TMO10 - #6- Nique - X.XIII

At number six, we have the up comer Nique. Thanks for DJ Booth's freestyle series, I discovered Nique shouting over J.Cole's "Top of the World". Quite frankly, I thought he went harder than Cole world. Some might call me crazy but it had me sold. He released X.XIII in October, his latest mixtape. Every year or so, I discover a new artist and keep him to myself. Nique was that artist for 2010. Do yourself a favor, jump on the wagon asap.

Download: Nique - X.XIII [His Website]

Review: J. Cole - Friday Night Lights (Mixtape)

J. Cole has a track on his new mix tape entitled “Blow Up”. Cole predicts the success of his rapping with his punch line, “Bitch I’m about to blow up.” Well to no surprise, one of the lower key rappers is doing just that. Friday Night Lights is J. Cole’s latest attempt to intrude your headphones and keep us hungry fans full until his debut album, Cole World.

I cannot understand what is more impressive. Is it that J. Cole has a talent for making a bunch of words flow so effortless? Or is that he produced almost every single song on Friday Night Lights? A combination will give the occasional listener a reason to sit back and enjoy a classic.

Friday Night Lights begins with a ballad of piano and Cole’s voice echoing as he eases the listener into taking the bait. He explains how this mix tape is where he will make a name for himself. Cole teases the listener into the true track, “Too Deep For The Intro”. The track’s name explains it enough. Cole introduces us to a new blend of rap. A track full of comparisons from Nas to the new age flow, Cole sums up his effort with the closer, “if they don’t know your dreams, than they cant shoot em down”.

An element of J. Cole’s latest effort that sticks out is the lack of guest appearances, which is a huge positive. With the help of DC Based rapper Wale, Cole and Wale meet again on “You Got It”. The track features an upbeat punch with a mix of distant drums and Cole’s signature piano touches. He does not stop there. J. Cole adds Young Money heavyweight Drake on the track “In The Morning”. With both rappers having their ways with words, they explain a fictional story of love and making a one night stand last longer.

Here comes the time in the review where I need to pick a favorite song. Here’s the problem: there are too many songs that I favor. However one of the realist songs I’ve heard in quite sometime sticks out more than the others. “The Autograph” is strictly Jermaine Cole going off. This track features one of those feel good anthems, where Cole narrates his success and where he is in the world. In a very close second, “Home For The Holidays” is your classic 1970’s instrumental. The thing with J.Cole is that it does not matter what instrumental he’s rapping on, he will make it his own and do it better than anybody else in the game.

J.Cole leaves Friday Night Lights with the simply named track, “Farewell”, his final ode telling the listener where he stands in the world of rap. If you ask me, he’ll be here for a while. Friday Night Lights will go down as one of the top mix tapes of 2010. And it’s not too early to call it the top mix tape of the century.

Score: 94%

TAO09- #6: Wale- Attention: Deficit

Top Albums of 2009- #6: Wale- Attention: Deficit

As you saw on my top mixtapes list, Wale reappears on my top albums list. The long awaited Attention: Deficit. Like the Back To The Feature, the album was pushed back, bumped up, and then pushed back. All I can say is the wait was worth it.

Everyone thinks Hip-Hop is dead. Wale woke it up and it's starting to hit the mainstream. With tracks such as Beautiful Bliss (Featuring J. Cole), Contemplate, and Shades (Feat. Chrisette Michelle); it's a breathe of fresh air. The album artwork/booklet is pretty sweet too. Attention: Deficit shouldn't be overlooked, it's a keeper.

Standout Tracks: Contemplate, Beautiful Bliss (Featuring J. Cole), 90210

[MP3]Wale- Beautiful Bliss (Featuring J. Cole) (Mediafire)
[MP3]Wale- Contemplate (Mediafire)

Top Mixtapes of 2009: Recap + Extras

As you all have seen, I posted my Top Mixtapes of 2009 list last week. So here's a recap with links to the top mixtapes, as well as other mixtapes that didn't make the cut but still ripped in 2009.

Top Mixtapes of 2009 brought to you by Things That Make You Learn

1. Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa- How Fly
2. Drake- So Far Gone
3. Wiz Khalifa- Burn After Rolling
4. Tyga- Black Thoughts
5. B.o.B- B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray
6. Wale- Back To The Feature
7. Lil Wayne- No Ceilings
8. BOOGNIGHTS- The ARTiste
9. TiRon- Ketchup
10. Donnis- Diary of an ATL Brave

Those Who Didn't Make The Cut

Charles Hamilton- Normalcy (Mediafire)
Wiz Khalifa- Flight School (Mediafire)
Fashawn- The Antidote (Mediafire)
U-N-I- Before There Was Love (Megaupload)
Mike Posner & The Brain Trust- Matter of Time (Mediafire)
Theophilus London- This Charming Mixtape (Mediafire)
XV- Everybody's Nobody (Mediafire)
Shawn Chrystopher- I.W.G.2: I Told You So/A City With No Seasons (SC Website)
Joell Ortiz- Covers The Classics (Mediafire)
Freddie Gibbs- midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik (Mediafire)
J. Cole- The Warm Up (Mediafire)

Download: B.o.B- May 25th (Mixtape)

As you saw on my top mixtapes of 2009 list, B.o.B aka Bobby Ray was featured for his effort B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray. In order to build some hype up for his new album The Great Adventures Of Bobby Ray, he has released May 25th, the mixtape to signify when his album will be released. The mixtape includes artists such as J.Cole, Charles Hamilton, and Asher Roth. It also includes production from Kanye West and the Alchemist.


download: mediafire

TMO09- #6: Wale- Back To The Feature (Mixtape)

Top Mixtape of 2009- #6: Wale- Back To The Feature

When Wale announced he was releasing his next installment of dope music, I was amped. However, I wasn't amped for the six month delay that the tape met. In June of 2009, DC rapper Wale finally released Back To The Feature. The name of the mixtape says it all, as the mixtape contains over seventeen different artists going along on Wale's beats and adding that special to the tracks. The mixtape was what I bumped at the parties I attended over the summer and I still play the tape sometimes, not as much cause Attention: Deficit is dope. The tape contains artists such as Joe Budden, Curren$y, Skyzoo, Talib Kweli, and throw in J. Cole for some more support.

This tape isn't worth passing up. Oh and 9th Wonder produced the whole thing. Enough said.

Standout Tracks: Say It Again (Featuring Royce da 5'9), Rather Be With You (Vagina Is For Lovers) [Featuring J Cole & Curren$y], Life's A Bitch (Featuring Talib Kweli & Joell Ortiz)

download: mediafire