Hey, look ma! A real mixtape that has actual mixing!
There’s lots of “mixtapes” coming out these days that involve little to no mixing; indeed, many artists use the word “mixtape” interchangeably with “EP,” and don’t have any real mixing other than the sound engineer mixing their individual tracks.
Then came DJ Aaron LaCrate’s Dope on the Tables mixtape, where the self-proclaimed dope DJ actually gets down and dirty, and does some real mixing. It’s an old-school mix that pays homage to the golden era hip hop that we love, complete with beat blends, double ups, and the very few and far between drops. (Hi, Funk Flex.) ”Schoolly D’s “SaturdayNight,” Chubb Rock’s “Ya Bad Chubbs,” Kool G. Rap’s “Erase Racism” and MC Breed’s “Ain’t No Future in Ya Frontin’” are just a few of the many choice songs in the rotation.
The tape is ear-catching from jump, with LaCrate blending an acapella of Wu-Tang Clan’s “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” with Eric B. & Rakim’s instrumental for “Juice.”
Check it out below.