January 01, 2016

It was tough to whittle down, but here’s the best mixtapes of 2015, according to yerboi Duke.

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This year was one for the ages, and it was truly difficult to whittle down my favorites to make a year-end list. Traditionally you’ll see blogs or magazines run “Top __ Mixtapes of 2015” but that’s kind of bullshit. Every single one of us has different taste when it comes to music, especially in a genre where geographical regions play such a major role (i.e. the sound in Atlanta vs. New York and the inherent loyalties of that region’s residents). That’s why I’m just making a list of MY favorite mixtapes this year, as I can really only vouch for my personal taste. You’re in luck though, because I listen to almost everything at least once, so I had a massive pool to pick from. The only criteria for a project to make this list was that it had to be free. There’s so much confusion in 2015 about the terminology for mixtapes, EPs, and albums that I kept it simple and included everything free. So no IYRTITL or WATTBA, even though they were misguidedly called mixtapes. Without further ado…

15. Future – Beast Mode
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Future kicked off his monstrous 2015 with his Zaytoven collaboration project Beast Mode. Zay’s keys brought a more uplifting tone to Future’s dark subject matter, making for a really unique sound throughout. Because of what followed throughout the rest of 2015 for Fyootch, this project got overshadowed a bit, but it’s still one of my favorites this year nonetheless.
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14. $teven Cannon – Spare Keys

Cincinnati-to-LA transplant $teven Cannon showed up on my radar in a big way this year. I met him at Fam’s crib right after I moved to LA and he showed me “Xan Man”. From there, I couldn’t get enough. From the work he did with fellow Ohioan (is that a thing?) Aris Ray to his solo tape Spare Keys, it was all flames. I put this one on the list because it was complete front-to-back heat, one of the most whip-worthy projects I heard all year.
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13. Diddy – MMM

Diddy’s music has been hit or miss the past decade, but this project was different. MMM felt like a reintroduction to this new generation of fans for Puff, and he didn’t disappoint. The tape was full of new anthems for the Bad Boy head honcho, plus memorable features from some of the biggest names in the game.
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12. Chance The Rapper & Lil B – Free Based Freestyles
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One of the more hilarious mixtapes this year was a collection of freestyles that Chance The Rapper and Lil B recorded while the Based God visited Channo in the Chi. It definitely wasn’t the most polished tape of the year, but it’s absolutely one of the most fun to listen to. The whole time through, you’ll just wish you got to be in studio with them, but the Based God would remind you to never be jealous.
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11. Lil Wayne – Sorry 4 The Wait 2

(Bic lighter flicking noise) Our first consolation prize when it started to become clear that Tha Carter 5 wouldn’t be coming any time soon, S4TW2 was chock full of bangers. My only gripe was how many times he repeated the title, but even then the songs were still memorable. Tunechi weaved together remixes of huge anthems, plus included a few original cuts to tide over fans until the Free Weezy Album hit Tidal. It didn’t quite match the wow factor of the original, but sequels rarely do so it still makes the list.
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10. Makonnen – ILOVEMAKONNEN2
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I became a real Makonnen fan on this project. I had liked certain songs here and there from the Atlanta artist before, but I had these 7 tracks on repeat for weeks. It’s rare to find great love songs in today’s hip-hop landscape, but songs like “Forever” and “Second Chance” provide just that. I’m wondering what his inspiration was for these sessions, because there’s an element of Phil Collins on a lot of these, maybe even some Elton John.
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9. Migos – Back To The Bando

Though it was released while Offset was still locked up, Takeoff and Quavo managed to put together one of the best tapes of the year. I was never a huge Migos fan, enjoying select songs here and there but never fully committing. That all changed with Back To The Bando, as I found myself turning up to song after song, singing FOOOOREST WHITAKER nonstop for roughly 2 months. That song, along with the cultural phenomenon that “Look At My Dab” started, cemented a spot on this list for the Migos.
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8. Bukkweat Bill – Trap Demon
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Bukkweat Bill was one of the rappers that ushered in this new era for Florida, using sneaky lyricism and vivid storytelling to paint a picture not often told in the glitzy and braggadocious bars of Rick Ross and others from the Sunshine State. I can personally attest from the month or so Bukk lived with me out in Cali while shooting videos for Trap Demon that the moniker fits. However, he’s also endearing, connecting with fans who are also going through struggles with baby-mamas, the police, and drugs. After the Relax Rekords breakup between Bukk and J. $tash, he could have retreated but he stuck his nose back to the grindstone mirror and released by far his best work yet. Keep your ears peeled for the sequel in 2016, completely produced by Lex Luger.
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7. WDNG CRSHRS & Cardo – CRSHRSGOTWINGS

I tried telling you guys all about WDNG CRSHRS, the Atlanta duo consisting of TheCoolIsMac and Quentin Miller. I’m not going to tell you I knew about the pair before all the Drake/Meek stuff because I didn’t, but every time I hear new music from them, I thank the Rap Gods that Meek is such a bitch on Twitter. Otherwise, who knows how long it would have taken me to find these guys. I’m pretty sure the song “UBLWIT” refers to fans like me that just found them, but I don’t care… it still bangs. Mac and QM linked up with one of my favorite producers, Cardo, for a 10-track middle finger to conventional hip-hop. They remind me of a certain other Atlanta duo in the way they use their contrasting flows and styles to compliment each other, making for a truly unique listening experience. Don’t blow it, put this in rotation if it isn’t already.
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6. Lil Uzi Vert – Luv Is Rage

Nobody’s giving Lil Uzi Vert a trophy for Bars Of The Year, but that shit doesn’t matter anymore. I only care about the feeling the music gives you, what it does to you inside. On that alone, this tape was near the top in 2015. Honestly, if not for such strong competition, it would’ve been way higher on the list. I triple dog dare you to listen to this loud as fuck and tell me you weren’t doing weird cooking-type dances that your body has never done before. This shit will possess you, that’s the only word I can think of for the spell it puts on you.
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5. 2 Chainz – Trapavelli Tre

Future wasn’t the only artist to go back to his trap roots this year. After being swept in the mainstream and making countless songs about booties and birthdays, 2 Chainz decided to get back on his Tity Boi steez. It’s the most I ever remember hearing about his actual backstory, and the overall theme was dark, yet lucid. Songs like “Big Meech Era” showed a different side than we’d seen the last few years and he absolutely crushed it. I like this tape far better than either of the Based On A TRU Story albums and hope to hear more of this from Tity Boi in 2016.
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4. Lil Wayne – No Ceilings 2

Lil Wayne probably went through more adversity than anybody on this list career-wise this year. You can hear it in his music, and he’s always put a ton of passion into his work so that’s saying something. The original No Ceilings was a crowning achievement in Weezy’s catalog and while this wasn’t quite as good as that, it’s still great. Like really great. My only gripe is the same gripe I have with any mixtape that’s 24-tracks long, it could’ve used one more round of cuts. Not that there’s many filler tracks, but this may have been an all-time classic if it were 16-18 songs, which is still slightly bloated. I don’t blame Tune though, I know he has a lot to get off his chest. Hearing him and Curren$y on “Poppin” was probably my favorite moment on NC2, but he also went off on “Back To Back”.
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3. Fabolous – Summertime Shootout

Fab has long been a king of the mixtape realm, truly one of the most consistent artists in hip-hop history even though he seems to do it slightly under the radar at times. This tape in particular came out on the same day as No Ceilings 2, so pretty much every person I asked hadn’t heard it. Shame on you if you didn’t, this shit is fuego, as Fablo Freshcobar would say. After a year in which trap music absolutely dominated, it was nice to switch up the pace and hear some high level punchlines and lyrics. Peep the ill banjo sample on “For The Summer” and a mean Weeknd remix.
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2. Young Thug – Slime Season

Some of the songs on here man… they’re incredible. I get that Young Thug is polarizing, divisive, all that. But you can’t listen to “Best Friend” or “Be Me See Me” and tell me he didn’t have a monster year. As an artist, he found his stride and refined his sound. He dropped a sequel to Slime Season a few weeks after the original dropped and that almost made the list too. The dude is a force to be reckoned with, I just hope Birdman keeps his grimy little hands off him so we can see his full potential.
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1. Future – 56 Nights

There really isn’t much to say about it that hasn’t been said. This is far and away the best tape of the year. Future brought back Blues music, using insane melody and the best production of the year to tell a harrowing tale. If you don’t get chills when “March Madness” plays, you have no soul. Plain and simple, 56 Nights took Future from a star to a legend in 8 songs.
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If you fucked with this list, or anything else we did at Elevator this year, show your appreciation by copping one of our exclusive hoodies. They’re not a mixtape, but they were still hot enough to almost make the list. Get one or five here. #productplacement


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