The Village Voice Features mixtapekings.com in "Tales of the Tape"

In July 2003, the Village Voice published "Tales of the Tape" by music journalist Oliver Wang — one of the first major press pieces to document the business of online mixtape retail. mixtapekings.com founder Diony C. was featured prominently, speaking to how the culture was shifting in real time.

"Now that mixtapes are getting very album-looking, people want the official artwork, the official CD." — Diony C., The Village Voice, July 2003

At the time, Diony was selling thousands of mixtapes a month through mixtapekings.com, with his biggest customers spread across California, Florida, and the military — proof that the site's reach extended well beyond New York City from the very beginning.

The article captured a pivotal moment: the mixtape industry was professionalizing. What had started as hand-dubbed cassettes passed block to block was becoming a legitimate business. Collectors wanted presentation. They wanted something that looked as serious as it sounded. mixtapekings.com was already there, meeting that demand.

The site launched in 2002 and was already being covered by one of the most respected voices in New York media — just one year in.