Benz and a Backpack

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2009 was defined by the mixtape. Drake landed atop the charts with singles off his mixtape So Far Gone (‘dropped the mixtape that shit sounded like an album’), but really Drake is the product of deeper changes that have taken place in the music industry over recent years. Now it is becoming more and more viable to release free material and keep tabs on what demographic likes it rather than strive for certain sales benchmarks. That way, you can do what Wale and Wiz Khalifa each attempted this year, and what J. Cole and Mike Posner are on the cusp of doing:
1. Put out mixtapes to garner and sustain buzz about you, as well as allow you to identify your share of the market, and then
2. Drop a studio album that, while it pleases your core fans, at the same time it appeals to a broader listenership, which in turn increases your sales revenue.

It’s delayed gratification at its finest, and it pushes collaborations to a new level. Wale got practically everyone and their second cousins down on his album; Drake’s been doing collabs left and right with various people in different niches of the industry; Cole is getting up with the other young guns (and, more recently, some not so young guns) to secure his footing in the game. Hit the skip for our Top 10 Mixtapes Of 2009, judged on the criteria of creativity, success, and impact. If you haven’t found a way to get your hands on these yet, leave a comment and we’ll see what we can do…

Honorable Mention:
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Wiz Khalifa – Burn After Rolling
The boy Wiz dropped three mixtapes and a studio album this year, so it’s ample to say the kid’s on his grind. Burn After Rolling had a few smash hits (B.A.R., The Thrill, All My Life, Gettin’ Up, Ode To Naked Pop Stars) and included Wiz spittin over his own as well as others’ beats.
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Sean Price – Kimbo Price Sean Price – Kimbo Price: The Prelude to MicTyson
Kimbo Price had a handful of gems (TKO, Street Shit, Suicide Doors, Mama I Want To Sing, Mega Sean) and proved once again that P! is the best on the planet at coming up with album names.
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10. Mike Posner and The Brain Trust – A Matter Of Time
Upon graduating from Duke University this coming June, Posner will catapult into his post-academic career with- at the very least- two mixtapes under his belt. A Matter Of Time featured Posner’s biggest hits to date (Drug Dealer Girl and Smoke and Drive) and most likely led to his record deal with J Records and management deal with Elitaste’s Daniel Weisman (who manages Wale). Get to know Posner now on your own terms, because it’s only a matter of time before you’ll hear him at every twist and turn of your radio knob.
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9. Dom Kennedy – FutureStree/DrugSounds
Featuring production from Chuck Inglish (of the Cool Kids), Dom Kennedy’s March release showcases what’s really good in SoCal right now. Comprised of down-tempo, hard-hitting drums and very slow-moving samples, Dom spits with a confidence, clarity, and charisma that separates him from anybody else in the game right now. According to sources, Don Cannon is looking to make Dom Kennedy the first signee to his new label. Either way, there are big things to come for Dom Kennedy in the near future.
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8. Lil Wayne – No Ceilings
Wayne’s fall release featured Weezy going in for the first time since he dropped The Carter III over a selection of the hottest beats around right now. The best thing about the mixtape is the beats are re-contextualized and re-imagined (see: Break Up) despite almost all of them being taken from successful songs. We’re all hoping Wayne has a just little more genius left in his tank, because if so we know there are lots of eager fans waiting to hear it.
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7. Pac Div – Church League Champions
Pac Div recalls the golden age of West Coast rap and simultaneously foreshadows what the future of west coast hip hop should or will sound like. It’s a talent no other group or artist possesses right now, and it will prove most fruitful once they’ve dropped their first studio album (which Pharrell is rumored to be producing). This free mixtape features a few tracks that made serious ripples in the underground community (PacDiv, Mayor, Young Black Male), and combined with mainstream notoriety afforded to them by their deal with Universal Motown, PacDiv looks to make some big noise in 2010.
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6. XV – Everybody’s Nobody
When XV came on to the scene in 2009 he was relatively unknown, so when his mixtape Everybody’s Nobody came out last summer the title seemed appropriate. If you listen to the tape from start to end the title becomes even more relevant as XV clearly showcases his versatility, ensuring that everybody will find something they like. Also featuring a line-up of accomplished collaborators like Ne-Yo, Wiz Khalifa, Colin Munroe and Big Sean, XV gets his chance to show that he belongs at the top. Although on the title track he wisely acknowledges that “once you make it to the top the only place to go is down,” XV certainly shows enough promise on this tape to suggest that he has the tools to make it there and stick around. Check out SeanerMcs initial post review from June ’09.
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5. B.o.B. – B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray
‘People have the nerve to say that I’m weird / But you’re just in a box, so get your mind clear’ – B.o.B. in “Put Me On.” To some B.o.B. might seem very weird; this mixtape is dominated by the tension between B.o.B. and his alter ego Bobby Ray. And yet despite the atypical concept for the mixtape, the execution of the mixtape is nearly flawless. B.o.B. showcases his amazing versatility as a singer reminiscent of old time southern country music, a spitter whose flows bring to mind Andre 3000 and Big Boi, and a musicianship higher than almost anybody else out there. B.o.B. is a multi-instrumentalist, writes and records his own music, mixes his own albums, and all of this adds up to something incredibly unique (or ‘weird,’ depending on your mindframe). He is a musician’s musician, and B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray proves just that.
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4. Wale & 9th Wonder – Back To The Feature
After dropping one of the hottest mixtapes of 2008, Wale had a lot to live up to in 2009. With the release of Back To The Feature, Wale solidified the buzz leading up to his first studio drop. Featuring heavy hitters like Black Thought, Talib Kweli, Jump-Off Joey Buddens, Joell Ortiz, and J. Cole cold spitting over 9th Wonder’s recognizable kicks and snares, the album is as aggressively innovative as a typical studio album. Wale’s flow is not easy to contend with; it’ll force you to pause-and-rewind a handful of times to catch his pop and sports culture references, but in the end it’s well worth it.
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3. Lupe Fiasco – Enemy Of The State
I heard a story recently that Lupe wanted to drop Lup.E.N.D. and retire as soon as possible; that he wanted to get outta the game early while he still had his self-respect. As the story goes, Lupe’s record deal would not permit this. Like many artists nowadays, Lupe is locked into a long-term, multi-album contract, and thus LupE.N.D. is much further off that we’ve been led to believe. Upon this realization, Lupe decided: “Fuck it. If I can’t get outta the game, I’m gonna run the game.” That was several months ago. Now Lupe, having dropped one of the most official mixtapes of the year: Enemy Of The State: A Love Story (in fact, it’s one of the only real mixtapes. It’s one track listed at nearly 23 minutes long, and it is comprised of some of the hottest, most eclectic beats around right now (he spits over Radiohead’s National Anthem, over HOV’s So Ghetto and Thank You, over Weezy’s Fireman, and much more). His wordplay is slick, way more complicated than anybody’s flow around right now, and yet it is equally accessible as it is complicated. “My spirit smells teen-ish and Chi towns feeling excellent we hit them with the President. See we set the precedent, I don’t think im best, I just think im better than.” -Popular Demand (National Anthem) If it hadn’t been for an untimely leak, we’d have the follow up mixtape called Friend Of The People. Here’s to that, and his next studio album Lasers, dropping soon.
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2. Drake – So Far Gone
“Dopped a mixtape, that shit sounded like an album.”  And he was right, because So Far Gone has the depth, variety, and quality that mixtapes tend to lack.   The mixtape was dropped back on February 13, 2009, and by the summertime “Best I Ever Had” and “Successful” were dominating the airwaves.  But So Far Gone is much more than those two songs, and features a wide range of different musical influences.  “November 18th” and “Uptown” featuring Bun B and Lil’ Wayne are odes to syrupy laced Houston tracks that deserve a decent set of car speakers to be truly appreciated.  “Lets Call It Off” featuring Peter Bjorn and “Little Bit” featuring Lykke Li are alt-pop slow jams that you would be more likely heard on a hipster blog than the radio.  On “Unstoppable” Dreezy and Weezy trade verses over a beat and chorus from indie queen Santogold.  Other highlights of the mixtape include “Brand New” featuring Lil’ Wayne and “Lust For Life.”  Besides being a quality release, So Far Gone has been a shining example of how the internet has changed the way artists cross into the limelight.

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1. J. Cole – The Warm Up
The Warm Up may not be the only reason J. Cole was the first signee to Jay-Z’s new label, but it certainly it played a big part. According to Cole, the hit track from his early 2009 release, Lights Please, was what really caught Jigga’s attention and spawned the record deal. Studded with cleanly-cut, clever gems like Grown Simba and quick-witted freestyles on Til Infinity and I Shot Ya!, The Warm Up provides an impressively complete look at Cole’s versatility as an artist, rapper, singer, producer. The best joint is a thought provoking over HOV’s Can I Live, a perfect example of how hungry, and serious, Cole really is. “Sneaking in her crib but her momma never caught us

/What they taught us men them bad bitches only want the ballas/

The starters, we hoopin now the hoes wanna guard us

/Uh-Okay, so play D…Know what I mean?” – J. Cole in Grown Simba

With 20+ tracks flush with dope original beats (produced by Cole himself), recognizable instrumentals, and an unequivocally smart flow, The Warm Up is hands down the best mixtape of the year. The self-proclaimed leader of new-school rappers, 2010 looks bright for Roc Nation’s golden boy.

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