MIXTAPE MONDAYS: Gunplay, 38 Hott, Master P
posted in: Music News • Urban
Hello, hip hop heads! Welcome once again to another installment of Mixtapes Mondays. The new year is now three weeks old, so this time around we decided to highlight three new releases that are guaranteed to make your work week pass by a bit quicker.
After spending so much time listening to, discussing, and reviewing Ace Hood last week it felt good to be buried in new releases this week. Of the dozen-plus new albums that had bloggers buzzing, I found three that stood out as something truly special. One comes from a recently freed man, another from an OS artist you’ll soon be seeing everywhere, and the third the type of release only a legend could create. If you are an aspiring urban artist, submit your OS profile and most recent mixtape to jshotwell@ourstage.com with the subject Mixtape Mondays.
1. Gunplay – Cops & Robbers (Download)
MMG artist Gunplay made more headlines in 2012 for his arrests than his music, but his star continued to rise even in the face of bad publicity (hard to imagine, I know). Now, to mark the end of his court ordered house arrest, Gunplay returns to hip hop with the release of his aptly titled Cops & Robbers mixtape. One listen and it quickly becomes clear his time away was spent refining his craft, which means the rest of hip hop better be prepared for Gunplay’s takeover in the new year.
2. 38 Hott – The Purple : Qush Qaraoke Night Vol.1 (Download)
Nothing makes me happier than seeing unsigned artists begin to achieve their full potential. On The Purple : Qush Qaraoke Night Vol.1, OS artist 38 Hott creates an eighteen-track argument for why he deserves to be standing dead center on the national stage. His ability to move between the various subgenera of hip hop, often within the realm of trap music, is exactly the type of diversity the current urban scene needs. Artists like 38 Hott prove you can find fame while continuing to challenge yourself at the same time, and I hope this release takes him far.
3. Master P – Al Capone (Download)
[Insert “Make Em Say Ugh” joke here] People have been talking about the return of Master P for a little over a year now, but the release of Al Capone finally makes the whole ordeal official. Containing fifteen tracks and nearly twenty features, there are few verses from the Master himself, but nearly every one is golden. Some may call it weak for an aging star to lean so heavily on young talent to get recognition, but I would argue it is the smartest move Percy could have made. His brand faded before social media, and while he still has fans, the younger bucks of hip hop have much more active social followings. If you’re going to return, you need that social media hype, and with this release Master P has assured his comeback is a success.