1. Favorite Mixtapes of 2012 

    These are my favorites; the big mixtapes aren’t really here, so here’s a pretty good list for that. Also, it’s not ordered.

    • Chopped and Scrooged - Sufjan Stevens (Yes he did a mixtape. No he doesn’t rap. (But kitty pryde does.))
    • Fantasea - Azealia Banks (Free Dance Party)
    • Two: Reservation and Classick- Angel Haze (Ruler of mixtapes for the year 2012.)
    • Attack the Block - Talib Kweli (in preparation for his 2013 release)
    • 51 - Kool A.D. (formerly of Das Racist with Heems)
    • Wild Water Kingdom - Heems (The Bollywood sampling Nehru Jackets is good too.)
    • Dark York - Le1f (I’ll let this video convince you. I want every outfit in that video fyi.)
    • 4eva N a Day - Big KRIT (Idk why but I like big krit)
    • Duality - Captain Murphy (aka Flying Lotus)
    • 1999 - Joey Bad@$$ (90s nostalgia)

    They’re all free, so just google them or check out the artists’ websites if googling doesn’t turn up a download.

     
  2. image: Download

    “If it’s a class war, you should be a classy warrior” - Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) to Stephen Colbert

    “If it’s a class war, you should be a classy warrior” - Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) to Stephen Colbert

     
  3. Countless times in the past decade, as I have set out into the city on my night walks or returned home on the late train or sat on a rooftop watching the lights of Brooklyn or Manhattan or Queens, this was the music in my ear. It has taught me something about how to love a city’s complicated dreams. And the song has life in it yet, a few hundred more listens, at least.

    Teju Cole on why Respiration by Black Star is his favorite song

    (Source: NPR)

     
  4. It’s such a shame Talib’s voice goes

     
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  6. You Already Knew - Black Star (prod. Oh No)

    “Rick Perry is a serial killer”