All Things Go Hip-Hop Mixtape

Note: The Borat contest is still going on, and it's ridiculously easy. Just leave your favorite Washington Wizard or Redskin in the comment along with your name and email. Please don't make me beg. It's been a while since I've posted a mixtape, but I've been working on perfecting the All Things Go Hip-Hop Mixtape for about a month-and-a-half. This mixtape blends more mainstream acts (Outkast, Jay-Z, Ludacris, T.I.) with lesser known artists (The Coup, Dizzee Rascal), and while it may feature more well known artists, it's still a refreshing mixtape full of tracks you might not have heard before. I do love hip-hop even though I write for a pretentious indie music blog. So here is the All Things Go Hip-Hop Mixtape. You can download the .zip file below or download each song separately. All Things Go Hip-Hop Mixtape (.zip) [follow link] 1. Outkast ft. Sleepy Brown - Morris Brown This song, off of the Idlewild soundtrack, may be all over the radio, but that doesn't mean I can't love it. I have a soft spot for songs that feature marching bands, especially ridiculous drumline-style marching bands like the one featured here. "Morris Brown" also allows one of my favorites, Sleepy Brown, to demonstrate his soothingly smooth verbal skills. 2. Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp Grime at it's finest, Dizzee Rascal is pretty much the king of the up-and-coming British rap scene. Not only do I love badass people with British accents, but I also love fairly simple rap beats that don't get old. The simple drum pattern in this song has very little variation, but somehow doesn't come off as monotonous. 3. The High & Mighty ft. Mos Def & Skillz - B-Boy Document This song is for all the lovers of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 who remember all the songs on the soundtrack (probably because they played the game WAY too much). This song goes in many different directions, with a layered beat and numerous different rappers contributing a verse each. If you recognize the chorus, it's because Will Smith copied it for Willenium. Now that I'm writing this, I feel very stupid for not putting any Will Smith on this mixtape. 4. Clipse - Ma, I Don't Love Her I know what critics will say; that Clipse is not only mainstream, but also lacking in substance and original style. The twosome from Virginia Beach (what?) are obviously smart because anyone that hires Pharell and the Neptunes to produce their work is guarunteed to be sucessful. If you listen to the lyrics, you're probably jealous that Clipse can have sex with other girls and be smooth enough to keep his main-squeeze from leaving him. The beat is so fun and infectious, it's hard not to feel good. 5. Aesop Rock ft. Del Tha Funky Homosapien - Preservation I thought I'd fit two of my favorite hip-hop artists here in one song. Aesop is a great producer and lyricist in the vein of Atmosphere. Del, formerly from hip-hop supergroup Hieroglyphics, is most famous for his work with Gorillaz but here he truly demonstrates his lyrical talents. The piano loop in this song is so simple yet works nicely as a backdrop for these two talented musicians to showcase their first-class ability. 6. Jurassic 5 - Jurassic Finish First Let me start by saying that I love literally everything Jurassic 5 has ever done (up until that collabo with Dave Mathews on their newest album, Feedback). "Jurassic Finish First" was hard to choose because J5 is one of those groups that releases albums I can listen to from start to finish and love everything in between. I chose this song because it's a good introduction to J5: ridiculous Cut Chemist beats; back-and-forth vocals from Chali 2na, Soup, and Marc 7; and a fun-loving, positive nature. 7. The Coup ft. Black Thought and Talib Kweli - My Favorite Mutiny This song sounds like a call for revolution (or mutiny?), what with the epic, slowly building beat. Black Thought (vocalist for The Roots) lays down the best verse here, but Talib and The Coup are no slouches, each contributing fast-paced, politically-charged verses. Any rapper that says "I'm off the chain like Kunta Kinte with a Mack10" is alright by me. 8. Talib Kweli - Listen More Talib, this time from his newest release, Ear Drum, which will be the first album released on Talib's own label, Blacksmith Music. Just like the song says, Talib "spits rounds like a 9mm". This beat is fast-paced and bouncy, and features Talib's signature socially relevant lyrics. 9. Kanye West ft. Consequence & Cam'ron - Gone Kanye, the king of sampling, borrows Otis Reddings soulful voice here on "Gone", with positive results. Cam'ron's verse may be horrible ("you ever heard of the dealer, well here's the deal ma we goin' to the dealer"), but this track was my favorite on Late Registration because of an infectious beat and bouncy vibe. 10. Murphy Lee - Wat Da Hook Gon Be I love Murphy Lee. 11. Blackstar - Definition Blackstar (AKA Talib Kweli & Mos Def) was one of the most formidable hip-hop duo's in history, and this song is the highlight of their incredible album. My brother introduced me to this song 3 years ago, and I've been listening to it religiously ever since. 12. The Roots - Don't Feel Right The Roots put on probably the best live show I've ever been to a few years ago on New Year's Day in DC. This song, off of their latest effort, Game Theory, is a good introduction to a group with a unique feel and staying power. 13. Dangerdoom ft. Cee-Lo - Benzie Box DJ Danger Mouse and MF Doom are Dangerdoom, and Cee-Lo jumps in on this track to provide his typical smooth vocals. MF Doom has a very one-dimensional style, but it works well here as well as throughout the whole album, The Mouse and the Mask. 14. Blackalicious - Deception Every time Blackalicious releases an album, hip-hop critics expect it to catapult them into the upper echelon of artists, and every time they seem to dissapoint, through no fault of their own. They may be over-hyped, but with songs like "Deception", it's easy to see why some people get excited about these guys. 15. Ludacris ft. Sleepy Brown - Blueberry Yum Yum I know I'll be criticized for this pick, as many people write off Ludacris as mainstream, uncomplicated garbage but I have a soft spot for Luda. He loves his weed, women, and most of all, he loves life. I love him because he can make fun of himself and because he doesn't pretend to be something he's not (*cough* Lloyd Banks/G-Unit/Jeezy/Houston rap scene *cough*). 16. Lupe Fiasco ft. Jill Scott - Daydreamin' Lupe is taking over with his debut album, Food & Liquor. While "Kick Push" is the first single and his verse in Kanye's "Touch the Sky" was his big break, this song is his most polished and finest work. 17. Wu-Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off) What can I say about Wu-Tang that hasn't already been said? Just listen. 18. Lil' Wayne - Shooter I can't resist putting Weezy on this mix. "Shooter" is quite possibly the sexiest hip-hop song in the past few years. From the sensual bassline to the chopped up vocals, this song has quickly risen to the top of my most played songs on itunes. This is also the song of choice for power hours, and for (obviously) taking some shots. 19. Jay-Z ft. Chrissette Michelle - Lost Ones I already mentioned how much I love pianos, and this song coincidentally prominently features them as the melody that holds this whole track together. Jay-Z is much more relaxed and reflective on this track off of his newest release, Kingdom Come. This may be another mainstream rapper on the mixtape, but I figured I'd give you guys a taste of the new album (since "Show Me What You Got" sucks so much). 20. T.I. - What You Know I love this song for so many reasons, but mainly because of the blaring, badass synth line and epic beat. T.I. may be a little too serious sometimes for my tastes, but this song is just too monumental to leave off and perfectly ends the mixtape. So there's the All Things Go Hip-Hop Mixtape. Let me know what you think of the choices in the comments (songs I forgot/bad choices/etc...). Thanks for checking it out, and enjoy some quality hip-hop. -Zack