ALBUMS & MIXTAPES-An Indepth Analysis

An Album or a record album is a collection of related audio or music tracks distributed to the public.
The most common way is through commercial distribution.
It could also be sold at live concerts and websites.

The tracks on an album may be related by subject, mood and sound. They may also be designed to express a unified message or fell a story.

An album can also be described as a convenient grouping of recordings made at one time or place.
It could also comprise recordings whose commercial rights are controlled b a single record label. A group of audio tracks is considered to be an album if it has a generally consistent track list.

The term album is also applied to any sound recording collection such as those on compact disks.
UK Charts rule that a recording counts as an Album if their or and it has more than four tracks or lasts more than 25 minutes.

Many albums also come with liner notes and inserts giving backgrounds information or analysis of the recording, reprinted lyrics, images of the performers or additional artwork and text. These are found in the form of CD booklets.

Notable Nigerian Hiphop albums include Thy Album Come by Ruggedman, Pentium IX by Mode9, Talk About It by M.I, Pain Plus Work by Gino, Dat Ibo Boi by Illbliss.


MIXTAPES

A mixtape or a Mixed tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order traditionally onto a compact audio disc.
A mixtape which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a theme or mood to a highly personal statement tailored to the mixtape’s intended recipients.

Many mixtape enthusiasts believe that by carefully collecting and ordering the tracks in a mixtape, an artistic statement can be created much as an Album.

A distinction should be drawn between
a private mixtape which is usually intended for a specific listener or private audience and
A public or party tape usually consisting of a recording of different songs by DJs and intended to be sold to multiple individuals. This is also known as a BOOTLEG

Songs on mix CDs are created by combining fragments of existing songs (which need not belong to the same genre). The resulting REMIX appropriates existing songs to give them new meaning through their juxtaposition but does so in a quicker and more integrated style.

Mixtapes can be differentiated from bootlegs in that the compilers of bootlegs seem to be anonymous.

but similarly, Mixtapes' Compilers & Bootleggers generally do not obtain permissions for the use of copyright materials.



RULES OF MIXTAPE CREATION

i) Songs of distinguishable tempo cannot be placed back to back.

ii) Music of different genres should not be placed back to back unless they sound alike.

iii)For bootleggers, songs from the same artist should not be arranged side by side unless all the songs have been arranged in pairs.



There is a tendency of mixtapes' creators becoming more concerned with making surprising combinations of tracks than with creating a tape that is listenable, enjoyable or appropriate to its intended recipients.

Basically, mixtapes are expressions of the compilers musical taste often put forward for the implicit approval of the recipients. It is also a tentative step towards building the compilers personal canon of music.



RELEVANCE OF MIXTAPES

Well, throughout the 1980s, mixtapes were a highly visible element of youth culture.

Nowadays, mixtapes are commonly used by labels and new artists as a promotional tool and as a way of generating hype.

An unsigned artist might release several mixtapes to generate buzz leading to interest from record labels.

A signed artist may release a mixtape to promote a future studio album in a sales model relying on word of mouth to increase the artists' street credibility.

Most mixtapes usually have much lower production values than a standard studio album.

They may also contain numerous collabos, remixes, freestyles, voice-overs often arranged in a flowing fashion as real albums.
Many mixtapes can also be downloaded for free in MP3 format over the internet.

Notable Nigerian mixtapes include Malcolm IX by Mode9, Illegal Mixtape by M.I, Illustrate by Str8 Buttah e.t.c

In the words of Nigerian emcee Iceprince,"...Some rappers who start out to make an mixtapes end up with albums and vice versa."
Now, you know the differences between an ALBUM, A MIXTAPE and even a BOOTLEG.
Don't get them twisted!