Hip Hop Year End List

2012 Hip Hop End of the Year List

Channel Orange - Frank Ocean

Say what you want about Frank Ocean being bisexual, being a bad on stage performer, whatever. Shove it.  The kid has talent. And to be honest this album could have either been a colossal failure or an album of the year candidate.  With heavy praise coming from his Nostalgia/Ultra (made the list last year) and his work on Watch the Throne, he had no choice but to live up to the expectations. Cleaver song concepts mixed with passionate vocals and strong productions has made this an album with high replay value.  Even though he isn't hip hop, he has created a genre crossing album made to be listened by all.

Highs: Pyramids, Crack Rock, Bad ReligionLows: NoneBeats: 9  Rhymes: 10 Life: 10

Good Kid Maad City - Kendrick Lamar

I really shouldn't even write anything here because everyone reading should already know whats up.  But I'm here to do a review not dick ride.  The entire LP can be described as a story taking place through song.  If you want to hear a track by track interpretation check this out.  Puts the whole album in perspective.  One thing you will notice is a lack of presence from his TDE brethren Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q.  I'm not mad at this, other classic albums didn't need feature heavy songs and producers (ie. Ready to die, reasonable doubt, illmatic). The entire album is a story so the cohesiveness of the tracks flows accordingly.  Kendrick never disappoints when it comes to the flow so that will never be a problem.  The CD is a borderline classic and shouldn't be treated as such just yet.  Just respect the Good Kid's perspective and grind and when you listen to the CD, don't press skip or stop.  Only pause, rewind and play.

Highs: Money Trees, Backseat Freestyle, Sing About Me/I'm Dying of ThirstLows: The bonus cut with Mary J BligeBeats:  9  Rhymes: 10 Life: 10

Jesus Piece - The Game

The Game has really surprised me and the rest of the rap game with this one.  It seems like when he wants to take his time and try and perfect hip hop he makes garbage (R.E.D.) but when he feels a little pressure and his back against the wall, Hurricane comes out and creates good albums.  This album features a lot of different artists (but The Game name drops 10x more) and thats what makes this album what it is.  He put the right people together on the right songs with his always dope arsenal of producers and went in.  I did notice on a lot of the tracks that he tries to become a chameleon and replicate flows and styles.  I'm amazed by it but other people hate it.  Whatever.  The album is dope and has a few bangers on it.

Highs: All That (feat Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Fabolous, Jeremih), Name Me King (feat. Pusha T), Blood DiamondsLows: Church (King Chip, Trey Songz), Hallelujah (Jaime Foxxx)Beats: 9  Rhymes: 7  Life:  7

R.A.P. Music - Killer Mike

Wow did I ever sleep on this album.  After he was on the list last year I shoulda known he was about to do it again but... I slept.  I'm woke now negro! El-P and Killer Mike make a great team the whole album sounds like what JJDOOM should be.  Killer Mike has never been one to bite his tongue and will openly talk politics and whatever the #&%k is on his mind but he does in a brash poetic that makes you conceptualize what he's saying and actually analyze it.  Its intelligent bounce rap and will appeal to many different types of people.

Highs: Big Beast, Reagan (PLEASE CHECK THIS JOINT), Butane (Feat El-P)Lows: Anywhere but HereBeats: 9.5  Rhymes:8.5  Life:  8.5

Life is Good - Nas

This joint took me back.  So many quality joints and not so many usual disappointing ones that you would usually find on a Nas LP.  His decision to get reacquainted with Extra P, Large Pro, Large Professor whatever you wanna call him was brilliant.  His old boom bap flow is evident on tracks like The Don and it's just nostalgic.  He kept the features list very limited and why not, who else do you need, Accident Murderers  is a great joint tho.  Other great concepts like Daughters, and the posthumous track with Amy Winehouse (Cherry Wine) show us exactly how versatile Nasir Jones is and how timeless his flow is.

Highs: Accident Murderers(Feat Rick Ross), Nasty, World's and Addiction (Feat Anthony Hamilton)Lows: Reach Out (Feat Mary J Blige)Beats: 7 Rhymes: 8  Life: 8

Reloaded - Roc Marciano

This is some gulley ass $H!T. Roc follows up his HEAVILY SLEPT ON ‘Marcberg’ with his sophomore LP ‘Reloaded.’ He aint the flashiest dude on the scene he aint yelling all over the track and using ad libs as rhymes. As BIG would say his ‘slow flow remarkable.’ The album is completely gloomy and mellow and it complements his style perfectly. I bet my bottom dollar that this dude aint on half of yall’s radars but yall need to check him out, yesterday.

Highs: Pistoler, Thread Count, Tek to a MackLows: We IllBeats: 7 Rhymes: 8.5 Life: 8

4eva N A Day - BIG K.R.I.T.

I’m going to start this by saying this dude has promise. And I was so upset with his debut album that I had to throw on some old shit just to cope. But 4eva N A Day has an almost ‘Undun’ feel to it. Tells a story of tragedy and triumph and he excels. The triple threat does nothing but give you his heart and soul in this mixtape.

Highs: Boobie Miles, 4evaNADay, 1986Lows: Sky ClubBeats:8.5 Rhymes: 8.5 Life: 8.5

Royalty - Childish Gambino

WHO THE F#&K GAMBINO? THIS NEGRO ON YO TIVO! That track is really Unnecessary. Anyway, the guy thats too white for the black kids and too black for the whites comes correct with a feature heavy 18 track mixtape that begs to be reckoned with. With most of the track (maybe all) made by himself and him doing all the writing and rapping, you have to respect his hustle.

Highs: Unnecessary, Toxic, RIPLows: really aint noneBeats: 9 Rhymes: 9 Life: 9

Habits and Contradictions - Schoolboy Q

I’m dickriding hard on TDE right now.... But tell me what label straight up rocked 2012? Bump y’all I’m giving respect where it is due. Schoolboy Q follows up Setbacks with this banger of an album. I saw the dude live earlier this year. YAWK YAWK! Dude is nuts. Anyways this whole album is full of energy and soul. You can feel the maturity come out in just about every song. He is what Wiz Khalifa should be. Even his songs that dont have any meanings Gangster in Designer (no concept) go super hard. And if him and A$AP Rocky don't do an album together, I’m gonna raise hell. Give it a listen, you won't be disappointed.

Beats: 8.5 Rhymes: 7.5 Life: 9

A Dream Deferred - Skyzoo

He just never disappoints, never. Skyzoo follows up The Great Debater with an album referencing the great Langston Hughes and one listen through is not enough. The album is mixed and mastered perfectly and the song selection is stellar. With production by 9th Wonder, !llmind, and DJ Khalil all he has to do is rap sub par bars and this album would get critical acclaim. Joints like Jansport Strings (a shout out to his mentor and Native Tongues rapper Chi Ali) take you back to your childhood days while joints like Rage of Romello keep you on the edge of your seat wondering which way the lyrics (and the beat) are going to turn.

Highs: Jansport Strings, Rage of Romello, RealizationLows: Drew and DrewinBeats: 8 Rhymes: 9 Life: 7.5

Mic Tyson – Sean Price

This dude. To be honest, he’s been ill. He’s probably the gulliest New York dude out there and his style is one that is hard to replicate. He says what he wants. He rhymes relentlessly over beats by my producer of the year, aka The Alchemist. STFU pt 2, Bar Barian, Title Track… The whole joint is what the rap game has been missing for awhile. While he did bless us with the Random Axe joint recently, SEAN P! is still putting in work and is one of the most comical, brash, intelligent and real dudes out there.
Highs: STFU pt 2, Bar Barian, Solomon Grundy
Lows: Hush

Beats: 9 Rhymes: 10 Life: 9

Russian Roulette - The Alchemist

Alan the Chemist has such versatility that it’s a wonder he’s been very hard at work the past few years. Working with Oh No (Gangrene), Joint EP with Curren$y, and a slew of other features that have made his synths legendary. Russian Roulette is most of his other albums, chopped full of features, but set to a Cold War Russian theme. Joints like Flight Confirmation (feat Danny Brown and Schoolboy Q) might sound off to you but remember the concept and how the actual beat makes the artist transform into their primal state (to be honest, it’s second favorite Danny Brown verse second to Terrorist Threats). And he didn’t just keep it west coast he went back and linked up with Infamous repper Big Twin, Mr. Muthafucking eXquire, Action Bronson and many others. The skits and interludes make this album what it is and it should be broken down track by track, pour up or light up and listen to it fully it’s a fun concept and a great album.

Beats: 10 Rhymes: 8 Life: 7.5

Control System – Ab Soul

SOULO HOE! I have to admit, I never slept on Soul. He’s always been the deep thinker of Black Hippy and probably the most influenced by Punch (CEO TDE). The album is full of highs (pun intended) and lows but balances itself out perfectly and is a great sophomore album. With appearances by Danny Brown (on one of the songs of the year Terrorist Threats…EXTRA PILLS!), Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, and his late boo the lovely Alori Joh the album doesn’t disappoint. If you think rappers are all talk and don’t have a personal side, check out ‘Book of Soul’. And if you think all rappers do is talk about conspiracy’s they have no idea about, check Bohemian Grove and see if Soul doesn’t have his 3rd eye open. Up there with Good Kid Maad City, this is one of the albums of the year.

Beats: 9 Rhymes: 10 Life: 9

1999 – Joey Bada$$

The kid is nice, and he tries to replicate the golden era of hip hop and showcases himself masterfully. Member of the New York Pro Era collective, Joey spits as if he is the second coming of Shyheim (do your homework). His ability to slur and mold his words in order to make them fit the beat is almost as reminiscent as the beats which he recycled to use. One of the newcomers on the scene, he has already made a name for himself in the game.

Beats: n/a (mostly recycled) Rhymes: 8.5 Life: 8