Mixtape Of The Month: J-Love & AZ - The Return Of S.O.S.A. Pt.2

With my basic attitude about most mixtapes that dropped in October mirroring my indifference toward doing something as blase as scratching my balls, I decided to nominate J-Love's second installment of "The Return Of S.O.S.A." in the wake of Hip-Hop's deep mixtape void this month.

As usual J-Love hits us with a more than comprehensive "best of" type tape for an artist that is more than worthy of one and that has a deep catalog to pluck random ill joints from. Another not so surprising treat is J-Love's trademark inclusion of a couple of tracks he produced himself in the form of the tape's intro; a remix of AZ's "Chillin" and an exclusive joint that has AZ and J-Love protege Meyhem Lauren trading ill verses called "Street Anthem". Both of those tracks alone make this tape worth checking out. Not to downplay the actual track list however, I do feel there are some excellent AZ tracks on here that routinely seem to escape most DJ's minds when they put together a tape like this for him. One such jewel that people need to peep that is semi-rare is the Mason Betha assisted "We Gonna Make It Right"....I first heard this track about 4 or 5 years ago while I was in college. I was checking out a Bike Mike and Kay Slay mixtape (before they sucked) and that joint was on it. On that tape it was labeled as being unreleased, but I'm not 100% sure on that. Another track that I think is dope and is perpetually overlooked in AZ's vast resume is "Thug Connection"; a grimy collaboration effort AZ went in on with the legendary Kool G Rap and a relative newcomer at the time Papoose. Of course my all time favorite track to bump while driving around in the summer time "Hey AZ" is included too, a nice lil' addage to a solid lineup, that surely will please most AZ enthusiast's.

And just to prove to folks that he's not permanently stuck in the 90's with his programming, J-Love does throw on some of AZ's newer triumph's as well....One such triumph being "The Secret", one of the many standout tracks from AZ's latest mixtape/street album "N.4.L.", that features a monster appearance from Wu-Tang vet Raekwon.

You'll find all of ya favorite emcee's on here from Nas, M.O.P., Consequence, Styles P and Busta Rhymes to Large Professor, Cormega and Nature. Easily one of the finer and more well thought out "best of's" ever dropped fro AZ and remarkably fluid despite sudden shifts in tracks' time periods. J-Love does it again.

-BIG D O




1) Chillin (RMX) Produced By J-Love
2) The Game Don'T Stop
3) Game Of Life
4) Rap Fanatic
5) The Secret Feat Raekwon & Charlie Rock
6) Nigga Games
7) Professional Style Feat Cormega & Nature
8) Too Real Feat Foxy Brown
9) The Hardest Feat Styles P & Large Professor
10) New York Feat Raekwon & Ghostface Killah
11) Street Anthem Feat J-Love & Meyhem (Produced By J-Love)
12) Take U Back In Time
13) Sit Em Back Slow Feat M.O.P
14) Everything Is Everything Feat Nas
15) Thug Connection Feat Kool G Rap & Papoose
16) The Format
17) I Don'T Give A Fuck
18) At Night
19) Life
20) For The Love Of Money
21) Hey Az Feat SWV
22) We Gonna Make It Right Feat Mase
23) Heavy In Da Game Feat Consequence
24) I Am AZ
25) Lifes Not A Gift Feat Notorious B.I.G.
26) Royal Salute Busta Rhymes - Flipmode Style

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