The Best Hip-Hop of 2012
THE BEST HIP-HOP ALBUMS OF 2012
1. R.A.P. Music – Killer Mike/El-P – For being the most unexpected and fruitful collaboration of the year.
2. Kolexxion – DJ Premier/Bumpy Knuckles – For demonstrating that Preemo’s rejected beats are better than most producers’ efforts, and for showing that – without Guru – Bumpy Knuckles knows how to handle them best.
3. Dice Game – Guilty Simpson/Apollo Brown – For knowing it would be dope just from the press release.
4. A Dream Deferred – Skyzoo – For Skyzoo’s voice and maturing vision.
5. Ill Manors – Plan B – For being a UK rap album with true soul and depth.
6. Baby Face Killa – Freddie Gibbs – For its sonic cohesion and Gibbs’ Tupac-like presence.
7. Good Kid Mad City – Kendrick Lamar – For being the past, the present, and the future of West Coast hip-hop.
8. Control Systems – Ab-Soul – For being the brightest young star in the new West Coast firmament.
9. Mourning in America and Dreaming in Colour – Brother Ali – For proving that I should have listened to Brother Ali earlier.
10. Trophies – O.C./Apollo Brown – For Apollo Brown being the new A-list producer in the underground.
11. The Heist – Macklemore/Ryan Lewis – For being pop, real, and epic.
12. God Forgives, I Don’t – Rick Ross – For Ross’s unique flow and his epic, cinematic beats.
13. Ohnomite – Oh No – For being yet another solid Stones Throw release.
14. Jesus Piece – Game – For marking Game’s graduation to OG.
15. Interludes after Midnight – Blockhead – For being an inheritor to DJ Shadow’s tradition.
16. Reloaded – Roc Marciano – For its grimy beats and gruff flow.
17. Napalm – Xzibit – For surprising us by not falling off.
18. Professor@Large – Large Professor – For its old-skool/nu-skool balance.
19. Mugshot Music – Showbiz/AG – For reppin’ the Bronx section.
20. Life is Good – Nas – For showing how rappers might manage the transition to adulthood.
THE BEST HIP-HOP JOINTS OF 2012
1. They Ready – J.Cole/Big K.R.I.T./Kendrick Lamar
2. M.A.A.D City feat MC Eiht – Kendrick Lamar
3. Hip Hop – Nas/Scarface
4. What I Do – Jon Connor
5. South Bronx Shit – Showbiz/AG
6. Ink Blotches – Guilty Simpson/Apollo Brown
7. Pirates – Rick Ross
8. Can’t Hold Us feat Ray Dalton – Macklemore/Ryan Lewis
9. Need a Knot feat Bun B – Brother Ali
10. Cold feat DJ Khaled – Kanye West
11. Deepest Shame – Plan B
12. Cheesesteaks – Vinnie Pax
13. Make the Sound feat Rhymefest – M.A.S.K.
14. Big Beast feat Bun B, T.I. & Trouble – Killer Mike/El-P
15. The Don – Nas
16. I Know This Game – Sadat X
17. Blasphemy (Blast 4 Me) – M.O.P.
18. HVN 4 A Gangsta feat Master P
19. B.A.P. – DJ Premier/Bumpy Knuckles
20. MARS – Large Professor
21. Anotha One – O.C./Apollo Brown
22. BFK – Freddie Gibbs
23. Give it Up – Skyzoo
24. Jingalin – Ludacris
25. Food – Masta Killer