Warm Up. Told us the story of NC kid who grew to love and mature into a hip hop renegade thru hard work and determination while living in New York for his college years. Now with Friday Night Lights, Cole tells us about life with the pressures of releasing his debut album and setting up one of the most anticipated albums of 2011. FNL was a great piece a work from his dark stories like “Enchanted” and “See World” to his romantic like player ways on “You Got It” and “In the Morning.” Only gripe towards this project is that is featured songs that were released/leaked long before we thought there was going to be a followup to the Warm Up. However, track for track, this project is better than your favorite rapper’s tape (except for the next three, of course).

#3: Wiz Khalifa’s Kush and Orange Juice – PENTHOUSE

http://www.mediafire.com/?0rqztjgz0zm

What rapper had a bigger come up in 2010 than Wiz Khalifa? Releasing a great project was just the beginning of things for the Pittsburgh native. Backed up by his Taylor Gang, Wiz was the rookie of the year. Kush & Orange Juice was a smoker’s anthem, yet still had enough fun and party songs like “In The Cut” and “Never Been” to start the party. However, this mixtape will forever be remembered by its melodic rhythms and sing-along-together-type-hooks on songs like “Up” and “Spotlight.” Many arguments will be made saying Wiz isn’t the greatest lyricist, but it’s the overall song that what separates the greats from the rest. Expect Wiz to paint the world Black & Yellow in 2011.

#2: Kendrick Lamar’s Overly Dedicated – PENTHOUSE

 http://www.mediafire.com/?c31egrsu5vafpqk

Kendrick Lamar’s Overly Dedicated was a magnificent piece of work. The mixtape was so greatly received that it got the attention of Hip Hop godfather Dr. Dre. In OD, Kendrick gives up a glimpse into his Compton lifestyle and upbringing and providing witty lyricism. This tape caused a great impact to his career and even putting on his group Black Hippy to his new found fans. Watch out for Mr. Lamar in 2011, because he clearly earned a spot in this Penthouse, BOY!

#1: Big K.R.I.T.’s K.R.I.T. Wuz Here – PENTHOUSE

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LN1R5GPX

In 2010, we we’re all looking for that mixtape to come out of nowhere and blow our minds away. Nothing will be like Drake’s So Far Gone. You can pretty much ask anyone where they were and what life was like when they first got into Drake and you will hear astounding stuff. Nonetheless, this year belongs to Big K.R.I.T. He didn’t have the chart topping singles, the huge co-sign of Lil Wayne or the million dollar deal, but what he did have was the Internet on lock. Ask any hipster about Def Jam’s newest signee and they will give him the seal of approval. K.R.I.T. Wuz Here takes you down the Mississippian’s deep southern roots of a rapper/producer who had to make his own lane. From bass booming tracks like “Country Shit” to his soulful samples of tracks like “Something” and “No Wheaties”, the 3^rd coast representa gives you all killer, no filler. The main thing that separates his project from anyone else’s is the re-introduction of the South. For so many years the South has been upon as nothing but big club anthems, no real lyrics and snap music. Well, K.R.I.T. proves all spectators wrong. His flow and delivery is undeniable with the ferocious lyrical content to get any hip hop head a worth of praise. Big K.R.I.T is here and definitely had the best mixtape of 2010.

#1:  The Earthquake in Haiti

A 7.0 magnitude quake strikes Port-au-Prince leaving devastation in it’s wake.  Over 230,000 people killed producing thousands of moving images.

#2: The BP Oil Spill

April 20, 2010, a British Petroleum (BP) well explodes.  What would ensue over the next three months would result in the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. 

Killing 11 men, injuring 17 more, and affecting the lives of millions, the spill devastated the gulf and the country as tempers flared over the response to the spill.  BP continued to downplay the effects of the spill as oil gushed into the gulf and washed up on coasts as far as Key West Florida.  Politicians and talking heads criticized BP and President Obama for their lack of a sense of urgency in the spill. Often forgotten in the entire debate was the pending offshore drilling mandate that was on cusp of being lifted in the days leading up to the explosion.  Pictures mean a thousand words, and these are some that our kids, kids, kids will be discussing and debating in history class.

#3: Obama, Obamacare, and Stimulus That Works?

After a 2008 election that left many people waiting for Obama to save the world AND practically do everything else but baby sit our children, 2010 might have been an even tougher year for the president than his first.  After being criticized for going too soft on BP and the people responsible for the spill, passing a health care bill that very few understood, not doing enough to help heal the recession, and extending Bush era tax cuts, the President faces an even tougher road ahead. 

The good news, it can only go up from here, well, sort of.  After losing ground in the House during the mid term elections, the President will be forced to bend a little on some of his idealistic policies which will more than likely draw more criticism from fellow Democrats.  To the President’s credit, the economy has been moving in the right direction, but nobody said it was going to be easy.

#4: The Lebronathon

“Hard to be humble when you stunting on a jumbotron”- Kanye West

How To: Make a Major Decision 101- Rule #1. Thou shall not stab the hearts of an embattled franchise and its fans on national television during a one hour special.  One hour Lebron, really?  No, don’t get me wrong, I get it. The entire state of Ohio stinks, not to mention Cleveland. I’ve passed through there a time or two. And Kid Cudi’s depressing ass music doesn’t make me feel any better about going there either.  But as smart as a person you are, as great of a speaker, trained from birth basically to be the greatest player to play the game, you can’t have been that oblivious to handle Cleveland the way you did.  Don’t get me wrong, I would have moved to Miami in a heart beat. I know how it is, I used to live there.  But Cleveland didn’t deserve that, not the way you did it.  You could have at least told them you’d be bending them over. Ok, now that that’s out the way…

What a story! Kid star leaves home town to join forces with Dwayne and Bosh to take over the east. A move that surprised many, this was by far the biggest story of the summer- supplanting Tiger on ESPN headlines, teasing Spike Lee and the New York Knicks with NY hats and secret love affairs with Jay-Z. It seemed meant to be, he was meant to land everywhere but where he did.  And after starting off the season pretty rough, it seemed as if Dan Gilbert would have the last laugh, but after winning 13 of their last 14, they look poised to be a force come finals time. Will this affect his legacy, most definitely. For the better or not, we’ll have to wait and see.

#5: Infidelity, Tiger Woods’ confession, Brett Favre, and Tony Parker

Obviously not the year for married men, especially if you were a married man named Tony, Brett, or Tiger.  Tiger fairing the worst by miles for all men, and what did America learn in all of this?  Hmmm, let’s start with not leaving voicemail messages on the “other woman’s” phone fellas.  Both Tiger and Brett were guilty as charged in this category, with Tiger’s voicemails turning out to be far more incriminating than Brett’s.  It all came to a head on what was possibly the biggest press conference (even bigger than Lebron’s) in the history of a pro athlete. Never has such a polarizing star been forced to apologize to the world for his actions, breaking his silence nearly over two months after the Thanksgiving Day we all found out he crashed his SUV.

Tony Parker on the other hand has gone slightly under radar and has appeared to be the choir boy in all of this.  Only rumors have bogged him down, but the end result turning out very similar to Tiger’s; a split with his wife.  It just so happened that his was a split with one of the most beautiful women (Eva Longoria) in Hollywood.  Good luck finding an upgrade Tony.

#6: Album of the Year: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

After dropping yet another album that seems to out do the likes of the last, Kanye has shown growth in ways that many didn’t think were once possible. From the hungry and humble producer-rapper making annoying cameos on Jay-Z songs, to a revered music maker, he has managed to out do himself in 2010. 

With the Taylor Swift debacle behind him, he completely re-wrote the standard for albums this year.  After releasing over 10 tracks dubbed as “Good Friday” with no intention for profit, just to make good music, it would appear that artists were lined up at the studio door to drop 16 (or even less) just to be a part of the movement.

In a 2010 year where Drake dropped his highly anticipated debut LP, and Rick Ross released a near perfect Teflon Don album nobody expected, many wondered how Yeezy would stack up. And in classic Kanye West fashion, Ye debuted Runaway at the VMAs and followed it up with a 35 minute video that practically doubled as an album release.

So in my humble AOI opinion, MBDTF deserves album of the year honors.

#7:  USA Defeats Algeria 1-0 to Advance

I’m usually a grind it out at work kind of guy which means my usual lunch during a regular work day consists of one or a combination of the following options:

1. Something mom made last night

2. Something mom made the night before last

3. One of the many Marie Callender’s steamers (still waiting on my endorsement dollars for all of the plugs btw)

 But, the US-Argentina game during the FIFA World Cup was different.  Very different.  There was something in the air.  Young people were watching soccer, basketball people were watching soccer, football people, you name it, all eyes were locked in on the 11am game.  And as you know, the US didn’t let down.

 Tied 0-0 as the clock struck 90 minutes, a minute and 45 seconds (give or take) of extra time was announced.  The US gets a perfect outlet pass after a stop from Tim Howard (tall black bama) takes a shot on goal, the ball ricochets out of the box and practically falls into Langdon Donovan’s lap.  A half a second and a US goal later, the bar that I’m in watching the game erupts with U-S-A chants.  And for a moment, I felt that little thing in your throat (no homo) when you tear up.  I felt proud to be an American, proud to be the underdog who nobody but American’s believed in.  It was crazy, moving, and spectacular all at the same time.  I didn’t do any more work that afternoon, and I’m not sure how many other people in the country did either.