OFFICIAL 2012 ALBUM LISTS AND DISCUSSION

Fair enough. Not sure who did that, but I got it at 1 after having in the ride since it dropped and not thinking once about jamming something else. There is still some dopeness set to drop this year, so it'll be interesting to see if it can hold onto the top spot.

Checking in with an update!

1. Nas- Life Is Good (4.5 stars)
2. Apollo Brown & OC- Trophies (4.5 stars)
3. Killer Mike & El-P- Rap Music (4.5 stars)
4. Large Professor - Professor @ Large (4.5 stars)
5. DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles- The KoleXXXion (4 stars)
6. 1982 Statik Selektah & Termanology- 2012 (4.5 stars)
7. Planet Asia- Black Belt Theatre (4 stars)
8. Big Krit- Live From The Underground (4 stars)
9. Reks- Rebelutionary (4 stars)

ANOTHER update!!

1. Nas- Life Is Good (4.5 stars)
2. Apollo Brown & OC- Trophies (4.5 stars)
3. Killer Mike & El-P- Rap Music (4.5 stars)
4. Large Professor - Professor @ Large (4.5 stars)
5. DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles- The KoleXXXion (4 stars)
6. MA_Doom- Son Of Yvonne (4.5 stars)
7. 1982 Statik Selektah & Termanology- 2012 (4.5 stars)
8. Planet Asia- Black Belt Theatre (4 stars)
9. Big Krit- Live From The Underground (4 stars)
10. Reks- Rebelutionary (4 stars)

Added Large Professor...I will pick up Reks "Rebelutionary" soon and listen to 8Ball's "Life Quest" as well.

Updated my list w/ the Lecrae and Reks albums. And rated the Nas & Thunder/Lightning albums.

Updated a couple more including LCN - Masters Of The Dark Arts.

Added Alterbeats, LCN & Snowgoons to my list, though I still need to give them "proper" listens.

Listened to 8Ball Life's Quest. I would say 3.5/5 after 1 spin. 8Ball's lyrics are still there and the beats are pretty good but the hooks and singers on them downgrade some of the tracks, IMO. I would check this out on Spotify first. Best Buy had it for $9.99 so I picked it up.

Wanduras wrote:

Wanduras wrote:

Wanduras wrote:

4/4/12 9:53am
Just as a side note, I consider mixtapes to be albums nowadays as long as they are not collections of songs from other albums. EPs count too. The "album" lines have really been blurred...

1. Big KRIT - 4Eva N A Day
2. Schoolboy Q - H and C
3. Brother Ali - Bite Marked Heart

That's it so far, I think. I've still been bumping a lot of late 2011 ish.

4/4/12 11:45pm
Ok, so I'm gonna try and update this list often this year. I think its actually my first attempt at a best of the year list. I'm going to time stamp all my posts and then quote my own posts as I change the list so I can see all the changes I make and how my opinions change over time. I decided to do this because shortly after my first post this morning, I listened to Planet Asia - Black Belt Theater and immediately moved it to number one. Same shit happened with Cats and Dogs last year. Anyway...

1. Planet Asia - Black Belt Theater
2. Big KRIT - 4Eva N A Day
3. Schoolboy Q - H and C
4. Brother Ali - Bite Marked Heart

7/20/12 1:21am
FINALLY another update.

1. Apollo Brown/OC - Trophies (4.5)
2. Masta Ace/DOOM - Son of Yvonne (4.5)
3. Planet Asia - Black Belt Theatre (4.5)
4. Frank Ocean - Channel ORANGE (4.0)
5. Stalley - Savage Journey to the American Dream (4.0)
6. Big KRIT - 4Eva N A Day (4.0)
7. Nas - Life is Good (4.0)
8. Big KRIT - Live From The Underground (3.5)
9. Smoke DZA - Rugby Thompson (3.5)
10. Killer Mike/EL-P - RAP Music (3.5)

Ok, so I have done some adding, dropping, rearranging, and reevaluating on my latest update...

Nas moved up and gained half a star. Similar to Lund, once I got it in the whip, I was spinnin the shit out of it. Frank Ocean lost some steam but its still great. I have prob spun Stalley more than any other album this year so I had to give it another half star, even tho I don't consider it the best. Ron Artiste, LCN, and SAS all moved ahead of Killa Kill but I did upgrade RAP Music by half a star as I have found it to be a really strong album in the gym. It still sounds horrible in the whip, tho. I just don't dig a lot of those beats.

8/27/12 8:00pm

1. Apollo Brown/OC - Trophies (4.5)
2. Masta Ace/DOOM - Son of Yvonne (4.5)
3. Planet Asia - Black Belt Theatre (4.5)
4. Nas - Life Is Good (4.5)
5. Stalley - Savage Journey to the American Dream (4.5)
6. Big KRIT - 4Eva N A Day (4.0)
7. Frank Ocean - Channel ORANGE (4.0)
8. Ron Artiste - RIDS (4.0)
9. La Coka Nostra - Masters of the Dark Arts (4.0)
10. Strong Arm Steady/Statik Selektah - Stereo Type (4.0)

11. Killer Mike/EL-P - RAP Music (4.0)

Updated with Statik/Strong Arm.

Added La Coka Nostra, The Alchemist and the Stalley American Dream mixtape. I will add REBELutionary once I hear it again.

Top 10 of 2012:

1. Masta Ace - Son of Yvonne
2. Strong Arm Steady/Statik Selektah - Stereo Type
3. Reks - Rebelutionary
4. Kris & Kenny - The BDP Album
5. Nas - Life is Good
6. La Coka Nostra - Masters of the Dark Arts
7. Plug 1 & Plug 2 - First Serve
8. Planet Asia - Black Belt Theatre
9. Apollo Brown/OC - Trophies
10. Large Professor - Professor @ Large

Worth mentioning:

Brother Ali - Bite Marked Heart
Public Enemy - Most of my Heros Still Don't Appear on no Stamp
Bumpy & Premo - The Kolexxxion

Another update.

1. Nas- Life Is Good (4.5 stars)
2. Apollo Brown & OC- Trophies (4.5 stars)
3. Killer Mike & El-P- Rap Music (4.5 stars)
4. Large Professor - Professor @ Large (4.5 stars)
5. DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles- The KoleXXXion (4 stars)
6. MA_Doom- Son Of Yvonne (4.5 stars)
7. 1982 Statik Selektah & Termanology- 2012 (4.5 stars)
8. Planet Asia- Black Belt Theatre (4 stars)
9. Big Krit- Live From The Underground (4 stars)
10. Reks- Rebelutionary (4 stars)
11. Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (4.5 stars)
12. Ab-Soul - Control System (4 stars)
13. Skyzoo - A Dream Deferred (4 stars)

You should check out Ohnomite!, Wayne.

parker lewis wrote:

You should check out Ohnomite!, Wayne.

I did check this one out a few months back, wasn't too impressed honestly.

1. Apollo Brown/OC "Trophies"
2. Killer Mike/El-P "RAP Music"
3. Purpose & Confidence "Purpose of Confidence"
4. Chino XL "Ricanstruction"
5. Kendrick Lamar "GKMC"
6. Nas "Life Is Good"
7. Oddisee "People Hear"
8. Brother Ali "Mourning"
9. Masta Ace/Doom "Ma Doom"
10. Lupe Fiasco "F&L 2"
11. Planet Asia "Black Belt Theatre"
12. REKS "Rebelutionary"
13. Big Krit "Live From The Underground"
14. REKS "Straight No Chaser"
15. Mello Music Group "Self-Sacrifice"
16. Blu & Exile "Give Me Flowers"
17. El-P "Cancer 4 Cure".
18. Statik/Strong Arm "Stereotype"
19. Stik Figa "As Himself"
20. Mayday "Take Me To Your Leader"
21. 1982 "2012"
22. DJ Premier/Bumpy Knucks "Kolexxxion"
23. Obie Trice "Bottoms Up"
24. Gangrene "Vodka & Ayahuska"
25. B.O.B. "Strange Clouds"


Gotta add: sean price, Apollo/Guilty, Vinnie Paz, and Saigon.

Don't get your hopes up for that B & E man. It'll be better that way...

Added Reks' "REBELutionary". I will add 8Ball "Life's Quest" soon. I also will eventually add Apollo Brown & OC, Oddisee, Lupe, and the new Kendrick Lamar.

Another update.

1. Nas- Life Is Good (4.5 stars)
2. Apollo Brown & OC- Trophies (4.5 stars)
3. Killer Mike & El-P- Rap Music (4.5 stars)
4. Large Professor - Professor @ Large (4.5 stars)
5. DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles- The KoleXXXion (4 stars)
6. MA_Doom- Son Of Yvonne (4.5 stars)
7. 1982 Statik Selektah & Termanology- 2012 (4.5 stars)
8. Planet Asia- Black Belt Theatre (4 stars)
9. Big Krit- Live From The Underground (4 stars)
10. Reks- Rebelutionary (4 stars)
11. Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (4.5 stars)
12. Ab-Soul - Control System (4 stars)
13. Skyzoo - A Dream Deferred (4 stars)
14. Vinnie Paz - God of the Serengeti (4.5 stars)

updated with K.Dot, X & Iron Fists

Another update.

1. Nas- Life Is Good (4.5 stars)
2. Apollo Brown & OC- Trophies (4.5 stars)
3. Killer Mike & El-P- Rap Music (4.5 stars)
4. Large Professor - Professor @ Large (4.5 stars)
5. DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles- The KoleXXXion (4 stars)
6. MA_Doom- Son Of Yvonne (4.5 stars)
7. 1982 Statik Selektah & Termanology- 2012 (4.5 stars)
8. Planet Asia- Black Belt Theatre (4 stars)
9. Big Krit- Live From The Underground (4 stars)
10. Reks- Rebelutionary (4 stars)
11. Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (4.5 stars)
12. Ab-Soul - Control System (4 stars)
13. Skyzoo - A Dream Deferred (4 stars)
14. Vinnie Paz - God of the Serengeti (4.5 stars)
15. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city (4.5 stars)

Updated with Chino XL, Ma Doom, Blu & Exile, and Kendrick. Still waiting on my Paz and Epidemic.

My top 10 of 2012 (currently)

Killer Mike- RAP Music (4.75)
Brother Ali- Mourning In America (4.5)
Nas- Life Is Good (4.5)
Lupe Fiasco- F & L 2 (4.25)
Suga Free & Pimpin' Young- Thunder & Lightning (4.25-4.5)
Reks- REBELutionary (4.25)
Kendrick Lamar (4.25)
Vinnie Paz- God of the Serengeti (4.25)
Lecrae- Church Clothes (4.25)
Public Enemy- Most Of My Heroes Still Don't Appear On No Stamp (4.0-4.25)

Hmmm, time to get on spotify. All I've heard this year is Currensy, Big Krit, K-Rino, Kool Keith, Lupe, Mayday, and Nas

Skyzoo & 8Ball were added to the list. Now I need to get on to Sean P, another spin of Food And Liquor 2, Kendrick, Apollo Brown & OC and the new releases.....

Another update.

1. Nas- Life Is Good (4.5 stars)
2. Apollo Brown & OC- Trophies (4.5 stars)
3. Killer Mike & El-P- Rap Music (4.5 stars)
4. Large Professor - Professor @ Large (4.5 stars)
5. DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles- The KoleXXXion (4 stars)
6. MA_Doom- Son Of Yvonne (4.5 stars)
7. 1982 Statik Selektah & Termanology- 2012 (4.5 stars)
8. Planet Asia- Black Belt Theatre (4 stars)
9. Big Krit- Live From The Underground (4 stars)
10. Reks- Rebelutionary (4 stars)
11. Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 (4.5 stars)
12. Skyzoo - A Dream Deferred (4 stars)
13. Vinnie Paz - God of the Serengeti (4.5 stars)
14. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city (4.5 stars)
15. Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told- Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses (4.5 stars)
16. Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson - Dice Game (4 stars)

Hmmmmmmmmmm.......Listening to my Obie Trice album and I might have to move it up about 4-5 spots. It's a little better than I remember.

Bottom's Up is really dope! I listened to it again today.

Added Kendrick Lamar, Officer Ricky, Fizzyology, Sean Price, Oddisee, Lupe and Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson as well as Apollo Brown & OC

been sorting out my 2012 stuff lately ill have my final thoughts up at the end of the year and final rankings for all the albums i heard

My Top 25 of 2012......based on how much I played them......

1. Roc Marciano – Reloaded
2. Killer Mike & El-P – R.A.P. Music
3. Ka – Grief Pedigree
4. Sean Price – Mic Tyson
5. Action Bronson & Alchemist – Rare Chandeliers

6. Chino XL - RICANstruction
7. OC & Apollo Brown - Trophies
8. The Alchemist – Russian Roulette
9. Billy Woods – History Will Absolve Me
10. El-P – Cancer 4 Cure

11. Nas – Life Is Good
12. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, mAAd city
13. Young Zee & Mr. Green – One Crazy Weekend
14. Gangrene – Vodka & Ayahuasca
15. Guilty Simpson & Apollo Brown – Dice Game

16. Oh No – Ohnomite
17. Quakers
18. Aesop Rock – Skelethon
19. Large Professor – Professor @ Large
20. Wu-Block

21. Game – Jesus Piece
22. Reks & Statik Selektah – Straight, No Chaser
23. Blu & Exile – Give Me My Flowers Bitch
24. The Man With The Iron Fists S/T
25. La Coka Nostra – Masters Of The Dark Arts


Haven’t received yet/need to play more......still could make the list......

*Action Bronson – Blue Chips
*Domo Genesis & Alchemist – No Idols
*Purpose & Confidence – The Purpose Of Confidence
*Sean Born – Behind The Scale
*Beneficence – Concrete Soul
*Mello Music Group – Self Sacrifice
*Tha Connection – Strive
*ScHoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions
*Ab-Soul – Control System
*Strong Arm Steady & Statik Selektah - Stereotype
*Melanin 9 – Magna Carta
*Gensu Dean – Lo-Fi Fingahz
*Sadat X – Love, Hell Or Right
*Lil Fame & Termanology - Fizzyology
*Stu Bangas & Vanderslice – Diggaz With Attitude
*9th Wonder & Buckshot – The Solution
*9th Wonder & Murs – The Final Adventure
*DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles – The KoleXXXion
*1982 – 2012


Others worth mentioning that I enjoyed for 2012......

*Joey BadA$$ - 1999
*Slaughterhouse – On The House
*Masta Ace – MA_DOOM: Son Of Yvonne
*MHz – Legacy
*Planet Asia – Black Belt Theatre
*Styles P – The World’s Most Hardest MC Project
*Vinnie Paz – God Of The Serengeti
*Luv NY
*JJ DOOM – Keys To The Kuffs
*Masta Killa – Selling My Soul
*Copywrite – God Save The King
*The Doppelgangaz – 2012: The New Beginning
*Snowgoons – Dynasty
*Black C – Still Ruthless
*Madlib – Medicine Show #13: The Black Tape
*The Doppelgangaz – Beats For Brothels Vol. II
*Apathy – The Alien Tongue......old shit but released this year
*E-40 & Too $hort – History: Function Music & Mob Music
*Slaughterhouse – Welcome To: OUR HOUSE
*Union – Analogtronics
*Cypress Hill – Cypress X Rusko EP


Want to hear but haven’t bought yet......could make the list in the future......

*Oddisee – People Hear What They See
*KRS-ONE – The BDP Album
*Big K.R.I.T. – Live From The Underground
*Substantial – Home Is Where The Art Is
*Blacastan – The Master Builder Part II
*Epidemic – Monochrome Skies
*Reks – Rebelutionary
*Pumpkinhead – Know The Ledge
*Big Boi – Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors
*Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread And Circuses
*Journalist 103 – Reporting Live
*Craig G – Ramblings Of An Angry Old Man
*The Coup – Sorry To Bother You
*David Banner - Sex, Drugs & Video Games
*Public Enemy - Most Of My Heroes Still Don't Appear On No Stamp & The Evil Empire Of Everything
*Prince Paul & DJ PForReal – Negroes On Ice
*K-Rino – 80 Minute Eternity & Deeper Elevation
*Brother Ali – Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color
*Psycho Realm presents Sick Jacken & Cynic – Terror Tapes 2
*Apathy – Fire Walk With Me
*De La Soul – First Serve
*Gift Of Gab – Next Logical Progression
*Moka Only & Ayatollah – Bridges
*Tha Dogg Pound - Doggy Bag
*J Dilla – Rebirth Of Detroit
*House Shoes - Let It Go
*Chief Kamachi – Rise & Rhyme Vol. 1
*Showbiz & A.G. - Mugshot Music (Preloaded)

rez'82 wrote:

23. Blu & Exile – Give Me My Flowers Bitch

This made me chuckle for like 2 mins straight. Just caught me at the right moment I guess...

Reks and Game have fell off that list I wrote. I need to replace them. Kendrick is probably a bit lower. His voice is still buggin me at times.

Just got the Strong Arm Steady and Statik. The production is way more appealing to me than the Reks.

Also, I thought the DJ Premier & Bumpy was pretty good. I had low expectations from all the talk I heard on it.

Just got the new Sadat X and that's my favorite from him since Experience & Education.

Planet Asia and Masta Ace should really both be on there based on spins. I need to do some rearanging

1. The Coup: Sorry To Bother You (5*)
2. Billy Woods: History Will Absolve Me (5*)
3. Brother Ali: Mourning In America (5*)
4. Moka Only: Airport 6 (5*)
5. Joey Bada$$: 1999 (4.75*)
6. Blu & Exile: Give Me My Flowers (4.5*)
7. Sean Price: Mic Tyson (4.5*)
8. MA Doom (4.5*)
9. Pro-Era: PEEP the aPROcalypse (4.25*)
10. K-Rino: 80 Minutes of Eternity (4.25*)
11. Ka: Grief Pedigree (4*)
12. Sene: Brooklyknight (4*)
13. Vinnie Paz: God of the Serengeti (4*)
14. Capital Steez: AmeriKKKan Korruption Reloaded (4*)
15. Reks & Statik: Straight, No Chaser (4*)
16. Aesop Rock: Skelethon (4*)
17. Wu-Block (3.75*)
18. El-P: C4C (3.75*)
19. Chino XL: RICANstruction (3.75*)
20. Oh No: Ohnomite (3.5*)


Also liked Snowgoons, Bridges, La Coka Nostra, Gift of Gab, Rebelutionary, Deeper Elevation, Brother Ali EP, Dead Prez, De La Soul, Large Professor, Dice Game, Nas, Grimm

Haven't heard Reef, Marq Spekt, Obie Trice, either Public Enemy, Sadat X... I'm sure a few more I'd like.

I'm definitely more liberal with the 5 star rating than most here. I just figure I can listen to it front to back without skipping or getting bored. And I'm certain I'll be enjoying them for years to come. That's what a 5 means from me.

parker lewis wrote:

I'm definitely more liberal with the 5 star rating than most here.

I bet Powell hates that shit...lol.

LOL