So be kind to Laws, becuase if you start buggin’ from the beehive we swarm

If Laws doesn’t catch a spot in the next XXL Freshmen class, I’ll be shocked. The lead track from his 4:57/5:01 tape, “Hold You Down“, was flipped with featured verses from Emilio Rojas and Big K.R.I.T., both up-and-coming artists trying to spring their career’s forward. The tape also contains a few more original cuts but mostly just a tagless version of 4:57 for the most part. There’s not many projects that can say they have great production throughout, there’s normally a couple of records that don’t normally pull their weight, but, with this Laws project, saying there’s great production throughout is an understatement. With the witty lyricism Laws provides to production up-and-coming artists either pay thousands of dollars for or never see the light of day with comes a project that will forever be in the iPod, that is until Laws album drops.

With the opening/intro track “Overtime“, who better to have then J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League on the boards to start your tape off with production that could have perfectly suited as a lead single to your favorite artists album. I couldn’t find a track on this tape to skip, with that being said, there’s simply to many tracks to give my opinion on.

DOWNLOAD: Laws – Overtime (Prod. J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League)

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Illmind : Photo by Cheeksdeniro

“Audio Savior“, a track produced by Jersey’s own Illmind, raised the bar for an already exceptionally high level of production going on. Expect a TST sit down with Illmind in the coming weeks.

DOWNLOAD: Laws – Audio Savior (Prod. Illmind)

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Another rollover from Laws’ 4:57 project but definitely worth multiple spins has to go to Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E.S.’ “We Like It“. This track brings way to much tempo to be so low on the track-list but it’s nice to spread the gems around because it takes finding them a little more time. Like I said, normally you listen to projects and tapes to hear a few of your favorite tracks but I can truthfully say there isn’t a record on this project that I can even second guess myself for listening to.

DOWNLOAD: Laws – We Like It (Prod. Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E.)

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Those of you interested in giving the full project a spin, here’s the download link.

DOWNLOAD: Laws – 5:01 Overtime (Mixtape)

If you asked me two years ago if I thought Wiz was dope, I would have said of course, if you would have asked me if he would be seeing the shine he is currently seeing from the mainstream population I would have said you’re crazy. The buzz Wiz has built for himself and Taylor Gang has been out of this world, especially after getting shafted during his first major label situation and being in the solo lane for so long. With content ranging from marijuana, to leer jets, to more marijuana, swisher sweets, a little more marijuana and kicking it with Spitta and the J.E.T.S., people started to cling.

There’s no doubting that most Curren$y fans are also Wiz Khalifa fans and vice-versa, in retrospect, that’s when I first gave Wiz a shot on my iPod. There was a point in time when I was counting down the days until a new Spitta tape was released and was thinking to myself, I need to give more artists a chance, Wiz was one of the first. I may not be a huge smoker but I am one who can appreciate great production and Sledgren, the in-house Taylor Gang producer seemed to always supply that.

In recent news, Wiz Khalifa has finally inked a deal with a major label, this time it was Atlantic Records – slightly more respected then Warner Bros. Records. With that being said, Wiz will embark on his “The Waken Baken Tour” set to land in 55 different cities starting this September (you can check the tour date list after the jump). Accompanying him will be The Bama’s own Yelawolf and newly signed Def Jam artist Big K.R.I.T..

For those of you who for some reason have been living underneath a rock, Rostrum Records recently released a mash-up of some features, leftovers, and repeats for everyone’s listening pleasures. Here’s two loosies, you can catch the whole tape above the tour date list after the jump.

DOWNLOAD: Wiz Khalifa – Stuntin’

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DOWNLOAD: Wiz Khalifa – Everything

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With a slew of albums slated to drop it was only right to unshackle the Pick 3 Series. As much as you want to take sides with Fif’ in this ongoing abundance of nonsense between the two, Fat Joe is arguably the only substantial Latino figure in Hip-Hop right now. Though, I haven’t bought a Fat Joe album since All or Nothing dropped it doesn’t take away from the fact, now – in this day in age – he has a good album in The Darkside Vol. 1. In light of having a good album it’s never a good idea to have “Vol” in the name of the album, it’s never a good look in terms of the frequent mainstream purchasers eyes. I know, “Volume 1″ is there to insinuate the release of a possible “Volume 2″, but it’s the first one, why have “Volume 1″ if you really didn’t need it?

For the opening day Pick 3 post it was between the Bawse’s “Teflon Don” album and Joey Crack’s “The Darkside Vol. 1“, you obviously see which one I chose. I really think Ricky over did himself with features, there’s a singular track on the album that contains no feature, and it’s probably the hardest, “I’m Not A Star“.

Moving on, If I had to choose three tracks from Cracks latest, it would have to be these. When I first gave this album a listen the first track that caught my attention was none other than the “Intro”. It’s a great intro for an album titled “The Darkside“, it really sets the mood right. Noting Scram Jones was on the boards, shows why the Intro was one of the three chosen.

DOWNLOAD: Fat Joe – Intro (The Darkside Vol. 1) (Prod. Scram Jones)

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Another one from the cut, goes to the track with Just Blaze on the boards. As much as I didn’t like the name of this track which was “I Am Crack“, the relation to the drug is just getting old but it doesn’t take away the quality of this cut. I understand the simulation he’s referring to as Crack but there’s a point you need to sway away from that touchy subject as it will get you nowhere in the Mainstream Park of Consumers. At least keep it in the lyrics Joe.

DOWNLOAD: Fat Joe – I Am Crack (Prod. Just Blaze)

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There was really to many quality tracks on this record it made it hard to choose which ones I thought would best fit the Pick 3 series. It just had to go to this Cool & Dre produced cut featuring Bussa Bust. “At Last Supremacy“, iTunes bonus, physical album bonus, anywhere you find this stemming from it doesn’t matter. This is probably my favorite cut on the album and guess what Ricky, it’s a featured track.

DOWNLOAD: Fat Joe – At Last Supremacy (ft. Busta Rhymes) (Prod. Cool & Dre)

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