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During a discussion with someone whose opinion on music I generally hold in high regard, the question was raised of whether or not the mixtape is a worthwhile endeavor for rappers in 2010. Some ten to fifteen years ago, mixtapes were a fundamental part of hip hop. Whether as a launchpad for unknown emcees to gain recognition from mainstream beats, an act of insubordination against labels holding an artist's album hostage, or as an excuse for projects that wouldn't otherwise work within the confines of a traditional album, from the early 90's through the first half of this past decade the mixtape format was responsible for many of the genre's best efforts.
The end of the era seemed to come some time around 2005, when mainstream outlets like Pitchfork picked up on the trend with coverage of the Clipse's We Got It For Cheap Vol. 2 and the major labels began using mixtapes as an avenue for astroturfed marketing campaigns (the two most succesful examples of this being Drake and the various Black Album tapes). That, combined with the explosion of bedroom emcees spurred on by the increasingly diminished cost of entry into music production, led to the scene being flooded with half-assed releases that did more to limit the growth of hip hop than it ever did to expand its borders, and the phrase "mixtape rapper" became a slur levied against everyone from aspiring rappers to once promising emcees who failed to reach their [commercial] potential.
The thing about mixtapes, though, is that there will always be something profoundly enjoyable (to me, anyway) about hearing a new take on a familiar beat. When it's done by an emcee who is gifted enough to rap circles around the original artist, it should, I hope, be enough to restore everyone's faith in what mixtapes can achieve, if only on occasion. Such is the case with Alex Ludovico's latest release, in which he goes in on souljahboytellemdotcom's All The Way Turnt Up:
Alex Ludovico - All The Way Turned On (Pause) (right-click to d/l)
Here's one more cut from the mixtape, a beat jacking of Kanye's So Appalled:
Alex Ludovico - Apalled At My Balls (right-click to d/l)
Ludo's new mixtape, Heat Prey Love, is a collaborative effort with Encore Status and DJ H Blendz. You can read more about it, and find a link to download the whole mixtape for free, over here.
10/26/2010 5:45:50 PM posted by Fresh