The 10 Best Hip Hop Tracks of 2012!

It's that time of the year again! My annual, slightly late run down of my 10 best tracks of the year is written in no particular order, so here goes...

1. Loco-Motive - Nas feat. Large Professor: Nas had a blistering 2012, dropping his almost perfect return to form right in the middle of summer. In truth, he could have had over half of this list with one album, but it is Loco-Motive that really stands out. The steadily clattering train anchoring the beat complements the grimy, cinematic atmosphere of a late night subway ride through Queensbridge. Almost 20 years since his debut, Nas hasn't lost a step.

2. Bury Me a G - Rick Ross feat. T.I: The highlight of an otherwise disappointing group LP from MMG, Ross embodies the gangsta don persona he has made his own, his wheezing voice lending a sense of urgency  rarely found on his other work. It is T.I however, who steals the show, his menacingly unhinged, slack jawed delivery bringing the song firmly back to the Dirty South.

3. Something More - Xzibit feat. Prodigy: A drowsy West Coast funk almost renders the listener inert as Xzibit triumphantly retains his place as one of his regions most consistent voices. Prodigy lends able support, a rare 2012 return to the style that made Mobb Deep such a distinct act in the late 90's.

4. Getting By - Lloyd Banks feat. Schoolboy Q: A stoner anthem that is actually listenable, Lloyd Banks released this gem in what proved to be a quiet year for 50's right hand man. Schoolboy Q demonstrates exactly why Black Hippy are so highly tipped for a successful 2013.

5. Hammer Dance - Slaughterhouse: Aside from the baffling decision to deny Royce da 5'9 a chance to rhyme, the lead single for Welcome to Our House was an underrated Araab MUSIK laced banger. Bringing together the remaining talent of the crew under the hook supplied by Royce, the track continues the chemistry first brought to prominence at the 2011 BET Awards.

6. Mercy - G.O.O.D Music: Granted, it has a lamentable middle section that cannot sustain Kanye's ego. That being said, Mercy unquestionably had the most hypnotic beat of the year, as well as a stunning video. Those wondering what all the fuss about this 2 Chainz chap is would be well advised to view this work.

7. Backseat Freestyle - Kendrick Lamar: Kendrick has been the debut star of the year, achieving critical acclaim and gold status for Good Kid, m.A.A.d City without a smash single in sight. The concept album is virtually flawless, but Backseat Freestyle is simple introduction that can be listened aside from the main narrative, reminding listeners that it is no accident that Kendrick is considered as the potential hip hop voice of his generation.

8. Pull the Cars Out - Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch feat. Method Man: Though Wu-Block wasn't quite the melding together of two legendary crews we hoped it would be, gritty banger Pull the Cars Out showcases three artists comfortable in their own skins, sticking close to the format that brought them such success in the 90's. Method's verse in particular is ice cool in conception, dipping in and out of the beat flawlessly.

9. Love Sosa - Chief Keef: Hip Hop's version of Mario Balotelli continues to battle legal troubles, just about squeezing out his debut album before casually cancelling his entire U.S tour. Finally Rich is pretty dreadful, but single Love Sosa is Keef at his demented, spaced out best, an ode to himself that only fellow Chicago alumni Kanye West could rival. It is also tear-inducingly catchy.

10. Pyramids - Frank Ocean: Not technically a hip hop track in the traditional sense, Frank qualifies due his association with Odd Future. Pyramids is an 8 minute mini epic, Ocean's fabulous voice melting from the up tempo first half into the most beautiful musical moment of the year as the song reaches its conclusion.

Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't

There are few more polarising figures in the world of hip hop than Rick Ross. Some see him as a fraudulent, pathological liar occupying a false position at the head of the hip hop table while others admire his quality output, unafraid to praise the self proclaimed 'Bawse' of the rap world. Whichever opinion the listener possesses, it is clear that God Forgives, I Don't is one of the most anticipated rap releases of the year. Delayed from the intended December release date, Ross has kept his fans waiting. Instead, his Maybach Music Group label has released several well received projects, both solo and compilation based. Now it is finally time for the label head to step out on his own, ready to further capitalise on an already successful year.

Opener 'Pirates' finds Rick Ross in subdued, relaxed mode. The topics are the same; drugs, money and women, but the execution is different to previous releases. Rather than the bombastic production favoured in the MMG umbrella releases, Ross chooses to soothe the listener as he waxes lyrical about his luxurious lifestyle. The technique places the Miami native firmly in the tradition of the Mafioso sub genre of rap, a rebuttal to the familiar criticism that Ross profits from the fantasy life imagined in his rhymes. Rozay is showing the listener that he is fully aware he is not what he says he is, rather he is a performer and entertainer first and foremost.
This theme is explored further in the conciliatory 'Ashamed', Cool and Dre providing a soulful backdrop for the MC to explain why he took to selling drugs:
"I needed some change, Momma needed a raise/ She stayed in a rage, hated minimum wage/ I'm feeling the same, all these criminals paid/ Wearing Bally's and gold, I'm selling dope shameless to say."
A critical listener may point out that a rapper that has based an entire career on glorifying drug dealing is coming in a little late apologising on his fifth album, but it is clear from the outset that God Forgives, I Don't is the account of Rick Ross the MC and entertainer, not William Roberts the man. The latest entry in the 'Maybach Music' series of track included on every studio album since Trilla is similarly a triumph, stripping the guest spots and leaving a soulful Neyo hook to lull the listener over signature J.U.S.T.I.C.E League instrumental.

Less successful, however, is the bloated, star studded '3 Kings'. Featuring a Dr Dre verse but not his production proves to be a mistake as the legendary beat maker struggles through his Jay Z ghost written rhymes. Hova himself makes an appearance, sleep walking through his bars and going back on his promise to no longer use the word 'bitch' in his songs. The album picks up on the Andre 3000 featured 'Sixteen'. Lamenting the fact 16 bars is sometimes not enough to express an idea adequately, Ross designates a full 8 minutes to explore his notion. 3000 continues his recent trend of scene stealing guest appearances with a simply astonishing virtuoso demonstration of free association rhyming.

If there is one thing about Rick Ross that is impossible to deny, it is his consistency. The Floridian reverts to type in the middle section of his album, returning to the thumping, trunk rattling beats that characterise the Dirty South. 'Hold Me Back' is catchy, if a little repetitive, while '911' is too lengthy for its threadbare subject matter. 'So Sophisticated', however, places Ross firmly in his comfort zone. Enlisting MMG stalwart Meek Mill, the track is a perfect example of why the group currently occupies such a lofty position in mainstream rap.
The LP soon moves into R&B territory, with mixed results. 'Ice Cold' is lifted above the ordinary by an impassioned hook from a rejuvenated Omarion, but the Usher assisted 'Touch 'N You' is a disaster from start to finish. Uninspired production fails to mask a lamentable chorus, in which the legendary R&B crooner is reduced to whispering "fucking you, fucking you" over and over. Firmly between the two in terms of quality is the curious 'Diced Pineapples'. Wale treats the listener to a spot of spoken word poetry about oral sex before the song begins proper. The track makes utilises the often neglected singing voice of Drake to good effect, but it is hard to find a use for the song outside of the bedroom.

Track by Track:

1. Pray For Us (Intro) 
2. Pirates 7/10
3. 3 Kings feat. Dr. Dre & Jay-Z 6/10
4. Ashamed 7/10
5. Maybach Music IV feat. Ne-Yo 8/10
6. Sixteen feat. André 3000 8/10
7. Amsterdam 6/10
8. Hold Me Back 7/10
9. 911 5/10
10. So Sophisticated feat. Meek Mill 8/10
11. Presidential feat. Elijah Blake 7/10
12. Ice Cold feat. Omarion 8/10
13. Touch ‘N You feat. Usher 4/10
14. Diced Pineapples feat. Wale & Drake 6/10
15. Ten Jesus Pieces feat. Stalley 6/10

The Verdict:

By delving deeper into the mafioso sub genre, Rick Ross has produced arguably the most solid album of his career. Tentative experimentation generally comes off well, without forgetting the foundations that have made him one of the most consistent and popular rappers in the game. Despite the negative opinions that typically colour discussions of his work, the music itself continues to defy his critics. 

7/10

Mixtape Kings

In the late 70's, the mixtape in hip hop was the only way fans could listen to recordings of their favourite artists in the absence of proper records for sale. Before hip hop became officially marketable in the early 80's, DJ's such as Afrikaa Bambaata, Grandmaster Flash and Kool Herc would make recordings of their gigs, then offer them for sale. Tapes could be tailored to individual clients, with many willing to pay premium prices for shout outs. Fast forward to the 90's and the LP had become the dominant form of money making rap recording. The mixtape became a vital medium for new artists to showcase their talent at a reduced price. The tapes often had low production values and a typically featured an extended list of shorter tracks. In addition, DJ's that were supplying the mixtapes had to find new ways to make the form a viable commercial interest to the public. This was achieved by securing exclusive remixes and freestyles over established beats at a time when hip hop was experiencing its golden era (in terms of quality, rather than money making).
The growing influence of the internet changed the distribution of music in all genres, but had a particular impact on hip hop. The distribution of new music became easier, allowing for the rise of 'ringtone rap' with artists such as Soulja Boy and D4L becoming one hit wonders through the strength of youtube views. At the same time, the physical mixtape became less popular as a  way to establish a fan base. Instead, new music was routinely uploaded to sites such as Myspace, allowing MC's to reach a large audience easily and quickly.

The mixtape, however, wasn't dead. Sites such as Datpiff.com sprung up offering regular, new collections of music from established stars and newcomers alike. Owing to the free nature of the product, the downloadable mixtape is now a phenomenally potent marketing tool. Stars such as Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller have used this medium to build large and loyal fanbases, offering popular mixtapes 'Kush and OJ' and 'Best Day Ever' respectively. Both of these have received well over 500,000 downloads, and translated into impressive album sales (Wiz's Rolling Papers easily achieved Gold certification, while Miller's Blue Slide Park became the first independently distributed debut album since 1995 to top the Billboard 200 in its first week). This success, however, had a sting in the tale. Both albums suffered lukewarm critical reception from reviewers and fans alike, with the common criticism that neither LP's were as good as the mixtapes that preceded them. Taking this into consideration, Wz has subsequently admitted that Rolling Papers was not 'creatively his best work', and promised fans to revert back to his former weed loving persona on new mixtape Taylor Allerdice. At the time of writing the project has accrued over 1.2 million downloads in less than 2 months of availability. It would seem, then, that rappers can struggle to maintain their focus and channel their talent under the pressures of releasing a physical product to sell. This could obviously have implications for future album sales as fans come to realise that the retail release will never measure up to the free collections littering their itunes.

New artists aside, the popularity of free mixtapes has another implication for those already well established at the top of the game. After suffering two seizures in late 2011, Rick Ross postponed the December release of studio album God Forgives, I Don't, feeling he wasn't in a position to promote the LP effectively. Instead, he released Rich Forever, which quickly became one of the most downloaded mixtapes of all time. Tracks clearly intended for GFID can be picked out from Ross' frequent references to the album title in some of his rhymes. The track listing features a litany of hip hop heavyweights guesting alongside Ross, including among others Nas, Diddy, Pharrell, Drake, Kelly Rowland and almost the entire MMG roster. Production is handled in part by familiar names such as Justice League, Lex Luger and Beat Billionaire. The point of this is that by making this project available free, Ross has rewarded loyal fans, but also raised questions about the value of his upcoming studio album. It is difficult to imagine that God Forgives, I Don't won't feature various A List guest rappers assisted by MMG stalwarts, backed by lavish production with Ross waxing lyrical about his luxurious life, selling drugs and generally living out the gangsta fantasy. Which is exactly what we find on Rich Forever. If the physical retail release isn't going to expand on the free mixtape, what motivation do fans have to buy it? This perhaps explains why Rich Forever has well over a million downloads, but Ross has never had an album break 200,000 in sales in a first week performance, or had an LP break the Platinum mark of a million sales.

This is not a problem confined exclusively to Rick Ross. Game has recently brought out a mixtape with over 50 guest spots that has easily eclipsed the first week sales of his last album. Ace Hood, despite accruing more than 250,000 downloads in less than a month of his new Starvation mixtape, has never cracked 30,000 first week sales in three separate studio album releases. My point is that, in moving to free internet distribution, the mixtape is continuing to be a major influence on how hip hop music is distributed, asking profound questions about the future of retail album sales. It may be the case that rappers are being forced to move away from traditional methods of gaining financial reward for their craft, and instead will be relying more and more on live performance, merchandise and royalties.

Wale - Ambition

Washington born MC Wale has had an interesting year. Removed from the Interscope roster after poor sales of debut Attention Deficit, the rapper was offered a second chance in the form of a place on Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group label. The compilation album of the same name found Wale rhyming with fellow XXL Freshmen alumni Meek Mill and Pill, as well as Ross himself. Though the LP was generally well received, Wale was criticised for seemingly changing his content and flow to fit in with his new label mates. 6 months later, the MC returns with his first MMG solo release: Ambition.


The first notable feature of the tracklist is the lack of MMG support. Meek Mill appears once, while Rick Ross guests twice. In theory, this allows Wale to stretch his wings, affording him an opportunity to experiment. The first four tracks, however, find the rapper stuck in familiar territory. 
Album opener 'Don't Hold Your Applause' finds a laid back Wale taking the MMG trademark boastful approach to his wordplay: "Tired of making money/ I'm more than making history/ Fuck how they feel I keep it realer than a documentary". 'Double M Genius' and 'Miami Nights' take on a similar theme, but it is the sombre 'Legendary' that properly kicks off the album as the MC wearily dissects the price of fame: "Fuck fame/ Fuck money/ Fuck anything anyone can take from me/ It aint hard/ To make money/ We young niggas just tryna' be legendary".


The LP has a prominent R&B streak running through the track list. The best of these are the Miguel assisted 'Lotus Flower' and 'Sabotage', featuring Lloyd. The former is an exercise in smooth seduction, while the latter is a smart examination of destructive relationship behaviours. 'White Linen', with Neyo on the hook, fares less well, the song tipping the balance of the album over to blatant attempts to expand the female fan base. The rapper starts 'Illest Bitch' by proclaiming that "I was going to write you a poem today/ But fuck it, I was feeling myself...". He should have stuck with the poem.


The stronger tracks on the album are where Wale takes himself out of his comfort zone. 'Focused' utilises the left-field  stylings of Kid Cudi to great effect over a synth heavy, spaced out beat. Similarly experimental is the Diplo produced 'Slight Work'. Sirens wail in and out of a looping drum beat as Wale and Big Sean showcase their quick time flows. Title track 'Ambition' is a subdued, poignant collaboration between MMG stalwarts Mill and Ross, the song demonstrating that there is more to the group than money, bitches and cars.


Track by Track:

1.	"Don't Hold Your Applause" (6/10)
2.	"Double M Genius"  (7/10)
3.	"Miami Nights"  (6/10)
4.	"Legendary"  (7/10)
5.	"Lotus Flower Bomb"  (7/10)
6.	"Chain Music"  (6/10)
7.	"Focused" (8/10)
8.	"Sabotage" (7/10)
9.	"White Linen (Coolin')" (5/10)
10.	"Slight Work" (9/10)
11.	"Ambition" (7/10)
12.	"Illest Bitch"  (5/10)
13.	"No Days Off"  (5/10)
14.	"DC or Nothing" (6/10)
15.	"That Way" (6/10) The Verdict: When listening to Ambition, it is hard to shake the feeling that Wale is out of his comfort zone on his new label. The album lacks the consciousness, emotion and razor sharp wordplay found in both the mixtapes that brought him to national attention and his debut effort Attention Deficit. Signing with MMG has become both a blessing and a curse. 6/10