Posted by Frank Wu

Mixtape: Mac Miller – I Love Life, Thank You

As a gift to his fans for reaching 1 million followers on Twitter, Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller surprised everyone with the release of a brand new mixtape entitled I Love Life, Thank You.

The new mixtape is Mac’s sixth mixtape, following But My Mackin’ Ain’t Easy, The Jukebox: Prelude to Class Clown, The High Life, K.I.D.S., and Best Day Ever.

DOWNLOAD: Mediafire (85.76 MB)

Mac’s debut album, Blue Slide Park, will be released on November 8, 2011 via Rostrum Records. So far, two tracks from the album have already been released: “Frick Park Market” and “Smile Back”, both songs that are very similar in style to Mac’s previous work. With his relationship to fellow Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa, Mac’s freshman debut should provide a number of fun songs that will do well on the charts.

Listen: The Fray – “Heatbeat”

Since their surprising debut in 2005, Denver rock band The Fray have progressed quite a bit sonically, branching out from the soft piano ballads that made up much of their first album.

Now, they’re back and ready to release their third album, Scars and Stories, on February 7, 2012 via Epic Records. To start things off, the band has released a brand new single titled “Heartbeat”, premiering the new song while opening for rock legends U2. Frontman Isaac Slade’s easily recognized falsetto anchors the soaring chorus of the song, which is now available for purchase on iTunes and can be listened (but not downloaded) directly below.

Video: 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Rap Cyphers

The best part of the yearly BET Hip Hop Awards can now be enjoyed in its entirety online. Rapping over beats spun by DJ Premier, some of the hottest MCs in the game right now freestyle to show off their lyrical prowess. This year, we were treated to rhymes from Eminem‘s Shady Records family, Rick Ross‘s Maybach Music Group, and newcomers such as Compton’s talented Kendrick Lamar, Philadelphia up-and-comer Gilbere Forte, Southern king Big K.R.I.T., and many more.

All the cypher videos can be watched below. If you’re low on time, make sure to check out the Shady 2.0 cypher directly below. Primo, drop that beat!

Mixtape: Gilbere Forte – Some Dreams Never Sleep

I completely slept on Gilbere Forte. I admit: it took an appearance on a BET Cyper and The Hundreds presenting his newest mixtape/EP for me to listen to him. But now that I’ve listened to Some Dreams Never Sleep, I can’t stop; this Philadelphia MC is on point. I mean, look at the star-studded cast he managed to pull together for the 11-track project: Big K.R.I.T., Jim Jones, Pusha T, Asher Roth, Casey Veggies, and more.

Gilbere easily goes toe-to-toe with each of these rappers, spitting memorable verse after memorable verse. He’s young, he has a message, and he’s ready to shine. You can download three choice cuts below and if you like what you hear, the full EP is available for free after the break.

MP3: Gilbere Forte – “Black Soul (feat. Big K.R.I.T.)”

MP3: Gilbere Forte – “Hot (In This Bitch) (feat. Jim Jones & Pusha T)”

MP3: Gilbere Forte – “Feel Alive (feat. Brian Underwood)”

Listen: The Weeknd – “Initiation”

With each release from the mysterious Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, a new side of the talented R&B singer emerges. The latest leak from Abel and supposedly the first track from his third mixtape Echoes of Silence is “Initiation”, released on Abel’s Tumblr page. On the track, the singer experiments with a number of different, warped vocal styles. Even so, the track is distinctly The Weeknd-sounding, including the obligatory repeated OVOXO outro.

Dark, gloomy, and perfect for the Halloween season. Enjoy.

MP3: The Weeknd – “Initiation”