dEnAuN joins Rapsody and Scram Jones on his new offering “Told Ya’ll.” It’s been a full artistic transformation for dEnAuN. The Detroit rapper/producer’s formidable run with Shady Records and D12 (formerly Kon Artis) may be a thing of the past, but his re-emergence as a solo act has Hip-Hop heads identifying with his craft more than ever. As the first cut off his upcoming album, “Stuff In My Backpack,” (5.7.15) dEnAun’s recognizable flow and organic production, along with Scram’s additions and arguably one of the more impactful woman in the culture, Rapsody, makes for a authentically refreshing rap narrative that documents Mr. Porter’s rebirth. Like a phoenix from the ashes.

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The LOX is back. Rapping over an instrumental that samples a Kanye line from “New God Flow” and some dialogue from Spike Lee‘s Do the Right Thing, Yonkers’ veteran spitters easily remind us how they earned their status as some of hip-hop’s most respected emcees.They also reference The Hangover. Watch below. This is definitely one of the more engaging samples that we’ve heard in awhile. Props to Scram Jones.

Note: Jadakiss‘ laugh will never get old.

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What up mixtape lovers? Here’s our latest Mixtape Madness!

Cassie, RockaByeBaby

Remember Cassie? “Me & U,” Cassie? Well, she recently released a tape and it’s really good. As the all-gold pistol and jewelry tape cover implies, Cassie is at her baddest: “Bad Bitch” may very well become the anthem. The tape shows a growth that separates the songwriter from her previous tongue-in-cheek style. There’s an abrasiveness and confidence in Cassie that had not been fully explored in past releases. Her specialty is mid-tempo, R&B vibes but even on turned up bangers such as “Bad Bitch” and “Turn Up,” she does a great job. Do not let the tape’s title fool you, RockaByeBaby will swaddle listeners in dirty sex-driven narratives, accompanied by sleek and luscious production.

Standout track: “Sounds of Love” feat. Jeremih

Raekwon & Scram Jones, The Chef Vs The Beast

The best of Raekwon and Scram Jones, in 26 head-bobbing tracks. Not much can be said. Whether you’re already acquainted with Raekwon or not, this is a listenable tape that captures some of his most recent work with a great hip-hop producer.

Standout track: “Shaolin Vs Wu Tang”

Jay Ant, Blue Money

Jay Ant’s Blue Money is pretty good. What works to Ant’s benefit is how versatile his tape is. From cloud-rap high vibes to hyphy bounce, the production that backs Ant reflects the Bay Area scene he reps. As a lyricist, Ant can create some telling stories. “You ever wonder why they tell you things but you can’t trust that,” asks Ant on “Temple Run.” Ant is at his best when he’s introspective, providing moments of insight, in similar fashion to Lil B. “Dreams Promises” is Ant’s “wow” song. There’s a well-balanced combination of memorable hooks, production, lyrical content and flow. Ant is still coming into his own, but judging by Blue Money, he’s headed in the right direction.

Standout track: “Dreams Promises”

Corner Boy P, RNS

“The same streets I call home might lead me to a goner,” states Corner Boy P on tape opener, “1997.” Life in ’97 was not so sweet for Corner Boy P, and this serves as his moment of retrospection, especially considering how much more upbeat the rest of RNS is. What’s enjoyable about P is he can follow in suit with his Jet Life cohorts while refining his own sound. His flow resembles that of Master P and Mannie Fresh, which is certainly a plus. At nine tracks, three of which are basically freestyles over other rapper’s songs, it’s hard to fully get an idea of what Corner Boy P is all about. It’s a decent tape but a few more songs or an increase in original tracks would have been nice.

Standout track: “Box Chevy”

Big K.R.I.T., King Remembered In Time

One thing is for certain about K.R.I.T.’s latest tape: he can definitely produce. Every track is luscious and maintains a southern backbone to it that gives the production a warm and inviting atmosphere. Peep our full review here.

Standout track: “My Trunk” feat. Trinidad James

Lore’l, Billboard Bytch

Now a TV star, it’s easy to forget about Lore’l’s rap sessions with the Outsidaz back in the day. This tape serves as a reminder that she can still spit some pretty hard bars. What’s immediately noticeable about Lore’l is her delivery, however. Confident and unwavering, her boasts hearken back to Lil Kim at her prime, and the production only empowers those boasts. The only complaint with the tape is Lore’l’s sing-song moments, which are not good and unnecessary. Aside from that, Billboard Bytch is heavy in all the right ways.

Standout track: “Outta They League”

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Raekwon drops off some jewels for his fans with his latest mixtape Lost Jewlry EP. The 11 track EP is just a reminder to fans that the Chef still got it, and he can still compete with the best in the league. He kept the collaborations to a few with Freddie Gibbs, Maino, and Faith Evans lending a helping hand. On the production end, he teamed up with Buckwild, Statik Selektah, Scram Jones, and many more. This mixtape is the prequel to Raekwon’s album F.I.L.A. which is due out later this year. Listen and enjoy below.

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