It’s here. Dedicated to all maneaters, heartbreakers, and hopeless romantics – you know who you are. Proceed to download. It’s an epic one, I think.

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yerp. your local clutch city DJ’s are back at it. you may remember when i dropped the last cush cush joint way back when. but it’s ‘09, and dj’s ace boon coon and b*luxe aren’t playing games. at all. one super-track that’s essentially 53 minutes of mayhem, baby. music selection is more eclectic and diverse than new york city. need to throw a party but have no DJ? throw this joint on. trust me

my man brandon “DJ B*Luxe” luckett told me about this lovechild that is his latest mixtape. the tape was crafted for a clothing label, Overachievers and modeling agency, Page Parkes, and features everything from old school rap to reggae to soft core electro.  this one really feels like a mixtape, like it should be on a cassette in an old school walkman with the earphones with the thin-ass foam cushion headphones on it that have your ears hurting after an hour.  this is called a “1 take” because they recorded it live: “we only had 1-take to get it right otherwise we would have had to start ALLLLL the way back at the beginning.” impressive, right!?

enjoy, listen all the way through, but as always if you don’t like a song, fast forward about two minutes and you’ll probably a region of the musical galaxy that you never would have expected to come next. it’s like that. the file is too big to sample, but i’m trying to get around that. trust me though, it’s worth the download. i wouldn’t steer you wrong. and E-MAIL THEM IF YOU WANT THEM TO ROCK YOUR NEXT PARTY! e-mail address on the album cover.

DOWNLOAD: Cush Cush – Overachievers

BONUS: Dusty Crates Interview with Cush Cush

Clif Soulo mentioned he would be doing this Common-themed album a while back, and the final copy has final . I heard some of the early mixes, which had some quality takes on some great instrumentals used by Common. This mixtape utilizes beats from both “Finding Forever” and “Be.” Big up to our friends EddyNPizzle for providing some graphics.

I recommend y’all check this out and show Clif Soulo some love…for him pursuing his love of hip hop music. Diggin this.

Via Clif Soulo:

“I created this album called Forever Be Hip Hop. It’s my own take on instrumentals from Commons’ album’s Finding Forever and Be. I tried and hopefully was successful in creating a new album introducing myself to the world as “Clif Soulo”, but also paying homage and showing respect to Common. If you get some time, download it, listen, let me know what you think.”

Leave him some direct feedback via his twitter page @ClifSoulo!

DOWNLOAD HERE (alt. link here), and tracklisting after the drop.

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Today feels almost as great as when a member of the Star Trak family drops an album. Why? Well, because the music blog of all music blogs, Blind I For The Kids, has dropped a powerful, two disc compilation of everything that production gods The Neptunes haven’t leaked to the masses. I consider myself a Neptunes superfan, but most of these I’ve never even heard of. It’s like uncovering fossils or ancient ruins to me. I could talk, but I’d rather let the creator, my ninja Sulaiman out the Chi, do the rest of the talking while you jam this unreleased Fam-Lay snippet featured on the tape.

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I’ve been working on this for a LOOOONG time and I finally completed another masterpiece. For those not in the know, The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for some successful Hip hop, R&B and Pop artists in the late-90s and 2000s. The Neptunes’ sound is a distinctive brand of off-kilter, stripped-down electronic funk. Along with Timbaland and Dr. Dre they were the driving force behind many of the musical characteristics of late-90s/2000s hip-hop, helping to re-introduce sci-fi style sounds into the hip-hop mainstream, along with sounds from Middle Eastern and Asian music including percussion and woodwind.

I decided a few months back to make a collection of my favorite rare, b-side, and unreleased Neptunes production, from 1999 to 2009, in order to create a dedication to over 10 years of next-level music that still stands the test of time. I swear listening to these tracks puts you in a state of mind where everything’s better around you. Decemvir, which is the latin term for “ten“, is used to describe this decade of incredible works from the stellar production duo. Their music can speak for itself more than anything I can say, so without further ado, I give you…

DOWNLOAD: The Neptunes – Decemvir (DISC 1 | DISC 2)

I have no idea how I missed this. Nick Simmons (@NorthwestNick, let’s get it) threw this to me a couple weeks ago, but I completely disregarded it until about 50 minutes ago. This right here is an incredible project. Brings together 2, maybe 3 different worlds on one mixtape. DJ Mick Boogie curated a trill remix project for one of the world’s coolest bands, Peter Bjorn & John.

I don’t think you read that closely enough. Yes. The band PBJ, with Mick Boogie and every crucial artist and producer making music in the ‘09 is on this project. Name somebody, they’re probably on it in some capacity. It’s that thorough. THIS IS A MUST DOWNLOAD. I don’t care what crew you roll with. Everybody can jam with this.

Mick Boogie got together with some of his favorite producers and emcees and came up with a  classic. All your favorite PBJ songs from their “Living Thing” album completely remixed and reworked, and I think you’ll love them all. Look at the tracklist, jam the sample, and enjoy.

1. Naledge & Mickey Factz: Blue Period Picasso (remixed by nVMe)
2. Freebass 808 & Christian Rich (editor’s note: you see these guys coming up? Takeover soon. Let’s get it.): Living Thing
(remixed by Apple Juice Kid)
3. Bun B & The Kid Daytona: Losing My Mind (remixed by 6th Sense)
4. Big Pooh, Chaundon & Phil Nash: Stay This Way (remixed by Jazzy Jeff)
5. Trouble Andrew & GLC: Lay It Down (remixed by The Kickdrums)
6. Talib Kweli & 6th Sense: I Want You
(remixed by William Russell / Good Life Mike)
7. 88 Keys & Outasight: 4 Out Of 5 (remixed by 6th Sense)
8. U-N-I: Last Night (remixed by Remot)
9. GZA, Buckshot & Tabi Bonney: The Feeling (remixed by Marco Polo)
10. Big Sean, Black Milk & T3: Just The Past (remixed by nVMe)
11. Kardinal Offishall, Donnis & Henok Achido: It Just Don’t Move Me
(remixed by Jet Audio)
12. Wale, Young Chris & Rhymefest: Nothing To Worry About
(remixed by The Kickdrums)
13. Evidence, Jerreau & Fashawn: Amsterdam (remixed by Cookin’ Soul)

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DOWNLOAD: Mick Boogie & Peter Bjorn & John: Re-Living Thing [Mixtape]

dom kennedy is one of the few new dudes out on the left coast that caught me immediately. after i heard that “watermelon sundae” i quickly acquired anything and everything i could get my hands on of his. i wasn’t aware this was dropping so suddenly, and actually got word via twitter. what a pleasant surprise.

the first two (25th hour mixtape up and future street / drug sounds) still get regular rotation in my iTunes, and they say third time’s a charm, so maybe this mixtape will be the one to make the masses believe he’s a serious contender in this new age rap game. spots have yet to be solidified, and i’m rooting for him, but my word doesn’t mean a damn thing. regardless, i want to know how you feel. leave your thoughts in the comment section; i’m leaving you with a couple of sample tracks to jam, as well as the download link below. oh, and shout out to the los angeles leakers for mixing and mastering this joint. what a trill name to have. ha. enjoy.

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DOWNLOAD: Dom Kennedy – Best After Bobby [Mixtape]

plus, check this video out from his last mixtape, FutureStreet/DrugSounds, “Of All Time”, featuring BJ the Chicago Kid. pretty trill. dom isn’t playin’.

This is the first exclusive I’ve had for a while. NW DC’s G5 Clive reached out and asked me to sponsor the tape, and I was all about it. The newest installment from Clive is Reign Cheque. The entire thing takes place in new age Washington. Clive says, “Following the war between the light and the right, the kings and queens (us) are rhyming/living to take our kingdom back. Its a kinda dark album, with $30 million dollars  in it. The theme is basically “royalty, and futuristic rap.”

Wow. Do I need to say much more? Oh, maybe Clive can explain the fitting title for the mixtape. “It’s called Reign Cheque because it’s a play on words, and on the themes. It’s like I’m checking on the status of our rule, our governing. Also, rain check means ’some other time’, so I’m saying, all the wack shit can take a rain check.”

True. My hometown heroes, M1 Platoon, are featured all over the tape, so consider that a treat for those waiting for their next joint to drop. Also, the profesionally recorded tape is a first for Clive, who previously worked on his music in home studios. It’s a first of many milestones to come in the young man’s career.

In typical G5 fashion, he has a thorough lineup of crazy producers to keep the sound on some next level stuff. Like some of the best backpacker / underground / real hip hop production I’ve heard in a long time. Metaphysical, Banquo Bangs, Choc, Vaughn G (formally Arafat Yates), Crysis, Matt Cody, Johnny5, Rasneb, Napalm, Jiles, and my fellow blogger and rival private school atendee Fundamental all contributed to this project.

I know I wrote a lot, but I think everybody should hear this project. All my DC folks, you may even hear your name on the track, especially if you roll with the rest of the uptown roamers. Ha. Check the preview, and download the tape below. Trust me. Space Ship Music INDEED!!!

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DOWNLOAD: G5 Clive – Reign Cheque [Mixtape]

PREVIOUSLY: Summa of ‘88 [Mixtape] | The Social Class [Mixtape]

Tracklisting below, after the jump.

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Back in 2005, Mike Jones was on the verge of being a household name at one point. A platinum album, a segment on MTV’s “Punk’d”, and the trillest ad-libs in the game (repeating his lines. What’s better than that?) Admit the first time you saw that “Still Tippin’” video, you were amused by his confidence. He was so convincing, he actually had me worried that if I turned my neck while he was around, my dame would indeed be missing.

So what happened to his buzz!? Are there any artists signed to his Ice Age label?! What’s this talk of retiring from music!? It’s ‘09, and he’s no longer even mentioned in conversation anymore like he used to be. While part of me knows it’s because he wasn’t a rapper destined for longevity, another part of me is sad, and feels the need to bring the talent that he did bless us with to resurface.

Two of the many mixtapes from Houston artists that stood out to me were Mike Jones’ King of the Streets and Runnin’ Tha Game. Flows ranging from 1 to 3 minutes, a variety of hot beats, just flowing, mayne. These mixtape represents an important part of my musical maturation, as it’s when I was put on to pretty much everybody from Houston’s new school. Sure, he’s not sophisticated. But sometimes, we don’t want that. We just want to jam. I put a sample from both tapes up. Enjoy.

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DOWNLOAD: Mike Jones – Runnin’ Tha Game [2003]

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DOWNLOAD: Mike Jones – King of the Streets [2004]

Shout out to @NasVegas for putting me on that H-Town movement early.

This joint by Kansas’ own XV (yep. I said Kanas.) dropped in July sometime. I saw it on every blog, and I skipped it because I didn’t like the album art. Is that ridiculous? Very. But it just didn’t look like a project I was ready for.

I just heard it today after going to Internet Goon and watching his video for “Fall Out The Sky”. I don’t have very many words, except to never judge a mixtape by its cover. Ever. He’s definitely one of the best rappers I’ve heard this year. Some real good hip hop. No excessive swag, no flaunting or trash talking, just some real $#!t. Too many powerful bars, too many clever lines, I don’t even know why I’m typing because you won’t be able to tell until you hear for yourself.

Mixed by DJ Enuff & DJ Benzi. Features Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Harlems Cash, Colin Munroe, Ne-Yo, and production by Seven & Boi-1da (pronounced Boy Wonder. took me like 3 years to realize. I thought he was boy ida, like Idaho.) Enjoy the sample, and download the mixtape if you like what you hear.

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DOWNLOAD: XV – Everybody’s Nobody [Mixtape]

BONUS TRACK: XV – Mirror’s Edge [REMIX] [feat. Mike Posner, GLC, & Bun B]

Tracklisting below. And before you sass me, there’s a Lil Wayne track listed, but it’s not on the album. It’s on some other Wayne mixtape out there. I’m just saying though. ENJOY though. It’s vicious.

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Ok, so before jay jenkins became the platinum rapper / trapper Young Jeezy, he was Lil’ J. I know, it sounds somewhat ridiculous. As does this debut album, released in 2001.

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