"Let 'Em Bleed: The Mixxtape volume 1", DJ Clay mixtape review

This mixtape was released in 2008 originally, and was DJ Clay's first actual contribution to Hatchet House/Psychopathic Records. Note that while the mixtape itself came out in 2008, the DJ Clay box set came out in 2010, so the publishing date might be different for you depending on which version you have.

Graphics:
     The art for the first mixtape is strikingly plain. So plain that I can describe it with only a few lines of text, even as meticulous as I am. You'll see the front of the mixtape below. The back is pretty much blank; got some licensing bullshit and a lil' Hatchetman, that's it. If you open the flap of the mixtape you have Clay looking at you, and production credits cover the rest of the panel. The CD is designed like a vinyl record, and there some shout-outs in the CD rest. The CDs have s as far as graphics go, but I'll get around to that more if I ever end up reviewing the boxset as a whole. That's it for graphics.

Content:
     My expectations for this mixtape were not high to begin with. It was the first mixtape in the boxset, and so I figured it was the best place to start. It was my hope to be pleasantly surprised, and that the music on this mixtape would set the mood for what was to come. Unfortunately, Let 'Em Bleed Volume 1 is not innovative, creative, or even produced well, and seems like the kind of mixtape you would market to a suburban white teenager who doesn't know shit about music.
     One of the biggest flaws on this mixtape is that it doesn't cater to Juggalos very much. Artists on the label have done this before and managed to do so successfully, but a mixtape that is carried not by DJ Clay, but by Psychopathic artists and producers, should have some shit for the Juggalos to dig on. There are a couple tracks that cater to us, but too much of the mixtape feels out of place for a Psychopathic release. But that could be overlooked perhaps, if the actual content of the mixtape was good. Strike two, again this mixtape fails to deliver. The content of this CD is trite and not innovative at all. While there are a couple sweet cuts from this mixtape, most of the content is poorly produced filler. The Psychopathic Family does what it can to bring some light to this release, but nothing could save this tape from mediocrity.
     Another criticism is that the track listing is really fucky. There are some songs on the disc that aren't accounted for on the track listing, which throws you off when you're listening to the CD. You have to figure out yourself why the album is out-of-order, but Juggalos shouldn't have to deal with that bullshit. It displays massive lack of mastery and professionalism that an artist should always show - even for a mixtape.
     If you buy the Let 'Em Bleed Box Set, you will own this mixtape and that isn't a terrible thing. But please, do yourself a favor and don't intentionally buy this mixtape on its own.

JRH gives "Let 'Em Bleed: The Mixxtaple volume 1" by DJ Clay a: 1.7/5
(Yeah...it's like that)

Strong points:
- One or two tracks worth listening to

Weak points:
- Fucky, unprofessional track listing
- Not creative, not innovative, stale
- Doesn't cater to Juggalos much
- Plain art
- Indecisive. This mixtape cannot figure out whether it wants to be thug or wicked.

Well, that's it ninjas. For now, keep moving, keep it locked, because I might be dropping some more reviews as the week goes on. Maybe I'll take a look at the second tape in the set; who knows?
Thank you to any Juggalos who take the time to read these. You're what keeps the blog going!