Second Season Finale

It's been two whole years since Stack That Cheese was born. What started as a way to get involved within ACRN has become a weekly celebration of all that rap stands for, both good and bad. After looking back at the past 40-something posts, I can positively say that STC has really grown and so have I in the process. Thanks to whoever reads this, no matter what your reason.

To celebrate two years of hip-hop reviews, I decided to compile my favorite releases that I have reviewed. After starting with a list of over a dozen memorable mixtapes, I've whittled it down to a mere five. But before we get to those, let's just remember some of the tapes that didn't quite make the cut but were pretty gosh darn close.

Honorable Mentions:

Young Thug & Bloody Jay - Black Portland

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. Young Thug is one of the most fascinating rumors of recent memory. From the questionable fashion choices that lead to speculation over his sexuality to the constant rumors involving him and Young Money, Young Thug has taken everything crazy about this current Southern Renaissance and made it even crazier. Whether he will continue to remain so interesting has yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure: I'll always love "Danny Glover," and that's a Stack That Cheese promise.

King Los - Becoming King

Los has been one of the most impressive lyricists since he first stepped in the game. However, he never really had that "it" factor. That was until he became King. Becoming King was the first time that Los actually acted like the star everyone always knew he could be. Honestly, if this was a month ago, this would have made it into my top five easily. However, with King Los leaving Bad Boy (again) and releasing a mixtape that dropped slightly in quality, it seems the King still has some work to do before he rules over a court.

Flatbush Zombies - Better Off Dead

This was by far the hardest tape to leave out of the top five. I was accidentally on a real East Coast kick this past September. Artists like MeLo-X and CJ Fly proved how unique the Beastcoast movement was when done right. But no one, not even Joey Bada$$ himself, had as distinct a sound as the Flatbush Zombies. The Zombies managed to create a rap-rock hybrid that always been impressive. Their gritty sound can be matched by few and the fact that they had a Danny Brown feature launched it over the edge. It was a fantastic effort on their part and I can't wait to see what's up next for the East Coasters.

Now, time for the five best mixtapes this writer has ever reviewed. It was a tough list to compile and I'll probably change my mind within a month, but all of these mixtapes deserve praise no matter what.

5. YG - Just Re'd Up 2

I don't know what it is, but I have a huge soft spot for YG, and it all started with this tape.

YG is that ratchet rapper that you can't help but love. Sure, King Los and the Flatbush Zombies have better lyrics, but there's just something about the way YG carries himself that makes him so irresistible. It doesn't hurt, either, that he's got DJ Mustard on his side.

Looking back, this mixtape is even better now than it was back then. Since this tape was released, multiple guest stars have gotten fame of their own, from Ty Dolla $ign to Young Scooter, Just Re'd Up 2 has become a who's who of guest stars.

And then there's how awesome My Krazy Life turned out to be. On one hand, that shows how much better Just Re'd Up could have been, but on the other hand it just makes you like the guy even more. Plus, as much as I love "My Nigga," nothing will replace the pure insanity that is "Make It Clap."

4. Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. (King Remembered in Time)

As much as this Southern Renaissance in hip-hop is growing on me (I'm even starting to like some Future), there's still nothing better going on in the South than Big K.R.I.T.

K.R.I.T. has long been a power house in the Southern hip-hop community. Ever since he first burst on the scene in 2010, he's proven to be one the most authentic lyricists that hip-hop had to offer. And K.R.I.T. proved that stereotype to be true.

On his self-titled mixtape, K.R.I.T. brought a classic Southern sound that could have easily been on a UGK album. And the lyrics, as always, were spot-on. I'm really looking forward to his next project due out this year, especially since his last one turned out so good.

3. Action Bronson - Rare Chandeliers

Four words: Action Bronson and Alchemist. That's all you need to know in order to confirm this is a good mixtape. Alchemist has this way about him that allows him to make every artist sound good, but Bronson is a whole 'nother story.

What's so amazing about this mixtape is how perfectly the pairing goes together. Action Bronson is one of the most terrifying rappers around, always striking fear into the listener. And Alchemist makes some of the darkest, grimiest beats around. So together, the duo is basically a horror movie with better music.

I'm still embarrassed I didn't name this the best mixtape of Season One. Rare Chandeliers is the scariest form of perfection. Plus, it is the coolest mixtape cover ever.

2. CyHi The Prince - Black Hystori Project

This one is just flat out unfair. CyHi fans and most people in the hip-hop scene knew something like this was possible, but damn does it feel good to see CyHi actually achieving it.

The GOOD Music artist has been making music for a few years now. His Ivy League tapes and his appearances on GOOD Music affiliated songs have especially proven how strong of an artist The Prince was. But nothing he's done has ever been this good. Hell, I would say this has been one of the best releases in rap all year, and it's been a year crowded with quality releases.

The production on this was perfect, matching the mood of CyHi's lyrics exactly on every single song. And the concept behind this album--to pay tribute to the trailblazers of the black community--isn't a new one, but the way CyHi executes it makes it feel as if it is. This guy has to release a record soon or I'm going to go insane.

1. Vic Mensa - Innanetape

Who else could it be?

Vic Mensa's Innanetape was not only one of the best mixtapes of 2013, but it was one of the best releases of any genre. I ranked it fifth among all albums last year and I'm standing by that claim.

Outside of Chance the Rapper, Vic is just about the most inspired young rapper, embracing styles that most other hip-hop artists wouldn't even think of trying. Innanetape is the perfect example of this.

From the funky "Lovely Day" to the bubbly electronic "Run!" From the trappy "Yap Yap" to the soulful "Holy Holy" (which includes an emotional verse from Ab-Soul), there's nothing Vic Mensa can't do. Thanks to him and Chance, Chicago has a bright future that's only going to get brighter with time.

Midseason Award Show

Another semester has come and gone. We've had some good times here at Stack That Cheese. We've heard some great mixtapes and some not so great mixtapes. And then there's the downright re-dic-yu-lus. We are gathered here tonight to recognize those mixtapes that graced our ears and this blog the past few months. So put your headphones in, sit back and enjoy the ride.

The Best:

Vic Mensa - Innanetape

This one was not a hard award to hand out. Vic Mensa went above and beyond what is to be expected of a mixtape. This could have been released as a legitimate album and it still would have surpassed any possible expectations.

Chicago's already a hotbed for great hip-hop, but thanks to Mensa and frequent collaborator Chance the Rapper, the Windy City became the leader for rap at the moment.

Innanetape's vast range of influences and featured artists made the tape not only one of the best mixtapes of the year, but one of the best releases of 2013 period.

Best Supporting Rapper:

Ab-Soul on Innanetape

I told you that Innanetape had a lot of great featured artists and I wasn't kidding. This included Chance the Rapper, Rockie Fresh and even Thundercat. But Solo's verse and hook on the heart-wrenching "Holy Holy" was above and beyond the best guest verse on the mixtape.

In his verse, Ab-Soul raps about the loss of his girlfriend Alori Joh, who committed suicide back in 2012. With lyrics like "She live through me until I die, this is what love sounds like / I'm her baby boy, she my rib. I'm always by her side," it's hard not to feel for the Black Hippy member.

Big K.R.I.T. was a close second in this category thanks to his verse on Big Sant's "Fire Water II," but nothing can beat Solo's story.

Best Missed Mixtape:

Action Bronson - Blue Chips 2

This category is almost too easy. Bronson quickly become one of my favorite rappers and I was looking forward to Blue Chips 2 for a while. Sadly, though, I wasn't able to review it due to the fact that I was psyched for Kanye's concert in Columbus. I regretted the omission a little at the time, but after Kanye canceled on me (wipes tear from face) I was even more upset about my decision.

Bronson delivers as usual thanks to his badass-meets-teddy-bear flow. But the thing that really put Blue Chips 2 over the top was the production by Party Supplies, who made Blue Chips 2 one of the best produced mixtapes of the year.

Best Female Lead:

Mary Gold - Sex Hormone'd Druggie

Considering she was the only female to crack Stack That Cheese so far this year, Mary Gold is a no-brainer. But that doesn't mean she's any less impressive.


Gold is the newest signee to Curren$y's Jet Life label and boy did she prove her worth. On Druggie, Gold took stoner rap to a whole new, more experimental level. The only problem with Curren$y inking a deal with Gold is that she might soon surpass Spitta himself as the best of Jet Life.

Most Re-dic-yu-lus:

Pyes - Pyes & Pounds

This is probably the hardest category to decide. There's so many horrible mixtapes to choose from. There's Gucci Mane's Diary of a Trap God. Or how about Young Sam's disgrace to stoner rap on Wake & Bake? And of course there's Waka Flocka's latest escapade.

But worse than all of the rest is Pyes. Yes, he has such a re-dic-yu-lus name and that certainly doesn't hurt his credibility, But Pyes' true re-dic-yu-lus-ness comes from his Seussian rhyme scheme, horrible beats and, of course, spelling errors. He opened up Season 2 and boy did he open it up right.

Most Based:

Sigh. This is the saddest part of Season 2 thus far. This category usually has plenty of competion due to the fact that Lil B releases mixtapes constantly. But over the past few months, Based God has been quiet.

I could give this award to Soulja Boy, but he doesn't deserve this. No one deserves this. Until Lil B comes back, this category shall remain empty as a tribute to the Based God in hopes that he descends from Based Heaven and fucks all our bitches. Amen, Lil B. Amen.

-X-Prime, dropping the mic for now
@XavierVeccia

Cheese Week

I'm not really sure if cheese week is a real thing. Not in the slightest. But one of my friends treats it as such and now I've started. I mean, if I have a blog called Stack That Cheese, I probably should celebrate it. And by "celebrate," I mean make a lot of bad cheese-related puns.

The Grate:

Vic Mensa - Innanetape

Ahh! See what I did there? God, I'm clever.

But puns aside, this mixtape is legitimately great. Easily one of the best mixtapes I've heard all year. Actually, scratch that. Innanetape is one of the best albums of any genre released in 2013. Maybe in two months, when I'm compiling my top albums of the year list, I'll feel differently. But for now, I'm sticking to my statement.

Vic Mensa is a Chicago rapper who has gotten a lot of extra hype since Chance the Rapper (whose Acid Rap featured Mensa) has become the talk of the town. And honestly, Mensa might be just as good as Chance, which is saying so much considering Acid Rap has gotten a lot of early love for album of the year.

Like, I really miss this show

Just like Chance, Mensa is insanely creative. The Windy City rappers are like Walter White and Jesse Pinkman and their music is their blue meth (I'm sorry, I just really miss Breaking Bad).

Take the song "Lovely Day." First, this song is the closest thing to Outkast that I've heard since, well, Outkast left me. Seriously, if we can't have Big Boi and Andre 3000 work together anymore, "Lovely Day" is a pretty good compromise.

The song starts off with two beautiful verses with a catchy hook shoved in between before putting together the most amazing outro in a while. There are horns. There are some synths. There's even a sample of James Blake's "The Wilhelm Scream." On another James Blake note, I'm pretty sure the cover for Innanetape was influenced by Blake's self-titled album. Yet another reason to love Mensa.

Chance on the cover of
Complex

And speaking of Chance, he makes an appearance on the song "Tweakin." Starting with some electronic drum hits, the beat quickly gets covered with some disoriented sounds that on first listen can be confusing, but quickly grow on the listener.

And Chance makes this friendly rivalry competitive as he raps, "I think the Illuminati is real / And your body's the peel and your soul is the fruit / And their goal is to steal and control all the juice."

Mensa can certainly have some fun, but he also doesn't shy away from more down-to-earth songs, as shown on "Holy Holy," which is about the very producer of this song, Killa Cam's passing. Mensa asks some seriously introspective questions like, "What would my obituary be? / How would they color me in the media?" before remembering Cam.

Ab-Soul makes a heart shattering feature, too, as he reflects over his girlfriend Alori's suicide. "I kept my Metro PCS with all our text messages / As evidence that I was thinking holy matrimony," he raps.

Innanetape is yet another sign of how much creative talent is coming out of Chicago. The worst part about this tape being so goddamn good is that I'm going to have to put so much more thought into my top albums of the year come December. But that's a pretty good problem to have.

The Not So Gouda:

Meek Mill - Dreamchasers 3

That's right, I've made not one, but two brilliant puns. Stack Those Puns, am I right?

I really wanted to write a review on Innanetape like I did with King Remembered in Time back in April. But when a mixtape trends on Twitter, like Meek Mill's latest, I kind of have an obligation to cover it.

Next, I had to figure out just how I felt about Dreamchasers 3. I've never really liked Mill all that much. To be honest, I still don't. But he's one of the hottest rappers in the game and there's a reason for that.

Remember, the masses used to
like Soulja Boy. 

But, time and time again, we're reminded that the masses don't always know what's best. Meek Mill's another proof for that.

Now, here on Stack That Cheese, we've been able to have some fun. We've been able to recognize that good rap doesn't necessarily have to have meaningful lyrics or clever wordplay. There's also an art to hype beats that pump up a crowd.

But Meek Mill just doesn't do anything for me. For a rapper that's being talked about so much, Meek Mill is actually pretty generic.

Take the song "Dope Dealer." On paper it seems like it should be good. It features Ricky Ross the boss and Nicki Minaj, so this is a Top 40 type lineup. But it just fails to impress me. An artist of Mill's caliber should be able to afford greater production. But "Dope Dealer" just sounds like it could be on just about any "Bad" mixtape.

Ahh! Real Rick Ross!

And the lyrics do the same thing. At one point, Mill is just rhyming Chanel bag with Chanel swag and Chanel tag. Pretty complex stuff, clearly. And Rick Ross has a line in which he says, "Philly brothers, sometimes call me 'Ahh!'" What?

I mean there are some pretty decent songs on Dreamchasers 3. "Lil Nigga Snupe" reflects on the passing of Mill's friend Lil Snupe. The beat's pretty tame, with a drum kit and calming synth. And Mill even has some good lines, like "I'll give all this money to get lil cuz back / Before my nigga go starving like where my grub at."

And "Heaven or Hell" samples Luniz's "I Got 5 on It." I mostly just really love the hook sung by Guordan Banks. Banks has this Colin Munroe-like voice and it's pretty catchy.

But even those tracks still are composed of some simplistic lines and beats that fail to really stand out. Hell, "Heaven or Hell" is basically just "I Got 5 on It." And that's probably the best beat on the whole tape.

Dreamchasers 3 is yet another mixtape from Meek Mill that really fails to grab my attention. But he's managed to get quite a following from this style of his, so I'm probably going to end up listening to most of what he releases.

The Limburger:

VP -  It Happens II

I'm a little ashamed of this. 1) I couldn't come up with a pun for re-dic-yu-lus. How can I call myself a pun expert when I can't even make one simple pun? 2) I just broke an ACRN blogging rule. If you haven't noticed, I usually link to my pictures. But I could do this for this mixtape cover. 

As you can see I've decided to cover a certain part of the girl with Lil B's face. There's a reason for that. And now that my mom has officially started reading my blog (I'm single, ladies), I need to at least make this stuff kind of decent.

Self-five again for STC's first gif!

But at least I found a really bad mixtape and made it even dumber with a little help from Lil B. High-five, me!

I actually liked It Happens II for about fifteen seconds. It was on the track "Back Bend (Bounce)," which has a pretty fun beat. I was like, "Hmm, this could be good if this VP guy delivers lyrically." But surprise, surprise, he didn't.

VP starts rapping in a storm of horribleness, shout/mumbling, "All the girls do it like this / Pop some pussy on some dicks." And actually, the more I hear this beat, I'm pretty sure this is from something else. Making this song completely useless.

But VP does manage to get some good beats. Whether or not these are his is hard to tell considering there's absolutely no information about him on datpiff. But at the very least, it shows he has some good taste in beats.

Like "Repeat." It has a piano-based beat with some soothing bass. But VP ruins it with his unique quality of being completely impossible to understand. In the second verse, I swear he says "shibuhdibuhding." Really.

But something tells me that it wouldn't make any difference even if I could understand him. He's far from a lyrical mastermind. Hell, Meek Mill runs circles around him. But, if he works on his flow and lyrics, he could manage to make a half-decent mixtape someday. Too bad those are huge ifs.

-X-Prime, dropping the mic for now

@XavierVeccia