Cassie – RockaByeBaby
Cassie’s half-spoken/half-sung brand of pop music meshes well with the druggy R&B beats that are in vogue right now. The best example of this combination is the Rick Ross collaboration “Numb”. But a few of the songs on RockaByeBaby really miss the mark. After hearing Kendrick destroy Hit-Boy’s “Backseat Freestyle” beat, I can’t get comfortable with a whispered R&B reuse of the track. And maybe I’m just an old-fashioned Midwesterner, but “Do My Dance” is a little over-the-top for me. (Download)
Los – Becoming King
This project is heavy on features, which makes it hard for Los to stand out. The tape is also bogged down by average beats and unoriginal subject matter. But you should check out Harry Fraud’s beat on “Dope” and even if he’s not talking about much, Los lays down an impressive rapping performance on “OD”. (Download)
Funkmaster Flex – Who You Mad At? Me Or Yourself?
With fifty-four songs (almost three and a half hours of music), there is a good chance that there will be at least a few tracks on here that you like but there is also a ton of filler. While the mixtape game is becoming more and more of a platform for releasing cohesive projects, Funk Flex bucks the trend and unloads his hard drive on us. (Download)
Chinx Drugz – Cocaine Riot 3
The “I’m a Coke Boy (Remix)” is incredible. I’m not totally sure why, but I love that song. Some of the things that are great about that song: a remarkably solid Diddy verse, Rick Ross’ adlibs, French Montana’s hook, the fact that Rick Ross is bragging about a mansion in Minnesota, Chinx Drugz bragging that he’s almost rich enough to vote for Mitt Romney. (Download)
Wyclef Jean – April Showers
April Showers is inconsistent but it has some interesting moments. Wyclef’s storytelling on “Glow of a Rose” isn’t like anything else I heard all month, and it’s cool to hear him compare modern artists to veterans on “Hip Hop”. (Download)