Slope Media Group

The Best of Free Music

It has never been a better time to be a music fan.  With 80 percent of record stores in the US closing over the last decade, it is easy to blame the Internet for leaving the music industry in ruins.  However, for music aficionados like myself, it has always been about the music, not the industry.  Artists nowadays have the ability to release their creations directly to their supporters free of charge, bypassing the commercializing influence of their labels.  As a result, we are able to hear our favorite artists in their purest form without spending a dime.  How great is that?  Here are three free records that are definitely worth adding to your collection.

Xaphoon Jones – Mixtape Vol. 2

You may know Xaphoon Jones as one half of Chiddy Bang.  The man behind Chiddy’s beats has just released his second solo project, Mixtape Vol 2, an eclectic collection of remixes that are a testament to his mastery of the art of sampling.  To classify this mixtape into a single genre would be to do it a huge injustice; Xaph seamlessly blends hip-hop, R&B, electropop, reggae, and even dubstep and to form a sound of his own.  The result is a feel-good record with real mass appeal that’ll keep your head nodding from start to finish.  J. Cole, Ellie Goulding, Aretha Franklin, and The Jackson 5 are among the artists that make an appearance.  No matter what your particular taste in music is, this tape is definitely worth a listen.  It won’t disappoint.

Perfect for: Banging out a problem set, or just hanging out

Grab it here: http://hulkshare.com/t8v3x9dyo0am#

Travis Barker – Let The Drummer Get Wicked

We may have not heard from Blink-182’s iconic drummer in a while, but he’s back, and his latest project has been generating quite a lot of buzz on the interwebs.  On Let The Drummer Get Wicked, the prequel to his upcoming album Can a Drummer Get Some, Barker delves into uncharted territory – the world of hip-hop.  Barker himself doesn’t sing or rap on any of the songs, but his presence is felt throughout the whole mixtape.   On this tape, today’s most popular rappers spit over Travis’s powerful drum patterns and guitar riffs, and at the end of almost every song he graces our ears with a hypnotic drum breakdown.  These songs come across sounding just as much rock as they do hip-hop, making for an exhilarating fusion record that’ll surely get your adrenaline pumping.

Perfect for: Intense workouts

Grab it here: http://www.xxlmag.com/uploads/mixtapes/2011.2-Let_the_Drummer_Get_Wicked_B.zip

Big K.R.I.T. – ReturnOf4Eva

If there’s one thing Big K.R.I.T. has been knocked for by critics upon releasing ReturnOf4Eva, it’s for giving it away for free.  It’s just that good.  By remaining true to his Southern roots and consistently putting out good music, over the past year the Mississippi native has risen from total obscurity to stardom without any cosigns from major-label artists, an unimaginable feat in today’s world of radio-friendly hip-hop.  On ReturnOf4Eva, K.R.I.T. has stuck to his tried and proven formula of deep, introspective lyrics over soulful beats (all of which are produced by K.R.I.T. himself) culminating in a sound that is distinctively Southern yet pleasantly mature that can be appreciated by all.  In an era of Soulja Boys and Gucci Manes, ReturnOf4Eva is a breath of fresh air that would make any hip-hop fan from below the Mason-Dixon Line proud.

Perfect for: The long ride home after finals (windows down, volume up!)

Grab it here: http://www.datpiff.com/pop-mixtape-download.php?id=mc8fbab3