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Mixtape ShmixtapeWherein we review Yay Area mixes of the dayBy Tamara PalmerPublished on May 10, 2006It's been an active year in the Bay Area for mixtapes, those fantastic promotional CDs presented by hip-hop DJs, artists, and labels as uncensored, experimental calling cards for their careers. Below are some especially choice selections. Featured pick: Radio Fryer Relm wins over even casual DJ culture appreciators with his audio-visual performances, where the images are mixed as cleverly as the beats; his DVD Suit Yourself is a great example of this skill. Radio Fryer has no visual component, but it's not necessary. From the clever hip-hop tribute to composer/former Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman to the concluding suite of Joy Division-inspired mash-ups, Relm proves himself a voracious, open-minded music fan. The coolest feature of Radio Fryer, though, is that it contains a bonus CD with the same material. How thoughtful to anticipate that fans might want to burn a second copy for a friend. Also recommended: DJ Juice The Bay Area Mixtape Vol. 4, Hosted by Money B Digital Underground's inimitable Money B hosts this smooth blend of recent Yay Area favorites from the nationally recognized DJ Juice. Juice's guest contributes a couple exclusives here including an ultra-raunchy update of a DU classic in "Freaks of the Industry II." It's a song both deliciously quote-worthy and inappropriate to cite in a family newspaper. Juice's next volumes will be hosted by Jacka and Too $hort, respectively. The Bay: We Fresh, Hosted By Dem Hoodstarz An active mixtape and club DJ behind the Street Heat and Bay Area Wastelandseries, this may be an older offering for hard-core local hip-hop followers, but it stands as a great entry point for those curious about the hyphy sound.
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