Pipomixes: 16 Best Mixes of 2016

I was dreading making this list because I thought (incorrectly) that 2016 was a relatively bad year for quality mixes. How wrong I was! 2016 was arguably the strongest year for quality mixes in the nine-year history of the blog. My original list consisted of twenty-two mixes. The original list would have actually been north of thirty if not for the now defunct Mixcrate.com shutting down its site. I'll leave it to all of you to speculate which six mixes made the original list, but were cut in order to keep with the theme of having a list as long as the year. As with previous Top Mixes lists, you'll see some familiar names, and other names that are only familiar to followers of this blog. Different from previous years, I incorporated categorical awards to help you decide which of these great mixes you listen to first. Before getting into all the fun, I want to re-post what I posted a year ago because I really meant want I said (enough to post it again).

Some of you make a living off this whole DJ thing of ours; some of you are trying to make a living off this; while others are content to just be bedroom enthusiasts. Whoever you are, you are extraordinarily talented if your mix has been posted on this blog. I am a music snob. I take music, hip hop culture, and the art form of deejaying very seriously. I don't post bullshit (for the most part), and I don't give out compliments loosely. If I've said your mix is dope, it's because I think your mix is dope. And if I think your mix is dope, it's because it is. This blog can only go as far as your mixes will take it. The blog dies when your mixes dry up, so keep mixing motherf%ckers! Keep diggin'; keep searching for inspiration; stop complaining about button pushers and show them how it's done.