EXCLUSIVE: DatPiff Hip Hop Mixtape Archive Has Disappeared
More than 360,000 digital-only mixtapes gone from The Internet Archive entrusted to keep them safe
[CUE BREAKING NEWS MUSIC]
For much of the 2000s, DatPiff.com was the premier online home for Hip Hop mixtapes, hosting upwards of 600,000+ uploaded rap compilations from DJs, superstars, and bedroom artists alike.
One day, it all went away.
In 2023, DatPiff was failing. Support and development of the site and app dwindled, and eventually, the collection essentially became inaccessible, leaving the future of this enormous musical and cultural treasure trove, beloved and trafficked by millions of rap fans, in doubt.
In early 2024, however, the site made resurrection-laced headlines by announcing a partnership with The Internet Archive, a nonprofit dedicated to “building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.” Most are familiar with The Internet Archive by way of the “Wayback Machine,” a way to “go back in time” and visit earlier versions of websites by accessing archived snapshots recorded over time.
This move to transfer DatPiff’s mixtape archive and keep it safe and sound was welcomed by Hip Hop fans and archiving proponents who recognized the DatPiff mixtapes are an enormous horde of musical and cultural artifacts, worthy of proper preservation.
All was well until a few days ago when, with no warning or explanation from any of the parties involved, all 366,420 rap mixtapes being housed on The Internet Archive, simply disappeared.
As of publishing, there remains no clear indication of what happened, why, or if any of the contents of the archive will ever be available again.
Just as the purge was happening, one reddit user, u/ayoret, a radio host and self-proclaimed “rap nerd” who had been keeping tabs on the archive, immediately noticed, and sounded the alarm.
I noticed him and reached out. He spoke to me about it, exclusively.
📺 Here’s the full story and interview on YouTube.
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