Lil’ Wayne – Dedication 5
On Dedication 2, Wayne rapped that “I know people that died in that pool. I know people that died in them schools”. He took beats popularized by Dem Franchize Boyz and T.I. and sounded right at home on them. When he issued his “Best Rapper Alive” mission statement, he was doing the same thing that Kendrick did on “Control”; he was declaring that he was hungry and gunning for everyone. So if you’re going to drop another tape named Dedication, it’s going to be compared to that game-changing mixtape. And 2013 Wayne does not compare favorably to 2006 Wayne. Dedication 5 features solid beat selection, and you’ll hear the occasional hot line, but Wayne is still primarily coasting on legacy. (Download)
Vado – Slime Flu 4
New York rap continues to be in a weird place in 2013. The biggest rappers from the city have either taken a lot of their sound from the South (A$AP, French), transcended their roots (Jay), or remain weird and underground (Action Bronson, Flatbush Zombies). Vado pretty much fits into that first category but you can hear his some of his Dipset roots too. “R.N.S.” featuring Jadakiss and Troy Ave is one of the tape’s highlights, and I enjoyed his “In The Air” Phil Collins flip. But overall, the beat selection is inconsistent and Vado’s bars aren’t bringing that much new to the game. (Download)
Chief Keef – Bang Pt. 2
This is a weak tape even by Chief Keef standards. You can’t hear the major label money at all. The sound quality is terrible, there are no interesting guest spots, and Keef’s rapping is regressing if anything. I would have expected at least some Brick Squad assistance considering Keef’s new alliance. (Download)
Trinidad James – 10Pc. Mild
For whatever reason, Trinidad James gets a lot of hate. He’s not a great rapper, but “All Gold Everything” is a hot song and it’s not like you have to be lyrical to be a successful rapper in 2013. This tape is average, I don’t think anything will pop like “All Gold Everything” but there are some good beats and big name guest-spots on here. (Download)
Kirko Bangz – Progression 3
New Kirko Bangz’ mixtapes consistently get a lot of downloads and a decent amount of attention and I don’t completely understand the hype. Like Trinidad James’ new tape, some of the beats are solid, but the tape is full of generic lyrics and flows. (Download)
