Welcome to Tale of the Tape, the one column you know that will give you the raw grease, hate it or love it. We’ve been moving through the trenches for 6 months. In that time period, I kept it honorable with over 100 mixtape reviews. Who else keeps it that funky?

We keep the show moving with some new cats, some veterans, and a mixtape that defies normal Hip-Hop convention. Tiron wants us to Ketchup to his catalogue. Kayo & John Mayer deliver The Kayo Mayer Experience.  Mike Posner And the Brain Trust tell us it’s A Matter of Time. Newcomer cARTer tries to get his place with some heavyweights with The Carter Family Reunion. Hip-Hops CNN, or Capone N Noreaga to you ham-and-eggers come through with their prequel, The CNN Channel 10 Mixtape. You can’t stop us now.

Tiron

Ketchup

Heavy Rotation

The internet has allowed people the chance to showcase their talents in a more open arena. Even so, with the influx of so much material, it is still a tough job for someone with no support to get anyone to lend an ear. Can’t blame the people who need to hear things, we get an influx of bad music every day. Tiron is the reason why it is still worth giving people a chance. Ketchup works as a great primer to the music that makes fans out of your standard Hip-Hop head. With nods from the likes of Blu (“All the Kings”) and Pac D## (“Paper”), as well as holding it down himself (“The High”), this is pretty honorable, so catch up.

Kayo & John Mayer

The Kayo Mayer Experience

Peep It

For a bonafied rocker, John Mayer seems to be in tune with Hip-Hop. From his appearance on the Chappelle show, to the “Waiting For the World to Change” remix that featured some seriously lyrically inclined rappers, he has shown love. Rapper Kayo felt that way, and teamed up with John Mayer to deliver The Kayo Mayer Experience. There are some pretty good mashes here (“Gone Gone Gone”), but John Mayer pretty much steals the show with his songs. This could have used a stronger performance from Kayo (“Waiting”), but he is serviceable, holding this back from the Heavy Rotation crown.

Mike Posner And The Brain Trust

A Matter of Time

Peep It

It’s somewhat funny. When the introduction (“Tick”) comes on for A Matter of Time, DJ Don Cannon comes on and the full out expectation Is a Hip-Hop mixtape. What the tape ends up being is more of a hodgepodge of singing and rapping, reminiscent of Colin Monroe’s Unsung Hero. Instead of the likes of Wale and Drake, G.O.O.D Music artist Big Sean (“Smoke & Drive” & “Cooler Than Me”) is the captain of the rap segments here. While it isn’t as full as Unsung Hero, A Matter of Time does satisfy. Worth a look.

cARTer

The Carter Family Reunion

One & Done

When you’re a new artist trying to get in the game, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle. When you have the same last name as some of the games heavy hitters, it is a decent concept on paper to try to match them up. cARTer has tried that, and while it sounds good on paper, when it seems slapped together, it has the tendency to backfire. It isn’t that cARTer (“$1000 Fit”) is a bad rapper, it’s just that the way the tracks are positioned, you are waiting to hear another Jay-Z track(“My President is Black”) or Lil Wayne track(“Every Girl”). You have to be selfish to stand out and it seemed like he was just happy to be around them, even if it was just music he wasn’t affiliated with.

Capone N Noreaga

The CNN Channel 10 Mixtape

Peep It

It really is tough to keep your relevancy. Unlike other genres, Hip-Hop is youth driven. When you reach a certain amount of time in the game, it becomes harder to reach out to new fans. The latest from Hip-Hop’s CNN, The Channel 10 Mixtape is a mix of both old (“Shine”) and new (“Rotate”). It also has some of their album cuts from Channel 10, which may catch the ear of the public with some of its tracks (“Grand Royal”). They don’t deviate from their roots, and seem to have kept an ear to the streets, something both fans old and new can appreciate.

TALE OF THE TAPE:

Tale of the (Mix)Tape w.3 03.09

Considering the turmoil that has befallen the Infamous camp, for Havoc to drop an album seems right. His main homey Prodigy has been sent upstate for a short bid. Havoc already has the experience to drop a solo attempt, as witnessed by his “debut” The Kush. His latest, Hidden Files, should be enough to tide over people who wanted a signet of the Mobb, but not much else.

Perhaps rightly so, one of the best offerings of the disc happens to be with his longtime partner, Prodigy. “On A Mission”, is a sordid affair filled with the G s*** fans would like. Prodigy goes in, and Havoc supports him well, enough so to remind anyone who has felt they have fallen off as a duo to back up and reconsider.

Another offering that captures the spirit of the disc is “You Treated Me….” Havoc seems to take a backseat as Cassidy makes the most of the beat. The Philly rhyme slayer rips the beat as best he can. “This Is Where It’s at” is in the same vein, this time with Infamous squad member Big Noyd doing his damage to the track.

Havoc’s production is still noteworthy when he’s on point. He has the credit for the entire album, and takes the chance to show his range. With tracks like “That’s My Word” and “Walk Wit Me” he really gets busy with him MPC. Even so, tracks such as “The Millennium” come lame, as the production feels basic at best.

Many of the titles that feature Havoc on the solo tip feel forgettable. “Can’t Get Touched” doesn’t the open the album with a bang. “Heart Of The Grind” is the same in kind, as it doesn’t feel more than filler to round out an album.

Both songs that feature an R&B singer seem out of place as well. The first, “Watch Me” doesn’t feel much more than a track that tries to cash in on the auto-tune craze. The supposed crooner on the track, Ricky Blaze, misses the fact that although the auto tune fixes the voice problems you may face, it doesn’t make up for a weak hook. “Tell Me More” feels just out of place. Instead of closing the album it leaves the listener in a weird place, wondering where the next track is.

Hidden Files isn’t a bad album by any means. Fans of The Kush will find enjoyment with it, but, those who were expecting a tour de force of emotion that explains the current situation of Mobb Deep, prepare to be disappointed. This album ends up just as forgetful as his last offering, and once another Mobb album appears, we won’t remember it.

Havoc Featuring Cassidy

“You Treated Me”