The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #36! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

 

Thirty-six episodes of the Max-Approved Mixtape means we've reached three years' worth of content, at least if you're satisfied with listening to a half-hour of music every month. It isn't the worst tradeoff in the world: odds are very high that many of the songs presented wouldn't have been added to anybody's playlists without these mixes dragging them back into the spotlight. So, of course, this month continues that trend because it works.

Press ‘play’ on this month’s #Maxtape and then come find me on social media, or in the comments below, to tell me what you think.



MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #36:

1. Jurassic 5 – "A Day at the Races" (featuring Big Daddy Kane and Percee P)
2. Meyhem Lauren x Harry Fraud – "Jarlsberg"
3. Ghostface Killah – “Guns N' Razors" (featuring Trife da God, Cappadonna, and Killa Sin)
4. Big Boi – “General Patton" (featuring Big Rube)
5. Lupe Fiasco – “Theme Music to a Drive-By"
6. Naughty By Nature – “Hang Out and Hustle” (featuring G-Luv and I Face Finsta)
7. Dr. Dre – “One Shot One Kill" (featuring Jon Connor and Snoop Dogg)
8. Pete Rock and CL Smooth – “For Pete's Sake”
9. DJ Muggs x Ill Bill – “Chase Manhattan" (featuring Raekwon)
10. Redman – “Rollin'"

As always, the artists above receive royalties each time you listen, so you should support their work by pressing ‘play’ and getting all of your friends to do the same. Share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, I hope you’ll consider supporting the Patreon, because not only will you unlock exclusive content, you’ll be helping to keep my projects side quests.

Enjoy!

-Max

The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #35! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

We’ve reached thirty-five episodes of the Max-Approved Mixtape (or thirty-nine, if you’re one of the lucky ones that got to hear the four test installments), which brings us to a grand total of three hundred and fifty hip hop tracks that deserve to be added to the playlists of everyone reading these words. They’re all personally co-signed by me, but I’m not trying to puff myself up or anything. I just genuinely enjoy introducing people to music they weren’t familiar with, or reminding people why they liked something in the first place. So, this month is more of that.

Press ‘play’ on this month’s #Maxtape and then come find me on social media, or in the comments below, to tell me what you think.



MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #35:

1. Eto – "Rusty Stainless" (featuring Rome Streetz and Willie the Kid)
2. K*nye W*st, Ludacris, and The Game – "The Whole City Behind Us"
3. Fat Joe – “Respect Mine" (featuring Raekwon)
4. Boldy James x The Alchemist – “Moochie"
5. Sir Michael Rocks – “Foreign Features"
6. Action Bronson x The Alchemist – “Sylvester Lundgren” (featuring Meyhem Lauren and AG Da Coroner)
7. Main Source – “Set It Off" (featuring Lotto, Shaqueen, Jay, & Shiek)
8. Q-Tip – “Renaissance Rap (Remix)” (featuring Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, and Lil Wayne)
9. GZA.Genius – “Pencil (featuring Masta Killa and RZA)
10. RJ Payne x Cartune Beatz – “Pighead"

As always, the artists above receive royalties each time you listen, so you should support their work by pressing ‘play’ and getting all of your friends to do the same. Share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, I hope you’ll consider supporting the Patreon, because not only will you unlock exclusive content, you’ll be helping to keep my projects side quests.

Enjoy!

-Max

The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #34! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

 

Episode 34 of the Max-Approved Mixtape is here, and it's a little bit different this time around. It's still comprised of ten hip hop tracks that I love and wholeheartedly endorse, but this month's edition features production coming from a single source: DJ Premier. "Isn't this just an episode of that Producers Guild thing you seem to have abandoned?", you may ask yourself, and the answer is no, it hasn't been abandoned, I've just been caught up in real life nonsense. But it is similar, but not entirely. You see, the Producers Guild series is designed to showcase a producer's versatility behind the boards regarding artists, sounds, genres, and whatnot. This episode, however, is merely ten boom bap songs I enjoy that I think you'll also like. So, not the same thing. Besides, none of these tracks even made the final cut for those Producers Guild episodes, so you'll like this one regardless.

Press ‘play’ on this month’s #Maxtape and then come find me on social media, or in the comments below, to tell me what you think.



MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #34:

1. Jeru the Damaja – "Not Your Average"
2. Bumpy Knuckles – "That Preemo Shit"
3. Big Shug – “Do Ya"
4. M.O.P. – “Salute Part II” (featuring Gang Starr)
5. Teflon – “Hostile Takeover” (featuring Benny the Butcher)
6. Das EFX – “Real Hip Hop”
7. Demigodz – “Worst Nightmare"
8. Royce da 5'9" – “Second Place”
9. Gang Starr – “Speak Ya Clout” (featuring Lil' Dap and Jeru the Damaja)
10. KRS-One – “I Can't Wake Up"

As always, the artists above receive royalties each time you listen, so you should support their work by pressing ‘play’ and getting all of your friends to do the same. Share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, I hope you’ll consider supporting the Patreon, because not only will you unlock exclusive content, you’ll be helping to keep my projects side quests.

Enjoy!

-Max

The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #33! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

 

Episode 33 of the Max-Approved Mixtape is here, and it's a doozy. Not in that you won't believe what's to come, because the tracklist is right there, folks, you can prepare yourselves accordingly, but you will likely hear something you haven't thought of in a while, and it'll bring a smile to your face, which is all one can ask for in these troubling times. You'll enjoy this one very much, is what I'm saying.

Press ‘play’ on this month’s #Maxtape and then come find me on social media to tell me what you think.



MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #33:

1. Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Street Life, and Masta Killa - "Execute Them"
2. Rome Streetz - "Destiny Child"
3. Prodigy x The Alchemist – “Y.N.T.” (featuring Domo Genesis)
4. Kool Keith – “Cold Freezer” (featuring Bumpy Knuckles)
5. A Tribe Called Quest – “Busta’s Lament”
6. Pusha T – “Let the Smokers Shine the Coupes”
7. Lloyd Banks – “Menace” (featuring Conway the Machine)
8. Jay-Z– “Adnis”
9. Funkmaster Flex – “Let’s Be Specific” (featuring Cool Whip, Tragedy, Freddie Foxxx, Raekwon, and Havoc)
10. The Notorious B.I.G. – “Come On (Original)” (featuring Sadat X)

As always, the artists above receive royalties each time you listen, so you should support their work by pressing ‘play’ and getting all of your friends to do the same. Share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, I hope you’ll consider supporting the Patreon, because not only will you unlock exclusive content, you’ll be helping to keep my projects side quests.

Enjoy!

-Max

The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #32! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

 

Episode 32 of the Max-Approved Mixtape is finally here, delayed by a combination of my own unwillingness to let it go until I felt it was perfect, and also general everyday life stuff. As the first part of that lame-ass excuse would imply, I sat with this one for a while, and I can comfortably say that there's some very good shit on here that I think you both will enjoy quite a bit, as well as a track or two that may very well guide you down memory lane.

Press ‘play’ on this month’s #Maxtape and then come find me on social media to tell me what you think.



MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #32:

1. Freddie Gibbs x The Alchemist – “All Glass”
2. Funkdoobiest – “Bow Wow Wow”
3. Jay-Z – “Reservoir Dogs” (feat. The LOX, Beanie Sigel, and Sauce Money)
4. King Tee – “6 N “Na Moe’nin” (feat. Dawn Robinson)
5. Leaders of the New School – “Spontaneous (13 MC’s Deep!)” (feat. Cool Whip, Brittle Lo, The Capital L.S., Rampage the Last Boy Scout, Blitz, Sha-Now, Pudge God, and Kollie Weed)
6. Jericho Jackson – “Seventeen”
7. Jay Royale – “Lime” (feat. Willie the Kid)
8. Flee Lord x Pete Rock – “Retired From the Sniffy”
9. MC Eiht featuring Compton’s Most Wanted – “We Come Strapped”
10. MF DOOM – “Lightworks”

As always, the artists above receive royalties each time you listen, so you should support their work by pressing ‘play’ and getting all of your friends to do the same. Share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, I hope you’ll consider supporting the Patreon, because not only will you unlock exclusive content, you’ll be helping to keep my projects side quests.

Enjoy!

-Max

The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #31! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

 

While this month’s installment of the Max-Approved Mixtape (its thirty-first, if you’re interested) continues to follow the blueprint of every prior episode (ten tracks culled from our chosen culture, none of which are taken from the same project, all of which I personally co-sign), this particular chapter veers into slightly different territory, both in choice of artist and in the overall sound of some of the tracks selected, which is an elaborate and cryptic way for me to say that at least one of these songs sounds relatively… happy? Well, one can’t, or shouldn’t anyway, survive on a diet of Griselda and Diet Griselda alone, you know.

Press ‘play’ on this month’s #Maxtape and tell me what you think.



MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #31:

1. Black Star – “So be it”
2. M.O.P. – “Put It In The Air” (feat. Jay-Z)
3. Hus Kingpin – “Appalling” (feat. Doza the Drumdealer)
4. Gang Starr – “Now You’re Mine”
5. Eric B. & Rakim – “Untouchables”
6. Black Moon – “Freestyle”
7. Maxo Kream – “Bissonnet”
8. Nice & Smooth – “Hip Hop Junkies” (feat. Pure Blend)
9. Pusha T, Raekwon, Joell Ortiz, and Danny Brown – “Tick, Tock”
10. Xzibit – “U Know” (feat. Dr. Dre)

As always, the artists above receive royalties each time you listen, so you should support their work by pressing ‘play’ and getting all of your friends to do the same. Share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, I hope you’ll consider supporting the Patreon, because not only will you unlock exclusive content, you’ll be helping to keep my projects side quests.

Enjoy!

-Max

The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #30! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

 

And we're back, folks!

I didn't mean for the hiatus to run this deep into 2023, but just like many creatives, I fell into that trap where the longer you're away from the task at hand, the harder it is to get back into the groove of actually doing the goddamned thing, which brings us up to date with regard to the Max-Approved Mixtape. I know, I know, there was a hole in our chosen genre that wasn't being filled, but the two of you can relax, as your playlists can finally be updated with confidence.

On a serious note, I am grateful for any of you who had been following this series of mixes (or its progenitor, RandoMax Radio) and were possibly hoping for a return. Episode thirty of the Max-Approved Mixtape had been on my mind for a while, but it isn't the result of a seven-month vacation - instead, I chose to follow in the spirit of the series, which is compiling ten tracks from any era of our chosen genre as long as they meet the qualifier of "great" but providing the feel of the streaming service of your choice on 'shuffle', so this was put together last week. This means there's some newer heat here, along with some old favorites and a surprise or two. I hope this month's episode helps you to escape from the bullshit for a half-hour or so.



MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #30: 

1. Ol' Dirty Bastard – “Brooklyn Zoo (Alternate Take #1)”
2. Curren$y, Freddie Gibbbs, & The Alchemist – “Saturday Night Special”
3. Conway the Machine – “Stab Out” (featuring Ransom)
4. Mack 10 – “10 Million Ways”
5. Sauce Heist x Camouflage Monk – “Kobe at the Rucker” (featuring Vic Spencer)
6. The Lady of Rage – “Some Shit”
7. Redman – “Dunfiato"
8. Madlib, Meyhem Lauren, & DJ Muggs – “Fresh Out the Water”
9. AZ – “Rather Unique”
10. David Begun – “Flowers on Earth” (you just have to listen to this one)

The artists involved receive a royalty every time you listen to this mix, so you should help support their work by pressing ‘play’ and telling your friends to do the same. Subscribe to RandoMax Radio and share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, jump onto the Patreon and secure your spot to support the written word, which, if you're reading this far, I assume you've liked my reviews before, and there are simply more of them over behind the $3.00 USD paywall.

Every little bit helps keep these projects sustainable, and I appreciate the consideration and continues support.

Enjoy!

-Max

The Catch-Up: The Max-Approved Mixtape

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

The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #29! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

 

Today is Election Day across the United States, and I imagine that many of you two may be cycling through an endless rush of concerning thoughts regarding the future of democracy. You can count me amongst your ranks, and as a professional keeper of anxiety, I feel confident telling you that it is motherfucking exhausting merely existing at that ramped-up level all the goddamned time. It is with those of you in mind that the latest installment of the Max-Approved Mixtape exists today.

This twenty-ninth episode follows the same thread as its predecessors – ten tracks, all of which are derived from our chosen culture, all of which are great in their own way – but that comfort is a byproduct of the familiarity and consistency I’m striving for with this series. You’re going to recognize some of these tracks, while others will likely be far less known, but still worthy of being a part of the discussion. No matter what, these songs act as a distraction from whatever’s going on in your lives at this very moment, whether they be very real, tangible issues or simply whatever fantasy your anxious mind has conjured up for its amusement.



MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #29:

1. Lupe Fiasco – “Ghoti”
2. Jay-Z – “Dead Presidents 3”
3. Onyx – “Evil Streets (Remix)” (featuring Method Man and Panama P.I.)
4. 50 Cent – “Gunz for Sale”
5. Action Bronson – “Turkish” (featuring Meyhem Lauren)
6. Pete Rock – “Da Two” (featuring CL Smooth)
7. The Notorious B.I.G. – “You’ll See” (featuring The Lox)
8. Camouflage Monk – “Be Careful Who You Sleep On” (featuring Labrina, Che Noir, and 7xvethegenius)
9. De La Soul – “Sunshine”
10. Rampage the Last Boy Scout – “Flipmode Iz Da Squad” (featuring Busta Rhymes, Spliff Star, Serious, and Lord Have Mercy)

The artists involved receive a royalty every time you listen to this mix, so you should help support their work by pressing ‘play’ and telling your friends to do the same. Share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, jump onto the Patreon and secure your spot to support the written word, since, as you’ve likely noticed, the posts over here are getting kind of scarce. Not so much over at the Patreon, though. Every little bit helps keep these projects sustainable, and I would certainly be grateful.

Enjoy!

-Max

The Max-Approved Mixtape - Episode #28! (Brought to you by RandoMax Radio)

 

 

The Max-Approved Mixtape, called as such because I personally co-sign every song featured wherein, hits its twenty-eighth installment today, and its accompanying two hundred and eighty songs make for a playlist that is entertaining as fuck. Sure, that’s may just be my bias talking, but those of you two who have been around the blogs for a while should be aware that I know of what I speak, and I have no reason to steer anybody wrong, because where’s the fun in that? I watch movies that are so bad they’re enjoyable, as I’m sure a lot of you two do, since my writing attracts a very specific type of nerdery, but that same level of ironic pleasure cannot be assigned to music: as a medium, sound is all you’re presented with, and if the sounds are awful, there’s no reason to trudge through a song just to see if it winds up being laughably bad. It just doesn’t work that way. If it sucks, it sucks, and these songs do not suck.

Anyway, press ‘play’ on Episode 28 and let me know what your new favorite song is below. 

MAX-APPROVED MIXTAPE EPISODE #28:

1. Step Brothers – “Burnt Trees”
2. Meyhem Lauren x Daringer – “Conflict Resolution"
3. Sticky Fingaz – “S.T.F.U.” (featuring M.O.P. and Onyx)
4. Your Old Droog – “Mrs. Cloutfire” (featuring Mach-Hommy)
5. Prince Paul – “Weapon World” (featuring Kool Keith)
6. Sauce Money – “Pre-Game (Album Version)” (featuring Jay-Z)
7. Big Shug – “Sic A N----z” (featuring Bumpy Knuckles)
8. Scientifik – “Slicka Picka Upper”
9. Tha Alkaholiks – “Hit and Run” (featuring Xzibit)
10. House of Pain – “Irish Pride”

The artists involved receive a royalty every time you listen to this mix, so you should feel good about letting it run on ‘repeat’ until the next installment goes up. Share/repost this mix across your socials, and while you’re at it, jump onto the Patreon and secure your spot to support the written word, since, as you’ve likely noticed, the posts over here have been slacking quite a bit. Not the case over at the Patreon, though. Every little bit helps keep these projects sustainable, and I would certainly be grateful.

Enjoy!

-Max