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2003

A foreshadowing of trouble for mixtapes loomed on the horizon, when the Indianapolis store Berry's Records was raided by the RIAA. The group confiscated more than $9,000 worth of inventory, including underground and mixtape material. They also had to face a number of lawsuits. Although mixtapes had been -- up until that point -- "in bed with" the record labels and intended to promote new artists and hype new albums, the legalities behind using certain tracks were often an afterthought. Some say that there was a certain amount of malevolence involved as time went on and mixtapes received more light and album sales decreased.