In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists more creative freedom and less commercial pressure. The term has significantly increased in popularity over the years due to high-profile artists marketing their projects as such. Prior to the decline of physical media, mixtapes were defined as homemade compilations of music played through a cassette tape, CD, or digital playlist and became significant in hip-hop culture. The songs were typically beatmatched and consisted of seamless transitions at their beginnings and endings with fades or abrupt edits. It was then defined as relatively any musical project by an up-and-coming artist. Now, mixtapes have become a label of promotion and marketing for album-like projects. Dictionary.com writes that "the line between an album and a mixtape can be blurry," and that streaming-services rely on the artist to make that determination.
Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, known professionally as Logic, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Gaithersburg, Maryland. He released his debut mixtape, Psychological: The Mixtape in December 2009 under the name Psychological, after which it was shortened to simply Logic. He gained popularity following his Young Sinatra (2011) mixtape series; its third installment, Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever (2013) received critical acclaim and led him to secure a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. Logic's first two studio albums—Under Pressure (2014) and The Incredible True Story (2015)—both peaked within the top five of the U.S. Billboard 200 and received platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Marquis Amonte King, better known by his stage name Shy Glizzy, is an American rapper from Southeast, Washington, D.C. He is best known for his guest appearance alongside Brent Faiyaz on GoldLink's 2016 single "Crew", which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.
Jordan Terrell Carter, known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. An influential figure among his generation, he has contributed to the progression of trap music and its rage subgenre. He first signed with local underground record label Awful Records in 2014, and later signed with ASAP Mob's record label AWGE, in a joint venture with Interscope Records two years later. Carter gained mainstream attention following the release of his eponymous debut mixtape (2017), which peaked at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-charting singles "Magnolia" and "Wokeuplikethis".
Nav is the debut commercial mixtape by Canadian rapper and record producer Nav. It was released through XO and Republic Records on February 24, 2017. The mixtape features a sole guest appearance from Canadian singer-songwriter and XO label boss the Weeknd, who appears on the lead single of the project, "Some Way". Nav handled most of the production himself, with some tracks featuring co-production from other record producers such as Metro Boomin, Rex Kudo, Frost, and DannyBoyStyles. The mixtape received generally mixed to negative reviews from critics, with a 42% score on Metacritic.
Perfect Timing is a collaborative mixtape by Canadian rapper and record producer Nav and American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released on July 21, 2017, by Boominati Worldwide, XO, and Republic Records. The mixtape contains production from Metro Boomin, Nav, Pi'erre Bourne, and Southside among others, and features guest appearances from Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Offset, 21 Savage, Nav's fellow labelmate Belly, and Gucci Mane. It was supported by two singles: "Perfect Timing (Intro)" and "Call Me". In 2023, Nav and Metro announced a sequel to the album simply called “Perfect Timing 2“
Beast Mode 2 is a commercial mixtape by American rapper Future and American record producer Zaytoven. It was released on July 6, 2018, by Freebandz and Epic Records for streaming and digital download, produced in its entirety by Zaytoven. It is the sequel to Future and Zaytoven's 2015 mixtape Beast Mode, and succeeds the release of the 2017 studio albums Future and Hndrxx, as well as collaborative mixtape Super Slimey with Young Thug and the soundtrack to 2018 film Superfly. The mixtape consists of nine tracks and includes a guest appearance by Young Scooter.
OnePointFive is the third mixtape by American rapper Aminé. It was released on August 15, 2018, through Republic Records and Club Banana. The project follows his debut studio album Good for You (2017). The project features guest appearances by G Herbo, Gunna and Rico Nasty. The project was executively produced by Aminé himself, alongside frequent collaborator Pasqué, and features production from Tee-Watt, alongside a variety of producers, including LDG Beats, Charlie Brown, Ckwnce and Davon Jamison, among others.
Mono is the second mixtape by South Korean rapper RM of BTS. It was released on October 23, 2018, through Big Hit Entertainment. It features seven tracks and was accompanied by an animated music video for the final track, "Forever Rain". RM has called Mono a playlist, while other publications have referred to it as a mixtape. It features songs sung and rapped in both Korean and English.
Hellboy is the fifth and final mixtape by American rapper Lil Peep. It was self-released on September 25, 2016. The mixtape was promoted by two singles and later a headlining tour, The Peep Show Tour, in the spring of 2017.
Bawskee 3.5 is the third mixtape by American rapper Comethazine, released on July 26, 2019 by Alamo Records and Interscope Records. It serves as the third installment in the Bawskee mixtape series.
Kobe Vidal Crawford Jr., known professionally as NoCap, is an American rapper and singer. He signed with YoungBoy Never Broke Again's namesake record label, an imprint of Atlantic Records in 2019. His debut studio album, Mr. Crawford (2022), peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and saw widespread critical praise. He is noted for his use of wordplay.
AI YoungBoy 2 is the twelfth full-length mixtape by American rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again, released on October 11, 2019, by Never Broke Again and Atlantic Records. It features guest appearances from NoCap and Quando Rondo—both signees of Gaulden's record label, Never Broke Again. The project features production from several established record producers, including Buddah Bless, CashMoneyAP, JetsonMade, Mike Will Made It, Nick Mira, and Wheezy. The mixtape serves as a sequel to YoungBoy's breakout mixtape, AI YoungBoy (2017), alongside a follow-up to his eleventh full-length mixtape, Realer (2018).
Kenyatta Lee Frazier Jr., known professionally as Ken Carson, is an American rapper and record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. Carson initially gained attention for his SoundCloud releases and collaborations with fellow Atlanta rapper Playboi Carti. In 2019, Carson signed with the latter's record label Opium, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Project X (2021).
X is the second studio album by American rapper Ken Carson. It was released through Opium and Interscope Records on July 8, 2022. The album features guest appearances from his Opium labelmates Destroy Lonely and Homixide Gang. Production was executively handled by Playboi Carti, alongside several other record producers, including Ken's frequent collaborators F1lthy and Lil 88, among others. It is a follow-up to his debut studio album Project X (2021). The deluxe version, titled Xtended, was released three months later, on October 31, 2022, containing five additional tracks.
Opium is an American record label and rap collective founded in 2019 by American rapper Playboi Carti. The label, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, currently holds three acts all of whom are natives to the city; rappers Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, and the duo Homixide Gang. The label is also affiliated with a variety of producers including KP Beatz and F1lthy, who all worked extensively on Playboi Carti's second studio album, Whole Lotta Red.
Bobby Wardell Sandimanie III, known professionally as Destroy Lonely, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. His debut studio album, If Looks Could Kill (2023), peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard 200. Prior, his fifth mixtape, No Stylist (2022) marked his first entry on the chart at number 91.
If Looks Could Kill is the debut studio album by American rapper and singer Destroy Lonely. It was released through Opium and Interscope Records on May 5, 2023. Production was handled by Cxdy, DxnnyFxntom, Lil 88 and TM88, among others. The album is completely devoid of any features with the sole exception being Ken Carson's appearance on the bonus track "Money & Sex". The CD edition of the album was released the same day as the digital version, which contains three new tracks. The vinyl edition of the album was released on August 11, 2023, also containing three new tracks. The deluxe edition of the album, subtitled "Directors Cut", was released on September 29, 2023, including all bonus tracks from all versions. The album serves as a follow-up to his fifth mixtape, No Stylist (2022).
A Great Chaos is the third studio album by American rapper Ken Carson. It was released through Opium and Interscope Records on October 13, 2023. The album is a follow-up to Carson's second studio album, X (2022); it consists of 18 tracks and features guest appearances from Destroy Lonely and Lil Uzi Vert. The album's production was handled by various producers, including Carson himself, F1lthy, Lil 88, Star Boy, Outtatown and TM88, among others.
