One of the things I most like to find in my inbox is a new beat tape from 100 Akres aka Freshnerd aka Keith Mitchell, and that’s just what happened earlier this evening. One of the most prolific producers I know of, Freshnerd has been releasing these beat tapes on an (almost) one per month steady flow, focusing on a specific artist or album with each tape, flipping the original tracks to produce short (2:30min is a very long one) wicked beats. From July 2010 up to today he managed to release eight of these beauties, from Cyndi Lauper to Janet Jackson via David Bowie, always titled “The (artist’s name) Beat Tape”.

On his latest beat tape “The Blankety Blank Beat Tape” however, the artist’s name is not mentioned, and not by mistake. As Mitchell writes:

“What up folks, you’re probably wondering about that title and the anonymity. Well, I’ve been getting several emails asking if I’ve had permission from the artists to use their samples….I get a funny feeling these emails are from a certain association thats more than likely about to send me a cease and desist (or eight). Anyways, I’m sure the artist of the new beat tape will be able to spot that these samples are from his album (or maybe not). Either way, I’ll keep delivering freshness to your ears regardless of outdated copyright laws.”

I’m not that sure the emails he’s been receiving do indeed imply on some lawyers workin their way to him, since I myself was thinking about sending the Freshnerd a mail with the very same question. Either way, copyright laws truly are outdated and quite senseless, and surely beat tapes like these, offered for free download, and flipped so bad (meaning good) should not be seen as a threat of any sort by the artist sampled (or more precisely, their record label), let a lone as a theft. If anything, the opposite should be the case.

Support free sampling! Everything human is a sample. Every invention is a remix. Every behavior practiced by anyone is a cover version of someone else. Enjoy this free beat tape, see if you can identify the artist flipped here, and grab 100 Akres’ other tapes too, as they are all smashing.