Mixtapes Of The Month June Posted by Lucas G. on 06/30/14 | Filed under

P. SO - Gateway to Greatness / Constellations

Second chances don't come around too often, so when you do get the chance you better take advantage. Case in point P. SO's latest project, Gateway to Greatness / Constellations. Originally released back in 2013, Gateway to Greatness getting a spiffy new coat of paint from the New York emcee. This reissue contains the 13 original Gateway to Greatness cuts along with four new songs and a few previously unreleased remixes for a total of 19 tracks. With appearances from Sammus, Homebody Sandman, and Outasight, there is more hip-hop than you can shake a stick at. So much for out with the old in with the new!

Nitty Scott, MC “The Art of Chill”

Between work, school, and this thing called life, stress and worrying are unavoidable. It's important, however, to take a breather every once and a while; like Ferris Buller, the great twentieth century philosopher, once said "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around for a while, you could miss it". If you find yourself unable to take a breather, let Nitty Scott, MC teach you the art of chill. With her laid back, cooler than the other side of the pillow flow, its obvious nobody knows how to chill better than her. She might have a fun, cool approach, don't don't mistake that for sloppy. Nitty keeps pace with the likes of Ab-Soul and Big Pooh, along with impressing on more than few solo cuts. If you need to wind down, let her fun, refreshing style melt your troubles away.

Damani Nkosi - Thoughtful King

Lately, I've been branching out, listening to stuff outside the hip-hop bubble. It's been a nice break, but I think I'm ready to get back to the basics; dope beats and real rhymes. I think I'll start right here with Damani Nkosi. Though the Thoughtful King project only has 11 cuts, it feels like 11,000. From his dense bars stalwart flow, and of course some great wordplay, there is so much to digest. And that's not even counting the guest spots from BJ The Chicago Kid, Musiq Soulchild, Thurz, and Robert Glasper (just to name a few). This, my friends, is how hip-hop is done.

Nikkiya “sheBLACKOUT”

Okay, so maybe I won't go back to my hip-hop only diet (sorry Damani). I still need to make time for artists like Nikkiya. Hey, I  love a R&B tune as much as a boom-bap one, and Nikkiya's sheBLACKOUT has 18 of 'em. What standout the most (you know, besides her amazing vocals) is how perosnal it is; she really purs her heart out. Accoridng the the leading-lady myself, "a reflection of those lonely, dark moments when I was alone and uncertain." The contnet might be a little on the emotional side, but with production from Cro$$, Elevator Nate, and Nikki herself, it's still upbeat and interesting; you won't want to crawl into a fetal ball and cry; the perfect blend of soul and sizzle.

Terrace Martin - 3ChordFold

What if I were to tell you an album had guys like Ab-Soul, James Fauntleroy, Kendrick Lamar, Lalah Hathaway, Musiq Soulchild, Problem, Snoop Dogg, Ty Dolla $ign and Wiz Khalifa? Would you be interested? What if I were to tell you they weren't even the main course?! You can now proceed to freak out..and grab a copy of Terrace Martin's debut album 3ChordFold. Going toe to toe with some of these heavyweights is not easy for any emcee, let alone one making his LP debut. However, with a smooth flow Terrance gives them all a run for their money. It's hard to believe this is his debut album, because he sounds so refined and confident stands out the most. You might have come for like likes of Wiz and Kendrick, but you will stay for Martin's intoxicating approach.

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