DJ Graffiti supports underground music to the fullest. Whether promoting artists at his site Break-Bread.com, or putting new artists on his mixtape, it is all for the love of hip-hop. Bling Free Vol. 2 is no different. The "Underground Mixtape King of Michigan" releases his latest project featuring some of the hottest emcees out right now; not to mention exclusive tracks from One Man Army, Athletic Mic League, MC Lyte, and Obie Trice.

What makes this mixtape that much better is how DJ Graffiti isn’t being an asshole and yelling over all the tracks, (Get the CLUE?), and has solid transitions with some excellent cuts added to the mix as well. With only a couple mediocre tracks, Bling Free Vol. 2 is sure to keep your head nodding, and the party going from front to back.

After an intro verse be DJ Graffiti himself, (who isn’t a horrible emcee,) Jurassic 5’s "What’s Golden;" is the perfect DJ Graffiti definition of bling free: "We’re not ballin’/ Or shot callin’/ We’ll take it back to the days of yes yallin’./" Although I’m not the biggest fan of J5, I was definitely feeling this track.

One Man Army stops by to drop an exclusive verse on Bling Free Vol. 2. "You far from a heavyweight/ I step into the ring/ Weave about your punchlines/ Don’t like your similes/ Lyrically, physically, mentally/ You couldn’t harm me/ Don’t even think of steppin’ to the One Man Army./"

After the Dilated Peoples "Certified Official," Bling Free Vol. 2 has a brief detour to the likes of mediocrity. This is one of the few downfalls of the mixtape, but doesn’t last long due to Graffiti’s superb mixing abilities. The next head bobbing track is courtesy of none other than KRS-One. "The Real Hip-hop is Over Here" is the infamous Nelly diss that has been floating around the internet, and shows KRS-One hasn’t slipped one bit when battling other emcees.

After several bangers from the likes of Athletic Mic League, Talib Kweli, Atmosphere, and Illogic comes a disappointing remix of S.U.N.’s "Black Economics." I wasn’t feeling Graffiti’s beat, but thank God it isn’t the complete song. A song by Crisis Center called "All I Hear Is" definitely molds into the home stretch, and best part of Bling Free Vol. 2. The song almost has a ‘gangster’ beat to it, but with one liners such as "I spit the type of heat that can make the sun sweat," you soon realize it has a home on this mixtape.

DJ Jazzy Jeff’s "For Da Love of Da Game" puts the notorious DJ back on the map with what could be a major commercial single for the summer. J-Live’s "The Lyricist" is another stand out track on Bling Free Vol. 2 followed by two of Detroit’s most up and coming acts consisting of Royce 5’9 and an exclusive from Obie Trice. These two cuts really show why heads beyond the mitten have given attention to these emcees.

After an old school DJ Graffiti cut session over some of the most classic break beats, Graffiti closes Bling Free Vol. 2 with some advice to other DJs trying to take his place. "You ain’t even in my league/ CBA mixtapes/ I’m NBA/ All Day,/" Graffiti raps over one of my favorite beats on the mixtape. It’s a damn shame that this beat wasn’t used to its full potential.

I would have loved to go through Bling Free Vol. 2 on a track-to-track basis, but with its 34 cuts, that would have been almost impossible. The bottom line is that DJ Graffiti deserves the title of "Underground Mixtape King of Michigan." With a great taste in music, as well as his ability to cut and blend tracks together, this mixtape has been worth the wait.

Even the tracks I wasn’t feeling were way more impressive than anything I’ve seen on MTV. Bling Free Vol. 2 is a great way to keep the party going, and is a must have for any hip-hop head. DJ Graffiti should be getting the notoriety nationwide that some, ahem, CLUEless DJs have been overzealously getting over the past few years. Bling Free Vol. 2 is taking hip-hop back to its purest form; God bless.

Best Song: One Man Army: "Exclusive"
Talib Kweli: "Good To You"
Crisis Center: "All I Hear Is"

By Charlie Korn