Mixtapes are a dime a dozen in the hip-hop culture. Sure, they serve the purpose of hyping an artist prior to dropping their new LP, but there’s definitely a near-endless supply of tapes from rap’s elite to, well, these guys. But if you’re looking for a mixtape with a little meaning, we suggest Wake Up! Radio. If the title sounds familiar, it should be: the digitial release is a remix of sorts of the John Legend–Roots collabo album Wake Up!. Created by J. Period, a Brooklyn-based producer and DJ, the mixtape, according to the DJ’s official site, “dissects, remixes and rebuilds the original recording sessions from the Wake Up! album in an unprecedented manner.” Guests on the effort, which is hosted by Roots frontman Black Thought, include Common, Pete Rock, CL Smooth, Q-Tip, Rakim, and K’Naan.
You can download the tape for free here. Period also plans to drop an exclusive track featuring Legend, Black Thought, and Rakim called “In The Ghetto (Wake Up!)” as a digital 12″ on February 15th.
