Mixtape Monday: DJ Critical Hype, Knxwledge, 14KT, Alchemist + More
This Mixtape Monday features a solid collection of new and recently released projects from DJ’s, producers and dope MC’s.
First out the gate is Knxwledge, with the Gladwemet EP. ClassicBeatz teams with John Robinson, Von Pea and more on Spaces In Noir. Alchemist makes the cut with a quick top to bottom listen entitled Lunch Meat, and Teck-Zilla smooths things out with Soul Buttah.
DJ Critical Hype toasts Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar with The Damn.Chronic mixtape. 14KT drops another set of remixes for Karat Gold Music. Meyhem Lauren also lends his shrimp and champagne flow to a bunch of Harry Fraud bangers on the Glass EP.
Sheffield’s own Rawkid and Uptown spitter Skizzy Mars follow, putting on for the newcomers with solid projects that run the gamut from grime to melodic hip-hop. Oslo’s own Math-Mic closes things out with Nuggets Beats.
Knxwledge - Gladwemet
Knxwledge follows the 2017 MEEK EP and a notable rework of Anderson .Paak’s Yes Lawd! with the six-track Gladwemet EP. Traffic is the lone feature on the lead single “Relapse.” If Knxwledge’s slow jam inspired signature is your twist, this laid-back tape is for you.
ClassicBeatz - Spaces In Noir
ClassicBeatz drops his third project Spaces In Noir. The ten track album explores Pan-Africanism and features contributions from John Robinson, Fresh Daily, Von Pea, Scienze, Denmark Vessey, Miles Bonny, Big Rube and more.
Alchemist - Lunch Meat
Alchemist teams with a handful of rap’s toughest spitters on the Lunch Meat EP. Four tracks and four instrumentals deep, the project is a gritty front to back listen featuring bars from Action Bronson, Westside Gunn, Conway, Roc Marciano, Styles P and Benny The Butcher.
Teck-Zilla - Soul Buttah Beat Tape
Nigeria-based producer Teck-Zilla drops a smooth collection of instrumentals with the arrival of the Soul Buttah Beat Tape. The sequel to his debut Souled Off: A Dedication to Molly Molls, Soul Buttah is the second of three releases he has in the clip for 2018.
DJ Critical Hype - The Damn.Chronic
DJ Critical Hype blends the best of Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar on The Damn. Chronic mixtape. The thematic sequel to his Chance The Rapper and Kanye West mashup entitled Chance The Dropout, The Damn.Chronic appropriately pairs Kendrick’s rhymes with Dre’s production.
14KT - KGM RMX Vol. 5
Michigan’s own 14KT follows Volumes 3 and 4 of his archival remix series with KGM RMX Volume 5. The fifth volume of joints from the Karat Gold Music vault features reworks of standouts from Nas, Anderson Paak, Ludacris, Jamall Bufford, Boog Brown and more.
Meyhem Lauren - GLASS
Meyhem Lauren teams with Harry Fraud on the nine-track GLASS EP. The project features the usual suspects Action Bronson, Big Body Bes, Hologram and Westside Gunn. Lauren stays planted in the pocket with an elegant but appropriately gritty delivery to counter Fraud’s booming production.
Rawkid - Grum Vol.1
Sheffield representative and rising grime spitter Rawkid shines on his debut project Grum Vol. 1. He lends a punchline heavy flow and palpable intensity to the mix for a total of 10 tracks that channel trap, grime, and true school hip-hop.
Skizzy Mars - Are You OK?
Uptown Harlem spitter Skizzy Mars follows his debut Alone Together with the Are You OK? EP. The project is a small bite at five tracks, but bubbly production and emotionally dense writing make up for the brevity. Skizzy’s charisma is the ingredient that brings it full circle.
Math-Mic - Nuggets Beats
Oslo producer Math-Mic serves up “a bunch of nuggets” with the fourteen track instrumental tape entitled Nuggets Beats. Clocking in below the 4-minute mark, each beat is a small bite that boasts soulful chords and samples.
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Karas Lamb writes and digs for tunes you haven’t heard yet. She actually wants to listen to your mixtape. Follow her on Twitter @karaslamb or Instagram @blamblamkaraslam.