Stream Young Lito’s New Mixtape

Most people talk about changes in era in terms of topics, styles of rapping, fashion changes. Few do it with the technical points of the form. But Young Lito's new mixtape hearkens back to George W. Bush-era New York City, as much through its presentation as through its vocal takes. Look at the title: The Future Is Here: Freestyle Edition, Vol. 1. Take a peek at the cover: a simple, scowling press photo with blocky text added after the fact. While the tape's conceit--rapping over instrumentals from other songs--places it at a specific point in history, Lito skips from decade to decade. There's the "Victory" beat from Puff Daddy's No Way Out; there's Nas and Lauryn Hill's classic "If I Ruled the World" from It Was Written. Of course, there are also more contemporary cuts, such as the BSB member's takes on song by Future, Drake, Fetty Wap, Bobby Shmurda and more.

Fans of Lito can catch him on the second episode of Ante Up, which is XXL's new podcast focusing on the intersection between hip-hop and sports. He joins Troy Ave and Hovain in speaking with Manny Maduakolam and Roger Krastz about the current NBA season and the outlook for the second half of the NFL campaign. Listen to that episode in its entirety underneath the DatPiff stream for The Future Is Here: Freestyle Edition, Vol. 1.