25-11 will be listed now, then I'll release the top 10 mixtapes and finally the top 10 albums, before finishing off with some imaginary awards that all these artists would love to win.
With that being said, let's get to 25-11 from the album section.
25.) Sam Adams - Party Records Mixtape | 3.20- I'm not a fan of many of the beats from this (besides "Hold On", that entire song is great) but you'll find some gems here if you're a fan from Sam Adams. Along with the aforementioned "Hold On", "Share Your Dolla", "Heads Will Roll", "Frat Music" and "I'm On" are solid. This doesn't compare to his debut LP however, nor does it compare to the other mixtape he released this year.
24.) Los - Shooter | 3.50- Los is one of my favorite unsigned guys out there at the moment, but there's a reason why he's still unsigned; I don't feel like he can create his own project. What I mean by that is that I don't feel like he can make something great out of original beats instead of just freestyles like Zero Gravity. There are some great tracks onhere, especially the "Stand The Rain" intro and actual song but I can't put up with Los on some of these beats. Maybe better production would help, but right now I classify him as strictly a mixtape rapper.
23.) Trey Songz - Murder He Wrote III | 3.52- I'm honestly not sure if this is an official mix-tape or not; leaning towards not. Oh well, I still listened to it in its entirety and didn't find anything over the top about it, but it's a solid listen nonetheless. "Invented Sex (Remix)" with Usher and Keri Hilson is a nice re-do to the original on Ready.
t-21.) T.I. - F*** A Mixtape | 3.58- T.I. dropped a solid mix-tape to build anticpation for the release of King Uncaged later on in the fall. "Spazz Out" is the tape's best song, but I wish he would have subbed out some of these songs to save for No Mercy. F*** a mixtape? No, f*** your album.
t-21.) Sam Adams - Boston's Opening Day | 3.58- "I Hate College (Remix)" was the song that started it all for young Sam Adams, but that's not the only standout track. "Kimber (RIP)" is a nice tribute to a friend who he lost while "Opening Day" is one of my favorites from his entire catalog. This is just as good of a listen as the debut album and a better listen than the other mixtape, but it's nothing outstanding.
20.) Trey Songz - #lemmeholdatbeat | 3.63- Trey released his mix-tape just a few months after the release of his album in September. The opening stretch with "Runaway", "Fuck Wit You No More" and "Aston Martin Music" is great, but there are some major weak spots as well. I never want to hear Trey trying to rap over an original Nas song like "Hate Me Now" again.
t-18.) B.o.B - May 25th | 3.69- For so long, the title of this mix-tape confused me cause I listened to it after B.o.B's debut album. Apparently May 25th was supposed to be the release date for The Adventures of Bobby Ray, but it was eventually moved up a month. There's some good songs on here and I love the guest features in J. Cole, Asher Roth and Charles Hamilton.
t-18.) Mac Miller - K.I.D.S. | 3.69- This was the first full project I listened to from Miller and left impressed. The young rapper from Pittsburgh has limited subject matter (which should improve with time) but putting it in comparison to Boston's Boy by another young, white rapper, it does what it's intended to do. Mac's flow at the start of the second verse of "Don't Mind If I Do" is nice.
17.) Royce da 5'9 - The Bar Exam 3: The Most Interesting Man In The World | 3.70- The third volume to the Bar Exam series is another good one, as Royce rips up any original beat you throw at him. The tracklist is a little too long and I feel like there's some filler, but for those songs that aren't filler, Royce continues to say things that have you shaking your head (in a good way obviously). The theme of the entire tape was a nice touch as well.
16.) B.o.B - No Genre | 3.73- I found myself hating a good bit of the production on here, and yet it still got a generally high score. "Beast Mode" is a great opening song, but the tape's highlight easily goes to "Feet Don't Fail Me Now", as it's one of my favorite songs of 2010.
15.) Asher Roth - Seared Foie Gras With Quince And Cranberry | 3.80- Roth has always had talent, showcased by his first mix-tape, The Greenhouse Effect. After a disappointing debut album, Asher came back with a vengeance with this mix-tape. The production is awesome throughout the tape, while my personal favorites are "Rik Smits" and "Sour Patch Kids (Remix)", in which Roth goes toe-to-toe with heavyweights like Blu and Talib Kweli.
14.) XV - 30 Minute Layover | 3.82- Just 10 actual tracks, this is more than a mini-mixtape than anything, but it's still pretty good. Freestyles over original beats like "This Plane", "Nothin' On You" and "Drop The World" (named "Lift The Game" on the tracklist) are the tape's highlights, but with it being such a short project, you can get through the entire thing without finding something bad.
13.) Diggy Simmons - Airborne | 3.85- I'll just leave this review to one line: The final track, "Great Expectations", is a perfect ending because Diggy should have great expectations; especially when he puts together something like this as a 15-year old.
12.) Los - The Louis Vuitton Gift Pack | 3.86-This isn't an official mix-tape really, but Los did put it together so I'll count it. Some great freestyles here, especially on "Monster", "Dark Fantasy" and "6'7". My favorite would be "Fall For Your Type" though because he speaks about a potential deal that fell through without actually mentioning it until the end. However, there's two songs with original beats and they're the two worst on the tape; what a surprise.
11.) Fashawn - Ode To Illmatic | 3.90- This would be up in the top 10 list if it weren't for the actual copy of Illmatic being out there. I don't hate on Fashawn for going over the classic production, but I rather listen to the original than an updated version. Still, the California rapper shouldn't be ashamed because it's a very entertaining release.
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