DJ Vlad "The Butcher" (Mixtape, 2003)

DJ Vlad is not one of my favorite media personalities, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't into a few of his early mixtapes - especially the Rap Phenomenon series with 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G that I've already shared on here. "The Butcher" was a mixtape he released in 2003 featuring an intro snippet from Bill the Butcher's character in the film Gangs Of New York, as well as a handful of solid blends with Biggie, 2Pac, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Pun, Bun B, Busta Rhymes, Buju Banton, Ludacris, Eminem, The Diplomats, Big L, Mos Def, Obie Trice and more. There's a couple freestyles mixed in from Mos Def and Eminem, too. Obviously VladTV is a successful media platform today, and I don't knock his hustle or come-up... it's just not for me and I wish some artists stayed off that couch. 

2Pac "Rap Phenomenon II" (Mixtape, 2003)

I'm comfortable saying that this is arguably one of the best blend/mix tapes ever made. A mix collaboration between Dirty Harry, Green Lantern & Vlad. It's a timeless mix of 2Pac's vocals over various beats, with some new features added from Busta Rhymes, Scarface, XZibit, Jadakiss, DMX, Wyclef Jean, Big Pun, Bun B and more; giving a new spin on Pac's material that was never successfully achieved with all the posthumous albums released after 2Pac's tragic death. It was originally released in 2003/2004 and via word of mouth, it quickly became a classic. I'm happy to update this post with an official link from Green Lantern, so the quality is a bit better. Check it out!

You can peep the full track-list to the mixtape below....

The Notorious B.I.G. "Rap Phenomenon" (Mixtape, 2002)

The first of two "Rap Phenomenon" mixes, honoring hip-hop legends back in '02-03. This is obviously The Notorious B.I.G., and the second installment is 2Pac. Both are timeless, classic mix tapes. Dirty Harry has always been one of my favorite DJs; his blends were always on-point - he linked with DJ Vlad, then known as the Butcher and now a media mogul in his own right with VladTV. There's not much to say here, it's one of the best Biggie mixtapes you can listen to, leaning more towards blends and rare content, as opposed to Mister Cee, who probably has the definitive Biggie mixtape running through his whole catalog. Give it a listen below. Rest In Peace, Biggie. (Updated: new audio link).