Complex: 50 Best Mixtapes ever

[dubsmith_nz]

Should have been No. 1



Should have been No. 2



Should have been No. 3

Those mixtapes wouldn't exist without 50 Cent Is The Future as the blueprint.

 

[Ed MOTHERFUCKING G]

I listened to the first song on trap or die TODAY

minus all the videos stickers and flyers
Most of these rappers are compulsive liars HAHA

 

[KEEPITTRILLA]

1. Da Drought 3
2. So Far Gone
3. Live Love A$AP

for real tho

 

[bl2k8]

Was Kush OJ top 20?

 

[FakeNews]

subz

 

[TMillzy]

1. Da Drought 3
2. So Far Gone
3. Live Love A$AP
for real tho

 

[Bigbigguy]

G-unit radio should be higher

 

[28 Gramz]

Return Of 4 Eva should have been on this.

 

[mortuus est]

7. Jay-Z, S. Carter Collection (2003)

This collection captures Young Hov at the tipping point between MC and mogul, back when the release of a signature Reebok shoe was still cause for excitement.

At the top of the "Flava in Ya Ear Freestyle," he speaks of going half on a boat with Puff. 10 years later, picture Shawn Carter going half on anything—except maybe another baby with Beyoncé (whose refreshingly ratchet interlude here is a definite highlight). On the "Blunts and Armadale" freestyle, Jigga muses about a future project called The Black Album, which he describes as "the bookends to the whole career."

Nothing can touch the lyrical onslaught of the "Pump It Up Freestyle" on which Jay asks, "Who's the nicest, life or lifeless/On these mic devices, and I don't write this/I just mic this; I will it to happen." Nowadays there seems nothing Jay-Z cannot will to happen, and it's a wonder to behold. Still it's nice to revisit the time when rapping was enough. —Rob Kenner

 

[Tuling]

50 Cent Is the Future #1 , rightfully so

 

[mortuus est]

3. Dipset, The Diplomats, Vol. 1 (2002)

50 Cent and Lil Wayne receive, and deserve, a lot of credit for their prolific mixtape output and how it changed hip-hop promotion, but quiet as kept, Dipset is the true pioneer of that strategy. The Diplomats, Vol. 1 is the project that started it all.

The mixtape served multiple agendas simultaneously: promote Cam'ron's single "Oh Boy," get radio play, and move physical units. Over the course of 15 songs, the crew attacked the instrumentals of popular mainstream tracks like Carlos Santana's "Maria, Maria" and Eminem's "Stan," but also found room for their own original music. It proved to be a brilliant decision that gave listeners all the Dipset they needed, but with diverse enough backdrops to hold anyone's attention. Thus, the modern mixtape formula was born.

Many of the records on Vol. 1 made it to Cam'ron's Roc-a-fella debut, and characters like Juelz Santana and Jim Jones, who were introduced to most on this mixtape, went on to become big stars in their own right. It was truly the beginning of a movement. —Ernest Baker

 

[obarth]

SMH at putting This Ain't No Mixtape on the list.

 

[kermit da hustla]

how the fukk are they not going to include dj clue??

 

[L&HH]

Was Kush OJ top 20?

I think it was 13, which is bullshyt should be top ten, personally it would be in my top 5

Return Of 4 Eva should have been on this.

I thought the same thing, I think they were just trying not to stan one person too hard cause Wayne, Gucci, and K.R.I.T could have easily had at least 3 or more mixtapes on there (I think Wayne did tho drought 3, Dedication 2, and No Ceilings but he could have had a couple more especially if you count the unofficial joints like the Drought Is Over 2 aka The Carter 3 Sessions )

 

[Yoda]

was looking to see coke wave in the top 10... Number 33?
Warm Up Number 23?
Kush & OJ not top 10?
No Comeback Season?

Just started getting "hip" to Biggavelli and yeah Coke Wave is heatrocks. "I dont really love these hooooeesss all i do is smoke sour diiiiiiieaasseeell"