Diplo reportedly antied up some $3-5 million to sign "viral rapper" RiFF RAFF to Mad Decent for a staggering 8 album deal; The labelhead also threw in a $45,000 3-D/reversible gold-encrusted Cheshire Cat chain to further sweeten their deal. Over the weekend, RiFF RAFF unveiled his first official [mixtape] project for Mad Decent, BiRTH OF AN iCON. It's basically a collection of 25 re-mastered tracks total, including 7 BRAND NEW productions to hold fans over til his 2013 full-length. 16 of 25 tracks already have music videos, all varying in quality and some of which date way back to Spring 2011. RiFF RAFF's currently-untitled album will probably be released sooner than later and is supposed to highlight Dubstep production(s) from Diplo, Skrillex, and Rusko.

BiRTH OF AN iCON kinda plays out like a "Best Of" collection and it's material was selected from a super-sized mix of old tracks, remixes, and features ... that further display the vast talents of friends: Action Bronson, Derek DJA Allen, Lil Debbie, Flux Pavillion, Major Lazer, Harry Fraud, Chief Keef, Plain White T's, and Unicorn Kid. A few of my early favourites include "Original Don" (Remix), "Hologram Benz," "Bird On a Wire," "Brain Freeze," and "Only I Can Cure..." First, let it be known that RiFF RAFF is TOTALLY ridiculous, overly-confident, dapper, prolific, and generally sloppy; Tom Breihan quite aptly went on to describe his lyrical stylings as "Lil B [if he] achieved some sort of self-consciousness and figured out that he's pretty funny" or like a pre- Carter III Lil Wayne. Mad Decent is currently hosting a no-strings-attached [FREE] download link to BiRTH OF AN iCON over @ their label-run blog.