Top 8 Mixtapes of ‘08

Because we care for more than just the music released by the majors, here are our picks for the best mixtapes of the year.

8. Ludacris - Gangsta Grillz: The Preview

A showcase for the South’s PLK, Luda also utilized the freedom of the medium to give us “Politics As Usual,” where he rapped “McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed.” Wrong, yet right.

7. Re-Up Gang - We Got It For Cheap Vol. 3

Not quite as good as the first two tapes, but it marked the first time the unheralded Ab-Liva and Sandman consistently held their own with lyrical heavyweights The Clipse.

6. Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing

It would’ve made for a damn good debut album, even with the Seinfeld concept and DC producer Best Kept Secret filling in for Mark Ronson.

5. Curren$y - Super Tecmo Bowl

N.O. native and one-time Young Money rapper Curren$y blessed us with a mixtape every month from March to October, each with its own distinctive flavor. This one was a particularly ‘90s one as Hot Spitta blazed smooth golden-era classics such as “Lookin’ At The Front Door” and “Buck ‘Em Down” and late-decade bangers like “Its Mine.”

4. Fabolous - Gangsta Grillz: There is No Competition

Back on 2003’s “Think Y’all Know,” Fab said of himself, “his moves is Billy Dee, but he Jigga’s the bars…” pretty much summing his career up in a nutshell. For the first muthafuckin’ time, Fab finally gave us more of the latter with his first set of Grillz.

3. Jay-Z - Hip Hop Is Read Presents: Jay-Z Live at Glastonbury

For most of us broke folk who couldn’t charter a jet over to the UK to witness Hov’s headlining set at the June music fest, here it is in its entirety—premium sound quality and all. His “Wonderwall” cover was sweet revenge but the highlight was his slick “American Boy” freestyle.

2. DJ Jaycee - Eargasms 6

More of a mix than a mixtape, but its remixes—especially the soulful rethinking of “Hello Brooklyn 2.0”—defecate on the originals.

1. G-Unit - Return of the Body Snatchers

This shit right heeere will take you back to 2002. A prime example of why Boo Boo and friends were unstoppable in their early days, when they used to carve their own ghettofied hooks from radio staples—like they do here on Ryan Leslie’s “Diamond Girl.”

- Devin Chanda