Beast Mode: 6 Crazy Mixtape & Album Runs

These days, the line between mixtape and album is thinner than ever, and fans are fairly entitled when it comes to new music. As a result, we're seeing more and more projects being released in a shorter time frame, but there are only a select few who can impress both in terms of quantity and quality. The "run" is something a few artists have been praised for. It's generally a series of projects that mark an important creative spurt for an artist, and one that often creates something of a spectacle. With that being said, some "runs" get a lot of publicity, while some fly under the radar. Today, we're looking at both artists that have been defined by their prolific bursts, and some you might not have been paying close enough attention to. Many of them are still going. Click through the gallery to see the artists that impressed us with their output.

Blow (With Juelz Santana)
Dedication 2
Like Father, Like Son (With Birdman)
Drought 3
The Drought Is Over Pt. 1
The Drought Is Over Pt. 2 (Carter 3 Sessions)
The Drought Is Over Pt. 3
The Drought Is Over Pt. 4

In a way, Lil Wayne set the precedent for prolific creative spurts in rap. You could safely extend his run of material from 05 to 09 if you wanted to, but it never got more exciting than 2006 to 2007. On top of the classic official tapes Wayne released in the timeframe, there was also an overwhelming amount of leaked material, which comprised the majority of the Empire-hosted The Drought Is Over series. Many of these songs (particularly on the 2nd installment) were rumored to be intended for Wayne's Carter III album which would arrive in 2008. Clearly, he was on such a tear at the time that the unofficial release of much of his music didn't stunt his creativity at all. Drought 3 and Dedication 2 are cited as some of the rapper's very best efforts, making this particular run impressive both in quantity and quality.

Bird Flu: Part 2
Bird Money
Writing On The Wall
Murder Was The Case
The Movie: Part 2 (The Sequel)
The Burrprint (The Movie 3D)
The Cold War: Part 1 (Guccimerica)
The Cold War: Part 2 (Great Brrritain)
The Cold War: Part 3 (Brrrussia)
The State vs. Radric Davis

Despite facing obstacles such as his recent incarceration, Gucci Man has always had enough of a backlog to ensure his output never slows. You could look at almost any year in the rapper's career and be impressed by the volume of projects alone, but looking at the efforts released in 2009, it's difficult not to call it his most important year, Writing On The Wall and The Burrprint have since become landmarks in the Gucci mixtape catalogue, while his major label debut, The State Vs. Radric Davis, contains some of his most essential records ("Lemonade," "Classical," "Wasted"). Gucci may have not been given the recognition he deserved for another few years, but his work from this time looks better with each passing year.

Monster
Beast Mode
56 Nights
DS2
What A Time To Be Alive
Purple Reign
EVOL

When you're talking about mixtape runs in 2016, there's one name that will probably be pretty fresh on your mind. Future began his run (which many have made a point of comparing to Lil Wayne and Gucci's) back in October 2014, but it took people a minute to catch up with the movement). Once DS2 impacted, the rap world was cheering him on, and he's continued an enviable output since, and as his interviews would indicate, he's still sitting on a huge amount of music. Following the lukewarm reception to his crossover attempts on Honest, Future's mixtape trifecta leading up to DS2 gave him his biggest success to date, proving that building a movement from the ground up through free projects can still be the best bid at mainstream attention.

Tha Tour Pt. 1 (With Rich Homie Quan & Birdman)
Tha Tour Sessions Leaks
Barter 6
Slime Season
Slime Season 2
I'm Up
Slime Season 3
I Came From Nothing 4 (Upcoming)

Young Thug has essential releases dating quite a few years back in his catalog (namely I Came From Nothing 2 and 1017 Thug), but he hit a particularly prolific stride starting with his Rich Gang collaborative project, Tha Tour Pt. 1. Shortly after the release of the project, a large number of leaks made their way online, revealing just how productive Thug was at this time, and songs from the sessions also made their way onto successive projects like Barter 6 and the Slime Season tapes. The results feel a lot like Lil Wayne's run of material, in that the projects sometimes feel scattered but give a very clear picture of the artist at their center and his creative process. Clearly, Thug is an artist worth examining in this way, and each of his projects gives us a slightly better understanding of his vision.

Pilot Talk 3
Even More Saturday Car Tunes
Cathedral (With Chase N. Cashe)
Canal Street Confidential
The Owner's Manual
The Carrollton Heist (With Alchemist)
Weed & Instrumentals
Revolver (with Sledgren)
Bourbon Street Secrets (With Purrps)
The Legend Of Harvard Blue (Upcoming)

Being prolific only creates a spectacle when its unexpected, and Curren$y has settled into such a productive pocket that you sometimes forget to sit back and look at how much he's accomplished over the years. It may have also gone over your head that he's released a mixtape a month in 2016 so far, not to mention two albums in 2015. While Spitta has found a comfortable niche for himself, he's been opening up his worl to a variety of different producers over his last few projects, teaming with Chase N. Cashe, The Alchemist, Sledgren and Purrps of 808 Mafia on various projects. It's hard to say if this particular run will be the one he's remembered for, but there's no question that he's already established himself as one of the hardest working artists in the game.

In My Feelings (Goin' Thru It)
Out My Feelings In My Past
Thug Talk
Penitentiary Chances (with C-Murder)
Bleek Mode (Thug in Peace Lil Bleek)

Boosie is another artist who's been dropping projects on a monthly basis in 2016 without receiving the props that someone like Future has. Thos in the know will tell you that Boosie's been releasing some of the most engaging music not only of the year, but in his entire career, never holding back any of his feelings but always seeking out some knocking production, and ultimately delivering everything you can ask for in a rap record. From unguarded admissions about his battle with cancer to teaming up with C-Murder for an entire project via jail phone, he's taking chances other artists might be afraid to right now. As we saw with Gucci, and even Future, it may take people a little longer to catch up with his movement, but hopefully, he'll get the recognition he deserves.