1999 (mixtape)

1999 was a free digital download, but after B4.Da.$$ was released, 1999 and another mixtape Summer Knights became available on iTunes for sale. On June 12, 2018, 1999 was released on Spotify and TIDAL. The instrumental of track 9 "Funky Ho's" was changed upon the re-release, removing an uncleared sample so that the album could be placed on digital streaming services and released on vinyl.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllHipHop	8.5/10[10]
AllMusic	[11]
HipHopDX	[12]
Pitchfork Media	8.0/10[13]
Spin	6/10[14]

1999 was met with widespread critical acclaim, and general interest upon its release. The mixtape was nominated for mixtape of the year by BET.[15] Pitchfork Media gave the mixtape an 8 out of 10 rating and praised his old soul, and Golden age sound.[13] Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote: "What confounds me is that a high school kid from Flatbush is making music this era-specific, and, more importantly, that he's so good at it."[16] Joshua R. Weaver of The Root remarked that 1999 "showcases the burgeoning renaissance of a hip-hop sound and vibe that far precedes the teenaged rapper."[17]

Jesse Fairfax of HipHopDX opined that the mixtape's "careful tracing of long established blueprints gives rise to debate on whether the newcomer presents a worthwhile reminder of Hip Hop's so-called glory days or if he risks placing himself in a nostalgic box".[12] Concluding the review for AllHipHop, King Eljay claimed that, "With a movement and ambition that mirrors today's most successful artists, and a sound that is so authentic and ripe, 1999 is awesome. This is a project that will make any Hip-Hop listener excited."[10] Christopher R. Weingarten was more critical in the review for Spin, calling it, "too often the lounge-iest in the Lyricist Lounge."[14]

Reviewing the mixtape for AllMusic, Paul Simpson declared that it, "rightfully remains one of the most praised rap mixtapes of the 2010s."[11] 1999 was ranked the 38th best album of 2012 by Complex.[18] The Versed named it "Mixtape of the Year".[19] It was also named one of the best mixtapes of the year by HipHopDX.[20]

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes, unless otherwise indicated.[21]

Notes

• "FromdaTombs" features DJ scratches performed by Statik Selektah.
• On the June 12, 2018 re-release of 1999, the track "Suspect" was retitled "Third Eye Shit."

Sample credits

• "Summer Knights" contains a sample of "Summer Nights", performed by Lonnie Liston Smith.[22]
• "Waves" contains a sound bite of Tupac Shakur.[13]
• "Waves" also contains a sample of "Waves" by Freddie Joachim (Instrumental)[23]
• "FromdaTombs" contains a sample of "Main Theme (Piano & Trumpet)" by Andrew Hale, from the video game L.A. Noire.[24]
• "Survival Tactics" contains a sample of "Survival Tactics" by Styles of Beyond.[23]
• "Killuminati" contains a sample of "WhºK∆res" by Knxwledge.[25]
• "Hardknock" contains a sample of "Eyes Of Dreams" by Lewis Parker.[26]
• "World Domination" contains dialogue excerpts from Pinky and the Brain.[27]
• "World Domination" also contains a sample of "The Fat Albert Halloween Special" by Ray Ellis,[28] which MF DOOM had sampled before in "Poo-Putt Platter", as "Datura Stramonium" in the instrumental version.
• "Pennyroyal" contains a sample of "Cathedral" by Galt MacDermot.[29]
• "Funky Ho's" contains a sample of "All Night" by Xperadó.[30]
• "Daily Routine" contains a sample of "The Highways of My Life" by The Isley Brothers.[23]
• "Snakes" contains a sample of "Alien Family" by J Dilla.[23]
• "Don't Front" contains a sample of "Tudo Que Você Podia Ser" by Lô Borges.
• "Righteous Minds" contains a sample of "Holy Thursday" by David Axelrod.[31]
• "Righteous Minds" also contains samples of "Love and Happiness" by Monty Alexander[32] and "Hit Me with That" by The Beatnuts.[33]

• Joey Badass discography

• "Joey Bada$$ & The Pro-Era's Track By Track Breakdown of 1999". XXL. June 21, 2012. Retrieved July 17, 2013.