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Mixtapes are compilations of songs and in the hip-hop world, they developed from a technique to enjoy club music to a promotional tool. Initially, DJs made money by recording their gigs, which served as a predecessor to rap albums. Had these been categorized as rap records, artists like Grandmaster Flash and the Mad Five would have gone platinum. Today, hiphop artists use these tapes to generate hype for their music. Let's look back to see how the brand reached this point.
History
The mixtape has been around as long as the musical class of hip-hop. In the 1970s, it was called a party tape, made because people enjoyed the music played in clubs and needed to hear it at home and in the automobile. These were the early days of hip hop, when the music existed only in live form.
Party tapes from Afrika Bambaata, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, and other artists first came on the scene in NY City in the mid 1970s. As more artists followed the lead, fans began trading and collecting the grooves. These tapes were sold in a similar way we now purchase CDs. During the mid 1980s, DJs like Brucie B, Doo Wop, and Kid Capri started recording their live music and selling it as mixtapes.
By the early 1990s, the art form was advanced to mix tapes by Ron G, who mixed hiphop beats called mixes with RB a cappellas. Fans could shortly find freestyle raps and exclusive tracks on these tapes. The modern iteration of mixtapes still includes some of these features but is principally used as a promotional tool by hip-hop artists.
Purpose
At their start, artists like Grandmaster Flash made both customized tapes and tapes for performances at parties. Flash would compile the most up to date grooves onto a Thirty to 120 minute tape, charging one dollar per minute. The tapes were made to order for clients that contained dealers, con men, and, shockingly, livery cab drivers. These drivers played the tapes in their fancy vehicles during Hold Calls, when rich clients would ask to be driven around for some time.
One of the high points of these tapes was the shout out, where the purchaser's name was steadily roared thru an echo sound effect. It was an ego boost to the shopper. Mixtapes are now customarily a compilation of songs from one artist, with features like freestyles and collaborations prepared in a flowing format. They're sold at streetlevel, through the mail or online, distributed at live shows, or offered by independent record dealers to push the featured artist.
How DJ`s Use Them
In their modern form, mixtapes are now utilised by new artists and labels for promotional reasons. To generate buzz, an unsigned artist may release several tapes, which could end up in record label interest. These tapes are utilised by signed artists to push future studio albums. This sales model is founded upon personal recommendation to extend the street credibility of an artist. In most situations, each track on a promotional tape features the same artist, like an album, but the production value is lower and freestyles, collaborations, and remixes are included
