In Which Max Acknowledges the 13-Year Anniversary of This Very Site With a Challenge and a Request

I think that title pretty much sums it up.


The hiatus is still a thing that is ongoing, but we're closer to the end than you or I could even imagine. So until I finally pull the trigger on some new content, here's what I have to offer today.

THE CHALLENGE:
I've done this in the past, most notably during lengthy breaks, but in case you're a newer reader, that image of an iPod Shuffle is a signal to break out your phones (or your actual iPod Shuffles, if you still use them). In honor of the thirteenth year of Hip Hop Isn't Dead, I'd like to see the first thirteen songs that come up when you set your music player of choice on 'shuffle'. If you're fond of streaming services, you can still participate, don't worry. Leave your lists in the comments below: I'm hoping to be reminded of tracks I hadn't thought of in a while and/or to discover some new shit, as I'm always on the lookout for a potential inclusion on a future episode of RandoMax Radio.

Speaking of which...

THE REQUEST:
I humbly request that everyone reading this click on the link below, allowing it to play while you scroll through the rest of today's post.



For a while now, I've been wanting to expand the RandoMax Radio brand beyond my own expressions of what gets shuffled through my phone on a daily basis (no, seriously, my earlier playlist posts are what inspired the podcast/mix series to begin with), and I figured, why not revive an earlier, well-received blog feature while I'm at it?

So I'm pleased to reintroduce the Max-Approved Mixtape, updated for 2020. Pure, unadulterated hip hop mixes for the discerning listener-slash-blog reader.

The episode that appears in today's post is one of my test batches, as I'm still working around some general parameters (length vs. number of tracks, frequency, some editing quirks, what have you). It features ten of my favorite hip hop tracks, some you may recall from the actual Max-Approved Mixtape series from some years back, specifically songs 1 through 10.

1. Raekwon - "Rainy Dayz" (featuring Ghostface Killah and Blue Raspberry)

2. Keith Murray - "Herb Is Pumpin'"

3. Beastie Boys - "Rhymin & Stealin"

4. Joey Bada$$ - "Underground Airplay" (featuring Smoke DZA and Big K.R.I.T.)

5. Dr. Dre  - "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang (Club Mix)" (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg)  

6. Freeway - "Flipside" (featuring Peedi Crakk)

7. Jeru the Damaja - "Me, Not The Paper"

8. 2Pac - "Pain" (featuring Stretch)

9. Tha Alkaholiks - "Read My Lips"

10. Minty Fresh Beats - "Wrong Prayer"

 

The links for each song will take you to an essay-length review of each track, a feature that I, sadly, will not be able to continue if this thing takes off, because, my God, those fucking things took a long time to write, and the point of this exercise is to get me active again. But feel free to take a stroll down memory lane with my earlier writing, not to mention the actual musical selections, all of which are songs hand-picked by me as, like the kids used to say, bops. 

I'd love to roll out the Max-Approved Mixtape (which I also played with calling a "Maxtape" for a while, since the name was right fucking there) on a regular basis, so here's the request: I need you two to actually listen to the thing, and leave me some feedback on whether you'd like to hear more of it or not. Play it during your commute, or while you're cleaning your kitchen, or during any event in between - it works everywhere. All feedback is welcomed and encouraged. You have the power to gently sway me into a direction that provides the content of your choosing, so use it wisely.

Okay, I'm done. Enjoy! And don't forget your playlists.

-Max