I'd rather a hear a mixtape than a nigga constantly spitting all in my ear at the club... or even better a nigga talking bout how much gas he got, than I buy his album at full price and fell like he owes me my money back. It's very very very true that some treat mixtapes like albums... when in actuallity they are suppose to be preludes or "intermissions" between albums. I like the fact that there are no politics to mixtapes and the more creative you are, the better the results. Kat's recording on everybody's beats with no cause or flip'age of the song are just hungry by any means neccasary. Some of ya'll act like Martin L. King and belive we have to Get along with mainstream in order to suceed. Go for the gusto... make an album and they still gone hate. If you don't like it... turn that page in ya life and move on, but to shit on someone else because they don't cater to yo ego is another. $5-$8 is all you gone get out of me for a mixtape. I prefer to use industry beats, local homies beats(give em production credits too), Street freestyles(recorded with phone or mini recorder), Comedy skits, and interviews to fill up my mixtapes. I look at mixtapes as underground magazines or audio books to the strrets. If that's the only way you can get heard untill your budget permitts an album... so be it. I ain't mad at cha.