Mixtape You Need

Producer Mark Ronson's latest protégé, Wale, is capitalizing on his growing mainstream buzz with a set of rap songs inspired by, of all things, Seinfeld. But don't let The Mixtape About Nothing's gimmicky sitcom-dialogue samples distract you from this Washington, D.C., native's supersmart rhymes. On ''The Opening Title Sequence,'' Wale ponders hip-hop's commercial fortunes: ''What's the deal with this rap stuff?/Since Napster/The sales been crashing.'' His mood grows more somber on ''The Kramer,'' which transitions from a snippet of actor Michael Richards' infamous 2006 racial-slur spree at the Laugh Factory into an uncompromising analysis of modern identity politics. Wale ultimately packs more substance into this online giveaway than you'll find on most rappers' proper albums. Talk about becoming a master of his (Internet) domain! (Download Nothing for nothing at elitaste.com.)