"I went from youth club to pirate radio to legal radio to mixtapes to singles to here, " he said.

BBC: Estelle and Leona dominate Mobos

On his mixtapes, he's evolved out of conventional bling-thug rhetoric into something much looser and more playful, treating gangsta rap's antisocial themes primarily as an arena for wordplay.

NPR: 'Tha Carter III' Takes Lil Wayne Platinum

Unlike most musicians who snag endorsements off mainstream record success, London has managed to build brand connections off the back of a few mixtapes and a sense of style.

FORBES: The Lucrative Style Of Theophilus London

With his legend growing, Solomon plowed his prize money into setting up his own recording studio and has since released a handful of mixtapes, including the well-received Redrum this past Halloween.

FORBES: Iron Solomon And The Business Of Battle Rap

Theoretically, this is OK because the Carter 3 mixtape where it appears isn't for sale, although artists and bootleggers do sell mixtapes under the counter, at brick-and-mortar holes in the wall and online.

NPR: 'Tha Carter III' Takes Lil Wayne Platinum

I'm just making you mixtapes with homemade covers.

NPR: Tift Merritt Will 'See You On The Moon'

Mo'Nique is now happily married a third time to Sidney Hicks, but the disagreement she had with Eddie during the divorce from her second husband almost ended their treasured friendship until Eddie wooed her back with emotional mixtapes.

CNN: Gay men, straight women: enduring bonds

Sure to be staple of crush-fueled mixtapes for as long as such a thing exists, "Much More Than That" feels contradictory in its very nature: It's a brilliantly expressed look at the way big love can't always be expressed brilliantly.

NPR: Sharon Van Etten: Big Love In Small Moments

Chicago Rapper King Louie Went From Selling Mixtapes Out Of His Trunk To A Deal With Epic Records: Rising rapper King L (aka King Louie) talked with me about selling mixtapes on the street, getting a shout-out from Kanye West, and his daughter.

FORBES: A Year in Review