Dope beats and dope rhymes, hip-hop ain’t really that hard.

You know that box of chocolates Momma was always talking about before she got cancer and died? This is it. 9th Wonder, an up-and-coming producer, decided to make some crazy-ass, soul-infused beats and found some artists to come rap over them. The results were mixed; some were like those tasty mint chocolates, others, those weird ones with banana goo in the middle.

The mixtape, released commercially, features Little Brother, Mos Def, Jean Grae, and Saigon (yeah, the dude from Entourage), among others, but it’s those “among others” that drag the CD down. Joe Scudda on Saved is forgettable, and Big Remo on Reminisce is…not good.

Dream Merchant is certainly worth not not stealing from the internet, it exposes the listener to new artists, but 12.99? Nah, that’s a case of High Life.

DOWNLOAD
No Time to Chill, Brooklyn in My Mind

FOR THOSE WHO LIKE
Outkast, Little Brother

LISTEN TO IT WHEN
You finally get around to passing the bong.