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.

Stack That New Year!

Seven. Seven weeks. Seven weeks since I've seen you, Cheeseheads. Oh, how I missed you. Every Thursday, I would just get up super early and immerse myself in Hot New Hip-Hop and Datpiff in hopes of creating the greatest blog post for you faithful readers of mine, only to remember that it was winter break and then I slept instead because, well, you know, it was winter break. But now it's back to the daily grind and that means Stack That Cheese is back. And in a new year, too! New year, new Stack That Cheese with a new logo. Now let's get this new year started out right.

The Good:

YG - Just Re'd Up

Every morning when I wake up, I stomp over to my mirror in a drowsy state of mind and glare at my reflection, shouting, "You're better than the beats! You're better than the beats, goddammit!"

And until today, I thought I was. I would normally look past the beats and focus on the lyrics instead (unless I was feeling ig'nant). But YG broke me.

I should have known it from the intro: the Universal Pictures theme song with DJ Mustard (that's right, DJ Mustard) yelling over it. At the time, I just assumed YG was conceited, saying he was like the feature presentation or something cliche like that. But after listening to just a couple songs, I realized I was right! And so was he! YG was tipping us off to his own brilliance. This really was the feature presentation. So I grabbed a bowl of popcorn, sat back and let YG present it to me.

The best part of Just Re'd Up is the beats. There's several songs that just make you want to ride around in the classiest of suburbs with the bass turned up just to let everyone that lives there that you are one hood-ass motherfucker.

Let's start at "This Yick" featuring West Coast rapper Dom Kennedy and Joe Moses. The bass is just plain overwhelming and the rest of the beat sounds like it's straight out of a horror movie. Sure, the chorus is, "Girl, I know you want this dick," and YG has lines as bad as "Pussy gets mashed up, smashed up, mashed like potatoes," but the beat is just too dirty to look past. Plus, Kennedy's verse gives the song some lyrical integrity.

The very next song is called "Make it Clap." And once again, the song is of poor lyrical quality. The chorus is simplistic and repetitive and just about every line in the song has something to do with making a bitch clap her ass. But how the hell can I look past the beat? DJ Mustard's masterpiece includes heavy drums, claps, bass and what sounds like a recorder or another wind instrument.

There's even some good baby-making music on this mixtape. "Love Jones" featuring Tydolla$ign is definitely the best. YG's rhyme actually works better with an R&B-style slow song, where being dirty and completely sex-oriented sounds much better. Even a line like "I'm trying to give you two things /  Some dick and satisfaction" seems almost sweet as baby-making music.

Honestly, DJ Mustard deserves some award for making YG listenable. YG has re-dic-yu-lus quality lyrics, but Mustard just makes you forget about that and focus on his beats instead. He stole the show and definitely deserves an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor or something like that for making Just Re'd Up into a feature presentation.

The Bad: The Pretty Good:

Rockie Fresh - Electric Highway

I know, I know. I'm breaking all the rules of the blog. I'm despicable. A horrible human being. The absolute worst. But I had to. I had already downloaded Electric Highway when I heard Just Re'd Up and I couldn't turn back. So I just decided to call this "pretty good" and get rid of "the bad." But hey, it's a new year! New Stack That Cheese! New logo! And now, new format (for one week)!

Rockie Fresh is the newest signee to Maybach Music, and Electric Highway is his way of coming out. As a new member of Maybach, good production is all but guaranteed, which is what really stood out when I first pegged this as "the good" of the week. But after hearing Just Re'd Up, I knew I couldn't really use good production as an argument for Fresh's new mixtape.

But that doesn't mean Electric Highway is bad. It's quite good, actually. "Superman OG" is one of the better examples of production, using the sound of lighters and maracas, along with some heavy bass, to create an entertaining beat.

"Roll Up Right Now" is another quality song with a great feature from Curren$y. Curren$y is of course greeted with a nice, old-timey beat filled with some bass guitar and piano that's very Curren$y friendly. Curren$y even admits it when he raps, "Old school, though / So ahead of my time."

"The Lights," for whatever reason, is my favorite song off the mixtape, though. It features some simple electronic synths and a chorus of a female vocalist singing, "The lights will lead you there / There's no better light than this, I swear." And Fresh is rapping under some pretty heady autotune. The whole song just has a modern feel and it's very alluring.

While Rockie Fresh may not have been able to grab the top spot this week, Electric Highway is still a good release. He proves to fit right in with Maybach Music.

The Re-dic-yu-lus:

Slym B - Searching for You

You know how nearly every rapper makes sure to mention time and time again how much they love God? And you know how nearly every rap song does the exact opposite of proving that? I of course say "nearly" because Slym B is out to prove how much he loves Jesus.

Especially on the song "In Love With Jesus." "Man, I said it / I said it / I'm in love with Jesus," Slym B raps in the chorus. This kind of love for Jesus isn't new to rap, but it's not too often when a rapper dedicates a song to Him, let alone a whole mixtape. But that's what Slym B does. The only thing more surprising than this is the way in which he goes about professing his love for the big man. He raps over beats in a manner that seems more likely to fit in a 2 Chainz song than in a church.

"Ooh, that devil mad," Slym B raps in "In Love With Jesus," acting as if he's calling the devil out like he's a rival rapper, much less a fallen angel. And he does this with all the swagger of Kevin Federline.

He also brags about God the same way that most rappers would brag about pussy or weed. Take the song "Unstable," where Slym B proves he wasn't allowed to be in choir by horribly singing the chorus. But he doesn't stop there. He also brags about his faith and tries to sway the listener to become a believer through lines like, "You too comfortable in your sin, huh."

Now before I go any further and make it seem like Slym B got into this category by preaching his faith, let's explain why this mixtape is so horrible.

It's not the content that Slym is rapping about, but how he's rapping about it. He's got all the cockiness of someone from Young Money, and the ghetto-ass beats of some of the most ignorant rappers in the game, but he's rapping about Christianity. Now, I may not be too rooted in the Christian hip-hop movement, but something tells me that's the wrong way to go about it.

Because when you're listening to artists like Soulja Boy or Chief Keef, you're not just there for the beats. You're also there because you want to listen to songs about bitches and weed. I can't imagine there are many people listening to those artists thinking to themselves, "I really like these beats, but gosh darnit, these boys are just too sinful for me." But that's the target audience for Slym B.

Christian rapping can be done right, just not like this. Look at Lecrae or the 116 Clique. They manage to preach their faith without sounding ignorant about it. But Slym B takes the opposite route and instead just comes out of his mixtape sounding unintelligent and ridiculous. Hence, his inclusion in the re-dic-yu-lus section.

-- Xavier Veccia, dropping the mic for now.

@xprime_time