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The best Rap albums of 2012

This is my list of the best albums of the year. Feel free to comment. I feel like this is the best group of rap albums since 2010.
1.      Kendrick Lamar-good kid, M.A.A.D. City:It seems that a another westcoast artist has come out on top again. This year had a lot of great rap albums, but Kendrick Lamarā€™s 2nd album (1st official) is a modern day classic. It reminds me a lot of the old Ice Cube albums. It has a little bit of everything, with a nice storyline as well. His lyricism is really incredible here, and the beats are very cohesive also. I like all the songsā€¦I really canā€™t wait to here more from the new best rapper in the westside.

2.      Nas-Life is Good: A lot can be said about Nasā€™s latest album. I didnā€™t think it would be as dope as it is. It has a lot of very personal and introspective songs. All the guest spots seem well used as Nas is joined by Rick Ross, Mary J. Blige, and Miguel just to name a few. I didnā€™t feel Nas lyrics were up to his usual perfect standards but they are elite however. The fact that Nas could make an album this good, this far into his career speaks volumes. The Don, Daughteres, Loco-motive, Bye Baby, and Cherry Wine are some highlights.

3.      Killer Mike-R.A.P. Music: Iā€™ve always thought Killer Mike was a good rapper, but after hearing this album, Iā€™d have to say heā€™s one of the GREATS. His lyrics here are top notch. The El-P beats are hot as well. Some songs are better than others, but the album is constructed very well. The first song Big Beast, is really hardcore, ā€œThis is R-A-P, opposite of that sucka s*** they play on TVā€. The album just doesnā€™t miss hardly at all.

4.      Slaughterhouse-Welcome to Our House: This terrific album sounds like an Eminem album although he only appears on 3 of its tracks. It reminds me of those D-12 albums, except its clearly on a higher album. Joe Budden and Royce Da 5ā€™9 are the best of the 4, but the other 2 rappers(Joel Ortitz and Crooked I) are also dope. The album has a lot of good songs, and it runs a bit long, but I really enjoyed it. The albums biggest weakness, are its beats, which arenā€™t bad.

5.      Kanye West & G.O.O.D. Music- Cruel Summer: Kanye and company tie with #4 but I felt this was a tad bit below Slaughterhouseā€™s effort. However I love this albumā€™s variety. No 2 songs seem all that similar, but the beats are very cohesive which is quite a feat. The best songs are in the front, Clique, Mercy, New God Flow, and Cold. Kanye is the star here, but heā€™s not on every song. Kid Cudi got his own song, as did John Legend and Teyana Taylor. This was a great addition to Kanyeā€™s impressive catalog.

6.      Big Boi-Viscious Lies and Dangerous Rumors: Ah, Big Boi returns, and with a pretty damn good album too. This album feels a lot different than his near classic 2010 album(Sir Luscious Left Foot). The album doesnā€™t have any glaring weaknesses. I donā€™t really like the way its constructed, but itā€™s still a dope album. My favorite songs are Cpu, In the A, Shoes For Running, Mama Told Me, and Thom Pettie.

7.      Lupe Fiasco-Food and Liquor II(The Great American Rap Album): Lupe has redeemed himself from a somewhat decent outing in 2011(L.A.S.E.R.S.). His lyrics are impeccable but the beats arenā€™t as good as F&L I. However Lupe really spits some stuff for you to think about. B*tch Bad is my favorite song, which is funny because I didnā€™t like it when I first heard it. This album doesnā€™t really seem that similar to F&L I but itā€™s a great album that requires a few listens to digest.

8.      El-P-Cancer 4 Cure: I had to give underground rap some love this year. This guy can really rap is a** off. The beats sound futuristic and his lyricism is unique. My biggest complaint is sometimes its hard to follow what heā€™s talking about. This album is one of the more creative albums Iā€™ve heard.

9.      T.I.-Trouble Man(Heavy is the Head)-I regret to say I havenā€™t heard this album that many times, but I could tell it was good enough to redeem T.I. after a terrible outing in 2010(No Mercy). The album has some weird construction until u get to the last 2 songs. T.I. seems to have changed up his style, kind of a mix of old T.I. with his T.I. vs. TIP style(that albumā€™s style). Thereā€™s a little bit for everybody on this album.

10.  Rick Ross-God Forgives, I Donā€™t- Ross returns with a dope album. The beats are really hot, and Ross continues to provide good lyrics, even if they arenā€™t stellar. The albumā€™s contructed so that thereā€™s 4 songs for the ladies in a row. An odd move but it works out. Sixteen, 3 Kings, and Maybach Music IV are great songs.

10.  Game- Jesus Piece: Game won album of the year last year. However this album isnā€™t quite up there with The Red Album. Itā€™s a decent album that ties with Ross. Theres quite a few good songs, but not enough great songs. As with most Game albums theres a lot of guest features and name dropping.
 

 

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