mixtape maestro (2.0)

True, after loving Wale‘s previous two mixtape triumphs, 2007′s 100 Miles & Running and the Seinfeld-themed, year-later follow-up The Mixtape About Nothing, the comparably bland lyrical input on his official major label debut, “Chillin” (not to mention the questionable choice of Lady GaGa as hook feature), kind-of deserved the underwhelmed reaction it initially received.

But after a few listens, and a coming-to-terms with the idea that this was meant to be rapper’s introduction to the less Web-affixed masses, “Chillin’” didn’t seem so bad; plus, it was hard to deny the song’s oddly tantalizing hip-pop mixture of Wale’s “Top Billin”‘ swag-jack, GaGa’s shameless M.I.A-biting and Cool & Dre’s lively production (winner of best use of a Steam sample in a year that’s saw the already overly-familiar “Na Na Na Na” tune become even more ubiquitious).

Previously MM-hyped DJ/ remixer/ producer Skratch Bastid helps elevates “Chillin’”‘s level of appeal much further with a mega-sized-feeling revamp that cleverly interweaves nods to Wale’s D.C. birthplace (via it’s licking of Trouble Funk’s go-go classic “Let’s Get Small”) amongst other blink-and-you-miss-them snippets, ranging from “I Put A Spell On You” to “Paper Planes” to “Arab Money”, all inspired by select lines.

Look for Bastid’s new 110% mix CD to drop real soon, and try to catch him on his tour throughout Canada sometime this summer (see dates here). As for Wale, his long-awaited AllIDo/ Interscope debut, Attention: Deficit, is due sometime later this year.

Wale f/ Lady Gaga – Chillin’ (SKRATCH BASTID REMIX) from Skratch Bastid on Vimeo.

DL: “Chillin’ (Skratch Bastid Remix)” (alt)