i consider “mixtape era” to have ended in 2015, and that year definitely wasn’t its peak. i’d say 2012 probably was.
SS1 still a top tier mixtape tho
The Slime Season tapes were amazing but aren't really proper mixtapes since half the songs on there had already leaked and they were basically put out to officially release songs that were already out.
Peak mixtape rap was 2010-15 and was mixtapes like Back from the Dead, Earl, Kush & OJ, LiveLoveA$AP, 1999, Acid Rap, and 1017 Thug