Mixtape Madness

Teeeee said:
Good morning! (And afternoon and evening to our friends in other parts of the world)

This week's mix is just a bunch of songs that I discovered this past year and have been enjoying. An easy/breezy mix to start the work week that builds up to us owning this week!

Enjoy!!!!

open.spotify.com

Mixtape Madness by Te5 Vol. 3

Mixtape Madness by Te5 Vol. 3 · Playlist · 15 songs · 10 likes
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com
Click to expand...
Trish I loooooove your mix!
 
Teeeee said:
Good morning! (And afternoon and evening to our friends in other parts of the world)

This week's mix is just a bunch of songs that I discovered this past year and have been enjoying. An easy/breezy mix to start the work week that builds up to us owning this week!

Enjoy!!!!

open.spotify.com

Mixtape Madness by Te5 Vol. 3

Mixtape Madness by Te5 Vol. 3 · Playlist · 15 songs · 10 likes
open.spotify.com open.spotify.com
Click to expand...
Just to parrot everything everyone else said, this mix is great and helped discover new artists. Thank you!
 
Woob_woob said:
So my first mix is inspired by the day I had yesterday. A good friend of mine moved to New Orleans a few years ago for work. He came back recently and started a new tradition of having a annual New Orleans style crawfish boil (even got the crawfish shipped up from Nola) full with New Orleans staples playing on the sound system. It was a fairly standard family style back yard affair for most of the day, that slowly got weird as the families with kids left. Started off normal enough with a few friends smoking weed, but then an older hippy friend informed us all that he brought mushrooms for the after party. That's when the night gets hazy, but it ended with a back porch dance party.

This playlist tries to recreate the day by starting hot and slowly cooling down as the day goes on. I used some of the New Orleans artists played,(Meters, Rebirth, Preservation, Curren$y) newer artists that friends and I were hyping all day (King Gizz, Jamila Woods, Tierra Whack) and finally songs that represent the drugs kicking in( Do The Astral Plane, Wham City, Seeing Aliens) and the dance party that kicked off after (Peggy Gou - It Makes You Forget)
Hope you all enjoy

Click to expand...

This goes everywhere and it's a great journey. The jazz/funk pieces in front was a stellar beginning with a fabulous transition to the hip hop. And the last few songs were just the kicker. Great mix!
 
I thought this thread was a discussion on hip hop mixtapes, like Chance's Acid Rap. Thanks to the N&G twitter, I now know it's much cooler than that haha excited to check these out!
 


This is an unnecessarily long write up to pair with the playlist outlining how it came about and what the playlist itself is about….please feel free to just go straight to the music or read as you’re playing but I don’t expect everyone to read this lol. Also sorry this was delayed two weeks - as @Woob_woob said some life stuff got in the way. All good now.


Usually my playlists attempt to capture a certain vibe or are made for a particular purpose (driving, working out, making love, etc.) but this playlist was a little more ambitious. It attempts to tell a story in a short 15 songs. The essence or the motto of this playlist is the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul, then I can’t listen to it.” This is a line from the song located in the middle of the playlist, The Vent, by Big K.R.I.T. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time and this line has always stuck with me. It became something that lived in the back of my mind as I was seeking out new music and trying to understand why I enjoy the music do. It is not a pure hip hop playlist, but everything about it relates back to that genre in some form. I think it’s such an incredible genre because of the obvious influences, samples, and styles it takes from other black music - soul, jazz, blues, R&B, go-go, disco, etc. The playlist starts out slow with some soul and ends slow (but triumphantly) with some more laid back, soulful hip hop cuts. The middle is where it gets interesting. Hip-hop fans should feel right at home, but those not as familiar may see this as a more challenging listen. However, I think there’s something for everyone in here. This mix is pretty dense. It was very hard to narrow down to 15 songs. I don’t think it’s the most cohesive, but I guess that’s part of the journey. There’s definitely some ups and downs, some more abrupt than others…some pointing out the irony between the dichotomies of complex vs. simple, deep vs. superficial, light vs. dark.


As much as the playlist is about finding soul in music, it is about my personal journey of music growing up to now and how it’s evolved over time. In one sense, I think the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul…” can be somewhat limiting when viewed in a strict sense of seeking out music that has aspects of “true hip hop”, strong lyrical content, or obvious soulful components. This relates to my brief stint as kind of backpacker (after discovering Lupe Fiasco and becoming obsessed with lyrics). For those that don’t know, a backpacker is someone who is basically an asshole ad self-described “true hip hop head” who only listens to conscious rap or underground rap acts. “Drizzy Drake? Psshhhh, have you heard that 1993 demo tape from MC TrashPakker who recorded the whole thing behind a Denny’s on a $20 microphone while his girlfriend was shooting heroin. It shits all over that wack Take Care shit. That’s REAL HIP HOP” is something you may have heard a backpacker say around the early 2010s. Jokes, aside it took me a while to grow out of this obsession with conscious hip hop, lyrics, and breaking down music to the components I found essential.


Artists like Young Thug, Yung Lean, Underachievers, Action Bronson and others really helped expand my vision of what music should be and what hip hop can be around the middle of this decade. Hip hop has never been about what you’re saying but how you’re saying it. Sure you could just say “When I was a poor kid I tried to dress nice but I had to sell drugs to get by”, but that’s not nearly as compelling as when Raekwon spits “A young youth, yo, rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose. Only way I begin the G off was drug loot”. Of course a lot has changed since the golden era when beats allowed lyrics to take the forefront and bars were backing with literary devices, but to say that any creativity, lyrical ability or artistry has been evaporated from contemporary hip hop is ignorant to say the least.


There was no way I was going to be able to make this playlist without a strong influence from southern hip hop, which explains the inclusion of legends like Project Pat, Jeezy, and the younger southern artists that round out the end of the playlist. It also probably explains my love of artists like Young Thug, Migos, Sauce Walka, Denzel Curry, early Migos, etc. Other than lots of New York hip hop, I was also exposed to a lot of Three 6 Mafia, Jeezy, Chamillionaire and UGK from an early age. I credit that to my friend Everett from New Jersey. I lived thre around 2005-2009 and he was my best friend. We made home movies, comedy skits, and songs together. He eventually went on to produce beats for DJ Khaled, Curren$y and Yo Gotti. He introduced me to a lot of good stuff that shaped my taste in the future. The playlist, in a way follows my personal journey chronologically, frontloaded with some of my first favorite artists like Lupe and Freeway followed by classic New York hip hop, then transitioning to the sounds of the early 2010s of the end of the mixtape era, and finally finishing with some of classic southern hip hop and a few younger artists that felt that influence.


There is definitely a strong emphasis on good sampling and blending of different music influences which are two of the things I most love about music and hip-hop specifically. The playlist originally started with only the first song and the last. I wanted to showcase my love for Maze and one of my favorite samples in a hip hop song. The playlist ultimately comes full circle after taking you on a journey of what it means to me to be music that “touch my soul”. It’s not just something that uses an 80s soul sample or has deep metaphors. It’s something that evokes emotion. Period. Stuff that’s lighthearted and makes me laugh like Buggin Out and stuff that is just real authentic like the Chuck Strangers track. Stuff that is bursting with energy in the vocals and ad-libs like Young Thug. And stuff with bars lyrics and delivery so undeniable you can’t help but stankface while listening like Ghostface and Raekwon. And everything in between. You can’t always explain why you like music and you shouldn’t always have to. This is something I’ve had to learn growing up – I’ve still got a long ways to go. More important than anything I think is to be open minded, so I ask for you to do the same when listening to this playlist. I think it was probably too ambitious a goal for just 15 tracks and probably would look different if I took another month or two to formulate it, but I hope you appreciate it and let me know what you think. What sticks out? What did you learn from it? What could be better? What does it make you feel? If you made it all the way through this very sporadic write up I appreciate you and hope this helped you gain some insight to the playlist and my personal taste for music and love of hip hop. Enjoy the mix!
 
@Teeeee
Forgive the belated response, it's been quite a few days.
Also forgive the copout response because I don't have a ton of time to go into any true depth, but I listened to your mix on a loop when I could this week. It was just everything I wanted to hear! My number one standouts were pronoun (which I will be purchasing sooner than later), Emily King, and Lizzo (I just love her and was happy to see her on your mix, best mix closer ever!).
Thank you for this :)
 
TheLoopDigga said:


This is an unnecessarily long write up to pair with the playlist outlining how it came about and what the playlist itself is about….please feel free to just go straight to the music or read as you’re playing but I don’t expect everyone to read this lol. Also sorry this was delayed two weeks - as @Woob_woob said some life stuff got in the way. All good now.


Usually my playlists attempt to capture a certain vibe or are made for a particular purpose (driving, working out, making love, etc.) but this playlist was a little more ambitious. It attempts to tell a story in a short 15 songs. The essence or the motto of this playlist is the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul, then I can’t listen to it.” This is a line from the song located in the middle of the playlist, The Vent, by Big K.R.I.T. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time and this line has always stuck with me. It became something that lived in the back of my mind as I was seeking out new music and trying to understand why I enjoy the music do. It is not a pure hip hop playlist, but everything about it relates back to that genre in some form. I think it’s such an incredible genre because of the obvious influences, samples, and styles it takes from other black music - soul, jazz, blues, R&B, go-go, disco, etc. The playlist starts out slow with some soul and ends slow (but triumphantly) with some more laid back, soulful hip hop cuts. The middle is where it gets interesting. Hip-hop fans should feel right at home, but those not as familiar may see this as a more challenging listen. However, I think there’s something for everyone in here. This mix is pretty dense. It was very hard to narrow down to 15 songs. I don’t think it’s the most cohesive, but I guess that’s part of the journey. There’s definitely some ups and downs, some more abrupt than others…some pointing out the irony between the dichotomies of complex vs. simple, deep vs. superficial, light vs. dark.


As much as the playlist is about finding soul in music, it is about my personal journey of music growing up to now and how it’s evolved over time. In one sense, I think the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul…” can be somewhat limiting when viewed in a strict sense of seeking out music that has aspects of “true hip hop”, strong lyrical content, or obvious soulful components. This relates to my brief stint as kind of backpacker (after discovering Lupe Fiasco and becoming obsessed with lyrics). For those that don’t know, a backpacker is someone who is basically an asshole ad self-described “true hip hop head” who only listens to conscious rap or underground rap acts. “Drizzy Drake? Psshhhh, have you heard that 1993 demo tape from MC TrashPakker who recorded the whole thing behind a Denny’s on a $20 microphone while his girlfriend was shooting heroin. It shits all over that wack Take Care shit. That’s REAL HIP HOP” is something you may have heard a backpacker say around the early 2010s. Jokes, aside it took me a while to grow out of this obsession with conscious hip hop, lyrics, and breaking down music to the components I found essential.


Artists like Young Thug, Yung Lean, Underachievers, Action Bronson and others really helped expand my vision of what music should be and what hip hop can be around the middle of this decade. Hip hop has never been about what you’re saying but how you’re saying it. Sure you could just say “When I was a poor kid I tried to dress nice but I had to sell drugs to get by”, but that’s not nearly as compelling as when Raekwon spits “A young youth, yo, rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose. Only way I begin the G off was drug loot”. Of course a lot has changed since the golden era when beats allowed lyrics to take the forefront and bars were backing with literary devices, but to say that any creativity, lyrical ability or artistry has been evaporated from contemporary hip hop is ignorant to say the least.


There was no way I was going to be able to make this playlist without a strong influence from southern hip hop, which explains the inclusion of legends like Project Pat, Jeezy, and the younger southern artists that round out the end of the playlist. It also probably explains my love of artists like Young Thug, Migos, Sauce Walka, Denzel Curry, early Migos, etc. Other than lots of New York hip hop, I was also exposed to a lot of Three 6 Mafia, Jeezy, Chamillionaire and UGK from an early age. I credit that to my friend Everett from New Jersey. I lived thre around 2005-2009 and he was my best friend. We made home movies, comedy skits, and songs together. He eventually went on to produce beats for DJ Khaled, Curren$y and Yo Gotti. He introduced me to a lot of good stuff that shaped my taste in the future. The playlist, in a way follows my personal journey chronologically, frontloaded with some of my first favorite artists like Lupe and Freeway followed by classic New York hip hop, then transitioning to the sounds of the early 2010s of the end of the mixtape era, and finally finishing with some of classic southern hip hop and a few younger artists that felt that influence.


There is definitely a strong emphasis on good sampling and blending of different music influences which are two of the things I most love about music and hip-hop specifically. The playlist originally started with only the first song and the last. I wanted to showcase my love for Maze and one of my favorite samples in a hip hop song. The playlist ultimately comes full circle after taking you on a journey of what it means to me to be music that “touch my soul”. It’s not just something that uses an 80s soul sample or has deep metaphors. It’s something that evokes emotion. Period. Stuff that’s lighthearted and makes me laugh like Buggin Out and stuff that is just real authentic like the Chuck Strangers track. Stuff that is bursting with energy in the vocals and ad-libs like Young Thug. And stuff with bars lyrics and delivery so undeniable you can’t help but stankface while listening like Ghostface and Raekwon. And everything in between. You can’t always explain why you like music and you shouldn’t always have to. This is something I’ve had to learn growing up – I’ve still got a long ways to go. More important than anything I think is to be open minded, so I ask for you to do the same when listening to this playlist. I think it was probably too ambitious a goal for just 15 tracks and probably would look different if I took another month or two to formulate it, but I hope you appreciate it and let me know what you think. What sticks out? What did you learn from it? What could be better? What does it make you feel? If you made it all the way through this very sporadic write up I appreciate you and hope this helped you gain some insight to the playlist and my personal taste for music and love of hip hop. Enjoy the mix!
Click to expand...


Downloaded and ready for listening :)
 
MadLucas said:
@Teeeee
Forgive the belated response, it's been quite a few days.
Also forgive the copout response because I don't have a ton of time to go into any true depth, but I listened to your mix on a loop when I could this week. It was just everything I wanted to hear! My number one standouts were pronoun (which I will be purchasing sooner than later), Emily King, and Lizzo (I just love her and was happy to see her on your mix, best mix closer ever!).
Thank you for this :)
Click to expand...
Awww, thank you!!!! So happy to hear!!!!
 
TheLoopDigga said:


This is an unnecessarily long write up to pair with the playlist outlining how it came about and what the playlist itself is about….please feel free to just go straight to the music or read as you’re playing but I don’t expect everyone to read this lol. Also sorry this was delayed two weeks - as @Woob_woob said some life stuff got in the way. All good now.


Usually my playlists attempt to capture a certain vibe or are made for a particular purpose (driving, working out, making love, etc.) but this playlist was a little more ambitious. It attempts to tell a story in a short 15 songs. The essence or the motto of this playlist is the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul, then I can’t listen to it.” This is a line from the song located in the middle of the playlist, The Vent, by Big K.R.I.T. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time and this line has always stuck with me. It became something that lived in the back of my mind as I was seeking out new music and trying to understand why I enjoy the music do. It is not a pure hip hop playlist, but everything about it relates back to that genre in some form. I think it’s such an incredible genre because of the obvious influences, samples, and styles it takes from other black music - soul, jazz, blues, R&B, go-go, disco, etc. The playlist starts out slow with some soul and ends slow (but triumphantly) with some more laid back, soulful hip hop cuts. The middle is where it gets interesting. Hip-hop fans should feel right at home, but those not as familiar may see this as a more challenging listen. However, I think there’s something for everyone in here. This mix is pretty dense. It was very hard to narrow down to 15 songs. I don’t think it’s the most cohesive, but I guess that’s part of the journey. There’s definitely some ups and downs, some more abrupt than others…some pointing out the irony between the dichotomies of complex vs. simple, deep vs. superficial, light vs. dark.


As much as the playlist is about finding soul in music, it is about my personal journey of music growing up to now and how it’s evolved over time. In one sense, I think the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul…” can be somewhat limiting when viewed in a strict sense of seeking out music that has aspects of “true hip hop”, strong lyrical content, or obvious soulful components. This relates to my brief stint as kind of backpacker (after discovering Lupe Fiasco and becoming obsessed with lyrics). For those that don’t know, a backpacker is someone who is basically an asshole ad self-described “true hip hop head” who only listens to conscious rap or underground rap acts. “Drizzy Drake? Psshhhh, have you heard that 1993 demo tape from MC TrashPakker who recorded the whole thing behind a Denny’s on a $20 microphone while his girlfriend was shooting heroin. It shits all over that wack Take Care shit. That’s REAL HIP HOP” is something you may have heard a backpacker say around the early 2010s. Jokes, aside it took me a while to grow out of this obsession with conscious hip hop, lyrics, and breaking down music to the components I found essential.


Artists like Young Thug, Yung Lean, Underachievers, Action Bronson and others really helped expand my vision of what music should be and what hip hop can be around the middle of this decade. Hip hop has never been about what you’re saying but how you’re saying it. Sure you could just say “When I was a poor kid I tried to dress nice but I had to sell drugs to get by”, but that’s not nearly as compelling as when Raekwon spits “A young youth, yo, rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose. Only way I begin the G off was drug loot”. Of course a lot has changed since the golden era when beats allowed lyrics to take the forefront and bars were backing with literary devices, but to say that any creativity, lyrical ability or artistry has been evaporated from contemporary hip hop is ignorant to say the least.


There was no way I was going to be able to make this playlist without a strong influence from southern hip hop, which explains the inclusion of legends like Project Pat, Jeezy, and the younger southern artists that round out the end of the playlist. It also probably explains my love of artists like Young Thug, Migos, Sauce Walka, Denzel Curry, early Migos, etc. Other than lots of New York hip hop, I was also exposed to a lot of Three 6 Mafia, Jeezy, Chamillionaire and UGK from an early age. I credit that to my friend Everett from New Jersey. I lived thre around 2005-2009 and he was my best friend. We made home movies, comedy skits, and songs together. He eventually went on to produce beats for DJ Khaled, Curren$y and Yo Gotti. He introduced me to a lot of good stuff that shaped my taste in the future. The playlist, in a way follows my personal journey chronologically, frontloaded with some of my first favorite artists like Lupe and Freeway followed by classic New York hip hop, then transitioning to the sounds of the early 2010s of the end of the mixtape era, and finally finishing with some of classic southern hip hop and a few younger artists that felt that influence.


There is definitely a strong emphasis on good sampling and blending of different music influences which are two of the things I most love about music and hip-hop specifically. The playlist originally started with only the first song and the last. I wanted to showcase my love for Maze and one of my favorite samples in a hip hop song. The playlist ultimately comes full circle after taking you on a journey of what it means to me to be music that “touch my soul”. It’s not just something that uses an 80s soul sample or has deep metaphors. It’s something that evokes emotion. Period. Stuff that’s lighthearted and makes me laugh like Buggin Out and stuff that is just real authentic like the Chuck Strangers track. Stuff that is bursting with energy in the vocals and ad-libs like Young Thug. And stuff with bars lyrics and delivery so undeniable you can’t help but stankface while listening like Ghostface and Raekwon. And everything in between. You can’t always explain why you like music and you shouldn’t always have to. This is something I’ve had to learn growing up – I’ve still got a long ways to go. More important than anything I think is to be open minded, so I ask for you to do the same when listening to this playlist. I think it was probably too ambitious a goal for just 15 tracks and probably would look different if I took another month or two to formulate it, but I hope you appreciate it and let me know what you think. What sticks out? What did you learn from it? What could be better? What does it make you feel? If you made it all the way through this very sporadic write up I appreciate you and hope this helped you gain some insight to the playlist and my personal taste for music and love of hip hop. Enjoy the mix!
Click to expand...

Really looking forward to reading this write up as I listen!!!
 
TheLoopDigga said:


This is an unnecessarily long write up to pair with the playlist outlining how it came about and what the playlist itself is about….please feel free to just go straight to the music or read as you’re playing but I don’t expect everyone to read this lol. Also sorry this was delayed two weeks - as @Woob_woob said some life stuff got in the way. All good now.


Usually my playlists attempt to capture a certain vibe or are made for a particular purpose (driving, working out, making love, etc.) but this playlist was a little more ambitious. It attempts to tell a story in a short 15 songs. The essence or the motto of this playlist is the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul, then I can’t listen to it.” This is a line from the song located in the middle of the playlist, The Vent, by Big K.R.I.T. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time and this line has always stuck with me. It became something that lived in the back of my mind as I was seeking out new music and trying to understand why I enjoy the music do. It is not a pure hip hop playlist, but everything about it relates back to that genre in some form. I think it’s such an incredible genre because of the obvious influences, samples, and styles it takes from other black music - soul, jazz, blues, R&B, go-go, disco, etc. The playlist starts out slow with some soul and ends slow (but triumphantly) with some more laid back, soulful hip hop cuts. The middle is where it gets interesting. Hip-hop fans should feel right at home, but those not as familiar may see this as a more challenging listen. However, I think there’s something for everyone in here. This mix is pretty dense. It was very hard to narrow down to 15 songs. I don’t think it’s the most cohesive, but I guess that’s part of the journey. There’s definitely some ups and downs, some more abrupt than others…some pointing out the irony between the dichotomies of complex vs. simple, deep vs. superficial, light vs. dark.


As much as the playlist is about finding soul in music, it is about my personal journey of music growing up to now and how it’s evolved over time. In one sense, I think the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul…” can be somewhat limiting when viewed in a strict sense of seeking out music that has aspects of “true hip hop”, strong lyrical content, or obvious soulful components. This relates to my brief stint as kind of backpacker (after discovering Lupe Fiasco and becoming obsessed with lyrics). For those that don’t know, a backpacker is someone who is basically an asshole ad self-described “true hip hop head” who only listens to conscious rap or underground rap acts. “Drizzy Drake? Psshhhh, have you heard that 1993 demo tape from MC TrashPakker who recorded the whole thing behind a Denny’s on a $20 microphone while his girlfriend was shooting heroin. It shits all over that wack Take Care shit. That’s REAL HIP HOP” is something you may have heard a backpacker say around the early 2010s. Jokes, aside it took me a while to grow out of this obsession with conscious hip hop, lyrics, and breaking down music to the components I found essential.


Artists like Young Thug, Yung Lean, Underachievers, Action Bronson and others really helped expand my vision of what music should be and what hip hop can be around the middle of this decade. Hip hop has never been about what you’re saying but how you’re saying it. Sure you could just say “When I was a poor kid I tried to dress nice but I had to sell drugs to get by”, but that’s not nearly as compelling as when Raekwon spits “A young youth, yo, rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose. Only way I begin the G off was drug loot”. Of course a lot has changed since the golden era when beats allowed lyrics to take the forefront and bars were backing with literary devices, but to say that any creativity, lyrical ability or artistry has been evaporated from contemporary hip hop is ignorant to say the least.


There was no way I was going to be able to make this playlist without a strong influence from southern hip hop, which explains the inclusion of legends like Project Pat, Jeezy, and the younger southern artists that round out the end of the playlist. It also probably explains my love of artists like Young Thug, Migos, Sauce Walka, Denzel Curry, early Migos, etc. Other than lots of New York hip hop, I was also exposed to a lot of Three 6 Mafia, Jeezy, Chamillionaire and UGK from an early age. I credit that to my friend Everett from New Jersey. I lived thre around 2005-2009 and he was my best friend. We made home movies, comedy skits, and songs together. He eventually went on to produce beats for DJ Khaled, Curren$y and Yo Gotti. He introduced me to a lot of good stuff that shaped my taste in the future. The playlist, in a way follows my personal journey chronologically, frontloaded with some of my first favorite artists like Lupe and Freeway followed by classic New York hip hop, then transitioning to the sounds of the early 2010s of the end of the mixtape era, and finally finishing with some of classic southern hip hop and a few younger artists that felt that influence.


There is definitely a strong emphasis on good sampling and blending of different music influences which are two of the things I most love about music and hip-hop specifically. The playlist originally started with only the first song and the last. I wanted to showcase my love for Maze and one of my favorite samples in a hip hop song. The playlist ultimately comes full circle after taking you on a journey of what it means to me to be music that “touch my soul”. It’s not just something that uses an 80s soul sample or has deep metaphors. It’s something that evokes emotion. Period. Stuff that’s lighthearted and makes me laugh like Buggin Out and stuff that is just real authentic like the Chuck Strangers track. Stuff that is bursting with energy in the vocals and ad-libs like Young Thug. And stuff with bars lyrics and delivery so undeniable you can’t help but stankface while listening like Ghostface and Raekwon. And everything in between. You can’t always explain why you like music and you shouldn’t always have to. This is something I’ve had to learn growing up – I’ve still got a long ways to go. More important than anything I think is to be open minded, so I ask for you to do the same when listening to this playlist. I think it was probably too ambitious a goal for just 15 tracks and probably would look different if I took another month or two to formulate it, but I hope you appreciate it and let me know what you think. What sticks out? What did you learn from it? What could be better? What does it make you feel? If you made it all the way through this very sporadic write up I appreciate you and hope this helped you gain some insight to the playlist and my personal taste for music and love of hip hop. Enjoy the mix!
Click to expand...

Quite an essay, unfortunately I don't have time atm to read it but will later today. Luckily I can at least listen to the mix and am looking forward to it.
 
Downloading @TheLoopDigga's playlist now to listen to at work tomorrow! 3 Things:

1. Can I be added to the list?
2. Can we link to the post where the mixtape master talks about their mix in the first post as well? I can't easily find the first few.
3. Is this randomly selected, or is it going in order?

Thanks!
 
RowBearToe said:
Downloading @TheLoopDigga's playlist now to listen to at work tomorrow! 3 Things:

1. Can I be added to the list?
2. Can we link to the post where the mixtape master talks about their mix in the first post as well? I can't easily find the first few.
3. Is this randomly selected, or is it going in order?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
1. Yes.
2. Good idea, will do.
3. Going in order, til we run out of volunteers. The list is on the first page.
 
TheLoopDigga said:


This is an unnecessarily long write up to pair with the playlist outlining how it came about and what the playlist itself is about….please feel free to just go straight to the music or read as you’re playing but I don’t expect everyone to read this lol. Also sorry this was delayed two weeks - as @Woob_woob said some life stuff got in the way. All good now.


Usually my playlists attempt to capture a certain vibe or are made for a particular purpose (driving, working out, making love, etc.) but this playlist was a little more ambitious. It attempts to tell a story in a short 15 songs. The essence or the motto of this playlist is the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul, then I can’t listen to it.” This is a line from the song located in the middle of the playlist, The Vent, by Big K.R.I.T. It’s one of my favorite songs of all time and this line has always stuck with me. It became something that lived in the back of my mind as I was seeking out new music and trying to understand why I enjoy the music do. It is not a pure hip hop playlist, but everything about it relates back to that genre in some form. I think it’s such an incredible genre because of the obvious influences, samples, and styles it takes from other black music - soul, jazz, blues, R&B, go-go, disco, etc. The playlist starts out slow with some soul and ends slow (but triumphantly) with some more laid back, soulful hip hop cuts. The middle is where it gets interesting. Hip-hop fans should feel right at home, but those not as familiar may see this as a more challenging listen. However, I think there’s something for everyone in here. This mix is pretty dense. It was very hard to narrow down to 15 songs. I don’t think it’s the most cohesive, but I guess that’s part of the journey. There’s definitely some ups and downs, some more abrupt than others…some pointing out the irony between the dichotomies of complex vs. simple, deep vs. superficial, light vs. dark.


As much as the playlist is about finding soul in music, it is about my personal journey of music growing up to now and how it’s evolved over time. In one sense, I think the phrase “If it don’t touch my soul…” can be somewhat limiting when viewed in a strict sense of seeking out music that has aspects of “true hip hop”, strong lyrical content, or obvious soulful components. This relates to my brief stint as kind of backpacker (after discovering Lupe Fiasco and becoming obsessed with lyrics). For those that don’t know, a backpacker is someone who is basically an asshole ad self-described “true hip hop head” who only listens to conscious rap or underground rap acts. “Drizzy Drake? Psshhhh, have you heard that 1993 demo tape from MC TrashPakker who recorded the whole thing behind a Denny’s on a $20 microphone while his girlfriend was shooting heroin. It shits all over that wack Take Care shit. That’s REAL HIP HOP” is something you may have heard a backpacker say around the early 2010s. Jokes, aside it took me a while to grow out of this obsession with conscious hip hop, lyrics, and breaking down music to the components I found essential.


Artists like Young Thug, Yung Lean, Underachievers, Action Bronson and others really helped expand my vision of what music should be and what hip hop can be around the middle of this decade. Hip hop has never been about what you’re saying but how you’re saying it. Sure you could just say “When I was a poor kid I tried to dress nice but I had to sell drugs to get by”, but that’s not nearly as compelling as when Raekwon spits “A young youth, yo, rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose. Only way I begin the G off was drug loot”. Of course a lot has changed since the golden era when beats allowed lyrics to take the forefront and bars were backing with literary devices, but to say that any creativity, lyrical ability or artistry has been evaporated from contemporary hip hop is ignorant to say the least.


There was no way I was going to be able to make this playlist without a strong influence from southern hip hop, which explains the inclusion of legends like Project Pat, Jeezy, and the younger southern artists that round out the end of the playlist. It also probably explains my love of artists like Young Thug, Migos, Sauce Walka, Denzel Curry, early Migos, etc. Other than lots of New York hip hop, I was also exposed to a lot of Three 6 Mafia, Jeezy, Chamillionaire and UGK from an early age. I credit that to my friend Everett from New Jersey. I lived thre around 2005-2009 and he was my best friend. We made home movies, comedy skits, and songs together. He eventually went on to produce beats for DJ Khaled, Curren$y and Yo Gotti. He introduced me to a lot of good stuff that shaped my taste in the future. The playlist, in a way follows my personal journey chronologically, frontloaded with some of my first favorite artists like Lupe and Freeway followed by classic New York hip hop, then transitioning to the sounds of the early 2010s of the end of the mixtape era, and finally finishing with some of classic southern hip hop and a few younger artists that felt that influence.


There is definitely a strong emphasis on good sampling and blending of different music influences which are two of the things I most love about music and hip-hop specifically. The playlist originally started with only the first song and the last. I wanted to showcase my love for Maze and one of my favorite samples in a hip hop song. The playlist ultimately comes full circle after taking you on a journey of what it means to me to be music that “touch my soul”. It’s not just something that uses an 80s soul sample or has deep metaphors. It’s something that evokes emotion. Period. Stuff that’s lighthearted and makes me laugh like Buggin Out and stuff that is just real authentic like the Chuck Strangers track. Stuff that is bursting with energy in the vocals and ad-libs like Young Thug. And stuff with bars lyrics and delivery so undeniable you can’t help but stankface while listening like Ghostface and Raekwon. And everything in between. You can’t always explain why you like music and you shouldn’t always have to. This is something I’ve had to learn growing up – I’ve still got a long ways to go. More important than anything I think is to be open minded, so I ask for you to do the same when listening to this playlist. I think it was probably too ambitious a goal for just 15 tracks and probably would look different if I took another month or two to formulate it, but I hope you appreciate it and let me know what you think. What sticks out? What did you learn from it? What could be better? What does it make you feel? If you made it all the way through this very sporadic write up I appreciate you and hope this helped you gain some insight to the playlist and my personal taste for music and love of hip hop. Enjoy the mix!
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Yay glad to see some hip hop in this.
Will comment some more later but I gotta say the 1st track is so nice. The intro reminds me of G-Dep "everyday"



and the ending reminds me of Sonic 3's Launch Base Zone



Both clearly influenced by this.
 
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