Review: The Prestige Vol.1 (Rhode Island Hip-Hop Mixtape)

by DJ Mekalek on December 2nd, 2009 | 8 Comments

DJ Sterbyrock Presents:

To me, Rhode Island is synonymous with mixtapes. Having come up in Rhody in the 90’s, I was inspired by legendary local mixtape DJ’s like Curty Cut, Fred Da Great, DJ Finesse, Mike Nice, DJ Buck, and Davey D (just to name my favorites). That’s a lot of talent for such a small state. Well, now you can add DJ Sterbyrock to the RI mixtape legacy. With “The Prestige Vol.1 (Rhode Island Hip-Hop Mixtape)”, Sterby has created an instant classic.

In this mix, the sound specific to Rhody’s indie hip-hop scene has been perfectly captured and presented for us all to listen to in a seamless mix full of that raw sh*t. There’s no attempts at corny radio hits here, it’s all stripped down like chicks at the Cadillac Lounge. Most of the beats sound like they’re straight off the sampler–no tracking–and there’s a dominating air of purity from start to finish; dudes made this music because they have to, not just because they can.

The beats range from jazz to rock to spaced-out funk; some choppy, some loops, and yet Sterby is able to make these songs sound like they were meant to be together. Using sharp scratching, some DJ tricks, and blending, the mix unfolds exactly how it should, with all the peaks and valleys that a great mixtape must have. For those of us that see music in linear code, this one’s got perfect structure. And did I say there’s actual DJing on here? Yes, but i had to say it again: this kid has made a MIXtape!

It’s exciting to listen to a project like “The Prestige Vol.1″, where the DJ really has a grasp and understanding of some sh*t that most of us couldn’t hear otherwise. Rarely has a scene been captured so well. This mix clocks in at an hour and three minutes, which is about how long it takes to drive from one end of Rhode Island to the other. So get you damn hands on this one and take that ride through the 4-0-1, khed. Print it.

–by DJ Mekalek

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 7:35 pm and is filed under Music Review . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

8 Responses to “Review: The Prestige Vol.1 (Rhode Island Hip-Hop Mixtape)”

  1. December 3, 2009 at 1:10 am
    BIGCITY says:

    I like track 13.

  2. December 3, 2009 at 1:19 am
    BIGCITY says:

    Shout out to Mek too. I still listen to Killa Tape Part 3.

  3. December 3, 2009 at 12:15 pm
    STERBYROCK says:

    I like all the tracks. Much respect to Mek! Much respect all the ri emcees, producers, djs, writters!
    Hit me up if you need a copy.

    -sterby*

  4. December 3, 2009 at 2:40 pm
    The Mic Monsta says:

    I Need MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  5. December 3, 2009 at 4:33 pm
    G_REG says:

    where can i get this cd

  7. January 30, 2010 at 9:24 pm
    G_REG says:

    thank you, this is some real hip hop from my home state! i love it!!!!!

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