SuppliedMixtapes are crucial for the artists who make them to maintain the visibility and credibility needed to survive in a genre as crowded as hip-hop. For fans, mixtapes satiate the periodic need for hot, new hits while the artist is holed up working on a major label effort. These, usually free (unless you’re Drake), collections of music are taken very seriously in the community — see the recent Young Thug, Metro Boomin twitter tiff — as they are ways of telling both fans and peers alike whose music is pure fire and who is most deserving of a spot on our iTunes playlists.
Today, we’re pitting three of the hottest new mixtapes in hip-hop against one another. Lean will likely be spilt in this battle to the death.
CHIEF KEEF
FINALLY ROLLIN 2
City: Chicago
Age: 20
Style: Drill experimenteur
Mixtape Legend Status: 8/10 Gucci’s
Biggest Banger: “Don’t Like”
In His Corner: Young Chop, DP Beats, Kanye West
Chief Keef brings Chi-town south to ATL for Finally Rollin 2, his whopping 5th release of the year. Chief Sosa raps over tracks by a few of Atlanta’s biggest beat makers — Zaytoven, TM88 and Sonny Digital — and even lends his own bars to versions of new and old Atlanta rap staples, from Drake and Future’s “Where Ya At” and Lil Wayne’s “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” (or for Keef, “My Mama”) to other cuts from the likes of Gucci Mane, Jeezy and Rae Sremmurd.
Some might see this tape as a way for Keef to simply capitalize on Atlanta-based rap’s recent return to popularity but if his history tells us anything, the young work-a-holic doesn’t operate that way; his infamous IDGAF-about-you attitude ensures that the only person Chief Keef is worried about pleasing is Chief Keef. This sentiment results in some of Finally Rollin 2’s best lines, where Keef raps plainly about whatever happens to be on his mind at that particular moment — like where he will go if he’s hungry for instance: “I’m a Chiraq warrior, and I’m balling like I’m Curry / If you looking for Chief Sosa, Im where? Eating curry.” While Keef’s rambling flows may feel out of place over some of the ATL-tinged tracks, when he does lock in, as he does on songs like hard-hitter “Law and Order” or the auto-tune drenched “Foes,” the results make you wonder why Keef doesn’t pack up and move his Chicago Glo Gang down to Georgia.
ILOVEMAKONNEN
ILOVEMAKONNEN 2
City: Atlanta
Age: 26
Style: Based trap crooner
Mixtape Legend Status: 3.5/10 Gucci’s
Biggest Banger: “I Don’t Sell Molly No More”
In His Corner: Sonny Digital, Father, Drake
ILOVEMAKONNEN 2 is the long awaited follow up to 2014’s star making EP and is the first release from the internet-inspired trap crooner since Drink More Water 5 came out earlier this year. This tape comes with lofty expectations, but what would you expect from a man whose debut single was worthy of a Drake co-sign? The highlight of this mixtape is the glossy and meticulously refined production. DJ Mustard’s effort, “Second Chance,” leans heavily towards EDM radio friendliness to unexpectedly awesome results and Danny Wolf’s “Trust Me Danny” creates a playful and wacky synth soundscape that could only suit Makonnen’s unorthodox howls.
While the “Huagh!” vocal grunt works as an amusing schtick on the more classically trap leaning “Where Your Girl At”, its in your face (pun intended) chorus represents a low point on the record. While Makonnen’s unique voice and take on ATL rap is undeniably fun, not a lot feels new for this relative newcomer as you come to the end of the track list. Most listeners will likely find themselves going up to “Tuesday” rather than anything on this release.
YOUNG THUG
SLIME SEASON 2
City: Atlanta
Age: 24
Style: Incomprehensible unpredictable genius
Mixtape Legend Status: 6.5/10 Gucci’s
Biggest Banger: “Lifestyle”
In His Corner: Birdman, Rich Homie Quan, London on da Track
Even with two other album-length tapes released over the last seven months, there is no telling what you’ll get when you press play on a new Young Thug release. With Slime Season 2, Thug once again proves that no one is doing what he is in the game right now.
For Thugger Thugger, this fact only seems to increase his confidence and willingness to push boundaries. From his pseudo-scientific experimentation with song structures and vocal melodies that his peers wouldn’t dare touch with a 10 foot pole, to his tongue-out, button-pushing of some of rap’s most infamous names, the man otherwise known as Jeffery Williams works as a master in controlled chaos. SS2 develops a more cohesive and listenable sound than previous releases, where the foggy, warbling and cold production is carried to new heights by Thug’s ability to find melodies where there shouldn’t be any. He floats effortlessly above a dreamy Treasury Fingers production on “Raw (Might Just)” in a way you just couldn’t picture any other active rapper doing.
Lyrically, when you can actually grasp what he is saying, Thug delivers an eclectic mix of unexpected sentiment, “She had the same exact face as my brother’s nurse / And he in a hearse / I never looked at it for what it’s worth,” left-field metaphors, “I look good as your dad on a Friday” and wonderfully illogical punch lines, “You can have my son, no Phoenix.” On Slime Season 2, Young Thug manages to reinforce what we already know — that when it comes to rap’s most though-provoking figure, you have to expect the entirely unexpected.
VERDICT
With this mixtape throw down in the books it is now time to turn to the judge’s score cards. By unanimous decision, the winner is… Young Thug, Slime Season 2!
Examining the results, the fight came down to the wire between SS2 and Chief Keef’s Finally Rollin 2, with Thug earning a few deciding points over the younger but more seasoned mixtape maestro for his unparalleled creativity, memorable lyrics, and the mixtape’s replay value. While Almighty Sosa brought more energy and delivered a higher number of certified bangers, the reliance on re-purposed beats and fact that Keef’s Chicago drill flows didn’t fully mesh with the underlying Atlanta-based productions, led to Thug claiming victory. Makonnen’s ILOVEMAKONNEN 2 was able to hold its own in the ring against two mixtape heavy weights but unfortunately could not rely solely on an excellent production to carry him over his competitors.
The title in this match may have been claimed but if we can be sure of anything with these three artists, it’s that they’ll be wasting no time prepping hot, new material to jump back into the ring wit
