Welcome to the third edition of Singles Awareness Day. This year’s S.A.D. will be celebrated a couple days early, allowing you to ride into the weekend with 31 songs that say all the things that you’ve been thinking about love, lust, or anything in between. Most of these tracks you’ve never heard, and if you have, you won’t mind, because they just work so well on this compilation. Don’t think this just some sappy ass depressing music, either. Singles Awareness Day isn’t a day of mourning; it’s simply a time where you’re made aware of the single life, whether or not you’re living it. If you’re boo’d up, you can reflect on the lives of your friends who aren’t, or you can wonder what it’d be like if you didn’t have shortypop by your side this V-Day. If you aren’t, then you can play this and reminisce, living vicariously through the music.

If this is your first S.A.D. mix compilation you’re downloading, I should let you know that I do things a little differently: no tracklisting. Just get it, throw it in your iTunes, vehicle, iPod, and jam it. It’ll probably stay in rotation for a long while, so just be prepared to have some new favorite songs. As always, I dedicate this to all the maneaters, heartbreakers, and hopeless romantics out there. Click the artwork or the link below to download.

DOWNLOAD: Singles Awareness Day 3 [S.A.D. #3: The Mix Compilation]

Oh, and if you’re in DC, we’re doing it EXTRA BIG. Rock Creek Social Club has decided to throw a party around the concept, and that’ll be on the 15th. Sure, you may hear some of these tracks, but Jerome and Harry Hotter have their own playlists that’ll make partying on the day after Valentine’s Day super fun.

Thanks for your support. Any feedback, send my way in the comment section. If you’d rather e-mail, hit me: modi[at]DCtoBC.com. Thanks for all the artists who allowed me to throw their music on this. Everybody who submitted music and didn’t make the final mix, I apologize. It was a tough decision, but I think these 31 joints will satisfy everybody. Huge s/o to Odd Future‘s Matt for the album art.

If you know me, if you’ve been in my vehicle or been in my dorm room while I was in college, you’d know that my affinity for A.B. The Pro‘s music is probably unrivaled. I have a lot of confidence in this SE representer’s sound, and he’s my favorite artist on DC’s Studio 43 imprint. I felt like his mixtape he dropped back in ’09 was criminally slept on as far as production and the artists featured. You can tell that he cares a lot about putting DC on the map, and he without a doubt brought out the best in artists that otherwise may not have been able to convince you of their talent. In my eyes, “Stussy on My Back” with Young Marley could have been a local smash if the proper push was behind it (Stussy could have easily jumped on that joint and licensed it out and more money could have been made!), but 43 made the poor decision to push “W On The Fitted” instead, which was by far the worst joint on the entire tape. No offense to any of the artists on that track, but…that joint was so weak.  But hey. I’m not hear to chastise too much. That’s the past. We’re on to the future.

A.B. let me hold an early version of the mixtape to give him some feedback and criticism, and it’s so awesome to see that not only did he take it well, but he actually listened to the majority of what I said! Swapped some songs out, changed the tracklisting, and dropped a lot of freestyles over industry beats. In order to give you A.B. as an artist as opposed to just a producer, I feel like he needs to rap over his own $#!t. The one thing that I wished he did was to start the album with “Young Jimi Hendrix” (which is the first preview I’m gonna give you), or at least make that joint #2! It goes way too hard and kinda introduces you to what the entire album is gonna be like. Besides that, I don’t have too many gripes. The beats are mixed and mastered to thump in the vehicle or through your headphones, he has some club bangers that’ll make you raise an eyebrow and wonder why he doesn’t have stuff on the radio (or with bigger artists outside of DC, to be completely honest), and while he’s not exactly a rapper, you can’t be mad at his lyrics, cuz it’s all stuff people can relate to.

DC is proud of this, but I’m tryna make sure everybody beyond DC hears this product. Featuring a lot of untapped and under appreciated talent that you can read about on the back cover, this is a really good project that I’m proud to have been a fake-me-out A&R on, lol. Nah but really. Jam the previews, and then grab it below.

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DOWNLOAD: A.B. The Pro – Crown Vic Music [Mixtape]

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve already heard me sing this album’s praises. I bought ScHoolBoy Q‘s Setbacks off iTunes, and now he’s released a free version. The free version is shorter than the iTunes joint (couple different songs, and honestly, one of them is potentially a highlight on the tape…yikes…oh well!) Since he dropped the announcement on Twitter Nation, I figured I’d let those who don’t know of him or follow him to learn about him here.

Q’s got a charisma about him, man. His voice is unique, and he kills the majority of these tracks with his somewhat unorthodox rhyme scheme. Every song is pretty intense, too, as far as subject matter. When I play this album, I paint a vivid picture of this hazy, California hellhole. Lots of drug talk, but the stressful life that he seems to lead kind of explains it all. I love pretty much every beat on the album, and the only real problem I have with the project is that he didn’t put the one song that I blogged of his a while back on the joint. I understand the decision (it doesn’t really work with the entire “setbacks” concept), but that joint bumped.

All of the features are awesome. Top Dawg teammates Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock all have appearances (Kendrick actually has two, and the one on “LigHt Years AHead” is my favorite swag verse of his since I heard “Michael Jordan”) ***WOW! This song is NOT on the free version! Sorry, guys!*** BJ The Chicago Kid murders the hook on “I’m Good”, and in a great, great way.

I hate talking about music too much. Just listen to it. Thank me later. I rock with Q the long way. This album is the best thing to drop in January as far as hip-hop is concerned (that I’ve heard, anyway). Check out this video real quick, then grab the whole project via the link below. Oh, and shout out to @daveisfree.

DOWNLOAD: ScHoolBoy Q – Setbacks [ALBUM]

Why? Because I said so! The people who’ve downloaded Culdesac have encouraged me to continue to spread the gospel that is Childish Gambino aka comedian/actor/creator Donald Glover Grab his earlier tapes I Am Just A Rapper 1 & 2 below, where he rhymes effortlessly over indie rock beats (except that “Exhibit C” that for some strange reason had the world talking about it. It was cool, but I mean, come on. Don’t make me talk about that here though. That’s for an in-person discussion.).

If you have an eclectic ear, you may recognize a bunch of these joints. The tapes are also critically acclaimed. You be the judge as to which is triller; my vote’s with the first, but the second has jams too. If you’re confused as to who this guy is, then go check the post I did on him a little while ago.

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DOWNLOAD: Childish Gambino – I Am Not A Rapper [Mixtape]

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DOWNLOAD: Childish Gambino – I Am Not A Rapper 2 [Mixtape]

BONUS: Childish Gambino – Got This Money [Acoustic Version] shout out to Ricardo aka Internet Goon for this download link! I’ve been looking everywhere for this.

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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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]

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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you know why this mixtape is trill? because it’s a compilation CD that hit me outta nowhere. all DMV artists, some of whom you’ve heard of or seen on this blog or elsewhere (ice tha villain, phil ade, pro’verb, etc.), and some of who i’ve never heard of. it all rocks. it’s like one of those DJ smallz southern smoke mixtapes from back in the day where you just jam it all and every song . tracklisting and download below, as well as a little sample of what to expect. great riding music. and i’m telling you this joint CRANKS!

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DOWNLOAD: FNFG – Lead By Example [Mixtape]