in 2003, i was still a relative newbie to Okayplayer (even tho i’d been a member since mid-2000, i didn’t really start posting til years later which is i think the case with a lot of ppl). anyways, at some point in ’03 i got very sick of the music i was hearing and decided to start perusing OKP members’ links to their own work (rhymes/beats/whathaveyou). and after sifting through many a SoundClick page, i compiled my favourites into one project called: “The OKP Mixtape” (later changed to “THE LESSON MIXTAPE” at the behest of OKP management). the original intent was to spotlight the immense talent that existed/exists within the board community of Okayplayer, a pool of talent that only continues to grow. in total i compiled 6 of these damn things, the first two being solely from open links on SoundClick pages, the rest of them were planned efforts that had themes & submissions. i recently managed to track down #006 and now present to y’all, for nostalgia's sake if no other (well, there IS all the good music too): THE LESSON MIXTAPE SERIES (2004-2008).

oh and i know we cant post direct links anymore but it's all material made by OKPs so i think it's ok to do so....right?

—

http://confessionsofacurlymind.wordpress.com/vahe-aka-araqual-presents-the-lesson-mixtape/

Vahé (aka araQual) Presents…THE LESSON MIXTAPE #001 (2003)

01. chuckfoprez – the smoothness (1:42)
02. donwill – right here (remix) (feat. dwele) (4:36)
03. gravedigga jones & coffin ed johnson – step (4:18)
04. the genesis experiment – free my style (4:02)
05. von pea – love music (feat. thyrdday) (4:01)
06. emc (a brother named george) – for you (3:55)
07. eyesoulated mindz – klymaktik (prod. by illmind) (4:23)
08. mbb – windchimes (4:07)
09. chapter 13 – watchin’ my moves (prod. by rashid hadee) (4:16)
10. esco – radio (prod. by pickled beats) (2:30)
11. kn0wledge brown – slumber (1:26)
12. infinite space (aka nfnt) – black orpheus (3:21)
13. eye+eye – southern trees song (2:43)
14. slopfunkdust – more (4:44)
15. key – a red bird (2:27)
16. marsone – dedication (3:10)
17. skillz – niggaz (2:27)
18. mc delta t – untitled (3:35)
19. dela – jazz shit (4:54)
20. obsidian blue – too strong (4:20)
21. sepia tones – all that i am (4:41)
22. treblefree – paul revere’s safari groove (1:52)

:::DOWNLOAD:::
http://www.mediafire.com/?9oj8vz29z5ozcy9

-

Vahé (aka araQual) Presents…THE LESSON MIXTAPE #002 (2004)

01. mepho brown – lusions of motion (2:10)
02. dj n/a – untitled (3:39)
03. chuckfoprez – november 16 (try 1) (1:12)
04. eye+eye – milkystrings (2:03)
05. trendone – sdb12revolution (1:30)
06. dejavoodoo – somethin’ to bump (2:48)
07. illmind – amazing (4:00)
08. brainchild – countryside (1:08)
09. kneegrow – playing (aka housetrack) (4:18)
10. ilwil – sofar (feat. jameze) (prod. by nicolay) (3:43)
11. kurtis carve – all for the fritos (2:37)
12. little brother – freestyle (1:04)
13. krewcial – the a.l. (3:31)
14. mbb – mumbo jumbo (3:25)
15. nicolay – indian summer (2:12)
16. ear2ear – interlude (0:47)
17. von pea – shake it baby (remix) (2:58)
18. schematix – organic composition (prod. by treblefree) (2:48)
19. rashid hadee – like it’s sposed ta be done (3:52)
20. chuckfoprez – mixdown (0:29)
21. reignzer – who’s that (2:09)
22. the love professor – ya guut (4:28)
23. kneegrow – clip 2 (0:40)
24. treblefree – c.i.m.h (instrumental) (1:04)
25. vahé – think about you (instrumental) (2:40)
26. kn0wledgebrown – relax (1:19)
27. science fiction – 4 letter word (2:33)
28. kayper – silent symphony (feat. lizz fields) (4:11)
29. krewcial – u r u (feat. phonte & tanya saw) (4:32)
30. bintu – ugly (3:54)

:::DOWNLOAD:::
http://www.mediafire.com/?qoqvu360zk372rk

-

Vahé (aka araQual) Presents…THE LESSON MIXTAPE #003 – The Afterparty Sessions (2004)

DISC ONE

01. fuzz jackson – this is me (intro) (2:12)
02. ricochet – the illness (prod. by pete mariott) (3:14)
03. kurtis carve – kender chodes (2:56)
04. manchild – late nights (4:53)
05. obsidian blue – crosswords (feat. eye+eye) (3:47)
06. vision productions – baby u gotta chill (1:54)
07. tariq3 – frailty (3:54)
08. knonsense – sit back, relax (2:53)
09. jaymack – by the shore (3:32)
10. pickled beats – public diplomacy (1:46)
11. rhyson – sum shit i wrote (1:04)
12. ascension – regardless (feat. asylum7) (2:55)
13. les w – it’s love (1:52)
14. jersey elite – we still (3:24)
15. muddy waterz – dead wrong, live right (3:48)
16. emc (a brother named george) – ya gotta (4:54)
17. ilwil – black snow (4:26)
18. kneegrow – dream sequence (3:14)
19. skinny kenny – the math (feat. rashid hadee) (prod. by rashid hadee) (4:02)
20. john the baptist – throwin’ (feat. lunchbox tha narcoleptic) (prod. by chrematic) (3:17)
21. ear2ear – pod (2:13)
22. spec – some shit (remix) (feat. lek & bennie guinness) (3:15)
23. sole therapy – final destination (5:08)
24. jp75 – the clouds (3:47)

DISC TWO

01. ascension – formal introduction (1:32)
02. obsidian blue – helpless romantic (6:06)
03. mc delta t – spanish session (vocal) (2:16)
04. rx, young p & expedite – still underground (prod. by juice fresh) (3:17)
05. pig & ear2ear – whatever you do (remix) (feat. syntifik) (3:35)
06. the genesis experiment – wishful thinking (4:32)
07. marsone – other poems (feat. derrick the gemini) (1:53)
08. manchild – full colour (4:26)
09. los79 – afterparty (1:52)
10. vahé – all-ways (1:17)
11. esco – brick 2 (feat. mqj) (prod. by pickled beats) (4:07)
12. ricochet – in the building (freestyle) (2:16)
13. sesion31 – tell the world (3:11)
14. vision productions – shuffle (2:36)
15. drugiepokolenie – beat 7 (0:55)
16. dj augdawg – my friend (1:31)
17. chuckfoprez – summer (2:06)
18. dj destruct – something beat (2:19)
19. the logic – summer love (2:15)
20. wale oyejide – people make the world go round (3:45)
21. donwill – fool (key’s mix) (1:23)
22. dj joey joe – lessons from the ghetto (joey’s ummah remix demo) (4:18)
23. brainchild – sweet (0:36)
24. ear2ear – sustain (3:29)
25. jaymack – missed out again (1:36)
26. lunchbox tha narcoleptic – tears of winter (4:27)
27. bassclef – breeze reprise (happy music) (3:18)

:::DOWNLOAD:::
http://www.mediafire.com/?84x508gr9f9544o

-

Vahé (aka araQual) Presents…THE LESSON MIXTAPE #004 – Collabo (2005)

01. vahé – intro (1:39)
02. the black community – luv of my life (prod. by illastrate & jay fab) (4:59)
03. deloach – labor of love (oneself salaam mix) (feat. bavu blakes & poisoned fetus) (3:06)
04. fakts one – born for this (feat. chan) (1:44)
05. sayua artise (of the packslangers) – connect (prod. by radius) (3:19)
06. billy kincaid – raw soul (prod. by jp) (3:29)
07. fusion unltd. – up2u (feat. big tone) (prod. by fusion unltd. for fup music llc–abb records) (exclu (3:19)
08. jesse thorn drop (okp polarbeartoenails) (0:10)
09. dumhi – talk (feat. mash comp & shameless plug) (3:21)
10. stamina – watch your step (feat. zeps) (prod. by logrithmic) (2:45)
11. averajamerican – suburban black boy 2 (prod. by kurtis carve) (2:31)
12. che grand & esco – premonition (feat. lerhuan) (prod. by big nann) (recorded & mixed by haji rana pi (3:27)
13. qualo – coco (co-starring ace) (4:15)
14. dvs – focus high (prod. by obsidian blue) (3:36)
15. mr. wiz – mr. dj (prod. by radius) (3:15)
16. dj. tony tone – tone interlude (1:23)
17. pig & ear 2 ear – globetrotter (nicolay remix) (3:24)
18. t-scar – battle raps (feat. okwerdz) (prod. by domingo) (3:32)
19. presidential – what you want (feat. calico) (3:53)
20. knonsense – mic villains (feat. illus) (prod. by knonsense) (2:59)
21. domestic exchange (shamelessplug & encyclopedia brown) – movin’ on (prod. by anonymous) (3:03)
22. right time – old folks (interlude) (0:41)
23. pearl – this ain’t cool (feat. pig & von pea) (prod. by ear2ear) (5:00)
24. haj – one eye open (feat. mash comp, shameless plug, flud & eq) (3:03)
25. spread – you and eye (feat. bones) (prod. by spread) (4:33)
26. radius – interlude (0:18)
27. bintu – measure of a man (prod. by vahé & bintu) (2:59)

:::DOWNLOAD:::
http://www.mediafire.com/?5at7qmt3ks17wr8

-

Vahé (aka araQual) Presents…THE LESSON MIXTAPE #005 (2007)

01. vahé – the lesson mixtape #005 intro (feat. soulbrotha) (1:16)
02. mario dones (of the sole vibe) – good to give (prod. by jfish) (3:07)
03. ipl – freedom (dollar whine) (3:29)
04. ipl drop (0:16)
05. f.e.w. – good times (2:42)
06. khon el – naughty (0:26)
07. arcane – gone (2:53)
08. black ego – son (0:28)
09. a.v. (of the sole vibe) – this is 4 u (prod. by zaire) (2:06)
10. eye+eye – frigid (prod. by obsidian blue) (3:01)
11. a love supreme – herbie fingers (0:26)
12. dumhi – the world’s largest posse cut (feat. jermacide, trek life, von pea, brown, chris roc 07, shamelessplug, signifire, maxwell shell, ilyas, che grand, john blake, jive the universal, hyphen one, donwill, vex blizzy, flud & mash comp) (3:16)
13. firebrand drop (0:09)
14. athena – mental development (prod. by the moth) (3:38)
15. dolla d – da truth (feat. jp) (prod. by 9th wonder) (2:35)
16. aswahdan (aka tha egyptian conniption) drop (0:16)
17. soulbrotha – broken spirits (prod. by darubeats) (2:57)
18. a.v. & jfish (of the sole vibe) – for your thoughts (prod. by jfish) (2:36)
19. shamelessplug – yao ming (remix) (3:21)
20. royals101 – lesson tribute (0:18)
21. steel town sounds – steel town representin’ (3:06)
22. ryen david – magi (0:26)
23. hellfire club (poisonous dart & buctayla) – even guns jam… (prod. by buctayla) (2:59)
24. che grand – work flow (the beatmaker clock-out remix) (2:34)
25. islasoul drop (0:16)
26. apex – change (radio) (3:22)
27. lunchbox tha narcoleptic – promise (prod. by buildingblock) (3:53)
28. xcacist – the backstreet of my hood (0:28)
29. presidents – all we know (feat. little brother) (prod. by 9th wonder) (4:24)
30. smd – up all night (feat. j-hustle & sirreal mc) (3:43)
31. logic marsalis – black codes (3:14)
32. mic specialist drop (0:17)
33. toy box scholars – three friends (2:51)
34. actual fact – late night adults (prod. by apex) (3:58)
35. nekaybaaw – buttafly bloom (butta’s theme) (feat. mf doom) (1:53)
36. spread – untitled (2:43)

:::DOWNLOAD:::
http://www.mediafire.com/?zochigrilj9us3r

-

Vahé (aka araQual) Presents…THE LESSON MIXTAPE #006 – Fuck The Box (2008)

DISC ONE

01. chachi mandela – whatchadoin (feat. soulbrotha) (2:07)
02. cee knowledge, sabrina cuie & poesh wonder – menaj a trois (prod. by quiroga) (4:34)
03. blinx – lately (feat. willie dudat) (2:19)
04. carlis p. – que groove (3:02)
05. zaire – solay veebay (3:51)
06. dawhud – who’s next! (feat. fash 1, ak-write & just be) (2:47)
07. dub spt drop (0:14)
08. duble treble – treblefreebasin’ (rough mix) (3:09)
09. frank black – sidewalks (feat. the ubolts) (2:26)
10. random – boss battle metalman (the megas remix) (prod. by the megas) (4:46)
11. maxwell shell & real soon – rockin’ with the king (3:34)
12. rhyson & the heist – still raw (2:32)
13. anu-sun – gr8ful dead (4:39)
14. totalrequestlovelive – dilla’s lawn mower (0:35)
15. holdin caufield – candy flippin’ (2:13)
16. islasoul – i am the riot, the one man army (3:57)
17. kouhei & athena – invite only (2:55)
18. kentucky prophet – i sell drugs to celebrities (4:20)
19. undefined – shorter days (4:06)
20. korga – phispeed (5:41)
21. nekaybaaw – nude (2:34)
22. shameless plug – anthem (3:50)
23. kite – fading fast (feat. billy kincaid) (4:36)
24. everything that’s fly – backyard (rough) (3:32)

DISC TWO

01. malachi the nutcracker drop (pt. 1) (0:39)
02. athena – i alone (remix) (prod. by orphan) (3:56)
03. live manikins – anywhere (3:35)
04. made in japan – babyspace (4:10)
05. m.c. logic – progression (3:59)
06. preach – dance (radio) (4:14)
07. mr. sun – in the lobby (2:59)
08. e major – you don’t understand (feat. madaz godfree) (3:45)
09. little vic – my own curse (prod. by k-v) (1:22)
10. honor flow productions – the master plan (4:23)
11. dj chuck ‘the old soul’ drop (0:31)
12. meis – electric underground (1:40)
13. kiar – whatever u wanna do (feat. mar-var) (prod. by mar-var & g code) (2:41)
14. kidd – so sincere (2:24)
15. safe sounds crew – irie members (4:21)
16. q-swag & jon reyes – imagein (feat. 5th ave & dj kwan) (3:39)
17. malachi the nutcracker drop (pt. 2) (0:08)
18. milly july – good (prod. by curiosity) (3:36)
19. key – kay sara (3:42)
20. fermented spirits – can’t lose (3:57)
21. lebadi – yawning (4:07)
22. ayana soyini – rock steady (raw mix) (2:11)
23. black disciple – peace of mind (4:05)
24. tap genius – light in the day of… (feat. dr. martin luther king jr.) (6:11)

:::DOWNLOAD:::
http://www.mediafire.com/?tomo9921d3pdzx5

—–

that’s over 10 hours worth of dope tuneage right there, with a bit of everything to satisfy most tastes. hope these were enjoyed as much as i enjoyed putting em together (shit took some doing, but listening to em all now back-to-back on the headphones, they’ve aged pretty well (mostly lol). peace.

V.

Will check when my bandwidth comes back around, should give me a clue bout whos what musically round here (and hopefully some dope hip hop in the process)!

V.

it's a trip to see the tracklists... i remember a few of these guys from the UGHH.com producer boards back in the day when there was a BUNCH of talent over there in like '04 - '05 and the internet was DOPE! especially for hiphop.haha

in terms of dope talent comin out the woodwork. *someone* had to document this shit lol.

V.

...Gravedigga Jones & Coffin Ed Johnson cause I could never find any info on them back in the day or even now other than the fictional book characters.

Infact on every compilation it's a few names that's not the actual name of the artist like Sepia Tones is actually Preach Jacobs, but I know there's more where the artist doesn't go by that name anymore or was an alias.

>...Gravedigga Jones & Coffin Ed Johnson cause I could never
>find any info on them back in the day or even now other than
>the fictional book characters.

i always assumed Donwill was involved, but can't remember which okps were in it. i think Gravedigga Jones, Coffin Ed Johnson, MBB & that Eyesoulated Mindz crew were the same ppls.

V.

far as overall quality?

Yeah yeah, I know quality is subjective, but yall know...

#004 and #005 get more replay cos i actually bothered to sequence & mix em with a little more care. i love how they flow as singular entities. #006 i love cos the theme was "no genre/all genres", which provided the most diverse submissions/selections.

#001-#003 (while i was re-listening to em for the first time in years) still sound good, but i was working off free downloads that i found on my own (mostly), and my mixing skills were still comin along. but they're good for just chillin to, lotsa dope beats & enough vocal tracks to keep u interested. but with future mixes i just reduced the instrumental beats to interludes, cos 3-4+mins of the same loop can get a bit taxing.

i dunno, i like each half for diff reasons. but i think objectively speaking #004-#006 are the strongest of the bunch.

V.

...Dope you took the time out to put these together man - thats grand!

I think the joints I enjoy the most outa allathese is the Sole Vibe ones - them jfish beats are really somethin...

- nice laidback vibes, dope layers blendin well, slick drums,
also, the zaire one aint too bad either...

Good shhh.

reminds me i gotta get up to date on what they're doin these days.

V.

- Id love to hear an album from them... Lemme know if you dig up anythin...

I was gonna send you a inbox a few weeks back for these.

damn..i forgot about the couple of tracks i had on these wow.

ur welcome dude. ur tracks were always among the strongest.

V.

.

V.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams

V.

V.

Like.. what it was poppin then but ain't poppin now?

i'm going to DL these when I hit the batcave

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymind/sets/thelessonmixtape.

V.

V.

Gosh, the memories...

Anybody got a copy of #006. This is the one chance I got to hear what's left of my work from before my shit crashed in 08!!!

at war with the stylistics

^

at war with the stylistics

seeing all those names.

i keep flirting with doing a new one.

V.

Yessss!!!

at war with the stylistics

but I see I'm actually on two now...

how about that....

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymindredux/vaheakaaraqualpresentsthelessonmixtape001.

V.

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymindredux/vaheakaaraqualpresentsthelessonmixtape002.

V.

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymindredux/vaheakaaraqualpresentsthelessonmixtape003theafterpartysessionsdiscone.

V.

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymindredux/vaheakaaraqualpresentsthelessonmixtape003theafterpartysessionsdisctwo.

V.

The boards use to be live back in the day.

at war with the stylistics

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymindredux/vaheakaaraqualpresentsthelessonmixtape004collabo.

V.

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymindredux/vaheakaaraqualpresentsthelessonmixtape005.

V.

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymindredux/vaheakaaraqualpresentsthelessonmixtape006fucktheboxdiscone.

V.

I totally forgot about these tracks i did...lol 13-14 years ago haha.

Instagram: ascensionmusic

https://soundcloud.com/confessionsofacurlymindredux/vaheakaaraqualpresentsthelessonmixtape006fucktheboxdisctwo.

V.

You the real MVP for this!!


at war with the stylistics

Took me waaaaay back!