Terius is back.  As a primer to what may prove to be a very eventful winter in R&B, Terius “The-Dream” Nash has graced us with a free offering to get us through the coooling months ahead, 1977.  At 1:00 AM no less.  How Sexy.

1977, which I am just assuming might be his birth year, given the pretty overused trend of artists naming projects after their birth years, serves as a both a reminder and statement of purpose.  The reminder: Terius Nash makes hits like loud babies make uncomfortable transatlantic flights.  The statement of purpose:  recognizing he may no longer be the hardest dealer on the block, with media darlings Frank Ocean and The Weeknd gaining momentum at breakneck speeds, The Dream stands to make clear that if he can’t control the lane he re-imagined almost five years ago, he can at least make sure everyone knows he has the biggest car.

DOWNLOAD: Terius Nash - 1977 LP

Without the restrictions of a record label, you can get away with saying anything on a mixtape.  You can also get away with putting anything on a cover.  Here’s our look back at those who used that freedom to give us the very best covers of ’08.

8. Mick Boogie and Terry Urban – Viva La Hova

Liberty Leading The People… in their Roc chains.  Subtle but gangster.

7. Charles Hamilton – The L Word

Sonic has great taste in women—and pornstars.

6. Asher Roth – The Greenhouse Effect

If Asher’s website being named “The Daily Kush” wasn’t enough indication that dude is a pothead, well you here you have it.

5. Crooked I – St. Valentine’s Day Bossacre

Not a fan of pointlessly made-up words but chainsaws are easily the greatest invention next to streaming porn Pop Tarts.  Ash would agree.

5. Curren$y – Higher Than 30,000 Feet

The iconic image of cool personified, The Rat Pack… and Curren$y breaking up.

4. Max B – Wavie Crockett

His Waviness rockin’ the coonskin cap = hella wavy.

3. Tony Yayo – Bloody Xmas

Because beefin’ on wax is so 2005.  You get where this is going….

1. G-Unit – Elephant In The Sand

The elephant silhouettes are a nice touch.  So is Joey’s ass crack.

Now for the worst…

8. Von Pea (of Tanya Morgan)- The Further Adventures of Von Pea

Simply because laser cats > laser ducks.

7. Charles Hamilton Discography

We get it, fam—you like Sonic.  Now grow up.

6. D-Block – Jedi Knight School

No Yoda means you’re relegated to the shit list.

5. Skull Gang – Takeover

The new movement to move wit is apparently Juelz’s biker gang.

4. Mick Boogie and DJ Treats Present Leaders of The New Cool

Mama always said don’t judge a book by its cover.  She never said shit about mixtapes.  Judging by that hot orange mess, the tape must be a study in lame.

3. The Game – Black Wall Street Radio Part 5

Obviously Jayceon’s idea.

2. Uncle Murder – Back On My Bullshit

That’s a million-dollar tagline right there.

1. Lil Wayne – The Drought Is Over Part 6

*speechless*

- Devin Chanda

And for more mixtape love, clicke here to check out our Top 8 Mixtapes of ’08 here!

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