The Best New Hip Hop Mixtapes & EPs of 2021 …(so far)

Hip Hop

With so much uncertainty in the world, music fans are in search of a simpler time. Almost nothing brings back early 2000s nostalgia like the idea of mixtapes. The distinction between albums, mixtapes and EPs seems to get blurred more and with each year that passes. Some artists claim they released a mixtape despite it being a studio LP and others will label a 15-track project an EP. Simply put, there’s not much rhyme or reason anymore.

But whether it’s just a label or artists releasing mixtapes and EPs in the traditional sense, plenty of these projects are still being delivered despite the ambiguity. HipHopDX is compiling the best of the best in an effort to help fans keep track of what drops in 2021.

This Thing Of Ours 2 – Alchemist

Murder ballads rapped by gangstas with underground notoriety; conscious raps by thinkers encrypting philosophy into Hip-Hop; and just the best spitters in the game. Alchemist’s projects have curated the most unique and talented artists. Following up This Thing of Ours, Alchemist delivers the sequel this month, a five-track EP featuring MAVI, MIKE, the Bruiser Brigade, and Vince Staples. Alchemist’s production is filled with slow Jazz horns, ominous piano keys, and subtle drum snares. He maintains an ambiance that could fit a hazy late night in Manhattan. This Thing of Ours 2 is another excellent entry in Alchemist’s already prolific catalog, and it’s among the best projects of the year. –Anthony Malone

mr.siLLyfLow – TisaKorean

TisaKorean is at a place where concern for the Billboard charts isn’t part of his creative process. Abandoning any care for mainstream success freed the Houston rapper, crafting a true mixtape stocked with jams that fuse the snap music of D4L, the cartoon insanity of Ski Mask The Slump God and forward thinking futuristic sound that us mortals can’t quite figure out yet. The utter randomness of the sample material and sounds is a throwback to snap music’s heyday, exhibiting the genre’s vitality when it’s working with modern creativity. -Matthew Ritchie

Read HipHopDX’s full mr.siLLyfLow review here.

Hey Tony – Tony Seltzer

One of New York City’s beloved underground producers, Tony Seltzer’s latest compilation project, Hey Tony, brought together some old collaborators and new faces alike for one of the year’s best mixtapes. Seltzer, who has notable collaborations with, amongst others, KEY! and Princess Nokia, wrangled an impressive lineup for Hey Tony, including Mavi, Lucki, WiFiGawd, TrippJones and more. Tony produces with one foot firmly planted in the gritty roots of New York rap. His other foot aims towards the future, taking sounds from Atlanta trap and DMV plug music and distilling them into his vigorously unique beats. -David Brake @davidaaronbrake

Pyrex Picasso – Benny The Butcher

Benny the Butcher’s pen deserves a Purple Heart. Following Plugs I Met 2 and Trust the Sopranos with 38 Spesh, Benny returns to a meditative space on Pyrex Picasso. Like most of his work, his writing is drenched with dealings in the streets expressed with the imagery of Saving Private Ryan. Pain, loss, joy and triumph are common themes in Benny’s music that’s tied together with his bottomless wisdom. The Buffalo-native writes his verses like a man that’s lived and died a thousand times. Pyrex Picasso is the latest project from the cutthroat Griselda spitter. On the opener, “Flood the Block,” Benny’s wisdom is on full display as he details how patience is virtue: “Talked it out when I could’ve paid killers to finish it.” “The Iron Curtain” sounds like it was crafted at a knighting ceremony during medieval times. While organs weep in the background, Benny details his ascension to rap fame all while dealing with obstacles and opposition. Realness is never absent when the Butcher is coming. -Anthony Malone @AnthonyJMalone3

Murder Made Me – Fredo Bang

Fredo Bang makes rapping look too easy. His effortless and confident flow holds its own across any instrumentals. Whether he’s spitting over a woodwind-backed beat such as “Gates Flow (Dangerous)” or the grimy crunk-esque trap production of “Street Team,” the Baton Rouge MC never stumbles, targeting the beat’s pocket with ease.

Murder Made Me, Bang’s latest, is one of his most complete and excellent offerings to date, flush with the soul of a blues musician and the rugged energy of a trapper. Bang’s been releasing music for over five years, but listening to Murder Made Me and his 2015 Lost Files is as disparate as night and day. Bang’s now less concerned with good but predictable trap tunes. Rather, he’s fully embraced the wave of sweeping Louisiana rap ballads, and we couldn’t be happier with his decision. -David Brake @davidaaronbrake

03 Inna Key – 03 Greedo

Even incarceration can’t stop 03 Greedo. Even while battling a hugely controversial 20-year prison bid, the Los Angeles rap titan’s craft has continued to flourish. 03 Inna Key is three-song bite-sized EP which presents the Purple Summer 03 rapper catching intoxicating melodies and harmonies across dramatic trap beats.

The tape begins with the ear-worming hook of “Airbnb,” as Greedo eases the anxieties of hidden snakes amongst friends with weed, reminiscing of what he’s accomplished in the game, despite the obstacles set in place to make him fail. From there he goes into the darker sounds of “Calendar,” crooning about the emotional traumas and loneliness of prison, before the tape closes with the more lighthearted “Liar Liar.” Though his music often conveys serious subject matter, Greedo’s music never fails to inspire. Fighting against a racist justice system and corrupt prison complex, Greedo remains undefeated. -David Brake @davidaaronbrake

It’s Remble – Remble

From the moment an artist drops a debut project, they’re typically hungry to gain their listener’s attention and hold on to it for dear life. In the realm of decreased attention spans due to the overload of music available, the toughest battle is sustaining the intrigue one’s garnered as an artist. Remble vaulted into the forefront of Hip Hop with “Touchable,” a haunting track that samples the Undertaker’s entrance theme and displays his over-enunciated threats to the fullest extent. The track and its resulting video, a cinematic masterpiece in its own right, caught fire on Twitter in the lead-up to his debut project It’s Remble.

The rest of the project capitalizes on the momentum that the Stinc Team affiliate amassed, with his staccato raps leaving their mark with each line. He introduces himself as a punchline master, on tracks like “Ask Madden,” where he dissuades curiosity about his street dealings with references to his favorite football players with outstanding creativity. There’s a breezy, conversational tone Remble employs with his bars on the project, lending itself to amusing storytelling moments with threatening overtones to the point where fans are never sure if his promises of violence are sincere. His delivery is the star, rapping with a simplicity that strips away the frills and allows you to hear his bars with amazing clarity. Every pun and punchline is appreciated to the fullest extent, allowing his personality to shine through and stick with the listener with every line. -Matthew Ritchie @mrkwrt

Bigger Than Life Or Death – EST Gee

The magnetism of creating a cultural heritage in life that’s in part larger than the myth of such legacy after death is a notion that has been echoed in rap music for decades by some of the greats; most notably The Notorious B.I.G. This intoxicating dance between ego and brushes with mortality seems to be an ongoing motif in the life of Kentucky rapper EST Gee. Emerging in 2019, his gritty street narratives of affiliation to unlawful actions permeating his environment paired with melodic Memphis-stylized production create a unique and vigorous energy in the current rap landscape. With the trap sub-genre becoming increasingly oversaturated by redundant flows, imitated production and bleak approaches to thematic elements, Bigger Than Life or Death contributes to the genre with intensity and exuberance that, at times, feel as chaotic and agitated as the life led by the artist himself.

Forging a generational balance of contemporaries and veterans such as Lil Baby, Pooh Shiesty, Future, Young Thug and CMG label boss Yo Gotti, EST Gee’s intention is clear — this is a declaration of potential and claim of Southern rap inheritance to the throne. His confidence and hardened personality glistens like the jewels flaunted on the album cover as tracks such as “5500 Degrees,” “All I Know” and “Make It Even” chronicle the callous tales of trauma, paranoia and intrinsic swagger. EST Gee isn’t concerned with proving anything; he’s already a hometown star with mainstream appeal. Yet, Bigger Than Life or Death serves as a clear dictation that for the restrained artist, who once wrote poems from the perspective of Frankenstein, his presence in rap is alive and one to watch grow all while in awe. -Kia Turner @chasingkia

Sergio Summer – WiFiGawd

WiFiGawd raps with the vigor of a stoned militant, spitting with a restrained delivery which can range from a nodded-out whisper to teeth-bearing barks. The Washington D.C. rapper has come a long way since 2016’s Fubu 05, but the raw and jagged edges of his bars haven’t been dulled. Rather, he’s doubled-down on his Lo-Fi ruggedness on Sergio Summer, WiFi’s most recent mixtape. Whether he’s rapping through the dusty production of “WAVECAP” or flexing alongside REDDER and SIXMANE, the “Scope” rapper sounds at home across the tape’s ten songs, wrangling the production’s infectious clutter into 24 minutes of untethered, free-associating rap.

WiFi’s prolific run of mixtapes throughout the past few years has been a spectacle to watch, and it also represents a return to Hip Hop’s gritty roots, but this time in an internet era, tinted with hazy digitally rendered synths, demonic percussion and WiFi’s messy brilliance. -David Brake @davidaaronbrake

They Think We Ghetto – Quadry

Quadry makes come up off the porch music. His ability to tell stories from his muggy neighborhood on the Northside of Baton Rouge with a familial warmth creates vivid pictures of his life and upbringing, sparing no detail so the listener feels as though they can touch the scenes he paints with subtle brushstrokes. The Louisiana rapper’s latest album They Think We Ghetto, unfolds like a Deep South anthology, complete with stories from the lives of the people he knew and grew up with.

The short album feels as though it takes place over a few weeks of time back home, allowing Quadry to reminisce while also providing an honest look at where he comes from. Whether he’s kicking it with old friends trying to get over tragedy on “Where’s The Indica” or getting phone calls from the one dude everyone knows who never made it out of their small town on “You Can’t Pick Up?,” Quadry takes his specific life experiences and makes them relatable to anyone from a small town, without losing the distinct feel of growing up in Louisiana.

“I Can’t Throw Stones” acts as the cornerstone of the album, with Quadry, GRIP and Tommy Rogue acting as all-knowing narrators telling stories about men and women who never felt true love from their family and how that trauma has shaped their decision making and life outcomes, illustrating a major issue in his town and many other communities.

It’s an album that basks in southern regionalism, embracing the scorching summer days at a tailgate, as much as family cookouts. They Think We Ghetto allows Quadry to set the record straight and tell the stories he feels aren’t being told properly, resulting in a front row education session on what really goes down in the South. -Josh Svetz @svetz17

Sheep Hate Goats – Chris Crack

Twisted and mystical, Chris Crack occupies a distinctive lane in Hip Hop. The Chicago MC’s latest, Sheep Hate Goats, is full of the esoteric lyrics and unique cadences fans have grown to love in the years since his first full-length LP, Public Domain 4. But Crack has taken time to improve his formula despite his rapid output. His bars have become more introspective and poignant, and his delivery more nimble and electric.

Crack’s humor is razor-sharp on Sheep Hate Goats. Track titles such as “Side Pussy Might Save The Marriage” and “Braided Booty Hair ” keep him at the top of the mantle as the king of song titles. The raucous lyrics which run through the project also delight: “I told you I’m a big dog so get the pooper scooper,” Crack raps on “Don’t Check Up On Me, I’m Good.” The absurdity within the vignettes Crack presents fades away behind his sharp writing, making Sheep Hate Goats a raunchy but thoughtful ride.

BOY ANONYMOUS – Paris Texas

Within music criticism, the term ‘genre bending’ is often used without hesitation. The over-saturation has led the term to lose most meaning, but if there was ever a time it warranted usage, it’s when describing the mysterious and earth-shattering rap duo Paris Texas. Hailing from Los Angeles, Paris Texas burst onto the scene with “HEAVY METAL” earlier this year, and now they’ve solidified their foothold with their debut EP, BOY ANONYMOUS.

Dripping with a wide range of influences from punk to underground Lo-Fi Hip Hop, BOY ANONYMOUS is a bold foray into rap’s landscape while remaining focused on their mission. The soft and distorted sounds of the opening “CASINO” sets the tone for the rest of the project. Ethereal melodies paired with hard and noisy fuzz creates an unsettling but invigorating sound for the project’s 22 minutes. Easily one of rap’s most thrilling prospects, Paris Texas is here to stay and we can’t wait to see what comes next.

Scary Hours 2 – Drake

In 2021, Drake’s only competition is himself. He’s been at such an elite level of artistry and fame for so long, that few artists are even comparable. Instead, each Drake release must be judged against his own discography: while 2020’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes was not a bad album, it couldn’t hold a flame to the rest of the 6 God’s catalogue, detracting from the overall value. Scary Hours 2, Drake’s latest drop, is rock-solid, even compared to his previous releases. Three songs and two guest features, Scary Hours 2 brought Drake yet another record: he became the first artist in history to debut at all three of Billboard’s Hot 100, an almost unbelievable feat. “What’s Next” places Drake over a dramatic, synth-heavy beat as Drizzy essentially states that he doesn’t know what’s coming next, but he’s sure it won’t let you down. “Wants and Needs,” brings together Lil Baby for the first time since 2018’s “Yes Indeed.” On “Lemon Pepper Freestyle,” Drake digs into his past, delivering emotive lyrics in the Toronto artist’s signature melodic flow with a nostalgic feature from Rick Ross. If this is just Drake’s warm up, the rap game should beware.

ONCE APON A TIME – CHIKA

Unfuckwitable – Babyface Ray

Nothing bothers Babyface Ray. The Detroit-bred rapper shrugs at making $100,000 in a day, women throwing themselves at him and receiving death threats. From being trailed by the cops to sleeping on air mattresses to survive, Babyface Ray remains unfazed in every situation, good or bad. It’s this apathy that makes his latest EP — aptly titled Unfuckwitable — tick. On the surface, Unfuckwitable is the typical project every rapper that blows up the year before releases. It’s the tape where the rapper goes over his come up and reacts to his newfound wealth and fame. But it’s Babyface Ray’s ability to narrate these circumstances with a calm indifference that keeps Unfuckwitbale from falling into the common trope. Whether he’s blowing Empire Records earnings on “Like Daisy Lane” or stealing a hater’s girl on “If You Know You Know,” Ray raps without concern. The one time he does peel back the veil on “Change You,” he remains unshaken even as he details losing his friend to jail and how a former lover didn’t believe in his talent. At any moment during the EP, you get the feeling Ray could cash out his label advance and never pick up the mic again. And even though that’s not going to happen, the image of a rap star who doesn’t care about being a rap star is one of the reasons Ray is so compelling.

After The Rain — Yung Baby Tate

Atlanta’s Yung Baby Tate has been dropping glammed-up bangers since 2018’s BOYS, but she’s never sounded more confident in her sound than on After The Rain, which dropped midway through last December. The lead single, “I Am” featuring Flo Millli dominated on TikTok and has amassed nearly eight million streams on Spotify alone. With her legions of Gen Z fans (who self-identify as ‘tots’) YBT enters 2021 with an unbridled momentum. All eyes are on the 24-year-old as she continues to push further into stardom.

The Alpha Jerk — KEY! & Tony Seltzer

Atlanta rapper KEY! and Brooklyn-based producer Tony Seltzer make for one of the most exciting duos currently in rap. Where many single-producer albums let the beatmaker fall by the wayside for the rapper’s gain, The Alpha Jerk is a true collaboration. KEY! and Seltzer continuously push each other to new boundaries — and the result is the best music of both of their respective careers. KEY! has always operated just outside of mainstream Atlanta sounds, taking bits and pieces and reimagining them through his own eclectic vision. While “Like That” and “My Puppy” are surely highlights, the entire 40-minute listen is a remarkably enjoyable experience.

Check out some of our other lists, updated monthly:

Contributing writers: Trent Clark, Kyle Eustice, Josh Svetz, Dana Scott, David Brake, Devon Jefferson, Kia Turner, Ben Brutocao, Matthew Ritchie, Anthony Malone, Vivian Medithi & Jeremy Hecht.

OTHER FAVORITE MIXTAPES FROM DECEMBER 2020

Almost Home — AKTHESAVIOR

AKTHESAVIOR, one half of underground New York rap duo The Underachievers, had a productive 2020, releasing both FLATBU$H ¥EN and Almost Home, a diverse collection of songs that marks a departure from the sounds of his previous solo releases. Fans are presented with moody, ethereal tracks, which the Brooklyn-based rapper glides over with ease. Featured on the record is a familiar assembly of Brooklyn’s underground rap scene, with appearances from The Flatbush Zombies, Pro Era’s Chuck Strangers and burgeoning artist Kenneth Cash. Of course, there’s still the running themes of spirituality and anime which have permeated many of his previous tracks. Almost Home is an excellent example of a rapper’s ability to adapt with the times and push their personal craft into unforeseen places.

The World Is Lucki’s — LUCKI

Nobody quite sounds like LUCKI, the 24-year-old rapper from Chicago. Even at his young age, he’s been remarkably prolific, steadily releasing mixtapes since the age of seventeen. So the confidence he exhibits on The World Is Lucki’s is understandable. His latest clocks in at only three tracks but contains not a single skip-able moment. The “Nashcar Dashcar” rapper raps over a cohesive bunch of beats from Wavywess, Okami202, BrentRambo, ggedgar and TheCrazyPart. Lilting behind the cinematic beats, LUCKI spits in a stream-of-consciousness that’s reminiscent of drill rap with a West Coast sonic palette. As fans digest The World Is Lucki’s, the wait begins for Flawless Like Me, LUCKI’s forthcoming full-length album.

OTHER FAVORITE MIXTAPES FROM JANUARY 2021

Ox – Gabe ‘Nandez

To New York rapper Gabe ‘Nandez, the Ox is a symbol of strength, stability and determination. It also mirrors the style of the iconic Ruff Ryders collective, headed by DMX, Eve and The LOX. As New York’s sound shifts away from the hard-hitting gruff attitude of the Ruff Ryders and settles into Brooklyn Drill and Griselda’s coke rap aesthetic, there’s an open door for a rabid pitbull to pay homage to the the ryde or die lifestyle. Enter the well-traveled ‘Nandez, a student of the game whose favorite era of rap happens to be the Ruff Ryders’ prime. On his latest EP OX, ‘Nandez flexes his lyrical dexterity with an unrelenting flow that sounds like he’s spitting 16s from the stoop. Instead of mimicking DMX’s bark or Jadakiss’ snarl, he combines his poetic flow with their Five Boroughs grit, delivering a project of pure, unfiltered street raps. Whether he’s weaving together references to DragonBall Z, Lyoto Machida and Derek Jeter in rapid succession on the title track, or gritting through his teeth as he dodges questions from the feds on “Sphinx,” ‘Nandez never runs out of metaphors, similes and allusions to narrate his odyssey.

Lyrics to GO, Vol. 2 — Kota the Friend

Since 2018’s Anything, Brooklyn rapper Kota the Friend has been a vital component of New York’s Lo-Fi underground, pumping reimagined boom bap through the five boroughs and beyond. Born Avery Jones, the 28-year-old MC has become a fan favorite for his DIY aesthetic and crisp, narrative-based bars. On his latest mixtape, Lyrics to GO, Vol. 2, Kota makes his way through a lush soundscape of rolling piano loops and airy hi-hats. Clocking in at only fifteen minutes, Lyrics to GO, Vol. 2, is a refreshing EP, that evokes the warm air of spring in Brooklyn — a much needed escape from the frozen city landscape in which everyone is currently stuck.

OTHER FAVORITE MIXTAPES FROM FEBRUARY 2021

100 Miles & Walk’in – Rx Papi

Rx Papi raps like he’s trapped in a never-ending Adult Swim infomercial at 5 a.m. The first few songs on 100 Miles & Walk’in such as “Rush Hour” and “Yucc” are filled with Papi delivering lines about cooking crack, getting high and walking in this bitch so much his FitBit is scolding him. For a while, it seems like Papi will just continue with these absurdist punchlines without a care. But as the project unfolds, he begins to tell stories about his fractured mental state and past traumatic events, growing more anxious as he delves deeper into his nightmares. He details a night where he was almost shot and killed after performing on “I Got A Show Tonight” and tries to cope with his paranoia on “One Last Dance.” The tension builds as Papi’s raps grow darker and more disturbing, reaching the peak on the jarring account of an unsettling out-of-body experience on “Dead Man’s Letters.” Like Too Many Cooks and Unedited Footage Of A Bear, Papi delivers a disturbing, absurd and morbidly funny ride, leaving the listener unsure if they’re supposed to laugh or cry.

NOTHING is IDEAL – whiterosemoxie

2020 offerings white ceilings and grae ceilings might have landed whiterosemoxie on new radars, but the Detroit youngster’s latest EP NOTHING is IDEAL places him in a new conversation entirely. One of 300 Entertainment’s rising stars, whiterosemoxie bends the sounds of digital SoundCloud-era rap with a melodic flow. The four tracks featured on NOTHING is IDEAL might only clock-in at eleven minutes but is massive in impact. One could compare whiterosemoxie’s singing to the late XXXTENTACION, but he also shows signs of influence from artists such as Post Malone and Frank Ocean. Though he might share similar tendencies with the popular artists, tracks such as “0006TeslaSpaceForce” and “The Skript” sound uniquely like himself.

OTHER FAVORITE MIXTAPES FROM MARCH 2021

Armani EP – JAHMED

OTHER FAVORITE MIXTAPES FROM APRIL 2021

SZNZ – Mother Nature

It’s clear SZNZ from Chicago rap duo Mother Nature was one of April’s most ferocious mixtapes based on the opening track “ANTISOCIAL” alone. Comprised of rappers Klevah and TRUTH, Mother Nature tapped producer Boathouse to handle the entirety of the mixtape’s instrumentals, leaving SZNZ sounding cohesive and tightly knit. The rappers in Mother Nature, also fiercely outspoken advocates for the city of Chicago, sound hungry and driven, murdering instrumentals with ease and unafraid to experiment. The duo also landed features from Cool Kids’ Sir Michael Rocks, Brittney Carter and Valee for the excellent collaboration titled “GOOFIEZ.” Keep an eye on Mother Nature as the year progresses for what’s next as the duo continues to tap into their potential.

Rookie Of The Year – Lil Eazzyy

Chicago rap artist Lil Eazzy was literally “Onna Come Up” before the co-sign from G-Herbo and his deal with Atlantic Records, after he dropped his seven-track Underrated mixtape last year featuring the original version of his viral-hit single “Onna Come Up” — that landed him on Rolling Stone’s Breakthrough 25 Chart. In a move clearly rooted in building his legacy and claiming his title as the most valuable newcomer of 2021, Lil Eazzy further confirms the hype surrounding his viral rise on his 14-track Rookie Of The Year effort. With minimal features including G-Herbo and Tay Keith, Lil Eazzy commands the sonic stage as a true star of the show and adds to his already piped-up assemblage of bangers with track such as “Spinnin” and “Ride Together.”

“Just Until…” – Cordae

Those who have been paying attention have seen rapper Cordae mature from a promising rapper in the YBN crew to a standalone superstar capable of making waves in the Hip Hop sphere on the strength of his own talents. Just Until…., the most recent release from the Raleigh-born, Maryland-raised rapper, is a four-song taste of what’s to come. Featuring only Young Thug and A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip, Cordae’s Just Until…. contains a wide range of sounds for being only four tracks. Where “More Life” featuring Q-Tip is an introspective look at how far the young rapper has come, the Thugger-assisted “Wassup,” produced by Take a Daytrip, 18YOMAN and LEN 20, is full of flexing. On “Thornton Street,” Cordae mentions an album is on its way, so watch out for new music from The Lost Boy mastermind.

Zaytoven Presents: Fo15 – Zaytoven

Zaytoven has become a creative galvanizing force, maneuvering between his numerous artist project collaborations with a universally transferable element of dopeness following in his path following each leap. In 2018, he and Lecrae answered to a higher calling on their Let The Trap Say Amen project. Zaytoven followed up with his 2019 Bad Azz Zay collab with Boosie Badazz and then again last year after assembling artists such as Lil Yachty, Lil Keed, Lil Gotit, Chief Keef, 147 Calboy and more on his A-Team and Pack Just Landed Vol 2. compilation albums.

The super producer is doing it all over again — this time harnessing the thermodynamic talent of emerging rappers within the bubbling calderon of the Bay Area’s music scene on the San Francisco area code-appreciating Zaytoven Presents: Fo15 compilation mixtape. The 10-track release feature rising artists Lil Yee, ZayBang, KxNG LLAMA, Prezi and Lil Bean — who form Fo15.

Pretty Summer Playlist Season 1 – Saweetie

Even though Saweetie has been criticized by industry gatekeepers like Ebro Darden, the Warner Records rapper has also been embraced by countless super stars, such as Cardi B who has indicated her interest in collaborating on a “Rap queen” project with Saweetie. Not to mention her notable link up with Doja Cat for their pre-summer hit “Best Friend” or her recent genre-bending feature on Gwen Stefani’s “Slow Clap” single, Saweetie is earning her stripes, and the respect of her peers with each release and subsequent reach across the table. Thus is the case with her Pretty Summer Playlist Season 1 project which she says is all about shining a light on talent she views as “Next Up.” Season 1 of the plahylist features Drakeo The Ruler, BbyAfrica and Kendra Jae, among others.

OTHER FAVORITE MIXTAPES FROM MAY 2021

Benbow Crescent – Cochise

It’s been nearly two years since Florida MC Cochise’s life changed forever upon the release of “Red Head” and “Hatchback,” two tracks which showcased the young rapper’s talents on the mic and captivated millions of listeners through the intoxicating joy he exudes when creating music. After signing a deal with Columbia Records, Cochise has just released Benbow Crescent, his debut full-length project.

Cochise’s ability to adapt to the various production style on Benbow Crescent is on full display: on the opening track, “PROTEIN/CREATINE” he sounds like Lil Keed, overflowing with energy, his voice crackling as it attacks the microphone. On “Usopp,” it appears Cochise borrowed some pages from Pi’erre Bourne’s playbook, bouncing across an anime-inspired beat from Nonbruh and Dee B. But the album’s greatest moments come when Cochise begins to discover his own voice, like on the playful “Knicks.”

1 Night I Took Acid – BIGBABYGUCCI

Taking acid can be an empowering experience of clarity and understanding but, dually, a nightmarish introspective battle where your demons and insecurities manifest into hallucinogenic obstacles. Many artists have tried to synthesize the sensations of a transformative trip with varying degrees of success. For every Acid Rap there’s an Indicud. But BIGBABYGUCCI’s latest mixtape, 1 Night I Took Acid, focuses on experiencing the highs and lows of a revelatory trip, with one foot still in reality. He balances these psychedelic elements with an eclectic blend of digicore, pop-punk, chopped n screwed, dance and trap music.

The harsher ominous beats of “Tuesday” produce visions of thunderstorms and lover turmoil, while “Waste Your Time” is a warped, overly intoxicated night at the club. “Dinero” sounds like the music playing during a high-speed night cruise entering a dimly lit tunnel, and “Money Machine Madness” evokes the feeling of settling into the trip. Although Gucci finds moments of ecstasy, real world problems like a loss of self identity, depression and being betrayed by a lover creep into his good time. It’s a fresh mind-bending experience of escapism and introspection: It’s just a shame Timothy Leary isn’t here to co-sign it.

Fallen Angel – Taleban Dooda

All rappers should aim to have a debut project as cohesive, focused and disruptive as Taleban Dooda’s Fallen Angel. Dooda raps in a melodic style and has an affinity for flexing his range. Even at the age of nineteen, the Florida rapper looks towards the future: instead of chasing trends and honing the project towards one particular sound, Dooda opts for a sampler of various styles, from the cinematic lead single “Chosen” featuring T9ine to the street-centric “Trappin’ Ain’t Dead” with 42 Dugg.

Clear highlights of the project include the ATL Jacob produced “Finish Him” with Tm88 and “Demon Time,” but you can’t go wrong with any of Fallen Angel’s seventeen tracks.

OTHER FAVORITE MIXTAPES FROM JUNE 2021

FCK YOUR FEELINGS* – Dro Kenji

From one of Internet Money’s hottest prospects, Dro Kenji, comes F*CK YOUR FEELINGS, a 15-track effort full of a post-SoundCloud blend of rageful bars and delicate, emotional crooning. Beginning with the brazen “I’M RICH NOW BITCH!,” a toxic party featuring Kenji flexing his overdue success, F*CK YOUR FEELINGS is flush with youthful pride and energy from the South Carolina rapper.

A clear student of Juice WRLD and XXXTENTACION, Kenji finds the perfect balance between homage and individuality, at times embodying the melodic sounds of Juice while remaining staunchly himself. Highlights of F*CK YOUR FEELINGS include the chart-ready “SUPERSTAR” and the quick raps of “TRANCE.” With a team of superstar producers at his back, Kenji is ready for rap’s center stage.

SGV1 – SURF GANG

New York clique SURF GANG makes the kind of music you make when you know you’re the shit and don’t care if anyone else does. January’s Sgb tape was more of a showcase for rappers Moh Baretta, Polo Perks, Bobainee, Pasto Flacco and Casperr, whose vocal styles range from low-register growling to feathery falsetto. But SGV1, which brings into the fold superstar-in-the-making Babyxsosa, is really a showcase for the Internet-inflected production of EVILGIANE, Harrison, Tommytoohotty and Eera, who tighten focus to a metallic register of pulsing hi-hats, pinging synths and rumbling 808s, largely eschewing beats that feel recognizably “trap” or “soundcloud rap.”

The world of SGV1 feels insular, almost vacuum-like. Across 27 breakneck minutes, the 15 songs on SGV1 alternately feel like whistling through an Antarctic cavern or staring down at traffic from a skyscraper.

The crystalline textures of these beats give SURF GANG’s various rappers plenty of room to flex their differing approaches, whether it’s Pasto Flocco’s breathless verses on “Avianne” or Polo Perks practically sighing his way through “May Weather,” taunting enemies “run up on me I got something to prove.” Moh Baretta shines on “Party,” the syllables of “feeling so heavensent like i can’t do no wrong” crashing into each other like a 12 car pileup, while Casperr’s lower-register singing takes the baton from Polo Perks on “2 Much Going On” and flips the song into overdrive. “Mosquito P2” (the sequel to a Bobainee song from Sgb) shows growth from not only the rapper, but also producer Harrison, whose beat is a vast improvement on the original.

Babyxsosa, who recently scored a Tiktok smash with her 2019 song “everywhereigo,” raps as hard as any of her fellow rappers, chanting “you taking L’s and I’m taking a W/I’m with my n****s and we cannot fuck with you” on “Don’t Wanna Wake Up” and sing-songing “line em up and we knock em out/ i feel like May/Weather, every day/gets better” across from Polo Perks on “May Weather.”

SGV1 has more solo songs than group cuts, and the music can sometimes feel solitary, though never lonely. But my favorite moments on SGV1 are the ones where everyone steps on each other’s toes, like they’re at a party with way too many people on a far too small roof. Babyxsosa singing ad-libs as Polo Perks raps on “6AM;” Bobainee echoing Moh Baretta’s complaint that “hoes would call me fat” before cannonballing into his verse on “Cinderella;” Casperr and Polo Perks trading bars at the end of “2 Much Going On.”

There’s no telling where SURF GANG will go next. But that unpredictability is what makes SGV1 so fun and indelible — it feels like listening to something brand new. -Vivian Medithi @perlucidum

Sin City – Ski Mask The Slump God

Ski Mask The Slump God has dealt with countless tragedies; the commodification and collapse of the once trailblazing South Florida SoundCloud rap scene and the mounting deaths of his friends Juice WRLD and, his closest confidant and collaborator, XXXTENTACION. He admitted how much these unfortunate events have affected him creatively and psychologically, leading to a lack of output. But he’s found the motivation to return to the studio and create the music that once made him one of the most beloved rappers out of the scene, dually respected by fans and critics.

Sin City is not a return to form, nor is it an evolution of Ski’s skills. Instead, it’s comparable to Metallica’s St. Anger, an album that needed to be made to keep the band together. But unlike St. Anger, Sin City isn’t a wallowing slog of unhappiness and unaddressed familial issues. Ski Mask hops on the mic with his signature speed rapping gymnastics and colorful cartoonish charisma. The tape is rough, raw and at times demo quality, such as the XXX-style acoustic ballad “Lost In Time.” But there’s also glimpses of the motormouth, carefree punchline and reference factory Ski Mask that helped rise him to prominence, like the Kenny Beats-produced “Merlin’s Staff” and the re-link with Ronny J “The Matrix.”

Sometimes in order to get back to form artists need a blank canvas to throw paint at. For Ski Mask, Sin City is the rough draft to let him work through his issues, hopefully one day leading him to realize the potential many believe has yet to blossom.