We don’t have to tell you that this past month in hip-hop has been filled with plenty of surprises. More specifically, February saw the return of Turk from the Hot Boys, another potent tape from Curren$y, and a much talked about project from Baton Rouge’s own Kevin Gates. If you haven’t been keeping up with the consistent releases of new mixtapes, we’ve got you covered. Click through to see which ones made the best tapes of February.

Previously: The Five Best Rap Albums of February
Previously: The 12 Best Mixtapes of January

The Underachievers, Indigoism

The Beast Coast movement of rappers has continued to produce a new wave of MCs that are fast-forwarding to prominence. The Underachievers—consisting of Issa Dash and AK—are Flatbush natives who caught the attention of producer Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. Their debut release, Indigoism, is a collection of psychedelic and bizarre sounds with two rising talents possessing formidable mic skills. Whereas local acts like Flatbush Zombies and Joey Bada$$ and his Pro Era crew have found their niche audiences, The Underachievers have organically built a nice following. Check standouts “T.A.D.E.D.,” “Revelations,” and “New New York.”

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Kevin Gates, The Luca Brasi Story

Kevin Gates has steadily cultivated his buzz early last year as one of the hottest acts to come out of Baton Rouge. Gates, who has worked closely with Young Money, just signed a deal with Atlantic Records off the strength of 2011’s Make ‘Em Believe and the follow-up The Luca Brasi Story. Though Lil Boosie is viewed as a hometown hero, Gates has the talent and skills to nationally pop off.

Luca never drags. It has a combination of Southern street rap, experimental hooks, and bounce. Songs like “Neon Lights,” “Just Ride” featuring Curren$y, and “Ugly But She Fine” are evidence of his exceptional rhyming. This is a good starting point for new fans of Gates.

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Curren$y, New Jet City

Curren$y releases new mixtapes at a relentless pace. New Jet City dropped earlier this month on the same day as Super Bowl Sunday. Guest spots from Wiz Khalifa, Jadakiss, Juicy J, Juvenile and more adapt to the laid-back and jazzy soundscapes found on the tape. For avid listeners, Spitta sticks to what works—boisterous flows over triumphant beats—and that’s not necessary a bad thing. There are moments on the tape where it feels unbalanced, but Spitta delivers new material that’s perfect for smoking that good.

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Young Thug, 1017 Thug

Gucci Mane’s newest signee to his 1017 imprint has a distinctive style: Young Thug came from the creative melting pot of Atlanta, where his I Came from Nothing mixtape series was favorable among music fans. Obvious influences in Lil Wayne’s cadence or Future’s auto-tune melodic bending are found all over his newest tape, 1017 Thug. It’s thick with features—Gucci Mane, Young Scooter, PeeWee Longway—and also manages to establish him a soon-to-be cult favorite with tracks like “F*ck With It” and “Condo Music.” Young Thug has a promising future ahead of him.


AraabMuzik, For Professional Use Only

The MPC king puts on a hell of a show live. His mixtapes—which are just as strong—give us the feeling that a lot of these instrumentals would be better off blasting through speakers while igniting his audience. For Professional Use Only is a beat tape that hits hard on hip-hop, EDM and pop. Together with vocal samples—2 Chainz on "Get to the Point" or a soulflip on "Beauty"—AraabMuzik establishes that his actual music is pretty good too. Some of these beats appeared on previous tapes, but the important part is his collection that makes it worth a few spins.

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Black Dave, Stay Black

The Beast Coast movement. New New York. Whatever you want to call it, there's a crop of young and hungry MCs vying for the limelight. Harlem's own Black Dave, who recently rocked a receptive crowd at Santos Party House, offers a unique perspective on the skate/rap culture. Stay Black is his debut mixtape, and features standouts "Little Bit Mo" with Meech of Flatbush Zombies, "On Da Map," and "Mothafuck My Enemies.” Songs like “Boomin N’ Zoomin’ (Remix)” and “Dangerous” shows he has a street sound too.

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FortieBowie, Vice Haus

New Atlanta is a term coined by the emerging artists who feel hip-hop lacks the culture of their city. Years ago, the ATL ran hip-hop with the abundance of trap music, snap music and strip-club anthems. Conversely, today’s ATL is building upon eccentric acts like Future, Trindad Jame$ and Young Scooter who attempt to keep the city alive with their forward-thinking style.

FortieBowie is bringing a blend of hip-hop and R&B that seems to take bits and pieces from each genre. On his exceptional Vice Haus EP, he does his thing on songs like “Gucci Mane,” “M.O.B.” and “Little League Love.” Expect to hear more of him sooner than later.

Waka Flocka Flame, DuFlocka Rant 2

2011’s DuFlocka Rant was one of his best mixtapes, and now he’s released the sequel earlier this month. His mixtapes tend to be filled with plenty of unmistakably aggressive joints, but DuFlocka Rant 2 stands out as one of his best. Longtime collaborators Lex Luger, Southside and more provide the proper soundscapes for these industrial bangers. “Stay Hood,” “Murda She Wrote” and “Two Gunz Up” are just the tip of the iceberg.

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Gucci Mane, Trap God 2

Gucci Mane is on his 28th mixtape with Trap God 2. The same signature brand of trap cuts, along with big features like Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa, showcases that Mr. 1017’s work ethic is impeccable.

You don’t have to wait too long for the next Gucci project. He is preparing a joint mixtape with PeeWee Longway titled Money, Pound Ammunition, Free Bricks 2 with Young Scooter, and another solo tape, Trap Back 2. Gucci is on his grind once again.

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Turk, Blame It on the System

After serving a decade-long prison bid, Hot Boys veteran Turk released a new set of songs in Blame It On The System. The 17-track project was pushed back numerous times, but he kept fans in anticipation with tracks such as “Zip It,” “Reunited With The Block” and “Blame It On The System.” Young Turk—a new moniker of sorts—enlisted his former Hot Boys, as well as the MMG livewire Gunplay for a tape that speaks heavily to the streets. For such a long hiatus from music, Turk sounds like he hasn’t lost his touch.

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