What even is a mixtape in 2026? With everything getting chucked onto the same streaming services, there’s hardly a difference between records anymore. Unless it’s placed in the EP section, there’s no telling what is a tape vs an album. But back in the 2000s, mixtapes had all the freedom in the world.
Initially, it was a system where you’d buy them at barbershops or someone’s trunk. Then, the emergence of the internet brought DatPiff and MyMixtapes, where artists would give away music for free, and they’d receive buzz as a result. Now, in the age of copyright and not a lot of money in the industry, the mixtape feels like a dead entity.
In the spirit of remembering a beautiful time in hip-hop, Noisey has selected ten classic songs from different mixtapes that’ll make millennials remember rosier days in the 2000s.
Ten Essential Mixtape Classics That Instantly Transport You to the 2000s
“Dough is What I Got” by Lil Wayne
Back in the day, artists used to really vouch for the title of ‘best rapper alive.’ They’d fill a mixtape with them rapping over popular beats in order to show their contemporaries how it’s really done.
But no one took that title as seriously as Lil Wayne. He’d release mixtapes with an endless barrage of punchlines, making serious claims towards being the best in the world. Take “Dough is What I Got”, where Wayne devours Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got” and marks a shift between the older and new guard at the time.
“Fat B***h” by G-Unit
If you think 50 Cent is just crude on the internet, you haven’t heard his classic mixtapes. Nowadays, he’ll settle for bizarre AI posts. But back in the day, he’d take his zany sense of humor on wax. “Fat B***h” is his official diss song to any poor woman who can’t seem to get in shape but still wants a piece of G-Unit. “In the gym, I see your a** up on the StairMaster/But you got it on Level 2 – b***h, go a little faster,” 50 jests.
“You Know What It Is” by Gucci Mane and Yung Joc
You know you’re listening to a great mixtape when a DJ rewinds a singular part of the song over and over. DJ Drama was clearly so taken aback by Gucci Mane’s rhyme scheme at the start of “You Know What It Is”, that he made sure we heard it three times before getting into his verse proper.
“Rumor Has It” by Young Jeezy and Pharrell
Remember when an artist’s song would leak and all of a sudden, you’d see it thrown on random mixtape compilations. “Rumor Has It” is one of those records where Jeezy wheezily raps over luscious Neptunes production and Pharrell crooning.
“What Goes Around” by Max B and Jim Jones
You’re hard-pressed to see Max B and Jim Jones ever hang out again, let alone collaborate. But when they did, it was always magic. On “What Goes Around”, the Harlem duo arguably put Timbaland and Justin Timberlake to shame, especially with Max B’s addictive rap-singing.
“The Artistic Integrity” by Wale
Current copyright law renders a lot of mixtapes almost impossible to release nowadays. Even chucking it up on SoundCloud risks being taken down by labels and companies who own original songs and samples. Consequently, Wale’s The Mixtape About Nothing becomes a vital artifact of early Blog era mixtapes. There, he samples a litany of different Seinfeld scenes to stitch together his everyman rap songs.
“Games People Play” by Jadakiss, Styles P, and DJ Green Lantern
Jadakiss on The Champ is Here mixtape with DJ Green Lantern is one of the most underrated rappers of all time. There, he raps like Floyd Mayweather warming up on a speed bag before taking on Ricky Hatton or Shane Mosley.
“Pump It Up Freestyle” by Jay-Z
You would never hear a Jay-Z mixtape today. In that sense, going back to the S. Carter Collection becomes extremely rewarding, watching one of the greatest rappers of all time engage in a simple bit of lyrical exercise. Moreover, it’s really amusing to compare another artist to Shawn Bradley, a peak 90s and 2000s NBA reference.
“Little Bit” by Drake and Lykke Li
Remember the big indie boom at the end of the 2000s and into the early 2010s? Bands like Arcade Fire and MGMT were huge critical darlings, and artists like Santigold and M.I.A. were capturing the public’s imagination. Even certain rappers tried their hands at flipping these songs into their own.
But Drake fit in seamlessly due to his natural penchant for melody. His soft voice, alongside Lykke Li on “Little Bit”, made for a distinctly late-2000s experience that Drake wouldn’t dare try today.
“So Gone Flow” by Mike Jones and Swishahouse
Something about hearing Mike Jones remind us of his phone number dozens of times on a mixtape is extremely refreshing. “So Gone Flow” is one of many Swishahouse freestyles where he channels classic Screw tapes, where rappers would spit for several minutes at a time. Somehow, Mike Jones chanting his name ad nauseam never gets old.
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