I know, I know.  About a third of what The Game spits is nothing but name-drops and shout-outs.  And another third is just lame attempts to sound like everyone else. But when he’s on his game, The Game is pure fiya.  When Game hits the mark, he crafts perfect bangers that recall the best hip hop has to offer.

Not sure what’s on this mixtape yet–if it’s the former or the latter–but if it’s got his name on it, I’ll certainly give it a try.

The Link!

Edinburgh, Scotland’s Midas Fall are a band that seems to have two speeds: Progressive pop and shoegaze ballad.  And they’re quite good at both.   It’s hard to find much information about them, though.  Even the press material doesn’t offer a whole lot of info.  I can tell you that vocalist Elizabeth Heaton is the main reason to listen here–she’s got a terrific voice–and whichever of the three guitarists plays the bubbling leads is a strong second.  “Eleven. Return and Revert” appears to be the band’s debut album.  Give the single a try–I think you’ll dig it.

Moviescreens

Thought I’d combine the Midas Fall review, about a band that’s as musical as can be, with a rap review.  Stevie Crooks is giving away his latest, “Diamonds and Guns,” for free!  Crooks is remarkably versatile, able to spin hardcore street tales and then turn on a dime tell a vulnerable tale about this father, then do another 360 and do an I’m-better-than-you rap, all the while mixing flows influenced by everyone from the fast-and-clear Eminem to the growling of Mobb Deep to the kind of wise-ass playground taunts you’d hear from Lil’ Wayne. 

I’m not saying Crooks is necessarily as good as any of those well-established acts.  But I am saying he has the potential to be.

Stevie Crooks is a West Coaster without claiming a set, he’s tough without fake posturing, he doesn’t have ridiculous claims of having been a street Godfather, or shot twenty guys, or any kind of lame B.S. like that.  His lyrics are hot, the beats are tremendous, and almost every single song is a keeper.

Taste the song “Stop Look Listen” if you must, but really you should get the whole album for free here.

And while you’re at it, cop last year’s CSTC mixtape.  It’s fantastic, too.  Much harder, utilizing Mobb Deep beats….

Haven’t been impressed by Ya Boy’s recent work, but he used to be amazing.  Haven’t heard this one yet, but thought I’d pass it along.

link

I’ve been posting quite a few decent mixtapes these days, but most are about half-good, half-filler.  Few rate their own post.  Chicago’s Mikkey’s is an exception.  Some of these are re-releases–call them the best of Mikkey, for those who’ve never heard him before–and many are new, with production by all the best: Kanye West, Ca$h Money, No ID . . .  Mikkey’s witty, smart, deft and DEF.  There aren’t many MCs in the game these days who can hit this level.

The only problem with the tape is that there’s a bunch of snippets, previews for his upcoming album, I guess.  It’s frustrating to hear just a minute of a tune like Frozen, which cuts off right when Mikkey is killing it.

Taste a sample:

I’m a Ryder

Get the whole thing here.

1.  Cover Me’s tribute to covers of Lady Gaga!  Go here and check out the tunage.

2.  GHOSTFACE RnB Fish.  Mixtape by DJ Lord Finesse.  Cop it here.

3.  Win the new Rogue Wave album here.

4.  A bunch of covers of You Keep Me Hangin’ On are at Versions Galore.

5.  B.O.B.’s album release date has been pushed back. So he leaked a track.  Cop it.

6.  The Mixtape by the Kanye West endorsed CyHi Da Prynce.  Here.

7.  RAS KASS-Endangered Lyricist mixtape.  Cop it here.  Ras is one of the vastly underrated underground rappers.

I don’t get hit up by myspace rappers that much, but here’s one.  And he’s damn good.  Micol Scott Rankin goes by the name NOVA, but he’s not a cosmic superhero rapper and wasn’t born in Northern Virgina.  He offers tons of free shit on his site and myspace pages, and it’s all worth your time.  His latest, The Atlanta Projekt, is a free download.

My only complaint about this album with wicked flow and wild lyrics is that he didn’t label the songs properly. But if you can live without knowing the song names, it’s shockingly good. For true.

Get it free here.

Here’s a song:

Never Going Back

Here’s a vid:

A-one, A-two, A-three mixtapes for your earhole today . . .

First, B.o.B., ’cause it’s the best of the lot. Some of this is stuff Bobby Ray has released before (a full version of his certified mixtape hit, “The Biz) but some is new.  The imaginative title (May 25) refers to the date of his thrice-delayed full debut album release, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. B.o.B. is playful as always, like a very good version of Asher Roth (or I should say Roth is like a very lame version of B.o.B.), skilled as Big Boi, and with gust spots from J. Cole, mixing by DJs Drama and Sense, and plenty of great rhymes.

Taste The Biz

or just score the whole thing: Link.

Next, Joell Ortiz, whose track record is pretty uneven.

I was pretty disappointed in Slaughterhouse, a 2009 release that featured two great underground rappers who have been dicked over by the majors, but I still say that Joe Buddens’ Mood Music Mixtapes 1 and 2 and Joell Ortiz’s Bodega are some of the best street rap ever made.  Period.

The beats on this mixtape are fly, and Ortiz does a much better job here.  A little too must guest spots and R&B, not enough Joell, but still a solid release.

01 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Defying The Predictable
02 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Ghetto Pt. 1
03 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Motherland (Feat. Spree Wilson)
04 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Hip Hop (Remix) (Feat. Jadakiss & Saigon)
05 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Stressful (Feat. Cri$tyle Aka The Ink)
06 Joell Ortiz & Novel – All The Right Moves (Feat. One Republic)
07 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Hit Em With The Shottie
08 Joell Ortiz & Novel – I Can Be President
09 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Here The Next
10 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Ghetto Pt. 2
11 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Fighters (Freestyle)
12 Joell Ortiz & Novel – So Much More (Feat. Papoose)
13 Joell Ortiz & Novel – We Aint Trippin
14 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Stand Up
15 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Like I Know
16 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Duffle Bag Boy (Freestyle) (Feat. Short Dawg)
17 Joell Ortiz & Novel – Raindrops (Feat. Slaughterhouse)

Link 1.  Link 2.

BONUS!  NEW BUN-B AND TAPEMASTERS INC.!

A lot of the songs here were on his “No Mixtape” release, but there’s a few new ones, too.  And any Bun is good Bun, right?

Link.

BUN-B!  You have to know who Bun is, right?  You have to.  Best flow in the biz these days, now that Hova fell off.

LINK

FREE AND LEGAL BUCKSHOT REMIXES!

I’ve also written a lot about Buckshot and Boot Camp Click over the years.  I forgive you if you don’t know him, but I’m telling you now: Duck Down records is probably the most consistently great underground label out there.  Nothing but grimey hardcore.  Last year’s team up of Survival Skills brought Buckshot together with Mr. Stop The Violence himself, KRS-One, and now mixtape legends Mick Boogie & NVME have remixed Buck’s Duck Down catalog, digging all the way deep to the fantastic Black Moon work, with new artists like Tanya Morgan, The Kid Daytona, Sha Stimuli, and others.  Almost every track is fantastic.

It’s free and legal and you can get it here!

1. Hate Me
2. Irregular Heartbeat Intro
3. R.I.P.
4. Money On Me
5. Mex
6. Russian Roulette
7. No Competition
8. No Comment
9. The Cypher
10. We Outta Here
11. Anti
12. World Keeps Spinnin
13. Forgive Me
14. State Of You
15. Good Enough
16. Freight Train
17. Connect 4 Feat Young Chris
18. Tito Santana
19. Never Again
20. Warriors
21. In My Sleep
22. Blood On The Wall
23. 5th Gea

LINK

I’ve posted Budden a buncha times here, and none of you fools ever drop a comment of appreciation.  You don’t know hip hop if you don’t know Joey.

Lotsa folks love the Drake.  Me, not love.  But he’s cool.  Ludacris on the other hand is the real shit.  Haven’t listened to this one yet, but it’s Luda.  How bad can it be?

Ludacris link.

Heartbreak Drake 4

Leeched link, boyyyy!