Under different circumstances, this month would have seen episode 30 of
the Max-Approved Mixtape, an ongoing series of mix show-slash-podcasts
where I, quite simply, play ten hip hop tracks that I deem worthy of
inclusion onto anyone's playlist. Not everything has to be difficult,
folks. Alas, the almighty Mixcloud gods have seen fit to alter their
terms and conditions, forcing me to put even more thought into this
series (and its parent, RandoMax Radio) than usual. So until I get that
thirtieth episode up and running, which will happen sooner than later,
today's post is here to help you get caught up on all of the heat you
might have missed throughout the years.
For the latecomers, the Max-Approved Mixtape
is a podcast series from the ongoing RandoMax Radio concern, a side
project that began life as a collection of articles spotlighting
individual songs that I love that I used as a way to stave off the
inevitable burnout that comes from running a blog where you tackle a
full album for each post. (I'm nothing if not honest.) Like the
Producers Guild series, I've since updated the Max-Approved Mixtape
for a new audience, turning it into a mix show where each episode
features ten hip hop tracks approved by me (hi, I'm Max), all taken from
any point in time I feel like listening to at that very moment. A lot
of mixes of this nature from other sources focus squarely on new shit,
which is all well and good, but there's a lot more older good stuff than
there is new, and I wanted to share the tracks I enjoy that I feel
deserve a much wider following.
Sadly,
the conversion into a podcast format meant sacrificing the written
portion, which works for me because it allows me the freedom to focus
more on the song selection for these episodes, which in turn saves the
writing for actual reviews and other things that interest me (and,
hopefully, you two as well). The original articles can still be found on
the site, of course - in fact, the first four episodes are considered
"tests" and are made up of all forty songs featured, including such
artists as Kendrick Lamar, Method Man, Rampage the Last Boy Scout, Black
Star, Gunplay, De La Soul, Cannibal Ox, and many more, split into four
ten-track episodes.
Episode A (Original post)
Episode B (Original post)
Episode C (Original post)
Episode D (Original post)
After working through those entries, the actual back catalog of the Max-Approved Mixtape
begins anew, jumping back and forth in time to bring you some of my
favorite songs from acts such as Mos Def, Lupe Fiacso, Random Axe, Conway the Machine, Kool Keith, and more than a few surprises.
Episode 1 (Original post)
Episode 2 (Original post)
Episode 3 (Original post)
Episode 4 (Original post)
Episode 5 (Original post)
Episode 6 (Original post)
Episode 7 (Original post)
Episode 8 (Original post)
Episode 9 (Original post)
Episode 10 (Original post)
Episode 11 (Original post)
Episode 12 (Original post)
Episode 13 (Original post)
Episode 14 (Original post)
Episode 15 (Original post)
Episode 16 (Original post)
Episode 17 (Original post)
Episode 18 (Original post)
Episode 19 (Original post)
Episode 20 (Original post)
Episode 21 (Original post)
Episode 22 (Original post)
Episode 23 (Original post)
Episode 24 (Original post)
Episode 25 (Original post)
Episode 26 (Original post)
Episode 27 (Original post)
Episode 28 (Original post)
Episode 29 (Original post)
Give
these a spin, several times if you wish, and pass them along on
social media. These mixes are made to be enjoyed, so I'd appreciate it
if they were treated as such, especially now as I use this time to plot out the direction of the sites. Thanks in advance!
-Max
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