During the past thirty years, hip-hop has had a profound impact on American culture. It has progressed from a local NYC street phenomenon in the early 1980s to national popularity in the 1990s and has now reached a point of international recognition and appeal. Although the commercial successes of hip-hop are widespread and far-reaching, the street is still where it all begins. This is where the hip-hop organism lives and breathes, develops and constantly evolves. Hip-hop still continues to draw many of its fans, enthusiasts and artists from a base where street credibility is vastly more important than product endorsement or Soundscan record sales. At a time when the main hip-hop magazines seem more concerned with superstardom commercial appeal, Foundation Magazine captures the energy of hip-hop at its roots, speaking not of those who have made it, but are making it. The mixtape phenomenon has become the make-or-break proving ground in the ultra competitive world of hip-hop, where MCs and DJs both battle to prove to fans who the best and the truest really are. The mixtape is an underground phenomenon, produced and marketed under the radar. Even so, it has had a more profound impact on shaping the culture then most other media. This is because of its raw, uncut power, and its ability to introduce the newest artists and the hottest beats at hip-hop's more organic level: the streets. Until now, no publication has followed the mixtape phenomenon in a definitive way that incorporates the artists and fans who really shape the culture. This is the void that Foundation Magazine has eliminated. We fill in the grey area between the unknown and the nationally recognizable, the area where growth and change in hip-hop is constantly happening. We provide our readers with an in-depth look at what the hottest mixtapes are, who the rising stars are, where this art form has been, and most importantly, where it is headed.