Hot Artists I Learned About Through Mixtapes

Confession:  I've been hoarding mixtapes.  I download them and whenever I'm looking for new music, I burn them to CD and listen on my way to work.  The last six months have introduced me to some cool artists:


Cyhi the Prynce 

I first heard him on the song "So Apalled" on Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  I didn't know who he was then and I was too lazy to go through Yeezy's liner notes so I just continued to look forward to his verse everytime I played the song because the wordplay in his verse was better than Kanye's, Jay-Z's, and the other guy's.

Sometime later, I downloaded Cyhi's Royal Flush 2 Mixtape - only because I knew he was a G.O.O.D. Music artist - and I couldn't stop playing it.  Eventually, I let the other CD's in my changer get another chance.  

One day, as I listened to "So Appalled" again, the last verse came on and I said, "I've heard him on something else before." There was a familiar raspiness about it that I liked and then it hit me -- it was Cyhi!  DUH!  So I was a fan before I ever even knew I was a fan.

A$AP Rocky
Who is this guy who calls himself a "pretty MF" and where did he come from?  I had heard his name mentioned before but, being stubborn, I was hesitant to give "new" hip-hop a chance.  
I saw his mixtape and the fact that he was blowing smoke on the cover and figured he might be like Wiz Khalifa or Chevy Woods.  I downloaded it and hoped for Chevy.  I got neither.
This guy was the bomb -- I loved the beats. I loved his lyrics.  He even perfected his Bone Thugs N Harmony flow which took me back to high school and all the rap music I love (and miss).  This wasn't your basic pop sound that a lot of today's rap music brings to the table.  It's got that 90's feel to it that I like.

Meek Mill

It took a few plays of Jadakiss' Consignment mixtape before I would give "By the Bar" a listen (long story).  Eventually I did because I thought listening to a beat that Young Joc produced would probably teach me something.  I listened to the first verse and I had to rewind it because of how SWEET it was.  Then I had to ask, "Who is this guy?"  I found out it was Meek Mill, the guy everybody was making a fuss over -- and I see why.

I liked his lyrical wordplay and the sound of his voice.  I think I liked the beat even more because of the way he rapped on it.  I repeated the song so I could pick out the different details of Joc's work and, as always, it was simple and hot.  I've never been able to make the pop/club beats so I respect him for that.

One night I was listening to a Rick Ross mixtape that I liked and my favorite song from the album, "The World is Ours" came on.  I let it play and I had the same experience I did with Cyhi.  The last verse came on, I started rapping along, and it hit me, "I've heard him on something else before.  I checked the track information and said, "OMG it's Meek Mill!  DUH!"  Once again, I was a fan before I even knew it.

I like Rick Ross and Wale but, being narrow-minded, I had placed Meek Mill into that category of "that new rap" I wouldn't listen to.  That was a huge mistake on my part.

I'm keeping my eyes open for artists who are working hard to promote themselves and I'm keeping my ears open for new music.  I can't play 90's rap all night in the club right?  A little bird named Tyrone Bradley once told me that real Dj's break records.  That's what I'm going to do.