Fire: The Evolution of the Digital Mixtape, and its Uncertain Future

Abstract

This article explores how the mixtape as a medium of distribution has informed decades of media consumption, ultimately uprooting the traditional hip-hop structure at its core. As Hip-Hop has grown to become the dominant musical style of this generation, the mixtape, with its laissez-faire online market, has proved an essential tool for music discovery and promotion. However, as online music distribution methods shift to a preference for streaming services, artists and consumers run the risk of losing what made the mixtape a special format in the first place. This paper examines the milestones over several decades of hip-hop that have made the mixtape an essential artifact and the possibilities for its future.