Before streaming algorithms turned soul music into “lo-fi beats to study to,” there was the art of the mixtape. In 2009, while much of hip-hop was obsessed with auto-tune and ringtone rap, Jeff Townes—yes, the Jeff from The Fresh Prince —dropped a quiet earthquake titled The Soul Mixtape.rar .

The entire 45 minutes. (But specifically, the 4:20 mark of track 6 where he mixes "Little Ghetto Boy" into "The Payback" acapella.)

The title is a clever nod to the digital era (.rar being a compressed file format), but the contents are 100% analog warmth. Jeff acts as a time-traveling radio host, pulling you into a basement party circa 1972. There are no aggressive drops, no "1-2-3 let's go"—just seamless, impossible blends of pure soul, funk, and obscure deep cuts.

Review by: The Crate Digger

Let’s get one thing straight: This is not a DJ Jazzy Jeff scratching record. This is a .

The Soul Mixtape.rar is not background music. It is a history lesson and a meditation. It proves that DJ Jazzy Jeff—often dismissed by casual fans as "the guy who got shoved into a pool by Uncle Phil"—is actually one of the finest selector/curators alive.