Mixtape Monday: Gwen Bunn, Royce Da 5'9", RIP Prodigy (Mobb Deep) + More

Mixtape Monday is a soulful, reflective journey this week with hip-hop jazz, r&b and soulful house tapes from UK collective Blue Lab Beats, Gwen Bunn and Osage, respectively. Rising Jersey spitter Ikenna kicks things off for the MC’s with the Call Me Ike tape. Veterans Coke Bumaye, Styles P, Wiz Khalifa and Slaughterhouse representative Royce da 5’9” raise the bar with solid performances across their respective tapes. Chris “Daddy” Dave serves up the first installment of the Drumhedz Radio Show and DJ Just Dizle drops a two-hour tribute to fallen Mobb Deep MC, Prodigy.

Blue Lab Beats – Freedom EP

North West London collective Blue Lab Beats drops a gem for lovers of hip-hop jazz with their sophomore Freedom EP. The 5-track project combines the core elements of grime and hip-hop with the heavy synths and warm chords present in contemporary jazz and soul. The release is a sample-free clinic in fire grooves that boasts appearances from Sheldon Agwu, Yelfris Valdes, Kojey Radical, Tiana Major9, Nubya Garcia, Sheila Maurice-Grey and Louis VI.