Best and Worst of 2012

2012 Came and Went, and brought with it the usual good, bad and what the hell; that we have grown accustomed to since the end of the 90’s. Radio pretty much sucked, video networks totally sucked and another generation of people has been mislead into believing that this is god music. Good music was available, but largely ignored. Radio stations, video outlets, and record companies gave minimal or no push at all to some of the best music out.  If you only did mainstream or casual listening you probably missed out on a lot of good music. But if you did some searching on one of the many platforms, there was plenty of good music to be found, some new hopefuls, to make us believe that music, hip hop in particular is not dead. It may be on life support but not dead.  I present to you the best and worst of what 2012 served us.

Disclaimer The list is my opinion, Ill defend if necessary, but it is my opinion. I don’t even like all of the albums on the list , but when you’re making a large list for comparison and submittal, they have a rank . Heres the best and worst, I’d encourage you to check out some of the stuff you didn’t know released, and check for some of the artist you’ve never heard. Expand you horizons. Enjoy and let the debate began. Album of the year Nas – Life is Good . Bravo sir, Bravo. 

Top 25 Male Albums – Major Label Releases

1.     Nas – Life is Good

2.     Slaughterhouse - Welcome to our House

3.     Lupe Fiasco – Food and Liquor II

4.     Kendrick Lamar –  Good Kid Mad City

5.     Game – Jesus Piece

6.     Miguel – Kaleidoscope

7.     The Weeknd - Trilogy

8.     GOOD Music - Cruel Summer

9.     BIG KRIT -  Live from the Underground

10. Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox

11. Tank – This how I Feel *

12. Frank Ocean – Channel Orange

13. R Kelly – Write Me Back

14. Rick Ross – God Forgives, I dont

15. Maino – The Day After Tomorrow

16. Chiddy Bang – Breakfast

17. Diggy Simmons – Unexpected Arrival

18. Trey Songz – Chapter V

19. B.o.B – Strange Clouds

20. Wiz Khalifa – O.N.I.F.C.

21.  Beanie Sigel – This Time

22. Travis Porter – From Day 1

23. DJ. Khaled – Kiss the Ring

24. DJ Drama – Quality Street Music

25. Ne-Yo – R.E.D.

Top 30  Indie / Underground Albums of the Year

1.     Stevie Stone – Rollin Stone

2.     Oddisee – People hear, what

3.     Chino XL – Ricanstruction

4.     Xzibit – Napalm

5.     Brother Ali – Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color

6.     Saigon – Greatest Story Never Told – Chapter 2

7.     Sean Price – Mic Tyson

8.     Large Professor – Professor @Large

9.     Ab-Soul – Control System

10. Tech N9ne – E.B.A.H.

11. Z-Ro -Angel Dust

12. School Boy Q- Habits and Contradictions

13. De La Souls Plug 1 / Plug2 – First Serve

14. Obie Trice – Bottoms Up

15. Prodigy HNIC 3

16. Murs and 9^th Wonder – The Final Adventure

17. Killer Mike and LP – R.A.P. Music

18. Murs and Fashawn – This Generation

19. Apollo Brown and OC - Trophies

20. School Boy Q – Habbits and Contradictions

21. Vinnie Paz – God of The Serengeti

22. Dwele – Greater than One

23. Masta Ace and MF Doom –

24. Skyzoo – A Dream Deferred LP

25. Mayday – Take Me to your leader

26. Curren$Y – Stoned Immaculate

27. Lil Fame and Termanology – Fizzyiology

28. LeCrae- Gravity

29. EL-P- Cancer for Cure

30. Gangrene-  Vodka & Ayahuasca

Top 12 Female Albums

1.     Elle Varner – Perfectly Imperfect

2.     Vivian Green – Green Room

3.     Keysha Cole – Woman to Woman

4.     Melanie Fiona – MF Life

5.     ZZ Ward – Til The Casket Drop

6.     Teyana Taylor – The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor

7.     Estelle – All of Me

8.     Alicia Keys – Girl on Fire

9.     Monica – New Life

10. Tamia – Beautiful Surprise

11. Lana Del Rey – Born to die

12. Rhapsody – The Idea of Beautiful

Top 25 Mix tapes

1.     Kardinal Official & Notz – Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

2.     Slaughterhouse – On the house

3.     Joey Bad Ass - 1999

4.     Action Bronson – Blue Chips

5.     Sha Stimuli – The Chills

6.     Jadakiss – Consignment

7.     50 Cent – 5 Murder by Numbers

8.     Lecrae – Church clothes

9.     Fabolous – The Soul Tape 2

10. Lloyd Banks – V6

11. 4EvaNADay -  BIG KRIT

12. Busta Rhymes – Year of the Dragon

13. Erick Sermon – Breath of  Fresh Air

14. A Loose Quarter – Joe Budden

15. Game - California Republic

16. Cyhi the Prince – Ivy League

17. Paul Wall – No sleep till Houston

18. Ras Kass – Barmageddon

19. Taylor Allderdice -  Wiz Khalifa

20. Emilio Rojas - Breaking

21. Omen – Black Hero Theme Musik

22. Action Bronson -  Rare Chandeliers

23. 50 cent – The Lost Tape

24. Detroit – Big Sean

25. Freddie Gibbs – Baby Face Killer

Top 10 Rookies of the year

1.     Elle Varner

2.     2 Chainz

3.     Frank Ocean

4.     A$AP Rocky

5.     KRIT

6.     Chief Keef

7.     Weekend

8.     Meek Mill

9.     MGK

10. Future

Look out for in 2013 :

French Montana, Chief Keef, Joey Bada$$, Earl Sweatshirt , Emilio Rojas

Top 10 Posse Cuts (4 or more artist )

1.     Mercy – Kanye West ft Pusha T, Big Sean, 2 Chainz

2.     Celebration – Game ft. Chris Brown, Tyga, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa

3.     Black Lip Bastard (RMX) – AB –Soul ft . Black Hippy

4.     Rollin – Game ft. Kanye West, Trae the Truth, Z-Ro, Paul Wall & Slim-Thug

5.     Sucka MC”s – Slaughterhouse ft Freeway

6.     Power Circle – MMG ft. Kendric Lamar

7.     Louis XIII – Xzibit ft. King T and The Liks

8.     The Road Stevie Stone ft. Magnum PI, Wreckonize, Bernz

9.     Latinos Stand Up ( Remix) – Chino XL ft. Sick Jacken, B-Real, Thirston Howellteh 3^rd,  Sinful, Kid Frost

10. I don’t like ( remix) – Chief Keef ft. Pusha T, Kanye, Big Sean, & Jadakiss

Also Check – honorable mentions

11. Black Out – Ghostface, M.O.P., Pharoahe Monch

12. Killers Remorse – Xzibit ft. remorse, Bishop Lamont, Demrick

13. Movies – Xzibit ft GAMEm Crooked I, Slim The Mobster Demrick

14. Function ( remix) – E-40 ft, Young Jeezy Chris Brown, French Montana, Red Café

15. Large Professor, Action Bronson, Cormega, Roc Marciano, & Saigon “M.A.R.S.”

Top Urban Sellers of 2012

[CERTIFIED ALBUMS THAT PLAQUED]
Nicki Minaj "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" - 1x PLATINUM
Lionel Richie "Tuskegee" - 1x PLATINUM
Kendrick Lamar "Good kid, m.A.A.d city" – GOLD
Maroon 5 "Overexposed" - GOLD
Rick Ross "God Forgives, I Don't" - GOLD

[CERTIFIED SINGLES THAT PLAQUED]
Maroon 5/Wiz Khalifa "Payphone" - 4x PLATINUM
Flo-Rida "Whistle" - 4x PLATINUM
Maroon 5 "One More Night" - 3x PLATINUM
PSY "Gangnam Style" - 2.5x PLATINUM
Kanye West/G.O.O.D. Music “Mercy” - 2x PLATINUM
David Gutta/Sia "Titanium" - 2x PLATINUM
Drake/Lil Wayne/Tyga "The Motto" - 2x PLATINUM
Tyga "Rack City" - 2x PLATINUM
2 Chainz/Drake "No Lie" - 1x PLATINUM
Rihanna "Diamonds" - 1x PLATINUM
Kanye West/G.O.O.D. Music/JayZ “Clique” - 1x PLATINUM
Demi Lovato "Give Your Heart A Break" - 1x PLATINUM
Wiz Khalifa "Work Hard, Play Hard" - 1x PLATINUM
Calvin Harris "Feel So Close" - 1x PLATINUM
Justin Bieber/Big Sean "As Long As You Love Me" - 1x PLATINUM
Rihanna "Where Have You Been" - 1x PLATINUM
Rihanna/Chris Brown "Birthday Cake" - 1x PLATINUM
Kanye West/JayZ "Otis" - 1x PLATINUM
Gym Class Heroes "Ass Back Home" - 1x PLATINUM
Ellie Goulding "Lights" - 1x PLATINUM
Nicki Minaj "Starships" - 1x PLATINUM
BOB "So Good" - 1x PLATINUM
BOB/Lil Wayne "Strange Clouds" - 1x PLATINUM
Dev "In The Dark" - 1x PLATINUM
French Montana/Rick Ross/Drake/Lil Wayne "Pop That" - GOLD
Mac Miller "Knock Knock" - GOLD
Driicky Graham "Snapbacks & Tattoos" - GOLD
Rihanna/JayZ "Talk That Talk" - GOLD
Kreayshawn "Gucci Gucci" - GOLD
Ca$h Out "Cashin' Out" - GOLD
Travis Porter "Ayy Ladies" - GOLD
MGK "Wild Boy" - GOLD
Loverance "Up" - GOLD
Rihanna "Where Have You Been" - GOLD
Nicole Scherzinger "Right There" - GOLD
YC "Racks" - GOLD

Top 10 Most Disappointing Cd’s

1.     Ja Rule – P. I. L 2

2.     2 Chainz – Based on a Tru Story

3.     Usher – Looking for Myself

4.     Pink Friday : Roman Reloaded

5.     Meek Mill – Dreams and Nighmares

6.     Odd Future – OF Tape

7.     Tyga – Creless World 2

8.     Kid Cuddi & Dot Da Genius – WZRD

9.     Too $hort – No Trespassing

10. E-40 block brochure

Top 15 most anticipated next year ( no particular order)

1.     John Legend – Love in the Future

2.     50 Cent - Street King Immortal

3.     Eminem - TBA

4.     Pusha T – My Name is My Name

5.     Eminem and 50 Cent

6.     Joe Budden – No love lost

7.     J Cole – Born Sinner

8.     Ashanti – Braveheart

9.     Azelia Banks – Broke with Expensive taste

10. Kanye West/G.O.O.D. Music "Cruel Winter"

11. Ghost Face Killah – Twelve Reasons To Die

12. MC Eight – Which Way iz West – MC Eight & DJ Premier

13. Big Sean – Hall of Fame

14. JadaKiss – Top 5, Dead Or Alive

15. Earl Sweatshirt - Doris

Top Albums Probably Wont Release

·      Scarface and Beanie Sigel - Mac n Brad

·      Andre 3000

·      Dr Dre – Detox

·      Goodie Mob – Age Against The Machine

·      Jay Electronica "Act II: Patents Of Nobility [The Turn]"

·      Eminem & 50 Cent *TBA

·      Q-Tip "The Last Zulu"

·      Jean Grae - Cake or Death

·      LL Cool J – Authentic Hip hop

·      Tamar Braxton "Love & War"

Overall Best Albums

1.     Nas – Life is Good

2.     Slaughterhouse – Welcome To Our House

3.     Stevie Stone – Rollin Stone

4.     Oddisee – People hear, what

5.     Chino XL – Ricanstruction

6.     Lupe Fiasco – Food and Liquor II

7.     Kendrick Lamar –  Good Kid Mad City

8.     Elle Varner – Perfectly Imperfect

9.     Xzibit - Napalm

10. Game – Jesus Piece

11. Brother Ali – Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color

12. Vivian Green – The Green Room

13. Keysha Cole Woman to Woman

14.  Miguel – Kaleidoscope

15. The Weekend - Trilogy

Slept On Album

1.     Tank – This is How I feel

2.     Vivian Green  - Green Room

3.     ZZ Ward Til the Casket drop

4.     Keysha Cole – Woman to Woman

5.     Mint Condition – Music at the speed of life

Top 5Producers

1.     Alchemist

2.     Mike Will

3.     Hit Boy

4.     LP

5.     Young Chop

@slin_k_polymath on twitter

Special Contributins by Doc J