Mixtapes are a very important part of the hip hop culture. They let us know who is up next and who deserves to stay on top. Often times they sereve as an uncut voice for the artist to express themselves and stay directly connected to the streets. Here 24hourhiphop.com counts down the top mixtapes of 2008.

•    G-unit-The Elephant In The Sand

We already know by the artwork what this one is about. The unit was going at Joe hard on this one but that’s not what made this tape one of the tops of the year. As always with the unit it was the stellar beat production and the sing along hooks that 50 Cent lays down, which this mixtape was full of. This mixtape even spawned an album track which turned into a commercial single with “Rider Pt. 2”. Definitely not one to be slept on.

•    The Clipse-We Got It 4 Cheap Vol. 3

Anticipation. That was the word surrounding this mixtape. The Clipse, along with rhyme partners Sandman and Ab-Liva, have been setting the mixtape game on fire for years with their Got It 4 Cheap series. On this one they hooked up with DJ Drama to cook up more cocaine flow for the masses and everyone loved it. 20k Money Making Brothers On The Corner, was my favorite track as well as with the evil flow Pusha spit on Show You How To Hustle. If you like quality product, holla at this mixtape cause they got it 4 cheap!

•    Young Dro-I Am Legend

DRO! Whenever you hear a verse start off with that name boast you know it’s gonna be a little bit different. Lemon lime chevy’s, Gatorade neck ties. You know the deal. Dro sticks to the sript on this one and gives a tour of the hood through his Willy Wonka vision glasses. I must say I love Dro’s music simply because he’s so damn different and he shows that on this mixtape.

•    Billy Blue-The G-Code

Poe Boy’s newest superstar Billy Blue really came hard on this one. Letting those who don’t know and reminding those who do, Blue tells exactly who he is. The Million Dollar Man gives real glimpses into who’s behind the jewels and reveals himself more than most, even in his more club tracks. He has the rare ability to both entertain the dummies who aren’t really listening and still feed the hungry minds with real poetry. Featuring the rest of his Poe Boy fam (Rick Ross, Flo Rida, Brisco) Blue delivers a solid mixtape on this one and lets us know why he is living the Gucci Life.  

•    Young Jeezy-The Prime Minister

Jeezy had left the mixtape game alone for a minute. Then all of the sudden, boom! The prime minister is back! Jeezy takes his proper position right back on the 1st track titled, I’m Here. Spitting lines like “I been gone for a minute but a nigga back in it, had them o’s in the kitchen and them shits gas scented”, Jeezy lets the streets know he ain’t go too far. The standout of this mixtape has to be Put On. Eventually turning into a single with Kanye West, this trunk rattler became an anthem in every city across the county. All hail the prime minister!

•    Jadakiss- The Predator Is Back

D-Block chief Jadakiss never disappoints when it comes to the mixtapes. This is  what he is all about. Lyrics over dope beats is where Jada thrives and fortunately for him, that is what mixtapes focus on. Giving us that raspy flow, Jada glides over 18 tracks and reps hard for the NY. Jada is one of the last few who focus solely on lyrics, maybe a little too much for his own good, but the hip hop heads still love him for it. The shit he spits on Ride Around Shining is enough to make non believers cop this mixtape 8 times. So if you haven’t heard it once, first kill yourself, and then go cop that Jada! The predator is back!

•    Brisco- Underworld Rise

R.A.W. There’s really no other way to describe this young man. I’m a writer, and I’m at a loss for words sometimes when it comes to that Brisco flow. Energy and passion. If you need to see and hear living examples of those two words, listen to Brisco. The Opa-Locka Goon teamed up with DJ Drama for this one and delivered that pure street shit that makes the fans love him and other rappers fear him. Just Kno Dat and Fall In are my favorites but I can honestly say this whole shit rides out. What makes this mixtape stand out even more is the fact that is uses all original production, making the listener focus more on Bris’, rather than the same tired old beat we’ve heard again and again. Definitely a certified classic.

•    Lil Wayne-Dedication 3

Who else could it be? Topping off the list of course is Weezy F. Baby, who teased fans for years with talk of this mixtape. Wayne and Drama have released three mixtapes in the widely heralded Dedication series and this many say, was the best. Wayne lets the world know he is not to be played with on the 1st track Welcome Back, spitting over Outkast’s The Art Of Storytelling Pt. 3. It seems a main intent of this mixtape was to also showcase his Young Money crew and that is my only complaint. There isn’t enough songs with just Wayne on them. Besides that though this is a welcome addition to the Dedication series and already has people looking out for that Dedication 4. Wayne…?