im an old school head and i don't really understand mixtapes. i bought them when i was a teenager in the 90s (mostly compilations, and some unreleased/bootleg stuff) but nowadays it seems they are basically complete albums. i have a few specific questions:
- why are they so important in today's rap game? - why is kweli putting out a mixtape BETWEEN official releases? - why does charles hamilton have about 1 billion mixtapes but not one single offical LP?
2. "RE: what's all the fuss about mixtapes? " In response to Reply # 0
>im an old school head and i don't really understand mixtapes. >i bought them when i was a teenager in the 90s (mostly >compilations, and some unreleased/bootleg stuff) but nowadays >it seems they are basically complete albums. i have a few >specific questions: > >- why are they so important in today's rap game?
For a while, they existed in a legal gray area and allowed artists to use samples they'd otherwise shy away from. As their profile has grown, however, that's become less and less the case. Oftentimes artists stick to their guns on these things, though, and fans often consider the mixtape a more entertaining listen than the album.
In recent months, it's also become another source of revenue; Gucci Mane has been a pioneer in this regard, often releasing a DJ mix for free on datpiff/livemixtapes and a no-DJ mix on iTunes for $8.
>- why is kweli putting out a mixtape BETWEEN official >releases?
Artists like Lil' Wayne, The Game, Curren$y and Gucci Mane have made it clear that fans are insatiable and will take as much music as they can get from their favorite artists; the mixtape both perpetuates and satiates that desire.
>- why does charles hamilton have about 1 billion mixtapes but >not one single offical LP?
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