The first month of the New Year is coming to an end. January saw huge returns for veteran MCs (Juelz Santana, Master P), as well as big releases from artists like Pusha T. As for the other rap releases, how do you go about sifting through and separating the good from the bad?

Our goal is to round up the best mixtapes of every month. We will cover the tapes that you should be listening to and throw in a few gems that are worth talking about. In the end, we are here to help guide rap fans to music that you may have skipped over.

So read on to find out the month’s most important or entertaining hip-hop releases that you need now.

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Pusha T, Wrath of Caine

After being tightly-lipped about its release date, Pusha T let loose what all fans have been waiting for. Wrath of Caine is a lean 11 tracks with features from French Montana, Wale, Troy Ave and more. It serves as a prelude to his debut solo album, My Name Is My Name, where he proved that he can stand and deliver on his own. If you are in need of more Pusha’s street tales, Wrath of Caine should satisfy your fix.

Wrath of Caine  [DOWNLOAD]

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Rockie Fresh, Electric Highway

Electric Highway signified a new direction for Maybach Music. For something outside of Rick Ross and Wale, newcomer Rockie Fresh explores his influences and styles with precision. It shows in the lush production by The Gift and indie rock homages in “The Lights” and “Lights Glow.”

Rockie coasts on other tracks too, like the Lunice-produced “Superman OG” and “The Warnings.” With some time to fully develop his sound since releasing Driving 88, the Chi-Town MC’s future looks promising.

Electric Highway  [DOWNLOAD]

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Vado, Slime Flu 3

Vado breaks his silence in the game with his third installment of his Slime Flu series. This time, the Harlem rapper doesn’t hold anything back, dropping a straight hip-hop tape that’s reminiscent of the 90s, but with a little bit of contemporary flavor. With contributions from Gunplay, Fred The Godson, Jae Millz and more, Slime Flu 3 puts Vado back in the spotlight.

Slime Flu 3  [DOWNLOAD]

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Casey Veggies, Life Changes

Though Casey Veggies is just 19 years old, his deep catalogue displays his focus to the game. Five mixtapes later, Young Veggies’ strongest output is Life Changes that captures the breezy essence of L.A. living. You can credit the laid-back presentation to producers 1500 or Nothin’ and The Futuristiks who flourish on the title track and other parts of the tape. As Veggie is setting his sights on a debut album, let Life Changes be a sample of what’s to come.

Life Changes  [DOWNLOAD]

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Future, F.B.G.: The Movie

While this isn’t exactly Super Future/Fire Marshall Future, Future is still in a giving mood. As a way to introduce his Freebandz Gang crew, F.B.G.: The Movie is a mixed bag of tracks with the ATLien himself in the forefront. By any means is this tape a proper sequel to his debut album, Pluto, but Future delivers with Auto-Tune hitters “Ceelo,” “Karate Chop,” and “Mark McGuire.” If you weren’t a fan of Future before, there’s enough new material here to understand the hype behind hip-hop’s emerging act.

F.B.G.: The Movie  [DOWNLOAD]

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Juelz Santana, God Will'n

2005 was the last time Juelz Santana released any new material. With such a long hiatus, many believed he lost his touch, but that wasn’t the case on God Will’n. The Harlem native gathers hip-hop heavyweights on a bevy of tracks, each of them sounding like he never left. Let’s hope this keeps him on the right path to release his solo effort, Born to Lose, Built to Win.

God Will'n  [DOWNLOAD]

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Master P, Al Capcone

Master P joined forces with Fat Trel and Alley Boy to form the Louie V Mob. There hasn’t been a proper release date for their collaboration tape New World Order. Yet, his cohorts are all over his comeback tape Al Capone. Themes of living the good life (“Louie Sheets”), drugs (“Brick to a Millon”), and gangsta talk are prevalent for any fan of No Limit’s glory days. Al Capone sets us up nicely for his Boss of All Bosses album due sometime in 2013.

Al Capcone  [DOWNLOAD]

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Mach Five, Art Rap

Much hasn’t been said about Atlanta’s newest product, Mach Five. The hip-hop duo of Corey Davis and A.ware has pushed their music through a series of EPs called Ratchet Shit. The pair brings a fresh sound to the New Atlanta movement that is evident in their LP, Art Rap. A collection of jazz-infused cuts and truck-rattling bangers, Art Rap is one of those tapes that need to be on your weekend rotation.

Art Rap  [DOWNLOAD]

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Young Scooter, Street Lottery

Young Scooter is becoming one of the hottest street rappers coming out of Atlanta. Street Lottery finds the Freebandz affiliate rapping about everything from making a lot of money to selling drugs. At certain moments of the tape is where Scooter absolutely shines, whether channeling the bravado of Young Jeezy or melodies similar to Future. Tracks like “Colombia,” “Street Lottery” featuring Bun B and “Julio” are proof of his undeniable talent.

Street Lottery  [DOWNLOAD]

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Raekwon, Lost Jewlry

Rae will always be a traditional MC by feeding the expectations of his fans. Lost Jewlry, which is made up of unreleased tracks not being used for his forthcoming album F.I.L.A. (Fly International Luxurious Art), is a lot of what we’ve heard before. His street hustler raps are still on point and there is plenty of quality material for diehard fans. Standout cuts include “86” featuring Altrina Renee and “Young Boy Penalties.”

Lost Jewlry  [DOWNLOAD]

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Gunplay, Cops N Robbers

Gunplay was officially lifted from his house arrest earlier this month. To celebrate, the controversial MMG rapper released Cops N Robbers, a collection of freestyles, guest appearances and unreleased songs. It more or less holds you down until he drops his upcoming mixtape of original material, and then his Def Jam debut, Medellin, sometime in spring. Energetic heavy hitters like “Drop” and “Definition of a Plug” are one of the many reasons to grab this tape.

Cops N Robbers  [DOWNLOAD]

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Joe Moses, From Nothing to Something II

Brick Squad artist Joe Moses is another artist to watch out for. Part of his allure comes from his ability to capture the trap styles of the ATL with the bounce of the West Coast. On his DJ Drama and L.A. Leakers-hosted tape, From Nothing to Something II, Moses releases his strongest material so far. YG, Ty$, E-40 and DJ Mustard all make an appearances, showing that he’s on the verge to become a rap star.

From Nothing to Something II  [DOWNLOAD]

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