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Today marks the 17th anniversary of Eazy-E's passing. During his Throwback At Noon at Hot97 in New York, Mister Cee played a nice Eazy-E Tribute Mix. Check it out above. R.I.P. Eazy-E.
Download: Mister Cee Eazy-E Tribute Mix
However you want to measure it-- originality, influence, inventiveness, longevity, personality, skill-- E-40 is one of the greatest rappers of all time.Download: DJ Matthew Africa - Yay Game: The Best Of E-40 (Mixtape)
This mix is a tribute to him in the tradition of my previous mixes devoted to DJ Quik, R. Kelly, Gang Starr and Too $hort (the latter with DJ Eleven). If you've heard any of them, you know I go all out-- meticulously selecting, sequencing and mixing songs to put together the best possible representation of those artists' music. This mix is no exception.
I chose 40 songs from all eras of E-40's career, from 1990's "Let's Side" to his current single, "Function". His catalog is so vast and deep that picking just 40 songs to represent him was incredibly tough, but I've tried to fit in everything from mob slumpers and album sleepers to radio and club hits. Obviously, there are a lot of other classic songs that could have been on here but aren't; I picked the ones that to me best embody his work as a whole. Or are just ones I really love.
If you enjoy this, go grab E-40's three (!) new albums, Block Brochure Volumes 1-3. They are due out this coming Tuesday but you can pre-order them now.
Oh and, I want to thank the great Stephanie Gardner, who laced the cover, and also DJ Eleven, who provided an invaluable second set of ears.