How come they are able to jack beats for free on mixtapes?

[infinite59]

There are mad websites now selling mixtapes.  And they are official.  Dead Prez new mixtape I recently bought from Kmart.  My point is, how is this legal?  How do they get away with jackin other people's beats?  Does it fall under parody?  That is the only answer I can think of.

[Don Jacob]

i'm pretty sure they either pay off the artist they jacked it from or they pick and choose wisely ;ie the artists who don't give a fuck

[KVB]

I'm not sure, I thought the original producers of the beats were credited in the booklets of these "official" mixtapes? They should, or I guess it's unauthorized use of beats...

Dunno about this though.... it is indeed strange.

[infinite59]

Go to buymixtapes.com.  There is no way that can be legal.  They are selling the hottest street mixtapes on there.  This means, jacked beats, and compilation records there is no way they got clearance.  And nobody has an answer how this is possible?

[Jome]

Simple..

Mixtapes are not official releases commercially available in retail stores.
They are "official" to the point that a mixtape DJ and artist have their name on it, but they're selling it indie.. no major label is distributing these tapes.
It's often categorized as a "mixtape" because it is exactly that.. a mix of freestyles, leftovers, new tracks & other material..

On unofficial releases, you will see that they are labeled "no label"... meaning indie.
E.G.: \/ Click on the links, and notice what label they are released on..
DJ Clue: Grand Theft Audio II
DJ Whoo Kid :: Hydro Pt. 2 - Smoking Day





There's a exception..
Some mixtapes are released officially with original content, such as Funkmaster Flex & DJ Clue have done with some of their tapes.. and Kay Slay is in the process of doing, but this takes a much bigger effort.. to get producers for the tracks, artists to appear on the CD, distribution, other label business..
These CD's are released through major labels, and gets a official release.

E.G: \/ Click on links and notice "label" behind the title..
DJ Clue :: The Professional 2
Funkmaster Flex :: Volume IV * The Mixtape

They're often still called mixtapes, but they are getting released officially.. Flex through Loud Records and Clue through Roc-a-fella..
They feel, looks and sounds like a mixtape, but everything is cleared, people are always credited, and they profit on the gimmick of being a "official mixtape".