Singles, Albums, EPs, Mixtapes, and Videos that get the HHD thumbs up.
3913 has a sound that is reminiscent of De La Soul all the way from the rhymes to the rhythms and that is a good thing. The content of the lyricism involves the struggles most of us face…how to get the money we need to buy the things we want. But from the standpoint of the artist, how do you get paid making the music you like?
The group has an EP dropping soon entitled, One Way Ticket.
Here are my Top 5 Mixtapes from 2012. Click the pics to be taken to the appropriate download links.
If war came in your headphones, this is what it would sound like. Spit Gemz is the quintessential street poet of our generation. This man combines the highest level of intelligence and wordplay making this the best street album/mixtape this year.
Red Eye definitely has an argument for the best mixtape of 2012. This mixtape is tough. Really tough. The beats are big and the rhymes are raw. There are also tons of dope guest shots on this project as well. Lots of replay value on this joint.
Juan Deuce’s first project, No Sweat, is a winner. Juan Deuce is an artist all unto himself and can not be duplicated. This project is absolutely unique. And ‘unique’ in this instance means…fresh.
DMP offers the most traditional of mixtapes in this year’s awards. Lots of short but dope cuts on this project from a group of Virginia emcees back by Nottz behind the boards. Good music to saturate your eardrums in.
Do you want a mixtape to bang and knock in the whip? Our Sandpeople brethren brought you some ill music in 2012 and perhaps none more sick than OnlyOne’s Cult Classic.
This was a tough category. There were so many dope, short projects that were offered up this year that it was really hard to narrow it down to my favorites. I just kept the one ruling principle in mind as to who made the dopes music. With that being kept in mind there were some dope artists left off…most notably The Brown Bag AllStars. That crew put out a ton of dope EPs this year and surely some of them would have made a Top 10, just not the Top 5. I simply couldn’t let got of these joints.
The 17th gave us ‘FREE Music’ but not only that, he gave us some remarkable music. This EP is close to flawless as they come. You get eight tracks jam packed with flavor, great concept, flows, production, and delivery. Another remarkable aspect is that much of the EP is his from beginning to end. He of course is the lead emcee, but also the producer for the bulk of the tracks as well.
Serge Severe and Terminilllinked up for a superlative effort on Service Without A Smile. The two really played off of each other’s strengths and this proved to be one of the illest producer/emcee combos of 2012.
Speaking of ill producer/emcee combos, how about this one? Swiss-American hip-hop group, Nefew, Virginia emcee Shakes, and super producer Nottz link up for for this five track EP. You can’t go wrong with this joint!
MayDay has a sound all unto themselves. They have have great production to back them up on Thrift Store Halos and their melodies, rhymes, and guest shots throughout make this one a clear winner for 2012.
The Narcicyst comes back in 2012 with a lyrical fury from Dubai. Ok, a lyrical fury may be a bit extreme but his world observations set to rhythm set him apart from the pack this year.
A new joint from Son-Ray featuring label mates Livin Proof and Broadway Barrett. It’s dope all the way around. I love what Loyalty Digital has been doing to change the game. They continue to be a force heading in to 2013.
The homie Godilla put me on to some good tunes. This track is from DJ Tray’s yet to be released EP, entitled Building With The Godz. The track is mellow yet with a bit of grime intertwined. I mean it has to be grimy with the likes of Born Unique and Blacastan on the cut. Check it…
It’s the last Friday of the month (and year for that matter) and therefor it’s also the last Friday Feature for Peet Caliber . But we are going to end this one with a bang! Caliber brings in some heavy hitters in the form of Big Lou, Bori Puro, and PH (Pumpkinhead). It’s a banger done in true East Coast fashion! Make sure you check out all of Peet Caliber’s work. The man has a vast amount of talent and with the right breaks his name will start ringing bells in every household. This particular song can be found on his most recent album…SteakNEggz3
Can I be honest? Ok. Let me be. I turned a snippet of that last Peter Leo song, Today Is Not Your Day, into my ringtone. I couldn’t help it. That’s the jam. This one is a little more smooth and a little more playful but still dope and really shows Leo’s diversity. Enjoy…
New music from the combination of Donnie Darko and DJ Bless is always a welcome thing. A really great combo and have been for years. This particular track combines soul and angst as Darko once again must contend with the doubters and those who think he’s not good enough. He does all of this over a track that DJ Bless makes cry…dope…
Short but really dope cut from Journalist 103’s latest album, Reporting Live. It’s a really dope listen so make sure you pick that up with all those gift cards I know you copped on Christmas!
This my friends could have been the soundtrack for the end of the world. This doomsday production comes to us courtesy of Wildchild. Enjoy…
