With 2011’s first quarter coming to a close, it’s time to put down the Kanye and the Saigon turn your ears and anticipation to a loaded Spring of Hip-Hop. To get you in the mood, TSS is proud to present the official mixtape for the upcoming Pete Rock and Camp Lo’s summer album, 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s with Trackstar the DJ and DJ Mark Divita backing the project.

This tape does double duty. It reminds us of Camp Lo’s sometimes slept-on lyrical talent while serving hardcore fans with appetizers off the forthcoming full-length. Trackstar’s blends of timeless beats from the Mecca and the Soul Brother days mesh perfectly with Camp Lo a cappellas unearthed from deep within the crates. Previously leaked singles of the full-length, “Mic Check” and the freestyle “Jimmy Page,” form the foundation of the tape and even if “Mic Check” won’t make it onto your local radio, it still deserves a trip through your car speakers.

While we’re always fans of new material, it’s the hidden gems from Camp Lo’s earlier days that stand out. The Marvin Gaye sampled “Sandman,” stands out—a soulful reinterpretation exposition on Camp Lo’s love for women (plural). The focus on sampling and lyrical proficiency recalls a style fundamental to Hip-Hop, but in some ways passing us by.  As distant descendants of Native Tongues, both Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede fit comfortably with this genre, mixing classic sounds with their own brand of off-the-wall, multi-syllabic rhymes. Should be interesting to see what they can do over a full stable of Pete Rock joints.

While we await the full length project, this mixtape will serve as a reminder of things past and a preview of future dopeness.  Enjoy.

Download — Trackstar The DJ & DJ Mark Divita Present Camp Lo & Pete Rock – 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s | Alt. Link