2009: The Year (in Mixtapes) In Review

And so the debate shall begin. The calendar year 2009 brought us a relative Smörgåsbord of material from which to choose. Some say creating a 'powerful' mixtape is a lost art. Personally, I prefer ones around a central theme, and usually by a single artist. Mixtapes come as a mixed bag: sometimes good, often overstuffed, and, rarely, as good as an album. Sadly, sometimes even the ones that are as good as an album aren’t very good to begin with. However, this year came with a breath of fresh air. Artists changing their styles, and new artists revolutionizing and creating their own lanes. From The Cool Kids, to Young Dro. Lil Wayne to Lupe Fiasco. There was a ride array to sift through, choose from, and fall in love with.. And without further ado..

10. B.O.B. - BOB VS Bobby Ray

B.O.B, Bob, Or Bobby Ray, whichever you prefer to call him, is a fresh new talent from the Grand Hustle camp. Bursting onto the underground scene in late 2008 with his now-famed collabo with T.I. "I'm Dat Nigga", his latest mixtape shows full-well what most of the South knew all along: He was no one-trick pony. Coupling witty, raw-lyricism with comedic harmonies, he creates an atmosphere with his record. Whether you're a hardcore follower, or a casual listener in need of an introduction B.O.B. VS Bobby Ray presents a well rounded mix of rapping and singing. He even went so far as to produce the bulk of the project. Now that's talent.

Highlight Tracks:
I'm Dat Nigga
Put Me On
Mr. Bobby
Goodnite



9. Young Dro - "R.I.P. - I Killed That Shit"


You either love him, or you hate him. There is no middle-ground with Atlanta rapper Young Dro. The self-proclaimed "Polo King" took a solo stint from Yung L.A. {Thank God..) to drop this solo effort. One thing can't be denied: the man DOES have lyrical skill and can create witty choruses with the best of them. Tracks like "On Fire" offer a glimpse into what he can actually do, when not covering another artist's song. (Which he does quite well). Though it's not up to par with his best effort (I Am Legend), this provides a well put together mixtape, which is hard to come by nowadays.

Highlight Tracks:
On Fire
Ric Flair
D.O.A.
Loco Wit Da Cake
I'm Fresh



8. Kidz In The Hall - "Gone Fishing"


The Cool Kids, in short, are wonderful. (Lol.. No homo.) The Chicago-based duo brings together different eras and styles into one refreshingly new package. The Cool Kids recipe consists of a number of recognizable flavors: an old school fun-loving sensibility and "chill" mode, reliance on spare booming-bass beats, an affinity for alternative fashion and culture, and a slow and steady rhyme style. On this EP, they partnered with DJ Don Cannon to bring us something new from the windy city. Beginning to end, each track is well produced. We even have a surprise cameo with Ludacris and Bun B hopping on the "Pennies" Remix, and utterly destroying it. In an industry where "cool" and "hip" are fleeting adjectives, and staying-power is based on the machine backing you, rather than your skill, ut became apparent with the release of this mixtape: The Cool Kids are here to stay.

Highlight Tracks:
Pennies RMX
Champions
Hammer Bros.
Gold Links
Broadcasting Live


7. Lupe Fiasco - "Enemy Of The State: A True Love Story"


The skateboarding hipster from Chicago jumps into the mixtape game, and makes an amazing splash in 2009. On Thanksgiving Day, Lupe Fiasco brought us "Enemy of the State: A Love Story" and effectively cemented one of the top mixtapes of the past few years, let alone just this one. The EP was presented as a 22-minute long continuous track, focusing heavily on lyricism. He spits over the big tracks at the time, (i.e. Turnt Up) just as Lil Wayne did on his "NO Ceilings" EP, however the difference was Lupe actually turned each song into something conscious, as opposed to something random. "Enemy Of The State" was conceptualized better than most albums that came out this year. Pow.

Highlight Tracks:
Turnt Up
Yoga Flame
The One
Say Something
Popular Demand


6. Mike Posner & The Brain Trust - "A Matter Of Time"


Mike Posner released “A Matter Of Time” in March of ‘09 alongside mixtape producer Don Cannon and Dj Benzi. The mixtape served as Posner’s introduction to the world, which in turn introduced him to a record deal with J Records. Mike Posner not only sings and writes with talent, but he also produced every track but 1 on the mixtape along with his tour band “The Brain Trust.” Posner’s vocals are unique with a rasp that stands out on the futuristic pop backgrounds. The mixtape isn’t heavy on the guest appearances, but Posner does feature “Good Music’s” newly signed artist Big Sean on 3 of the predominate tracks. “A Matter Of Time” is one of the most complete and well-finished projects from 2009. It served as a genesis milestone in Mike Posner’s career, which looks to be very favorable.

Highlight Tracks:
Drug Dealer Girl
Cooler Than Me
Smoke & Drive
Hey Cupid
Still Not Over You
Halo

5. Lil Wayne - "No Ceilings"


Blasphemy, right?? Not exactly. No Ceilings was, of course, a massive success, just as virtually all Lil Wayne mixtapes are. The mixtape features the drug intoxicated Weezy rapping over well-known instrumentals both new and old, as well as some “smoke breaks” with some words of wisdom from Weezy. Although Wayne at times seems to bounce around from topic to topic and never really sticking to one idea, sort of like listening to someone with ADD. The rambling and unimportant skits do take away from the mixtapes completion. Lil Wayne AKA “The Mixtape Weezy” makes his style of rapping seem so effortless, while at the same time making us wish that he had been featured on the original versions of these songs. JUst, in comparison to the breadth of work released this year, and with his former mixtapes, it doesn't peak at #1. He does have stiff competition, after all.

Highlight Tracks:
Swag Surfin'
Wasted
Ice Cream Paint Job
Single
Sweet Dreams


4. Wiz Khalifa - "Burn After Rolling"


The head honcho of the Taylor Gang crushed this one. Quite frankly, Wiz Khalifa is extremely underrated when it comes to the mixtape game. Flying under the radar with his previous releases (Prince Of The City 1 & 2, Flight School, Star Power, How Fly), Burn After Rolling showcases more of Khalifa Man's creative lyrics splattered over amazing production. From the intro, "B.A.R.", Khalifa delivers a relatively packed list of standout tracks; A far cry from the normalcy of mixtapes nowadays. The only question now is whether or not sales can reflect the hardcore following which he has garnered over his short, but productive career. But if the sales don't, he'll always have an amazing mixtape to fall back on.

Highlight Tracks:
B.A.R.
Take Yo Bitch
Ode To Naked Pop Stars
On The Pill
Young Khalifa



3. Trey Songz - "Anticipation"


Songz is one of, if not THE, only R & B artists with enough talent and authenticity to release a mixtape, that would actually get recognition as a viable contender for "Mixtape Of The Year" (though it won't win the award, of course) Since 2007, Trey Songz has inundated the mixtape market with a plethora of material. You could liken it to the two year run Weezy had, starting with his dedication mixtapes. You could make a case for this as his best work. On the heels of the impending release of his album "Ready", song dropped "Anticipation" . One word: Classic. From top to bottom, intro to outro, the EP has something for everyone. Songz also takes time to show he has somewhat of a respectable lyrical skill. Wit, penetrating covals, and bar none production make this project a virtual masterpiece. Respect.

Highlight Tracks:
Famous
Scratchin Me Up
Yo Side Of The Bed
On Top
She Ain't My Gurl



J. Cole - "The Warm Up"


Being a relative newcomer, not much had been heard about J. Cole other than being the first artist signed to Jay Z's Roc Nation. Well after listening to this mixtape, any buzz created hereafter is well worth it. Not being as hyped as some of his other light-skinned brothers with millions of co-signs, Cole proved sometimes it's less about who you know, than what you can do. (Thoughts which have been lost in recent years.) "The Warm Up" quietly turned into arguably the year's best mixtape. His delivery is technically sound, and the lyrical content provide refreshing relief from the diamond-encrusted verses about "bitches" and "hoes" that dominate the airwaves and most of the mixtape circuit. What may be even more impressive is that Cole produced the majority of the project himself. He's been on record saying the recordings for his debut album, make "The Warm Up" sound wack. For that reason alone, he already has one of the most anticipated albums of 2010.

Highlight Tracks:
Grown Simba
Lights Please
I Get Up
Knock Knock
Heartache


1. Drake - "So Far Gone"


Surprising? Maybe not. Deserved? Yes. There's probably been plenty of back and forth about whether Drake actually had the best mixtape of the year. Look no further than his two grammy nominations. Yes, GRAMMY nominations. The thought that Drake could feasibly win two grammy's from a mixtape song is unfathomable. "So Far Gone" has been in heavy rotation, since it's February release and re-release 7 months later, as an album. The deciding factor is this: So Far Gone set a standard which other mixtapes have to follow from now on. He put together a complete product good enough to be released commercially. This is a precedent that's going to have to be matched should anyone want to top this EP in the following years. Freestyles aren't enough anymore. You can thank Drake for that.

Highlight Tracks:
Houstatlantavegas
Lust For Life
Successful
Best I Ever Had
November 18th