Plus: DJ Kay Slay enlists Cam’ron, Jim Jones, Beanie Sigel, 50 Cent and more for his tape, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid





“Best Rapper Alive” mixtape

Photo: DJ Trackstar

Don’t Sleep: Necessary Notables

Mixtape: Best Rapper Alive?

Headliners: Lil Wayne and Royce Da 5′9″

Co-Stars: DJ Trackstar and the Smoking Section

We Can’t Stop Playing: The “D.O.A.” freestyles; the “Ignant Sh–” freestyles

Essential Info: This is just a mixtape you put on and forget about the fast-forward button. This is one of those gem mixtapes, because you know there’s a guarantee that lyrics will be as sharp as a Peyton Manning pass. DJ Trackstar plays Butch Lewis, promoting a dream rhyme fight between Weezy F. Baby and the Nickel Nine. Trackstar took beats that Lil Wayne and Royce Da 5′9″ rapped over separately on mixtapes and on proper albums and mixed a tape to make it sound like the two were battling for an entire CD. He even has a score card with the track list.

Obviously, there is no way to judge a battle between the two, because these verses weren’t recorded for that purpose, but it’s dope nonetheless listening to the two abuse each track worse than Manny Pacquiao dismantled Miguel Cotto in the ring Saturday night.

We know Wayne composes his bars in his head and doesn’t write anything down. Royce recently stopped by the 1515 headquarters and told us how he attacks his rhymes.

“I got a lot of different methods,” said Royce, who released the LP Street Hop late last month. “Right now in my career, I don’t have a particular go-to method. It’s all different ways I do it. Everything starts with the music. I gotta have the actual beats. I come up with concepts sometimes without hearing any music, but I can listen to a beat and say, ‘This concept that I have in my mind matches this beat.’ I might sit on a concept for years. I got a song called ‘Taxi Driver,’ and I had the concept, but I had to wait on the right beat. I got a Mario Winans beat, and I had to make it mesh. It starts with the beat, then concept, then the flow, then the words. The words are the easiest part.

“I prefer to have everything mapped out,” he added about going into the studio. “I’m a technician when I write. I prefer to have everything mapped out. I like to go in there with all the tools already, then it’s an easier day for me.”

Mixtape: Blockstars 2

Headliner: DJ Kay Slay

Co-Stars: Cam’ron, Jim Jones, Beanie Sigel, 50 Cent, Maino and Mike Beck

We Can’t Stop Playing: Sheek Louch’s “Everyday”; “Warm It Up” by Styles P; “Self Destruction 2010″ by various artists

Essential Info: We listen to the Drama Hour on Hot 97, but there’s nothing like throwing on a Kay Slay mixtape and hearing the Drama King start to yell. You don’t know if he’s gonna call somebody out or shout somebody out, but for damn sure, Kay is going to let you know you are listening to his tape. It’s all good. Right about now, Kay is in full burn mode. He’s starting to warm it up for his next LP, More Than Just a DJ, which hits January 20.

Salute to all the DJs out there expanding your brand and making it happen. You guys continue to drive the culture.

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For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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