Top 5 Best Hip Hop Albums 2012

2012 started really rough for Hip-Hop. I was worried if I would even 5 albums I liked enough to make a damn list. The fall and winter have been Very Strong though, so without further ado here's the BG Approved list of top 5 hip hop albums of 2012.

5. Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor 2.  Lupe really disappointed me with Lasers. It was so commercial and he had gotten away from what he did best. Sing socially conscious songs in a way that's entertaining as fuck! Well Lupe is back!  A very well Written and Produced album, Lupe comes so strong on "Battle Scars" which had one of the best hooks of 2012 thanks to Guy Sebastian doing what he does best. The Piano driven beat also makes the track very strong. "ITAL (Roses)" Has a strong Horn based beat and Lupe adds his signature flow to make it a stand-out. ":Unforgivable Youth's" Synthesised beat and vocal crescendos make it an unforgettable track. Way to bounce back and this writer backing your good graces Lupe. You're now all the way back on my radar.



4. Macklemore - The Heist. Macklemore wasn't on my radar before 2012. I had never heard of the Seattle product OR his producer and main homey Ryan Lewis. My buddy Jeff turned me on to him and at first I wasn't feeling his flow. His mix tapes were dope and he had skill but something bothered me. On the Heist. All that went away. One of the best produced albums of 2012 by far, tracks like "Gold" (feat. Eighty4 Fly) about, you guessed it, Gold, with a catchy hook and bad ass electronic beat, Ryan Lewis shows all of his talents on this album. On the whimsical "Thrift Shop" Macklemore describes his love of used clothes stores and your grandpas style. A humorous track, with a awesome, almost Beastie Boys flavored beat, its a standout for sure. "Wing$" is about his love for Nike shoes! And how they made him fly! "Ten Thousand Hours" is the opening track with a sweet synthesizer beat and a kind of history of how he got here. A solid album and I cant wait to see what else Macklemore has in store for us and his legions of fans. Peep the ESPN Interview with Him here.


3. Nas- Life is Good. I was excited as shit when on "Loco-Motive" Nas said, "This is for my Trapped in the 90s people" Cause that's me to a Tee. I really dislike most new hip hop but Nas, ever since I was old enough to enjoy hip hop was always one of my favorites. Nas starts it out strong with the Piano horns track "No Introduction." Beat comes in so solid. Great drums, that blend well with the Pianos and horns. "Back When" is a trip through the childhood of Nas in the 80s. Love back in the day type jams. "Daughters" shows Nas softer side over a Dirty beat with a R & B Sample. A great album that takes me back to those 90s Nas albums. Dude is getting old, but he invented a style that lots of rappers copied, where are they now?

2. Big Boi - Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors - Big Boi. Im impressed as shit. Ive always been a fan of Daddy Fat Saxxx  but he brought it so hard on this album. Outkast was always known for reinventing themselves every album, Big Boi did JUST THAT on this album. VLDR goes through so many different songs. Thom Pettie has a slow dirty beat w a Screwed up sample and a singing hook. Shoes for Running has a almost BOB Style. The upbeat beat and choral singing hook is so hype and one of the stand out tracks. Also a huge fan of Tremendous Damage, Great hook, one of my favorites of the year. Big Boi is one of the all time greats. He has come into 2012 and has solidified himself as one of best of not only his generation, but of all time.


1. Kendrick Lamar Good Kid M.A.A.D. City. I was behind the game on this album at first. Couldn't stand Kendrick's voice. Couldn't get into his flow. After about 3 listens that was gone. Every 10 or so years an album comes out that defines a decade. Hip Hop hasn't had an album of that caliber in a while and it was overdue. Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar answered the bell with an autobiographical, chronological re-enactment of his favorite summer. His girl Sherang, the robbery he did, and them damn dominoes he borrowed from his dad. So many Standout tracks but the track of the album, and of the year, for me, is "Money Trees." Kendrick comes so hard on the track and has coined the phrase of the fall "Ya Bish" On "Swimming Pools" (Drank) His first drunken experience. On "Compton" Kendrick enlists the talents of Dr. Dre, on a banging track that shows his love for his city. One of my other faves is a track called the recipe. Woman Weed and Weather is why peeps come to Cali! Dre shows up on this track too, still coming strong like the D-R-E does!

Thanks 2012 for coming back strong after June or so. It's been one of the best in a while for  me! BOBBY G OUT!