{"id":723,"date":"2023-11-22T17:02:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T17:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2023\/11\/m1onthebeat-the-mixtape-review\/"},"modified":"2023-11-22T17:02:58","modified_gmt":"2023-11-22T17:02:58","slug":"m1onthebeat-the-mixtape-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2023\/11\/m1onthebeat-the-mixtape-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: M1OnTheBeat, \u2018M1OnTheBeat: The Mixtape\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The drill aficionado tackles curation duties on his debut project, blaring the fundamentals of the genre he helped pioneer.<\/p>\n

Curating a compilation is tough work. It puts the producer\u2019s executive capabilities under the microscope. Take DJ Khaled, Metro Boomin and DJ Drama albums as examples. Closer to home, there\u2019s the likes of Brixton\u2019s Carns Hill with his own drill compilations over the years. Just like his peers before him, M1OnTheBeat\u2019s mission is to work out a balance between the aim of a mixtape (a casual, unpolished crux) while impressing listeners with the songs. Fortunately for M1, he has plenty credit in the bank. The 24-year-old\u2019s been tried and tested as a drill producer for some of the biggest names\u2014and hits\u2014in UK rap. He\u2019s comfortably one of the greatest drill producers, and is responsible for a plethora of careers. In many ways, it\u2019s time for collaborators to return the favour in the producer\u2019s first solo endeavour.<\/p>\n

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M1OnTheBeat: The Mixtape<\/em> plays like a traditional rap mixtape; fleeting tracks jammed with collaborations carrying an impromptu attitude. The all-British lineup are given the platform to freestyle hookless tracks, often leaving space for where a hook could\u2019ve been (the well-rapped \u201cHustle Can\u2019t Die\u201d by Slim is a promising culprit). There\u2019s a clear feeling that M1 wants to create an authentic drill offering free of any strings attached. It plays like a Plugged In session\u2014each rapper entering and exiting the booth in swift rotation. You\u2019re in then you\u2019re out, granted 180 seconds to leave a lasting impression. Take Digga D\u2019s performance on \u201cMexico\u201d as a prime example; there\u2019s piercing 808s, sabre-toothed bars and plenty censors, coupled with a simple yet sticky hook.<\/p>\n

A majority of the project offers solo performances from notable and upcoming British rappers, including but not limited to: Headie One, K-Trap, Digga D, Slim, Abra Cadabra, Krept & Konan, Nemzzz, Cristale, Meekz, Backroad Gee, M1llionz and French the Kid. It\u2019s largely familiar faces for what the producer\u2019s ethos is, wisely trimmed to a 40-minute runtime while accommodating the heavy ensemble. Just like any executive producer, M1 is the conductor standing in front of the orchestra, dictating notes that are occasionally off-key but get back on track eventually.<\/p>\n

Newcomers are littered across the fifteen tracks, but it\u2019s the vets that offer the best performances, many of which arrive in the second leg of the project. K-Trap reclaimed his King of Drill crown in the last few years, verifying the title on project highlight \u201cStretcher\u201d. From the other side of the city comes Abra Cadabra, whose bellicose vocals charge up \u201cI Pray\u201d. M1\u2019s production is filled to a full tank during this leg, laying his signature drill whirs that are memorable rather than customary.<\/p>\n

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