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Alex Zayne: “Eighty Minute Mixtape” – great lyrics, a vicious flow and head-nodding production

Alex Zayne’s promo reads something like this: “A time bomb has been activated in the Hip-Hop industry. Eighty Minutes remain on the timer before detonation. The defusing of this explosive Mixtape is futile. The affects will inevitably shake the foundation of the genre. Hit play and become a part of the change in these final moments designed to make you think, feel, act, and believe.”

Alex Zayne
Alex Zayne

What does all this mean? It means that Alex Zayne stands firmly in his wildly addictive comfort zone and flexes his poetic and storytelling muscles as he predominantly examines girls, sex, and bad relationships.

I can only imagine that most artists would have lip-seizure when presented with the variety of challenging beats that can be found on the “Eighty Minute Mixtape”. But Alex Zayne is a different breed of artist. And the 22 tracks here showcase exactly what I mean. Last time I checked, the mixtape was going for as little as $1 dollar or more. So there’s really no excuse to be missing out on this recording.

It may take you a few spins to feel out most of the tracks. But it will get under your skin eventually and end up being all you want to listen to for long stretches of time. Zayne spits from the heart, though most of it seems to come out of bad experiences – but it’s something that for the most part is missing in hip-hop music nowadays, especially in the mainstream.

alex-zayne-cd
The physical CD is available!

As is the case with nearly all of the twenty-two tracks, not only do we notice Zayne’s incredible flow, his equal doses of battle rhymer and thought-provoking turns as a lyricist, but the astonishing amount of variety in the wall of sound he creates. In a musical genre that is primarily taken by a simple beat as the background for the lyrics, Hogg Beats, J-Tube, and Jovian’s infusion of crossover sounds instantly catches the listeners’ attention.

The mixtape also contains some great melodic hooks, while lyrically Zayne stays way ahead of the curve. Songs that are still stuck in my head include: This n That ft. Shadow Clone, Cold World, Next Breath ft. Shadow Clone, Lookin’ Up, Flower My Grave, Don’t Sleep, Stop Throwin’ Shade ft. Curry Ryan, & Prolific, A Pen and a Pad and Love Is Blind.

Tons of diverse styles and special appearances by Shadow Clone, Curry Ryan, Prolific, Puppit Maztar and Arsini make the “Eighty Minute Mixtape” way worth the asking price.  Definitely check this out for great lyrics, a vicious flow, and amazing head-nodding production.

OFFICIAL LINKS: BANDCAMPFACEBOOK – SOUNDCLOUD

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