Send "Various Artists " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 "Who need be afraid of the merge?" When Walt "Leaves of Grass" Whitman wrote that, in the 1855 debut edition of the poem that would become "Song of Myself", his subject certainly wasn't Wesley Pentz. But the Philadelphia DJ/producer known as Diplo-- alongside such fellow global travelers as DJ /rupture-- has been among the 21st century's most dauntless joiners of disparate musical cultures. Whether Baltimore club (parties starting in 2003 at Philly's Ukrainian Club), baile funk (2004/2005 Favela mixtapes), Alabama hip-hop (2008's Paper Route Gangstaz mixtape), or Jamaican dancehall (last year's Major Lazer album), Diplo has a musically unimpeachable track record of taking the world's streets' worthiest sounds out of the neighborhoods and into your earbuds.With Free Gucci (Best of the Cold War Mixtapes), a freely downloadable mixtape of remixes for Atlanta gangsta rapper Gucci Mane, all that jet lag may have finally caught up with him. Never mind the usual point-missing accusations of cultural tourism-- "Having white kids talk about race on the internet is the dumbest thing in the world," Diplo told Pitchfork's own Tom Breihan in a 2007 Village Voice interview. When it comes to the MC born Radric Davis, "the merge" already happened. After a prolific series of high-profile guest appearances (Mariah Carey, Black Eyed Peas, Big Boi) and mixtapes (his Cold War trilogy flooded the blogs one day last November) all but guaranteed Lil Wayne comparisons, Gucci Mane's Warner-sponsored The State vs. Radric Davis debuted in December at #10 on the Billboard albums chart. The New York Times hailed the rapper as "one of the most vigorous and exciting in recent memory". I mean, sure-- baile funk, Alabama rap, and Jamaican dancehall each existed for years before Diplo got them in his crates. But he introduced them to listeners who probably wouldn't have been exposed to them otherwise. Gucci Mane needs no introduction....full text |
| Creativeloafing |
| Now you too can enjoy Gucci Mane guilt-free, while still appearing hip and intelligent, thanks to Free Gucci: Best of the Cold War Mixtapes (Mad Decent). It features remixes of songs from Gucci’s Cold War series remixed courtesy DJ du jour Diplo and friend...full text |
| Lacinta.wordpress |
| Finally a Gucci Mane record/mixtape that flows relatively consistent quality through its entirety. And of course it’s released while Gucci’s back in prison. Reminiscent of Diplo using his leverage to elevate the careers of other indie-relevant/left-field hip-hop artists (see Piracy Funds Terrorism and Top Ranking), Diplo Presents: Free Gucci (Best Of The Cold War Mixtapes) sees Diplo crafting a tight 52-minute mix of (as the title suggests) material rooted in Gucci’s Cold War Series. Featuring remixes from Diplo, SALEM, Flying Lotus, Memory Tapes, Zomby, and others, Free Gucci appeals to more than a few different types of hip-hop fans. If you’ve been feeling Gucci’s rhymes and/or flow, but not feeling the entirety of his records/mixtapes, I’d recommend downloading Free Gucci. It’s not quite brilliant, but it’s my favorite Gucci release yet, and it’s the best ’starting-point’ if you have yet to give Gucci Mane a chance....full text |
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