The mixtape, a well-known tool of rappers all over the globe. Many have mixtapes to thank for their success, and many fans use them to discover new artists. Many outlets have been created to help spread mixtapes, and the online publication DMV Music Plug has a rich history of releasing mixtapes containing both well-known names as well as hot up and coming artists that may become household names in the near future. DMV (short for DC, Maryland and Virginia, the areas it focuses on) has been orchestrating for lack of a better term, “battle” mixtapes that contain a sampling of both artists from the DMV as well as another region, in the past it there has been DMV vs Atlanta, DMV vs Philly and DMV vs Baltimore, to name a few. This most recent mixtape, however, is the first of a new series: DMV vs Midwest (available HERE), which, as you can guess, is DMV rappers mixed with rappers from the midwest portions of the United States. DMV’s tagline for this mixtape sums it up perfectly: “This is one for the ages.”
Chief Keef and Lil Bibby are some of the big names on this mixtape, with those artists offering the songs “Kills” and “Change”, respectively. The midwest is an often times untapped and underrated area in terms of rap, but many forget the midwest area contains rap havens such as Chicago and Detroit, where many rappers get their starts.
The DMV vs Midwest Mixtape also features the song “Oh Jeez” from fast rising New Jersey-based rapper Jirias, who also recently released a collaboration with famed Atlanta rapper and Childish Gambino colleague Gonage titled “Momentum“. Jirias has been finding himself in headlines recently with the release of his first official EP New Year, and with his next EP Castle on the horizon, you can be sure to hear the name Jirias more in the near future. Wearing his Palestinian heritage proudly on his sleeve, Jirias is out to prove that he is a lyrical mastermind and “Oh Jeez” is an excellent example of just how right he is.
DMV vs Midwest continues the tradition of highlighting both established as well as emerging artists, and we are excited to see the next entry in this series, if it is anything like this first edition, we are in for a treat. Check back with us next time for more on the next DMV mixtapes, as well as music news, updates and features.
