Welcome to Mixtape Mashup 2009! We have had so many artists breaking into the homo-hop genre of rap that we had to find a place just for mix tape artist. If you think you have what it takes to be the next gay rap star submit your mix tape to chief reviewer Rex Stone and hear, The Good, The Bad, and The Truth about your album. This year we are going to mash it or trash it. So make sure you check back in frequently because we will keep coming with the latest reviews on mix tape albums and singles. One Love!

The chief reviewer for Mixtape Mashup is Rex Stone, a writer with a degree in history and marketing, and a love for mixtapes.

To have your mixtape reviewed, please EMAIL it to:

rexstone@live.com

We also welcome other mixtape reviews from whoever takes the initiative one to write one and send it to us at: mixtapemashup@outhiphop.com

When you download a CD or mix-tape from a familiar artist you pretty much know what to expect from them. Granthm gives you everything you expect and even more. This time we get to listen to his life told in his own words and unique vocal abilities. Granthm has certainly stepped his game up with this mix-tape…well as I know it!

Each Mornin – track was cool, lyrics okay, volumes need to be worked on!

Goodnight (ft. Baron) – Baron was hot on this, you were cool, liked this!

Got Till It’s Gone – liked the track, delivery was better, it was good!

Grown Man With Class (Billy Madison) – the beat was dark, the song was okay!

Jimmy’s Poetic Justice – you weren’t as monotone as usual, I guess it does get better!

Like That (Verbal Exercise) – track was tight, lyrics were cool, production on point…A+!

Phones – my only complaint is the production, otherwise this is fire!

Smoke Filled Car – I thought this was okay!

The Break Up – the track is one of my all time joints, lyrically not bad at all!

The Light – I think the production made me dislike it!

The Struggle (ft. Kaoz) – This is one of the best songs you ever made, great collaboration!

Granthm – I must admit going into this review I was apprehensive about sitting through 13 of your songs with your monotone voice. I do apologize. This was actually a good album. The eclectic vibe of the tracks, emotionally charged lyrics, and a better delivery in certain songs makes this album worthy of a repeat listen. The thing you need to work on now is production. Invest in either a mixer or some studio time with a real engineer. Also you really should work on your breathing the run-on sentences are a buzz kill. All in all “Life As I Know It” seems good for you now!

I give this mix-tape 3.5 Stones because I’m feeling it!

Gayhiphop.com Presents…Chopped N’Lubed vol.1 by DJ Klustor

Some of Gay hip-hop’s biggest stars shine on this mix-tape making it a must have for any OHH connoisseur. Most of the songs have been featured by the artist already but they have been chopped up by Dj Klustor and refreshed in a way that the south will rise again. Featuring such artist as Last Offence, Bry’Nt, Soce, Tim’m West, and Aggracyst this CD has a lot to offer. In order of artist song…

Humility’s Hand - Lyrically you were on point and you had good delivery. Overall good song!

T. Fixx ft. Last Offence – The song was cool. L.O. made it better!

Johnny Dangerous – I don’t take it seriously. It was funny but that’s about it!

Tim’m west – I feel like I was back in History Class, lol! Liked the song!

Soce – The song was cute. The chorus was lame, but at least you can sing!

Q. Boy ft. Wayne Latham – The track was cool. The singing was not a good look. Just okay!

Aggracyst - I love artist who think they are as good as the music they put out! Sort of Impressed!

Last Offence – Lyrically the best on the whole CD. Best Song too, but hey what do I know lol!

Bry’Nt ft. Nano Reyes – Not the best diss song but lyrically vicious! Nano should have gone first!

Overall Chopped N’ Lubed was a cool mix-tape! Being from Houston the home of “chop and screw” music I really wasn’t that impressed by DJ Klustor. The songs weren’t chopped enough and they almost sounded like the same old versions we heard before. I really think that on volume 2 that you really get into doing what you advertise. I have to admit that I think that some of the songs were dull but hey I understand you have to work with what you got. So A for effort but C for everything else!!!

I give this mix-tape 3 Stones because I enjoyed listening to it!

Prince Cat Eyez…You have come a long way in this game from your lyrics to your music to the selection of tracks that work best for your style. I don’t think that you should waste any of your time singing . rapping is what your best at even if you aren’t the best lyricist in the game, you have talent. I think right now that you are probably the King of the Diss but don’t push it there is always someone better!!!

I give this mixtape 3 Stones because he really did his thing !

 When you listen to a mix-tape you come to expect certain things from it, especially with homo-hop. What I didn’t expect was that the 80/20 rule could and would apply to music. J.Knight ‘s new album “The Mix-tape Before the CD!” is 80% Good Production, 20% Swag/Presentation, 80%  cool Lyrics, and 20%Delivery! This really just makes it an okay CD to listen to. About time that you get to the end of it you might find yourself wondering  what the hell just happened and what did I just listen too? The lyrics are definitely the best when J.Knight is freestyling but that’s about it.

Although this artist is starting to make his own music and put together original albums. I don’t know if I can say that he learned anything from the last mix-tape that he put out. The production is a lot better but it could always be 100% instead of 80% but hey you get what you pay for. The best songs on “TMBTC” are the freestyles and that what J is good at. Listen to the album from beginning to end to see what your take is on it.

Overall I think that J.Knight better step up in all the places that he is lacking because it is not a good look. Most artist have a formula or a plan when they make a CD even if it is a mix-tape and this made J look like an amateur. Your swag should beon point when you make a song. Let’s hope that the CD that he has us anticipating for is better than this mix-tape!

I’m giving this 2 stones because I at least respect his hustle!



Prince Cat-Eyez – “Cali’s Don Cheetah”

The Good:

Cats really do have nine lives and “Cali’s Don Cheetah” proves it. The west coast has brought out the claws this time and they sent Prince Cat Eyes to fight back. Updated rhyme skills and phat beats cover this album from the beginning to end. Hot tracks on this mix-tape include… “No Threat To Me”, “Hard 4 A Fem”, “Oh Yeah”, and the title track. For all of those who took this artist as a (pussy)cat, watch this cat roar!

The Bad:

When you give an artist a critique you wonder if they take what you said with a grain of salt or do they do their own damn thing! I can’t tell with this CD because it sounds like the same thing as before. The beats are tight, the flow is so-so, and the lyrics are still not up to par with what they should be for a true rap artist, but if Cat eyes is just an entertainer then there is nothing wrong with “Cali’s Don Cheetah”. The skits we’re cool and all the impersonations we’re funny and the collaborations we’re okay, but I don’t think that you can be called one of the best with this album. You really spent way to much time trying to diss people and then shouting how much better you are than everyone else, yet you we’re about to retire!

The Truth:

No matter if you are a fem artist or a masculine artist the whole concept of rap is having the basic skills to put together thoughts, words, and emotions, with a flow that should ride a beat and be able to switch up with the songs. Prince Cat Eyes is able to achieve that about 80% of the time on this album. Some songs are not well written, but other songs have all the elements they need to make them hits. I can say that the production on most songs is exceptional and worthy of a playback and this artist can write a nice diss song. All in all rap music no matter gay or straight has to have something relevant to say and your spit game should be A+ not B-! Hopefully with new management and a serious look at the game right now will make this artist step his game up to the plateau where he needs to be.

The Recommendation:

Mash It! He actually does take this rap thing seriously!

Porn Star II: The Director’s Cut - Bry'Nt

The Good:

The sophomore album is always either a hit or miss for an artist and with Porn Star II (The Directors Cut), homo-hop artist Bry’Nt has hit it out of the ballpark. This time he chose beats that complimented his style and fit his flow perfectly. Bry’Nt has proven that he can hold his own when it comes to hip-hop and his improvement lyrically made this album a definite hit. Hot tracks include “Beat It Up”, “Yes”, “Hello, Goodbye”, and “Test My Gangsta”.

The Bad:

The problem with PS2, is that by time the album came out we had already heard most of the songs on it. Some songs begin to lack substance after all the sexual innuendos and references to his rap nemesis. When you are a part of a track that talks about stepping up your pen game, you have to make sure that you bring it 100% every time you grab the mic!

The Truth:

No matter what anyone says, artists make songs that they like and that they want their fans to enjoy. Porn Star II (The Directors Cut) is a great album from beginning to end. The lyrics are better this time around, the tracks are well put together and his delivery is amazing. No matter if you think Bry’Nt is a fluke or just nice to look at, you can’t deny the fact that this rapper is the hardest working man in the movement!

The Recommendation:

Mash It on the regular. Beat It Up!

Bone(Intell) - "Changing Faces" (vol.2)

The Good:
Rap music is an art form that goes through trends every couple of years, the trends change what is hot at the moment on the music scene. Sometimes it's teen rappers, female rappers, down-south, west coast, or the east coast phonomenon. This time we might be able to include out hip-hop with the help of Bone(Intell) and his latest mixtape "Changing Faces" (vol.2)! This CD is a true look into a rapper who has everything from lyrics to delivery, to passion and determination for this thing we call hip-hop, and he should be applauded for that! Bone(Intell) might not be crowned the king but he sure has everything he needs to conquer and become the emperor. With joints that will reign supreme as legends for all aspiring new homo-hoppers including: "Can't Leave Rap Alone", "I Swear", "Legend", "Dream", and "My Dick!" This is out hip-hop at its hardest, grimiest, and street credible as it can get!

The Bad:
Even the best have problems because if they didn't they would be perfect. The production on some of the songs was touch and go making it sometimes hard to bear. The real problem comes when just as you are hooked into the song and Bone has spit 16 to 32 bars you find out that's it, the song is over! There is no hook, bridge, or chorus, and for a rapper that is not a song, it's a lot of freestyling! His collaborations were on point even though Sonny Lewis showed up way more than he should have (but Biggie had Lil Cease, and Juelz Santana got Jim Jones), so maybe it's a hood thing! "Changing Faces" definitely lacks on the fact that if there are going to be that many songs on a CD at least 75% of them should be full tracks with all the elements!

The Truth:
Bone(Intell)! Whether his lyrics promote homo-hop, hip-hop, or just the struggle of the artist, it all makes this album a classic that we will all honor and respect. Not too many artist can come this hard and still spit about having men laying on top of him. "Changing Faces" (vol.2) should go down in the history books, when it becomes a complete entity. All the other artist in the game better step their game up and bring 100% everytime they step on the microphone because Bone will!

The Recommendation:
If you don't have this CD, then your not listening to hip-hop music! Every homo-hop artist should have this CD! The Ruler has arrived!!!

(Editor: This marks the first mixtape review from someone other than our Chief mixtape critic and reviewer, Rex Stone. We welcome this review from Laurica Brown and look forward to more contributiosn from her, and anyone else who chooses to write a review. We believe we'll still be getting a review from Mr. Stone as well)

I’ll admit my ignorance from the beginning: I was not familiar with Boneintell’s music or who he was until six months ago. I had never heard his previous mixtape, Changing Faces vol1, so I was only familiar with the free downloads on OHH and the comments from other artists (all positive) that I have heard. Though I wish I could have been exposed to more of his work much earlier, the “Changing Faces Vol 2” mixtape was has been one hell of an introduction to who Boneintell is as an artist.

From beginning to end, “Changing Face vol 2” highlights Bone’s ability as a story teller. Each song is a different glimpse into his personality and his life. From funny tracks like “Fat Boi Shyt” and “My Dick” to the more contemplative tracks like “Stand Out” and “Prophets Plea” to his use of sample from T-Pain to Portis Head, Bone shows his range of his musical influences and talent.

All of the collaborations on this album, from Pegg Starr to Stern to Sonny Lewis were strong. But the stand out song on the album for me was “Legend” featuring King Jabbar. In this haunting and contemplative reflection of his position in the music industry, Bone professes that he doesn’t think the game is ready for him. I think its time we all get ready.

With Changing Faces volume 2, Boneintell is not just speaking to the Out Hip Hop community. He is speaking to the broader Hip Hop audience. Forcing the average Hip Hop heads to nod their head in agreement with his lyrics, making the casual listener slow their steps and take heed to his words. Bone’s lyrics speak to all the underdogs, the people who have been counted out before being given a proper chance and still manage to produce a product/an outcome three times better than the rest. And this is a message, a theme that many of us from all walks of life can relate to.

Not only is this a good album, it brings us back to the fact that Hip Hop is about poetry; it is about the truth and the truth is often contradictory and complex. It is refreshing to hear an album that isn’t centered around a gimmick or controversy, just talent and a story. Cuz at the end of the day, that’s all that most Hip Hop heads (Real Hip Hop Heads) really want—someone with talent to tell them a good damn story, one with some truth , passion and urgency. And it is obvious, to me at least, after listening to this mixtape that Boneintell is an artist who truly understands that.

Stand out songs are “Legend”, “Fat Boi Shyt”, “I Swear”, “Stand Out” and “In it to Win it”. But listen to the whole album. Take advantage of the fact that someone is willing to share this type of brilliance for free and download it immediately. I want to be one of the first to say that I call legend status on this mixtape. This is one for the books, children.

(you can download this mixtape here)

The Good:

Many rappers tend to take their audience on a voyage with their music and let their lyrics flow like a sea of verbal twist and turns from one style to the next. Zero-D has many alter egos that come up on his mix-tape “Infiltrate Enemy Lines”. He gives us his version of hardcore, fem-thug, and even gives us something to dance to. Check out the cuts...”True Gold”, “Jet Force Gemini”, and “Blow Up Ya Boy”. Zero-D has stepped on the scene, someone take notice!

The Bad:

The problem that we find taking a journey with Zero-D is that there is no vessel. The CD is almost a tragedy to listen to. From the poor production quality to the nursery skill lyrics and then to top it off, the delivery is the hook, line, and sinker of this 60 minute Titanic. He even in one song burps on the microphone and doesn’t say excuse me or anything and the album fell apart from that point on.

The Truth:

It would be sad if this was a beginning trend in homo-hop where the artist doesn’t take out any time to put together a quality project in order to just rush the product. The songs we’re weak, the lyrics and the delivery we’re novice and you try so hard but there is no substance in what you have to say. I think you should try again and give the fans and the other artist something that you can be respected for!

The Recommendation:

Trash It! This is 2009 we should be moving forward, not backwards!!!