The Bar Exam is the first of the four installments in the Bar Exam mixtape series by Royce da 5'9", self-released by Royce on April 7, 2007 through DatPiff via M.I.C. Records. It was hosted by Statik Selektah, and DJ Premier. It was early-rumored that all of the songs on this mixtape were written while Royce was serving his one-year jail sentence for violating his probation the year before, as a result of a charge of driving under the influence. I am a tremendous fan of Royce Da 5'9; I consider him to be one of the most gifted lyricists and a stand-up dude to match. These early mixtapes that Statik was doing with Royce and Nas, for example, were just incredible pieces of hip-hop that might get lost in the blog-era of music if we don't revisit and celebrate them. Props to DJ Premier, too, of course! Now, with all that said, dig back into the first installment of Royce's Bar Exam mix below...