Lists & Lists, Hip Hop in 2012
Action Bronson, Blue Chips
Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.a.a.d city city
Nas, Life Is Good
Schoolboy Q, Habits & Contradictions
Blu, Give me Flowers While I can Smell Them (mastered)
Rick Ross, Rich Forever
Roc Marciano - Reloaded
The Alchemist - Russian Roulette
Ab-Soul - Control Systems
[Five Slept-on albums of 2012]
Oddisee - People Hear What They See
Lushlife - Plateau Visions
JJ DOOM - Key to the Kuffs
Gangrene (The Alchemist & Oh No) - Vodka & Ayahuasca
Planet Asia, Black Belt Theatre
I think I'm one of the Fifteen people who knew Asia dropped an album this year. Why don't people listen to Planet Asia. He's really dope, I don't understand. Y'all did the same shit last year with Kool G Rap "Riches, Royally and Respect"
[Six Disappointing albums of 2012]
Apollo Brown & O.C - Trophies
I love great production as much as the next person but sometimes I need to be engaged by the rapper, even though O.C. delivers slick metaphors/similes, he isn't very much engaging listen for me.
Domo Genesis x Alchemist - Copy & Paste the above statement and cross out the part that says "slick metaphors" and replace it with "redundant weed raps"
Large Professor - Large Professor (self-titled)
As I've said, dope beats aren't enough for me to like an album.
Well… as sacrilegious as it may sound, this album doesn't even have that. My favorite cut from the album is "MARS" (Cormega, Action Bronson, Roc Marciano, Saigon) iTunes play count is quite high, which is strange seeing how I throughly dislike the album as a whole. The track itself isn't breaking any atoms (no pun intended) just a good ol' posse cut.
Nottz - In My Mind
When I think of it, there aren't any albums that had a considerable amount of Nottz rhyming that I liked. So why is it "disappointing"…. I suppose it's because I'm a fan of Nottz production so much I feel he's focusing his energy on the wrong place, the arm-chair A&R in me drives this sentiment. Not to say his rhymes are wack-wack but lack of innovation or lyrical progression doesn't make me eager to ever wanna listen to another solo LP from Nottz Raw. Unless of course it's a Soul Survivor-esque producer album where its a posse cuts of high caliber rappers cutting rugs left & right.
Lupe Fiasco, Food & Liquor II
It's been fun to pick on Lupe Fiasco over the years — yet at the same time it isn't If many had the choice, because he is extremely talented that there is legit frustration. From the opening track (not counting the poetry intro) Strange Fruition had me thinking I was in for a return to form album from Wasalu but I would have been wrong, sure It's better than LASERS but for christ sake is that the bar….
Just be better than a turd pile?
Food & Liquor II had it's moments (Lamborghini Angels, Form Follows Function)
In the end it's like a croissant or eggplant roll in a pizzeria
Not appealing, palatable but extremely dull piece of food that no matter how many years its plastered on the front window you'll walk past it 999,998 times out of a million. I don't know where this "Great American Rap Album" he's referring to.
I really dig Obie first two studio albums Cheers & Second Rounds On Me, they were of course under the Shady/Aftermath umbrella. His third follow-up to this alcohol series if you will, was delayed due to his departure from Interscope. Considering how flimsy they're track record is over at Shady/Aftermath with artists (we know the names, the duds hyped over there) I didn't put much credence In there being much of a drop off in terms of music quality. Not sure what happened but "Bottoms Up" was very weak, not only in terms of production but songs & lyrics as well. Nothing was attention grabbing, all I could think of was 'this is a street album, you make it business not to promote?' Overall I didn't hate it, my expectations should have been curb somewhat ... still Trice could do better than this.
[Few Listens Before The Recycle Bin, 2012]
Tyga - Careless World: Rise of the Last King
Curren$y - Stoned Immaculate
J Dilla - Rebirth of Detroit
As a Dilla fan, this a was pitiful album, I still don't know many those rappers on those Dilla beats were — neither do I know or rather am I sure If those beats had much or of any work done on them. A disgrace to Jay Dee's discography quite frankly. There have been some rumors of the Dilla estate being in considerable debt so I probably shouldn't have been as surprised as I was. Now that Frank of (Frank-n-Dank) is overseeing future J Dilla projects I hope that ROD was a speed bump of trash and no what's the come down the line.
Death Grips - The Money Store
For the life of me I can't imagine the how anybody finds Death Grips manic-depressive suicidal noise soundtrack pleasing. If your having a mental breakdown or pondering suicide I'd rather you do it that than tell me how brilliant "Ex Military" & their latest philippic effort "The Money Store" is. I've stop judging what music people like some time ago, but fuck. This album bring out the music snob in me. I'm perplexed to as what people can possibly see in this shit.
[It was alright, I'll take your word for it that It's great]
Killer Mike - R.A.P Music
El-P - Cancer for Cure
El producto can rap his ass off, but damn I can take something away from "Cancer For Cure" other than, he can rap his ass off. Maybe that's enough for some, lyrical acrobats — I like lyricism too but I love it when it's balanced with a visceral listening experience. I think that's what most rappity rap artists lose sight of. Make me feel the music instead of teaching it to me. Stop bludgeoning me to death with metaphors inside of metaphors inside double entendres. We get it, you can rap your ass off.
Freddie Gibbs - Baby Face Killa
I don't like trap beats, bass-synth-percussion heavy beats. Anything that you can say is influenced by Southern Hip Hop. It's clear as day, as much as I've try to get with the program. I can not, Gibbs "Thuggin", "Shame" ... verses on Curren$y "Scottie Pippen" and Domo Genesis "Till The Angels Come" I really enjoy with copious listens. The projects that feature Southern rap production "Cold Day In Hell", "Str8 Killa No Filla" and "Baby Face Killa" (a good chunk of of his discography basically) I can't get with.
95.4% dig it, so who am I to say you're wrong.
[Par for the course] I got exactly what I expected/ The wheel isn't being reinvented
Action Bronson & The Alchemist - Rare Chandeliers
Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson - Dice Game
50 Cent - FIVE (Murder by Numbers)
[Had low expectations] which it exceeded
Ghostface Killah x Sheek Louch, Wu Block
Lil Fame x Termanology - Fizzyolgy
Meek Mill - Dreams & Nightmares
Meyhem Lauren - Respect the Fly Shit
Joey BadA$$ - 1999
Wiz Khalifia - Tayler Allderdice
I don't like Wiz Khalifia, or rather didn't after the much hyped "Kush & Orange Juice" … I was not pleased with what I heard. I was aware beforehand that Wiz wasn't a great rhymer in the least, with that in mind It was still surprised as to the ineptitude of his bars were. Don't recall how I stumbled upon Taylor Allderdice (would have had to been Youtube) and I was glad to hear he's gotten better rhyme wise… he not going to go bar for bar with anybody but still the improvement was enough and the production fit perfectly with his style. I've listen to this album quite a bit actually...
[For Archival purposes] External Hard Drive Purgatory
Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Lost In Translation
Rick Ross, God Forgives, I Don't
The Alchemist, Rappers Best Friend (Instrumental release)
GOOD Music, Cruel Summer
Big K.R.I.T. 4Eva N A Day
Good production, Good rapping, sincerity in introspective lyrics. Sounds great on paper, but like J Cole — Big KRIT music has never moved me, I respect his music and understand why people really like his music. Simply put with the occasional miscellaneous tune his music overall doesn't affect me like a portion of the populous.
Note: The J Cole comparison maybe be a stretch, only in that KRIT doesn't irk me in some intangible way Cole does and that listening to KRIT music doesn't cause a zZzzzZz inducing effect.
Maybach Music Group - Self Made Vol 2
Statik Selektah & Termanology - 2012
I don't like Statik Selektah, not sure what's the genesis of my animosity toward his music is. I think Termanoloy got bars, however something about his album(s) structure irk me, perhaps it the hodgepodge nature of them. It usually feels like general calculation goes into Term's album instead of rigorous calibration. Not saying that how it is, only how the music comes across to me.
Pac Div - GMB
Styles P - Hardest MC Project
Rapsody - The Idea of Beautiful
Logic - Young Sinatra: Undeniable
Logic's third mixtape confirm my suspicion that he doesn't have a lane or rap identity if you will. I was able to let it go seeing that he a new artist and finding that comfort zone of who you are as an artist will take time. Some songs Logic sounds like J. Cole, other Mac Miller and Drake. Two of the three I flat out don't like, the other Aubrey Graham who I simply tolerate. On Undeniable Logic continues to accent those three rappers but more so the rapper I tolerate to an almost annoying level. Hope he finds his niche soon, lucky for him he so under the radar of not only mainstream but underground rap that doesn't have the stigma of bite the style of beige overlord Drake.
Rapsody - The Idea of Beautiful
DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles - The Kolexxxion
Roscoe P Coldchain - Almost Famous
[I don't get it y'all, 2012]
Future, Pluto
Big Sean, Detroit
I don't remember who was it that said Big Sean raps like he's never been a fight.
Had to noz or Jeff Weiss (I confuse the two for some reason)
[I didn't even bother in wasting neither the $$$ or bandwidth]
Nick Minaj - Roman Reloaded
Dom Kennedy - Yellow Album
Chief Keef - Finally Famous
[Rap Songs of the Year]
Kendrick Lamar feat Jay Rock - Money Trees
Roc Marciano - Emeralds
Earl Sweatshirt - Chum
Kendrick Lamar - Sing About Me/Dying of Thirst
Scarface feat Nas - Hip-Hop
Roc Marciano - 76
Planet Asia feat Talib Kweli - Grown Folks Talkin
Schoolboy Q - Raymond 1969
Young Giftz - Nino
Apollo Brown & O.C. - Nautica
Pusha T & Kanye West - New God Flow
Ab-Soul - Book of Soul
Nas - No Introduction
Rick Ross feat Nas - Triple Beam Dreams
Lushlife - Magnolia
Willie the Kid feat Jon Connor - Marina
Action Bronson - Hookers at the Point
Rick Ross - Amsterdam
50 Cent feat Schoolboy Q - Can I Speak To You