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The 50 Best Rap Mixtapes of the Millennium | Pitchfork
What does “mixtape” mean anymore? In assembling this list, we asked the question again and again, partly because rap continues to redefine the term. In 2000, mixtapes were generally still piles of exclusive freestyles sequenced by enterprising DJs like DJ Clue–they were promotional tools, pure and simple. In the middle of the last decade, after CD burners became cheap and ubiquitous, rappers like Lil Wayne began using them to build international audiences. And this year, Chance the Rapper released 14 sleek tracks with Kanye West and Lil Wayne cameos that he called a “mixtape,” and it debuted with the backing of Apple.
So there was only one hard-and-fast rule to make our cut: a “mixtape” was a free release, offered directly to rap fans. Other than that, everything else–whether it consisted of beats taken from other rappers’ albums or contained all original music, whether it was offered as promotion for a retail album or a standalone release–was up for grabs. The context of a release, both within an artist’s own career and within rap at large, mattered to us, as did replayability: The best mixtapes of the millennium double as some of the era’s best long-playing rap albums, because the distinction between the two has all but been erased. We hope you enjoy reading and debating as much as we did.
50. Main Attrakionz - 808 and Dark Grapes II ()
49. Max B + French Montana - Coke Wave
48. Wale - Mixtape About Nothing
47. King Louie - Drilluminati()
46. Curren$y - The Drive In Theater
45. Wiz Khalifa - Kush & OJ
44. Jadakiss/DJ Green Lantern - The Champ is Here
43. The Jacka - Street Album
42. Cam'ron - The Purple Mixtape
41. Don Trip/Starlito - Step Brothers
40. Joey Bada$$ - 1999
39. Juelz Santana - Back Like Cooked Crack II
38. Boosie Badazz - Return of Superbad: Mr. Wipe Me Down
37. DJ Green Lantern - Invasion Part II
36. Das Racist - Sit Down, Man()
35. Isaiah Rashad - Cilvia Demo
34. Freddie Gibbs - midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzick
33. Meek Mill - Dreamchasers
32. Drake - So Far Gone
31. Migos - YRN
30. Gucci Mane - Writing on the Wall
29. Future - Monster
28. Young Thug - 1017 Thug
27. Lil B - God's Father()
26. Max B - Public Domain 3
25. Kevin Gates - The Luca Brasi Story
24. Kanye West - Get Well Soon...
23. Tyler, The Creator - Bastard
22. 50 Cent - 50 Cent is the Future
21. Action Bronson + Party Supplies - Blue Chips
20. Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late
19. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels
18. Chief Keef - Back from the Dead
17. Kendrick Lamar - Overly Dedicated
16. Future - 56 Nights
15. Rick Ross - Rich Forever
14. Dipset - Dipset Volume 1
13. Gucci Mane - Burrprint: The Movies 3-D
12. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book()
11. Young Jeezy - Trap or Die
10. Rich Gang - Tha Tour Pt 1
9. A$APRocky - LiveLoveA$AP
8. Nicki Minaj - Beam Me Up Scotty(?!)
7. Earl Sweatshirt - Earl
6. Lil Wayne - Dedication 2
5. Jay Z - S Carter Collection
4. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap
3. Danny Brown - XXX
2. Clipse - We Got it 4 Cheap Vol. 2
1. Lil Wayne - Da Drought III
