For a while, Chance the Rapper had people thinking that he was the only rapper that still cared about mixtapes following the release of his standout project Coloring Book. But when it really comes down to it, what rappers still care the most about mixtapes. Chance is obviously a very honorable mention, but there are a myriad of names to be associated with the prestigious title of "Mixtape Juggernaut."
If we're talking quality, you obviously have to give it up to goats like Lil Wayne who completely changed the game with classic mixtapes like No Ceilings. Hell, he eve shook up the game with his latest release Dedication 6. Guys like Curren$y set the bar high in 2016 when he released a new mixtape every month of the year. Then you have dudes like Iamsu! who smoothly slid in four installments of his Boss Up mixtape series this year. And honestly, this list could go on and on with honor mentions but I'm going to cut it short with one bold but true statement. And that statement is, Ace Hood is arguably top five mixtape rappers of our generation, and undoubtedtly the best to come out of Florida.
The facts speak for themselves. Since 2008, Antoine McCollister, better known as Ace Hood has released 19 mixtapes since 2008. How many albums has he released in that same amount of time, you ask? Only four. And though some of his biggest hits like "Hustle Hard" and "Bugatti" are both album cuts, it's obvious that the bulk of Ace Hood's defining music thrives within the dense set of mixtapes he has.
From the Starvation mixtape series to the Body Bag projects, Ace Hood bring the heat. So we decided to run through all of his tapes and rank them from worst to best. What we've come to find is that even his worst shit is better than some rapper's best shit, nonetheless though, Ace Hood never fails to deliver, and here's the proof.
Sex Chronicles
Before diving into this project, no pun intended, we will say that it is commendable for Ace Hood to step outside of the box and take a different approach to a project like this, as often artists don't. But don't get it twisted either, Sex Chronicles is no Chixtape, and that's being said with no shade at all. This project just fell a bit short of the bar Ace Hood's mixtape excellence.
Some tracks like "Sex Dance" & the Pleasure P assisted "Wet Wet" really shine, and the remixes are fairly dope too, but the Sex Chronicles as a whole isn't that good of a look. But hey, you can't win them all right?
All Bets On Ace
Being that it is technically one of Ace Hood's first project under the guidance of DJ Khaled and We The Best, in addition to the fact that this was purely a promotional effort for his debut album Gutta, it's hard to hold high expectations for All Bets On Ace. The project is a pretty impressive lyrical display but it doesn't hold very much mainstream appeal, in the sense that there are songs that could be bangers like "Who Hotter Than Me (Freestyle)" but are cut short before they can truly blossom. The standout track from this project would probably be the record with Brisco, "I Don't See Y'all."
Ace Won't Fold
This may be a brash statement but fuck it, in 2018 we aren't saying lol after our texts anymore we saying what we saying right? So, long story short, Ace Hood's first project Ace Won't Fold is afforded classic status due to the fact that it gifted the world with the T-Pain and Rick Ross-assisted hit "Cash Flow." Unfortunately, including "Cash Flow" there are only five original records on this project that houses 14 tracks. Some of the freestyles are kind of lit like the "Realest nigga - freestyle" but for the most part, this project doesn't really Dazzle. It is a consistent effort though.
I Do It ... For The Sport
Comparatively speaking, the I Do It ... For The Sport mixtape is not nearly as strong as some of the other mixtapes in Ace Hood's musical catalog and that's probably because it houses several extremely early versions of his bigger tracks like "Hustle Hard" and "Real Shit."
There are a lot really dope freestyles on here though like his "Money (Freestyle)" and the "Break A Bitch Down (Freestyle)." Additionally the two original songs "Picture Phone 4play" with Kevin Cossom and "Kush" Feat. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg & Akon are hitters.
Long story short, there was a lot of room for improvement on this project, which is understandble being that it's one of his earlier works.
The Final Warning
The thing about some of Ace Hood's earlier mixtapes that's intriguing is the fact that while projects like The Final Warning somewhat lack some of the top notch production and celebrity guest spots like his later projects, it makes up for everything in the sheer strength of Ace Hood's bars and manipulation of his flow. Tracks like "White Leather" or better yet, the boom-bap "Beat Box" go off lyrically and many tracks follow suit of these two records. All in all this project is a solid effort but has no place ranking among the to 10 Ace Hood tapes.
Street Certified
Street Certified is deserving of like an honest seven for 10 rating. Especially considering it's on some hardcore mixtape shit. Per usual, Ace gets out and runs on the intro tracks "Get Off" and "I'm Raw."
Supporting tracks like "Loco Wit The Cake" and "Fed" up breathe in a staggering jolt of energy to the project. Additionally there are a number of standout freestyles on this joint including his rendition of "Throw It In The Bag" "Invented Sex" and "I'm Good." The one thing that is key on this project is the consistency. No matter what beat, what concept, Ace Hood brings his best flows and that adds to the overall heat factor of the project.
The Preview
One of the most important context pieces about this mixtape is the factoid that this was Ace Hood's third release of 2009 alone. Which is crazy considering there's like 25 tracks on this project. That being said, it's hard to come through all these records and pick a few due to the fact that there is so much music. However, even at first glance one can tell that this project represents Florida to the fullest with tracks like "Straight Outta Broward" & "Ride For My City (Broward County Anthem." All in all this is a dense, yet entertaining offering and is essentially a foundational piece of the bedrock that has supported Ace Hood's career for so may years.
Starvation
The Starvation mixtape for Ace Hood was like a re-birth of sorts. It was one of his first steps away from his third studio album Blood Sweat & Tears which spawned "Hustle Hard" which is arguably one of his most successful and well known tracks. With the buzz of the single and the newly expanded platform, Ace Hood had an opportunity to level up and move into the top tier of rappers and that's exactly what this release helped him do.
The project is one of his more focused offerings to date, featuring mass appealing mainstream records with the added support of snapping rap records and viscous bangers. Songs like "Piss Em Off" "I'm F%#k'd Up" & "We On" proved that Ace Hood had the steez and hit making ability that mainstream stars like his then Cash Money label mates Lil Wayne, Drake and more had. While tracks like and "My Life" "Hallucination" & "A Hustler's Prayer" prove themselves to be deep cuts that re-establish the dominant nature of Ace Hood's skill set.
Starvation 2
Released at the top of the year in 2013, Ace Hood's Starvation 2 mixtape had a dicernibly different sound than the first installment of the series. The entire project has an extremely aggressive and overt tone, and out of 20 tracks, more than half are ridiculous bangers. The first five records on Starvation 2, "Root Of Evil (Intro)", "Going Down" Feat. Meek Mill, "Got Damn" Feat. Plies, "Fuck Em All" & "Fuck Da World" truly set the bar for the project and embody the vicious and savage nature of the music on the tape.
The back half of the mixtape definitely tapers off a bit, but the intensity is still in a number of forms. Two of the mixtapes highlights come from tracks 10 and 11, "Take Yo Bitch" & "On Right Now" that establish that flare and arrogance we've come to know and love Ace Hood for. Then songs like the Kevin Cossom assisted "Motive" and "Just A Sample" offer vibes more on the mellow side but are 100% mystifying displays of lyrical dominance.
All in all this tape is a poised sequel to the initial installment and should definitely be considered an integral portion of his discography.
Starvation 5
Ace Hood's Starvation 5 starts off with the skit based "Category 5 (Intro)" and it's like the perfect personification of the project and the entire Starvation mixtape series because Starvation 5 is like the perfect storm. It's the culmination of the long running quality and intensity provided by the Starvation mixtape series in addition to the new found methodical nature of Ace Hood's lyrics coupled with his textbook South Florida style and flow, that make this project a 5-star installment.
Songs like "Amnesia" and "Go Mode" establish that calm and collected murder mentality the tape projects with added support from controversial records like "Mr. Black Man" and lyrical assassinations like "4th Quarter." The tape is a heavy helping of the real and is undoubtedly a consistent extension of the Starvation sub genre of Ace Hood's discography.
The Statement
Being that The Statement is one of Ace Hood's earlier mixtapes, released in 2010, it is still an impressive body of work. This tape is truly behemouth, clocking in at 18 tracks, five of which are freestyles like his mental rendition of Drake's "Miss Me." It's also worth noting that this project actually spawned his hit track "Hustle Hard."
Though the music on this project is dope as always, and Ace Hood spits hard per usual, this tape is emblazoned into the sonic era that was Young Money/Cash Money & 1017 Brick Squad's heyday. With production from Lex Luger, who was extremely dominant in that time frame from 2010-2014, and tracks like "Why You Mad" Feat. Gucci Mane, or records like "Life Style" speak for itself, you can tell Ace Hood was clearly in a developmental period here still and hadn't fully showcased his unique timbres yet.
Don't get me wrong, this project is dope, but it's not what one thinks of when they think of Ace Hood's music.
Body Bag
Body Bag is probably the most "Mixtape" sounding mixtape of Ace Hood's discography, other than Body Bag 3. Like the first installment of The Statement, this project houses some freestyles, six to be exact, over some of the year's hottest tracks like Lil Wayne's "John." In addition to the freestyles, this ting has mad DJ drops, like more than any other Ace record I feel like.
Ace Hood kills it though, nonetheless and amid the remixes and freestyles there is still a lot of original music on Body Bag like his collabs with T-Pain & Meek Mill on "Try'n" & "Same Dream." While it's certainly not his best content, it's content nonetheless.
Body Bag Vol 2
This project probably the most improved second installment of Ace Hood's branded mixtape series. Body Bag Vol. 2 reaches deeply into Ace Hood's bag and though he is delivering his textbook flows, he still seems to find a new tempo on each of the 15 records on the tape.
The opening two tracks "Gutta Back" & "Wanna Be" feel like OG Ace Hood while tracks like "Leggo" foreshadow the braggadocious and dope sonic future that await for the rapper. On top of that, there are a number of highly memorable tracks including "Don't Get Me Started" "Geek'n" & the fire closer "B.L.A.B. (Ballin Like A Bitch.)"
It's safe to say that Ace Hood definitely put Body Bag Vol. 2 in a body bag because he murdered this entire project.
Body Bag 3
Though Body Bag 3 is the epitome of a mixtape, it feels like so much more than that. And that is probably due to the fact that these are all "Beast Mixes" rather than just remixes.
Across 11 tracks popping off with Ace's rendition of Eminem "I am (Beast Mix)" and ending with the the bomb "Seen it all (Beast Mix)" this project is heat and Ace went in. Though this project is dope, its not necessarily ultra-deserving of praise, but we'll cut it some slack considering it was his second release of 2014 following the standout Starvation 3 project.
Body Bag 4
Body Bag 4
The thing that makes all of the Body Bag mixtapes so fire is the tenacity and level of energy Ace Hood infuses in them. Body Bag 4 doesn't fail to dazzle either, as it comes in on a very high "Real Rap" shit with opening records like "Beast Of The South" & "My Blower." It's also worth mentioning how dope it is to hear Ace Hood's signature flow over some of the new age beats of industry producers like Metro Boomin & 21 Savage's "X" or Future's "Married To The Game." The hardest remix might be Ace's rendition of Young M.A's "Ooouu," though. But hey, we'll let you decide that for yourself.
The Statement 2
First things first, before we even get into any of the politics or technical stuff concerning this project, we just have to say that that Rock theme "Intro" to open this jawn was ridiculously hype and you can't act like you don't fuck with it even if it is kind of cheesy, courtesy of DJ Khaled's text book "Cloth Talk." That being said, The Statement 2 is certainly Ace Hood in pure and fully uncut form and the Rick Ross assisted record "The Realist" is the perfect example of what that frequency sounds and feels like, grimy, hard.
Of course, memorable records like "Body 2 Body (Remix)" and the 2 Chainz assisted "Luv Her" come to mind when thinking of this project, there are several other tracks that embody that same level of dopeness like the posse "Shit Done Got Real" with Busta Rhymes and Yelawolf.
I think you'll find that a spin of this mixtape now will have you re-capturing some of your favorite moments from Ace Hood's career.
Starvation 3
The Starvation 3 project was released literally one year and a week after Starvation 2, and though the projects were released a year apart, they accomplished the same feat, which was set the streets on fire. What's remarkable about this series is Ace Hood's ability to craft banger after banger that satisfies both his core main stream fans and the streets. The difference between the two is probably the composition of each, which in my opinion, affords advantage to Starvation 3 which was a much more concise and refined project that played extremely well from top to bottom. Songs like the opening tracks "Everyday" & "Buss Guns" Feat. Mavado are a great example of that duality Ace Hood's music embodies as both of these songs received fair radio play and exploded in the streets.
Matter of factly, some of the more memorable moments on this tape come from records up front like "Jamaica" & "RNS (Real Nigga Shit)." Don't get it twisted though, the back half of the project is strong too, with records like "Hip Hop" & "Save Us" proving themselves to sound more like album cuts rather than mixtape records. Again, alluding back tot his idea that Ace Hood is without a doubt a top 5 mixtape rapper of this generation.
In fact, if I had to sum up this project, I would probably just say it's more of an album than it is a mixtape even though it wasn't intended to be so, and the traditional cohesive element of an album isn't as black & white with this project. However, what it doesn't have in technical or traditional aspects of an album, it makes up for in sheer quality of the music that thrives within it.
Trust The Process
It's honestly extremely hard to not like everything about Ace Hood's 2017 project Trust The Process. Given his absence of music and hearsay drama between he and DJ Khaled following his departure form We The Best recently, this project was the perfect opportunity for Ace Hood to set the record straight on all fronts and that he did.
Everything on here is hard, forreal. From the realness on the intro "To Whom It May Concern" to the calm, murderous nature of tracks like "The Bottom" and the laid back tendency of "Blessed" each track hits its optimum frequency.
It's hard to say that this is his best work because it's truly only a sample of his newest work, as it is only a mere 13 tracks. But it is 100% top 5 within his projects.
Starvation 4
Starvation 4
Considering the fact that Starvation 4 was supposed to be the last installment of the series, it definitely plays as though it was meant to be one last fatal swoop. Though that proved to be false when Starvation 5 came out, this project could have very well ended the series on an extremely high note. Of all the tapes, Starvation 4 has the most memorable and ridiculous intro with "Changed On Me." And considering the fact that this mixtape is the shortest of the bunch, housing only 11 songs, it's likely the most efficient and most appealing of them all because of that fact.
From tracks like "Carried Away" & "Goals" that give us that hybrid, melodic rap-sung approach, to bangers like "Real (Interlude)" this project is the perfect balance of new and old.