THE ONLINE MIXTAPE ERA OF RAP was something special that I doubt will ever be replicated. Coming off the heels of Limewire downloads (“the fuck is a Limewire??” - anyone born after 2000) and preceding the rise of the SoundCloud era, websites, like DatPiff, were a staple for hip hop heads, in many ways ushering in the concept of online streaming apps. Just to reminisce real quick, I loved finishing up a day of school/extracurriculars by running through all the latest drops. Them free mixtapes just hit a little different. Sad maybe, but that’s the life of an only child.
One artist that always stuck out to me from this era was Dizzy Wright. Some of y’all might be wondering, “who in the hell is Dizzy Wright?” For those who are, he was (and still is) a dope rapper who's been known to rap about dope. He was part of Funk Volume, the former label run by Hopsin - that dude who wore those wack contacts, someone who I actually liked, but that’s besides the point. While some rappers on the FV label were considered corny and gimmicky, Dizzy was never one who could be grouped in with that title. The gimmicks may have worked for a few on the label, but it realistically hurt Dizzy, simply through association.
For three consecutive years to start the 2010s, Dizzy had a nice little run of mixtapes, finished off with my personal favorite: The Golden Age. I had known about Dizzy through FV, but this was the project that really made me a fan. Taking advantage of producers like 6ix and Wyclef Jean, this project is filled with 90s era beats and bars, both that just make you feel good. As long as I’ve known and followed Dizzy, so much of his music’s been filled with introspection and conversations about topics he finds important. Yeah, he’s got fun songs on this project (The Flavor, B.T.T, and Tellem My Name come to mind), but uplifting listeners with positivity is his end goal. Maintain. Progression. Killem with Kindness. Welcome Home. And that’s only through the first third of the tape; the list goes on and on. Dizzy’s an artist who’s always been real big on personal growth and strong mental health. Throughout the tape, that fact is pretty damn obvious.
As much as I’d love for Dizzy to get the recognition he deserves, I know that’ll never happen. If it was ever going to happen, it would’ve already. He’s in the same lane as Curren$y... a great rapper, but an artist who will always be a niche. It’s a weird concept to think about, but his music might be too uplifting for the mainstream. But for endless beats and bars, you can never go wrong with Dizzy Wright, and The Golden Age might just be the perfect place to start.
SIDE NOTE: for some old, old Tory Lanez, check out Step Yo Game Up, he’s barely recognizable on that track.
PERSONAL FAVORITES: Maintain (feat. Joey Bada$$), Killem With Kindness, Welcome Home, Untouchable (feat. Logic & Kirk Knight), World Peace, New History
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