Ain't no PLUG like the ones I know🔌

I gots to say thankyou for livemixtapes and datpiff, in addition to the limewire era in 2009, I felt as if mixtapes were on a huge rise. With no streaming services as such like well known spotify today, downloading albums and singles was such a thing. Unlike paying monthly to have access or buying them off the shelf. Media websites that allowed download of artists music for free became a vast moment in internet history despite backlash to artists work and labels profit in sales.

Mixtapes however, required free downloads of full lengthy projects that resulted in exposure. Plenty of the hottest HipHop and some R&B stars of today, released mixtapes, no record label or anything just purely independent music and they somewhat used familiar beats to spit over or simply use some unfamiliar beats of their own. Which soon had them recognised and signed to labels. Even so, those that had already had the lime light still released mixtapes and this was most likely songs that did not make the cut for their albums. Mixtapes were freely music of artists with little to no gain for money but in popularity, sort of what R&B singers do with EPs (songs that are singles that are used for promotional use and do not qualify as an full length album).

Some mixtapes tended to be hosted by DJs that set out to mix compilations of hot tracks, as well as making vocal cuts throughout the artists songs.

I can tell you this now, in 2010 it was here where I started to download and listen to these very artists. They are worth to mention because I remember so vividly, searching their names into the search bars on livemixtapes or Datpiff fasttt

First to hit it off:

Drake - So Far Gone, The Cartel Presents 'Drake & The Weeknd - OVOXO'

Just as So Far Gone has hit its 10 years and now available on streaming services, my fave tracks: 2 - Houstatlantavegas, 3 - Successful featuring Trey Songz, 10 - Best I Ever Had, 13 - Bria's Interlude featuring Omarion

"We made a mixtape with 17 songs, almost get a Grammy off of that thing" Drake - Look What You've Done

Drake accounting to his mixtape So Far Gone, which his track Best I Ever Had lost to Jay-Z at the Grammys.

The OVOXO mixtape was pretty much the DJS compilation of both the artists tracks from different projects, the one that stood out for me was track 4 - Dreams Money Can Buy.

From Drake's work came, The Weeknd's music.

These series of mixtapes surrounded the great buzz of The Weeknd's music as it featured R&B and soul, indie rock, trip HipHop and dream pop tones that electrified differentiated his music from other artists. All released in 2011 (what a great year btw), The Weeknd then decided to make a complication of these very mixtapes into one called: Trilogy, in 2012 which were remastered.

A genius move as these 3 were free but he then put it all together and retailed it for sales, I rock with all of it tbh. From what I love of all projects is: House of Balloons - track 1 - High for this, track 5 - Wicked Games, track 9 - The Knowing.

Thursday: track 5 - The Zone featuring Drake, track 6 - The Birds pt.1, track 8 - Gone, track 9 - Rolling Stone.

Bonus track on Trilogy: 11 - Valerie.

Echoes of Silence: track 1 - D.D (Which is his take of Dirty Diana of Micheal Jackson), tack 2 - Outside and track 6 - Same Old Song featuring Juicy J

Indie R&B gave me a great treat as I soon discovered Frank Ocean and his tapes: The Lonny Breaux Collection and Nostalgia, Ultra.

As we know it Nostalgia Ultra brought us Novacane that shone more light on Frank Ocean, I was more invested in Lonny Breaux tape. Even though it was an unofficial mixtape made by a fan that composed of 66 lowkey, pure infused R&B songs by Frank. It brought aesthetic flavor as Frank's voice fluttered over piano lines, as you either hug your pillow or have your hand out the car window on a night drive.

Rick Ross exposed me to Maybach Music his independent label. 'Rich Forever', 'The Black Bar Mitzvah', 'Selfmade 2'.

Rich Forever had to be my favourite mixtape from Rick Ross, tracks like: 17 - MMG The World is Ours, which featured Pharrell, Meek Mill & Stalley; 2 - High Definition and 19 - "Stay Schemin" featuring Drake and French Montana. Branching off Maybach music signed Meek Mill later gave us Dreamchasers 1 - 3:

I felt Dreamchasers 2 highlighted Meek Mill tracks such as: 1 - Face Down, 2 - Ready or Not, 5 - Everyday featuring Rick Ross, 8 - Houseparty, 10 - Racked Up Shawty, 14 - A1 Everything featuring Kendrick Lamar and 15 - Flexing. Later that year, Meek Mill then released his official album Dreams and Nightmares.

In the mist of it all, I discovered Wiz Khalifa - Kush & OJ, instant fan from this project.

2 - Memorized, 5 - The Statement, 10 - Never Been, 11 - In The Cut. Wiz introduced us to Taylor Gang that included Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J and Chevy Woods.

---

As for Nicki Minaj, Beam me up scotty was the show stopper especially track 3 - Itty Bitty Piggy. I remember rightly I saw this video on Myspace had all the girls going crazyyy, defiantly one for the books.

In the peak of Drake and Nicki Minaj hot streak they got recognised by Lil wayne and soon signed to his record label Young Money. Included in this formation was Tyga.

I embarrassingly was a big fan of Tyga, he released numerous mixtapes that I was very much into. He then did tours and what not with his protege of Last Kings

and I attended.

Well Done 2 I listened to back 2 back without fail. From track 1 - 12 was pretty much a bumping sentiment for 2011. I tell ya track 9 - Bitches Aint Sh*t featuring YG & Nipsey Hussle straight fire. As for Well Done 4 I enjoyed mostly track 1 - Word on The Street and 7 - Pressed featuring Honey Cocaine. Another artist I started to listen to, she was underrated.

R&B artists such as Chris Brown and Trey Songz (Anticipation II) whom were already in the lime light too delivered mixtapes. Chris Brown dropped a mixtape 'In My Zone' and most memorable track for me was 14 - No Bullshit.

Then on was 'Boy In Detention' it featured upcoming artists such as Se7en and Kevin McCall whom featured on track 6 - Private dancer, 20 - Strip featuring Kevin McCall.

What made this era greater for Chris Brown was him collaborating with Tyga for Fan of a Fan

Impressively they brought us great tracks as an collective tracks like: 4 - Dueces featuring Kevin McCall, Chris Brown gave us bars on 6 - 48 Bar Rap, 9 - Aint thinking bout you featuring Bow Wow, 10 - Like a Virgin Again, 13 - Make Love BUT Tyga Kilt 14 - I'm So Raw, then again both for the bonus track 20 - Holla At Me.

Fan of a fan 2 was highly anticipated back then but unfortunately never happened till years later which was their collaborative album Fan of a Fan The Album, something for the old fans.

It didn't have the same energy as the mixtape as I believe it was very much too late but it did feature some good songs.

Many of these mixtapes tracks led to selling copies, becoming their next single on albums or a reason for artists to tour off the success of the mixtape. For example:

• Drake - Best I Ever Had

• Rick Ross - Stay Schemin

• Chris Brown - Strip, No Bullshit

• All of The Weeknd's mixtapes on Trilogy

• Tyga touring with Well Done 2

There's plenty of other artists I then went onto listen to: Big Sean, Asap Rocky, Joey Bada$$, Mac Miller and Tyler The Creator and Odd Future. Specifically in the year of 2012.