DJ Envy & Dipset - Bad Guys 14 (2007)

 

Having tape deck problems at the moment so its back to the CDs. This is a bit more recent than what I'd usually post (I say that, its already 7 years old) but the Dips seem to generate a fair bit of traffic around these parts. You've probably already made up your mind on whether or not you'll download this one. All I'll say is that if you're a fan its definitely worth getting...

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There's a few bits on here that I haven't seen elsewhere. Cam only features a couple of times but the SOS Band sampling 'Weekend' is a favourite, as is JR Writer's 'Xtacy' (mainly because it uses 'Moments In Love' which is pretty much fail safe). Its mostly a solid effort all round which is unusual for something like this. Also worth mentioning is that unlike alot of 00s mixtape DJs, Envy actually puts in the effort to drop the tracks in on time and sequence them nicely.

DJ Clue & DJ EnvyDesert Storm mixtape Vol. 4 (2002)

Early 00s NYC mixtapes always seem to go down well around here so you go...

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Highlights include a decent pre-Aftermath 50 Cent track ('Elementary') that I'd completely forgotten about, and what I think is an unreleased Shyne track that sounds like was produced by The Neptunes.
I'm a big fan of this era as it was the time of what I'd refer to as the Credible Club Banga - songs that worked on the dancefloor without crossing the line into being corny or outright pop. As I was playing out regularly around that time that was something of a godsend, so big up to Pharrell, Timbaland, Swizz and the rest of 'em for that. It was also a time when you could still put tracks from a new Large Professor album next to songs by Big Tymers and Angie Martinez and no-one would bat an eyelid. Can it be that it was all so simple then..?