The New Classics Mixtape [March 2009]: Download

03.31.09

No artwork for this month’s tape, at least not yet. My time’s been real limited lately, but I managed to whip up a new Mixtape for whoever would like it. A few artists appear twice this go-round, but everything’s (2) legit + quality shit. This tape is also special because it features several tracks that haven’t even been reviewed yet here at The New Classics. Trust me when I say that this is the best mixtape so far from the site. Best 20 songs released in the month of March in the year of Two Thousand and Nine, in no particular order besides a transitional one:

Download> The.New.Classics.MiXTAPE_march.2009_

The New Classics Mixtape [January 2009]: Download

It’s been a good month. Tracklisting here, download after the jump.

Best Music for the week of 01.01.09-01.08.09

01.08.09

Sort of a disappointing first week of music for the new year, but there are a few standouts. Eminem & 50 Cent were the biggest but not necessarily the best releases, having both returned to the front and center with new singles. Lil Wayne only put out three songs in the last seven days, and there are a few new artists who are starting to impress. On the rock side of things, there’s only been 2 songs unfortunately, but quality rock music comes out at a slower pace than hip hop anyway. I have a review for Animal Collective coming this weekend, and hopefully that will bring up the rock quota of these lists a bit. Week 1 is complete, and after the jump is the best album, top 5 songs, and worst song for the week of January 1st – January 8th, 2009.

Mixtape Review / Download: Termanology, If Heaven Was a Mile Away (A Tribute to J Dilla)

01.01.09

I was skeptical at first of the intentions of this mixtape. I am quite sure that Termanology & late producer J Dilla (who passed in 2006) have never previously collaborated. Neither of them share any song credits to my knowledge, and at first I was afraid that the relatively-new MC was somehow capitalizing on the trend of saluting Dilla, who has become more known in death than he was in life. In 2007, Busta Rhymes also released a free mixtape called Dilla-gence, providing new vocals over unreleased Dilla beats, but they had been frequent collaborators throughout their careers. How can someone give a tribute to another person who they’ve never even known? If heaven was a mile away, would J Dilla even know who Termanology was? Then I remembered how good an album Termanology’s Politics as Usual was this past year. And I remembered how Term is one of the nicest upcoming artists in the hip hop world, and how his raw, energetic style is remeniscent of early New York rap that we’ve been badly missing for years now. So I started looking at this mixtape in a different light. Term is simply just a fan.

New Music: Reks, System

01.01.09

Song: System
Artist: Reks
Album: More Grey Hairs
Producer: DJ GI Joe
Notes: Official lead single
Analysis: I let my system blow. Let my system blast. This is a song designed for one reason: to beat your speakers up.