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Best R&B Mixtapes

Mixin' Match ...

By Mark Edward Nero, About.com

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Oh, so you thought only hip-hop artists made mixtapes? Well actually, even though mixtapes started out as a rap phenomenon, plenty of young R&B singers have jumped on the bandwagon in the past few years and used mixtapes as a marketing tool, just like rappers. The quality of them varies (Razah's The New R In R&B is so-so, but Marsha Ambrosius's Neo-Soul Is Dead is awful), but listed below are some of the cream of the crop. All are free, legal, and authorized releases by each artist. They're all also available on the grey market, if you know where to look. Hint: the answer's right at your fingertips.

1. "Chocolate City Mixtape Vol. 1 (They Don't Sing No More)," J. Holiday (2007)

Possibly the best mixtape ever by an R&B artist. This release, which was hosted by DJ Flexx and was released before Holiday's debut album, Back Of My 'Lac, hit stores, features several complete, original songs that didn't appear on his first full album along with the usual remixes and cover songs typically found on mixtapes. A highlight is "Music's Changed," where over Robin Thicke's "Lost Without You" beat, Holiday croons about being "sick of singing rappers."

Tracklisting
1. Be With Me (Intro)
2. Break Up 2 Make Up
3. Hustle Harder
4. My Prerogative
5. I Want U (feat. Marvin Gaye)
6. Bed
7. Hydro
8. Musics Changed
9. Mister Mister
10 Make It Rain
11 Mary Jane
12 When Were Dancin'
13 RandB Is Dead
14 Po Man's Boogy (Outro)

2. "Young Hustla Vol. 2: Live From the Jungle Mixtape," Teedra Moses (2007)

This is the second of three mixtapes that Ms. Teedra has dropped since 2004. It's packed with a combination of live performances, previously unreleased studio tracks and remixes.

Tracklisting
1. You Already Know (feat. Lil' Wayne)
2. Complex Simplicity (Live)
3. DeBarge Interlude
4. Hear What I Say (feat. Nas)
5. Ur 4 Real (Live)
6. Thankful (Gangsta Lean)
7. Take My Love Away
8. U Betta Tell Her (Live)
9. Don't Stop (feat. Lloyd)
10 Future World
11 Money In The Bank/U Betta Tell Her (Interlude)
12 I Still Love
13 Take Me (Live)
14 Be Your Girl (Live)
15 Be Your Girl (Remix feat. Yulunda Bell) [Live]
16 Many Men
17 Closer
18 All I Do (Stevie Wonder Classic Pick) [Live]
19 Backstroke (Live)
20 Who Knows
21 Love's Gonna Be

3. "The Ladies Choice," Trey Songz (2007)

Of today's young R&B artists, Trey Songz has most embraced hip-hop's swagger. He both sings and raps on this hour-long mixtape and there's plenty of original, previously-unreleased material.

Tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Wonder Woman
3. 1 Day
4. Make U a Star
5. Are U a Performa
6. Itz Songz Snitches (skit)
7. Itz Songz Snitches
8. Buy U a Drank
9. What Trey Been Up To (skit)
10 80 Flow
11 The Come Up
12 Warriors
13 Exclusive (skit)
14 Fly 2gether
15 Myspace.com and Trey Songz (skit)
16 Im a Flirt
17 We Taking Over
18 Yes I'm Fresh
19 2 Up 2 Down freestyle
20 What's It Gonna Be Shawty
21 Trying To Get at U Girl
22 Album Drop (skit)
23 Like a Boy
24 Skit
25 Look at Her (remix)
26 Replacement Girl
27 Different
28 Outro
29 Gotta Go (bonus track)

4. "Because I Love It Vol. 1," Amerie (2007)

Amerie dropped this mixtape via her website in order to take shots at other female vocalists whom she felt were jacking her style. Unfortunately, the promised volume 2 of the mixtape never materialized, and the full Because I Love It album wound up not being released in the U.S. either. (See, that's what happens to your career when you diss the almighty Beyonce. Hah - just kidding.) This mixtape is a rare gem for those who have it. It's very hard to find, but not impossible.

Tracklisting
1. Because I Love It
2. Kept My Head Down
3. Push It
4. Reminisce Witcha
5. Take Control
6. Same Thing
7. Blow
8. Money in the Bank
9. The Money
10. Money Maker
11. Get Gone
12. Rest of my Life
13. Thats What You Are
14. Weekend Love
15. Outro

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5. "The Death of R&B," Kev Samples (2006)

Kev, who's the cousin of NBA player Dwight Howard, plays it for laughs on his debut mixtape, which is hosted by DJ Whoo Kid. T-Pain, Ray-J, Jamie Foxx and others all get clowned on this release's various songs and skits. But beneath it all is the underlying message that there's few genuinely talented young male R&B artists on the horizon.

Tracklisting
1. I Luv Music Intro (feat. DJ Whoo Kid)
2. Try to F With Me
3. So Sick of This Song
4. T-Pain is Dead (skit)
5. Only Tricks Love a Stripper
6. Let Me Hold U Girl
7. Gomez Brothers (skit)
8. U Need One Wish
9. I Ain't Gonna Leave
10. J.Lo ft. LL Cool J (skit)
11. Have a Party
12. Naughty feat. Petey Pablo

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6. "Go Girl Mixtape," Jimmie Reign (2006)

Jimmie is a female indie R&B artist from northern California's Bay Area, which is home to such talented artists as Keyshia Cole, Raphael Saadiq and Goapele. Jimmie's Go Girl mixtape contains all-new material and is hosted by Big Von of legendary Bay Area radio station KMEL. You can download the entire mixtape legally and at no cost by clicking on the "Free Download" link below.

Tracklisting
1. I'm (Gonna Make It) Reign
2. Got For You
3. The Game
4. You Go (feat. Kaz Kyzah of The Team)
5. D Boy
6. Give It to Me (ft. Mayne Mannish of The Team
7. Big Body
8. Superstar
9. One More Chance
10 Ring My Bell
11 Tryin' to be Your Girl (ft. Clyde Carson)
12 Go Girl
13 My Love
14 Somebody's Somebody
15 Be the One
16 Keep Pushin'
17 Use Your Heart

Free Download

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