While this is not a complete list of the albums that will drop in 2013, this does cover a lot of what has been announced thus far. This is in no particular order, it’s just a stream-of-consciousness list that we came up with of stuff slated for this year. Feel free to add in stuff we missed in the comments section below.

1. Ghostface Killah – 12 Reasons To Die
2. Eminem – Untitled 8th Studio LP
3. Rick Ross – Mastermind
4. The Roots – And Then You Shot Your Cousin
5. Demigodz – KILLmatic
6. Joe Budden – No Love Lost
7. Talib Kweli – Prisoner Of Conscious
8. Inspectah Deck + 7L & Esoteric – CZARFACE
9. Just Blaze Fool’s Gold EP
10. Fabolous – Loso’s Way 2
11. Deltron 3033 – Event II
12. Ill Bill - The Grimy Awards
13. Durag Dynasty – 360 Waves
14. Pusha T – Wrath of Caine (Mixtape)
15. Thurz – Blood On The Canvas
16. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience
17. Raekwon – F.I.L.A.
18. Ludacris - Ludaversal
19. Lil Wayne – I Am Not A Human Being 2
20. AZ – Doe Or Die 2
21. Wale – The Album About Nothing
22. Tyga – Hotel California
23. 50 Cent – Street King Immortal
24. Asher Roth – Def Jam Debut
25. Goodie Mob – Age Against The Machine
26. Snoop Lion – Reincarnated
27. Freddie Gibbs – The Neck Tie Party
28. Freddie Gibbs + Ski Beatz – The World Is My Ashtray
29. Freddie Gibbs + Madlib – Cocaine Piñata
30. Freddie Gibbs – Eastside Slim
31. Step Brothers (Alchemist + Evidence) – Lord Steppington
32. Alchemist + Prodigy of Mobb Deep – Albert Einstein
33. Alchemist + Freddie Gibbs – Devil’s Palace
34. Fat Joe – Darkside 3 Mixtape
35. El-P + Nick Diamonds – Stepson LP
36. Mos Def – Yasiin Bey Presents
37. Action Bronson + Tommy Mas – Mr. Wonderful
38. Action Bronson + Harry Fraud – Saab Stories
39. Action Bronson + Party Supplies – Blue Chips 2
40. French Montana – Excuse My French
41. RJD2 + Blueprint – Soul Position New LP
42. Big Sean – Hall Of Fame
43. Jean Grae – Gotham Down
44. The Roots + Elvis Costello LP
45. D’Angelo’s Album
46. Common – Untitled G.O.O.D. Music LP
47. Blockhead + Illogic LP
48. Kid Cudi – Indicud
49. Liknuts – Alkaholiks + Beatnuts LP
50. Wu-Tang Clan Final Album

Mythical Albums:
1. G.O.O.D. Music Presents Cruel Winter
2. Dr. Dre – Detox
3. J-Cole + Kendrick Lamar LP
4. MF DOOM + Ghostface – DoomStarks
5. Jay-Z + Kanye West – Watch The Throne 2
6. MF Doom + Madlib – Madvillainy 2
7. Pete Rock + DJ Premier LP
8. Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele Presents… Blue & Cream: The Wally Era
9. Common + Nas – NasDotCom
10. Method Man – The Crystal Method

Looking for something a little different? Here were our 5 favorite not-quite-hip-hop releases of 2012.

5. Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes – Until the Quiet Comes turned out to be Lotus’ most atmospheric LP to date; something he must have intended, with closing songs like “Dream to Me” and “Phantasm”, the latter featuring the ethereal vocals of Laura Darlington. Every Flying Lotus album so far has been exciting, watching his constant progression and evolution as an artist. His track record proves we’ll be in for something different with each release.

4. Gaslamp Killer – Breakthrough – One would hope that an album called Breakthrough , if not being the best, at least goes somewhere interesting. The Gaslamp Killer definitely carves out his own niche here. He proves he has his own sound, his own lane and does the Brainfeeder crew proud.

3. Kid Cudi + Dot Da Genius – WZRD – It’s a seemingly more natural fit for Kid Cudi to do a rock album – more so than any rapper before him, including Pharrell and company with N.E.R.D. If you don’t mind Cudi’s earlier material as a singer (“Pursuit of Happiness”, comes to mind), WZRD will definitely satisfy, it just needs to be given a chance. Just don’t go in expecting an LP full of beats and rhymes.

2. Blockhead – Interludes After Midnight – Interludes doesn’t attempt to re-write the template for Block’s moody blues, because as the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Instead, Blockhead continues his streak of giving his fans exactly what they want, another chapter in his ever-expanding legacy.

1. Frank Ocean – Channel: Orange – Channel ORANGE operates much like that elusive lover, bringing you to the throes of ecstasy, then taking it abruptly away – a source of great, fleeting pleasure and pain. And you keep running back. By the last song you’re already craving the first; Malay, Om’Mas Keith, Pharrell Williams and Ocean himself created a soundscape you can loop, experiencing something authentic each go round. And you’ll need to, to discover the intricacies of Ocean’s writing. For those folks wondering where R&B went, it’s right here. For genuine emotion-evoking music, equal parts ambient programming and musicianship, complex, creative lyrics, and SOUL, you need only turn the channel.

With hundreds of mixtapes released in 2012, we picked our favorites, many which show that your street releases don’t have to be made up of freestyles over the hottest beats.

10. Childish Gambino – Royalty – Royalty represents actor Donald Glover’s self-made transformation into a respected hip hop artist. So whether you’re a hardcore hip hop head or a hipster junkie, Gambino creates the perfect balance to satisfy any listener and make new fans. Now the least you can do is give it a listen.

Childish Gambino – Royalty

9. Wiz Khalifa – Taylor Allderdice – Outshining his O.N.I.F.C. LP last year, Wiz proved once again that mixtapes are his forte. Wiz delivered a project that showcases improved songwriting ability, with mellowed out production that doesn’t take away from his artistic creativity. His personality shines on this project, and that’s what his fans appreciate from him the most. His raps about smoking, enjoying the pleasantries of life, and making sure all of his people are there to enjoy it with him are all elements that helped him reach his current mainstream status. Now if only he could harness that talent into his major label LP’s.

Wiz Khalifa – “Taylor Allderdice”

8. Big Sean – Detroit – It’s safe to say that while Big Sean has enjoyed his recent success, he still has much more to prove. If Detroit is any indication, then he’s more than up to the task of doing just that. It’s obvious that some of the songs placed here weren’t exactly album worthy, but there are more than enough that could potentially catapult a number of careers here. Sample clearances are probably the main reasons why those gems will be forced to live on this mixtape, but it’s a free treat worth appreciating. Besides if these are all tracks that were left on the cutting floor, then curiosity over what’s being left in the vault has just peaked for the Detroit artist.

Big Sean – “Detroit”

7. Fabolous – The S.O.U.L. Tape 2 – Fab followed up his critically lauded 2011 release, The S.O.U.L. Tape, with it’s sequel, landing much of the same acclaim. Like it’s predecessor, this conceptual mixtape found Fab spitting mainly over soulful, mellow production, suggesting this is a more accurate representation of the kind of music he’d like to make.

Fabolous – “The Soul Tape 2″

6. Showbiz & A.G. -Mugshot Music: Preloaded – Despite long hiatuses between each release, Show and A have a natural chemistry that finds them meshing together fluidly each time the reunite. The duo impressed us crazily with this free release – with a level of quality to it that we would have gladly plunked $16.99 down for it some years ago. If this is the mixtape, we can’t wait to see what they have in-store for the album.

Showbiz & A.G. – “Mugshot Music: Preloaded

5. Slaughterhouse – On The House – Much like Wiz and Meek Mill, Slaughterhouse’s best material as a group was found On The House. Joe Budden even joked about it in an interview, suggesting that fans could “mix and match” their favorite cuts from the mixtape and the Welcome To Our House LP and make their own Slaughterhouse album.

Slaughterhouse – “On The House”

4. Joey Bada$$ – 1999 – Joey Bada$$ single-handledly put his Pro.Era crew on the map, and made us care about his fallen homie Capital Steez, who passed away at the end of the year. Backpack beats and basement lyrics came back with a vengeance in this homage to the Fondle ‘Em era.

Joey Bada$$ – “1999″

3. Meek Mill – Dreamchasers 2 – Meek Mill outshined his debut album with Dreamchasers 2, producing some of the best tracks of his career. Tracks like “Amen” w/ Drake, “Burn” with Big Sean, and “A1 Everything” w/ Kendrick Lamar, each of which probably should have been saved for his debut. Can’t forget that “House Party (Remix)” either.

Meek Mill – “Dreamchasers 2″

2. Action Bronson + Alchemist – Rare Chandeliers – Action and Al’s collaborative release plays solidly throughout, even if this seems like the two are screwing around half-of-the-time. It’s a more focused release than Al’s Russian Roulette, but not quite as consistant as Action’s Dr. Lecter. While this free album gives us a taste of what they are capable of, we can only imagine what a full-fledged studio LP might produce.

Action Bronson + Alchemist – “Rare Chandeliers”

1. Freddie Gibbs – Baby Face Killa – Freddie Gibbs just might be the midwest’s answer to a Biggie or Jay-Z. Like them, he’s aware of his bad-guy persona, but has such a talent for channelling it into his pen, that you can’t help but beg for more. The brilliance of Baby Face Killa might not hit you at first, but upon repeated listens, it becomes more and more clear that Gibbs arguably released the best street-album of the year.

Freddie Gibbs – “Baby Face Killa”

10. Alchemist & Action Bronson Interview Each Other. – Al and Action’s sense of humor couldn’t be captured better in this strange interview taking place on beaches of Cali.

9. David Copperfield Magically Appears At Rick Ross Performance - In perhaps the most surreal moment of the year, Rick Ross brings out “a motherfuckin’ legend” during his Vegas performance, as David Copperfield appears right before the audiences eyes during a performance of Rick’s track of his namesake.

8. Snoop Dogg – “Pocket Like It’s Hot” – Hot Pockets targeted their number one demographic, stoners, with this remake of Snoop’s “Drop It Like It’s Hot”. But instead of white sperm spilling down your throat, it’s meaty, cheesy deliciousness! Special guest appearance from Giant, Dancing Hot Pocket.

7. DMX vs. Computer – In this depressing video, DMX shows the world that he has absolutely no idea how to use a computer. As one astute YouTube commenter points out, “this dude has been in jail for a while”.

6. Canibus Notepad Dizaster – Oh, did we say the last video was depressing? This is actually the most depressing video. Canibus, who at one time was looked at as the nastiest emcee in the game, breaks out a notepad to battle Dizaster. This also prompted this rebuttal from a crying fan.

5. Worst Hypeman Ever – Speaking of rap battles, there’s nothing like your homie backing you up at a rap battle so hard that he completely steals the show. See above.

4. Loaded Lux: “You Gon’ Get This Work” – The best moment in rap battle history this year, however, was Loaded Lux’s “You Gon’ Get This Work” taunt, which spawned a series of internet memes and his own line of personal t-shirts.

3. Film School With R.A. The Rugged Man – If Nardwuar interviews ruled 2011, R.A.’s brilliant Film School series ran 2012. Amazingly in-depth coverage of Hollywood films in all genres, as each episode finds R.A. sitting next to his massive DVD collection, pointing out obscure tidbits of information, like a walking IMDB from Long Island.

2. R2′s Other Message – 2Pac Hologram memes were everywhere last year, but this one takes the cake.

1. Lil Wayne’s Deposition – Lil Wayne is completely uncooperative at his deposition in his case against QD3 and his handling of The Carter documentary. Not surprisingly, Wayne lost this case.

We pick our 25 favorite videos from 2012, across both major label and indie releases.

25. Waka Flocka Flame – “Rooster In My Rari”; Dir. Morocco Vaughn- So bad, it’s good.

24. Cypress Hill x Rusko – “Can’t Keep Me Down” (feat. Damian Marley); Dir: Kristofer Ström – It’s no secret that both Cypress Hill and Rusko have, uhhhh, tried drugs before, so this intense mushroom trip visual of the urban boom box is a perfect fit for their collaborative EP.

23. Nicki Minaj – “The Boys” (feat. Cassie); Dir. Colin Tilley – The song is whatever. The video? We can’t look away.

22. Phonte – “Eternally” (feat. Median); Dir. Kenneth Price – We think this might be the first time Mormon missionaries were parodied in a rap video. Except the difference here is that Phonte is trying to preach that good music.

21. Xzibit – “Napalm”; Dir. Matt Alonzo – All you rappers that talk tough have never been in a war zone. Xzibit shot his video in one.

20. Rick Ross – “Hold Me Back”; Dir. TAJ – As far as balls-out, hood snapshot videos go, this one took the cake, with a shirtless Rick Ross shaking his titties like the most well-endowed stripper. BET turned this down. We turnt it up.

19. Snoop Lion – “La La La”; Dir. Eli Roth – Not what were used to from either Snoop or Eli, but definitely one of the coolest videos of the year, Rushmore-style.

18. Lil Wayne – “My Homies Still” (feat. Big Sean); Dir. PARRIS – Surreal suburban yard-sale with style-to-spare. Purple elephants would make Kool Keith proud. Or angry, actually.

17. Tyga – “Faded” (feat. Lil Wayne); Dir. Colin Tilley – Another crazy Colin Tilley directed clip, highlighted by NBA Jam style big heads, hypnotic images, and skin tight gold pants.

16. Action Bronson – “The Symbol” – Dir. Rik Cordero – Not quite “Sabotage”, but equally awesome for different reasons. This is the cinematic equivalent of the Rare Chandeliers album cover.

15. Rick Ross – “3 Kings” (feat. Dr. Dre & Jay-Z); Dir. DRE Films – Billed as a “visual piece”, this brilliantly constructed cut-and-paste video references countless classic hip-hop moments in the careers of each Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, and Rick. Sensory overload for longtime fans of the game.

14. 2 Chainz – “No Lie” (feat. Drake); Dir. X – Super visual black and white video that takes an otherwise hood track and adds some clean, artistic flare to it.

13. Jean Grae – “Kill Screen”; Dir. Jean Grae- Ms. Grae’s murder-mystery / secret agent short film is filled with clues and subliminal messages, making it one of the most intriguing rap videos of 2012.

12. Jay-Z & Kanye West – “No Church In The Wild” (feat. Frank Ocean); Dir. Romain Gavras – Occupiers take on the cops in this clip. We haven’t seen this kind of stuff since
Public Enemy era. Power to the people and the beats.

11. Drake – “H.Y.F.R.”; Dir. X – Drake celebrates his “re-bar mitzvah”, as friends from both his Black and Jewish sides comes together to celebrate.

10. Steve Aoki – “Cudi The Kid” (feat. Kid Cudi & Travis Barker); Dir. Jam Sutton – Super fresh video featuring the track’s collaborators, each Steve Aoki, Kid Cudi, and Travis Barker as kids, dodging creepy clowns and angry nuns.

9. Murs – “Animal Style”; Dir. HOBOSTEWD – Murs takes on closeted homophobia on this track, where he plays a gay high-school student, complete with a “gay kissing scene”. Props for Murs for taking a bold risk and helping stamp out intolerance with this video.

8. Aloe Blacc – “You Make Me Smile”; Dir. Eric Coleman – Heart-warming clip of Aloe Blacc and his daughter at Breakfast. Anyone with a kid can relate to this song and this clip.

7. RZA + The Black Keys – “Baddest Man Alive”; Dir. Chris Marrs Piliero – RZA takes on The Black Keys in this homage to old school kung fu flicks. We liked this better than his movie.

6. Evidence – “Falling Down”; Dir. Todd Angkasuwan – The video game “Limbo” was an obvious influence in this side-scrolling, black-and-white clip, as the Weatherman walks in the rain.

5. Macklemore – “Thrift Shop”; Dir. Jon Jon Augustavo, Ryan Lewis, Ben Haggerty – Mack’s ode to thrift store digging was not only a millennial re-imagining of Eminem-levels of visual silliness, but also the biggest indie video to hit in nearly two decades. That’s a cold-ass honkey.

4. Gangrene – “Vodka & Ayahuasca”; Directed by Jason Goldwatch – Decon’s Jason Goldwatch keenly sews together footage of an actual police chase, with his own scenes of Alchemist piloting the vehicle, and Oh No rhyming in the back. Simple, yet very effective.

3. Lupe Fiasco – “Bitch Bad”; Directed by Gil Green – Probably the most socially conscious video of the year, Lupe’s poignant song examines the long-term effects that irresponsible rap lyrics have on children’s minds.

2. El-P – “The Full Retard”; Dir. Timothy Saccenti – El’s evil alter ego comes to life as an uzi-welding, cocaine snorting, murderous puppet. Low budget special effects make this one extra fun to watch.

1. Nas – “Daughters”; Dir. Chris Robinson – Awesome video for Nas’ poignant track, as seen through the eyes of his daughter, Destiny Jones.

10. Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread & Circuses – The problem with making a sequel to classic or beloved hip-hop record is that people will undoubtedly compare it to it’s predecessor. Saigon’s official sophomore effort was not a bad record by any means, but consider this: a) his first album, being in the vault for so long, had the time to marinate to perfection and b) his first album was almost entirely produced by Just Blaze. With Just only contributing two tracks, the difference was evident. Saigon still held his own, but perhaps billing it was a sequel to the original was not the right move.

9. Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – We’re not sure what we were expecting here, and probably should have known better, but after the original Pink Friday, we hoped for a return of the “mixtape Nicki”, considering she’s built a fanbase that will buy her album no matter what. Instead, we got another pop record with a bunch of tracks like “Starships”. Even worse, not even a year later, they tried to re-release it as Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up, counting on her less-than-scholarly fans to go for the double dip. Re-tarded.

8. 2 Chainz – Based On A T.R.U. Story – Yah? No. Sure, it was packed full of hits, but he really delivered a stinker with the album. We thought that the G.O.O.D. Music affiliation might have somehow made for a decent LP; joke’s on us for believing in marketing.

7. Meek Mill – Dreams & Nightmares – Meek had a strong year, filled with many of the biggest club tracks, which unfortunately were not included on his album. The fiery Philly upstart spent bangers like “Ima Boss”, “Burn” (w/ Big Sean), and “House Party” on other projects, rather than lacing his own record with them, while the album itself was a pretty weak entry to begin with. Perhaps his sophomore release will see the manifestation of his untapped genius.

6. Wiz Khalifa – O.N.I.F.C. – The pressure was really on Wiz to deliver something great, as his Atlantic debut was a huge letdown. After collaborating with Snoop on the solid Mac & Devin Go To High School soundtrack, we thought for sure that Wiz would settle in nicely In First Class. Things started off on a sour note once the internet caught a glimpse of the cover image, while the album itself didn’t do much to justify the curious choice of wardrobe.

5. Slaugterhouse – Welcome To Our House – While this album wasn’t bad, the standard set by Shady Records is so high that naturally we expected a better LP from the House Gang. It was probably also a challenge to channel four different personalities into one cohesive effort.

4. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Part One – Only topped by Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded: The Re-Up, this album just missed the “most asinine album title of the year award”. The all black album cover – which worked on Jay-Z’s The Black Album because it was a near classic – tried to put this record on some kind of high level of pretention. Likewise for audacious sampling of Pete Rock’s “T.R.O.Y.”, which caused a stir of it’s own. Much like Lasers, LF’S F.A.L.2.T.G.A.R.A.P.1. was a disappointment.

3. Busta Rhymes – Year Of The Dragon – Bait & switch. The year of the dragon was 1992, when “Scenario” came out. At least it was free.

2. J. Dilla – Rebirth Of Detroit – The idea of this album was to create some kind of “rebirth of Detroit”, pairing Dilla’s beats with a lot of different emcees, some of whom never worked with Dilla in the past. The end result was not only a let down sonically, but it also caused an “unnamed engineer” who mixed parts of the album to attack the project, calling it a disgrace to Dilla and his catalog. Dilla’s legacy is fragile, let’s not taint it with anymore bad, posthumous releases.

1. G.O.O.D. Music Presents Cruel Summer – Easily the most anticipated album of the year, one that boasted a super-group of Kanye, Common, Q-Tip, Kid Cudi, John Legend, the album was more focused on pushing newer members Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz – the latter of whom is not even a card-carrying G.O.O.D. artist. Sure, the album produced some of the year’s biggest hits, but was a far cry from the rest of the music of the collective crew.

In the major label world, sometimes it’s hard to find even 10 releases to make this list these days, but 2012 had a handful of solid releases deserving of placement; and a few future classics.

10. Curren$y – The Stoned Immaculate – Curren$y’s first foray into the major label world didn’t bother trying to make a “hit single”; he just carried on and did him. Definitely an album for the stoners, The Stoned Immaculate album was more for those late nights at the smoke filled crib, than for bumping down the strip. Slow burner.

9. Big K.R.I.T. – Live From The Underground – Big K.R.I.T. was another artist that went from mixtape champion to full-fledged major label artist on his Def Jam debut, Live From The Underground. While he had to transition from the sample-based production that helped popularize him in the mixtape scene, he rose to the challenge and delivered a solid LP that some say is his strongest release to date.

8. Tyga – Careless World: Rise Of The Last King – If there was one album that ruled the clubs in 2012, it was Tyga’s Careless World, which spawned a number of smash singles like “Rack City”, “Faded”, “Make It Nasty”, and “Muthafucka Up”. Not only that, unlike 2 Chainz’s Based On A T.R.U. Story, the rest of the album held up surprisingly well, serving as more than just club tracks. Tyga has helped revolutionize the sound of the west coast, with many artists following suit, tapping him or producer DJ Mustard for their singles.

7. Big Boi – Viscous Lies And Dangerous Rumors – It’s pretty clear that we’re not going to see an Outkast reunion anytime soon, but that hasn’t stopped Big Boi from releasing a series of solid solo albums (which let’s admit, began with Speakerboxxx). Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors carried on that trend with another strong addition to the overall Outkast catalog, even if Andre is off doing other things.

6. Game – Jesus Piece – While R.E.D. was somewhat of a letdown, we didn’t expect Game to return this quickly, nor did we expect this album to be strong. Game defied expectations on both counts, with a solid concept album, told from the perspective of the killers and thieves that legend says Jesus hung out with.

5. T.I. – Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head – Another album that threw us for a curveball, Tip hasn’t been the same in recent years, with his numerous legal troubles effecting the quality of output on his albums. Finally absolved of these issues, T.I. saw a return to form with Trouble Man, perhaps his strongest LP since King.

4. Rick Ross – God Forgives, I Don’t – While we didn’t take Rick Ross seriously in his early career, over the course of his last few records, he’s ultimately matured into rap’s equivalent of a big budget movie. Ross is easily this generation’s rapper you love to hate, but on his fourth album, it seems he’s finally found his groove. His lyrics are sharper, his track selection is greater, and his guests are A-list.

3. RZA Presents The Man With The Iron Fists Soundtrack – Soundtracks and compilations usually are hit-or-miss, but in the case of RZA’s directorial debut, they nailed it. While the film left something to be desired, the soundtrack delivered on all fronts, sounding like a cinematic quasi-Wu-Tang album, with many of the original members and a strong guest list helping out. If RZA’s movies produce soundtracks this good, may he stay firmly seated in the director’s chair.

2. Nas – Life Is Good – They say that artists create their best music when faced with strife. Illmatic found Nas as a hungry, unknown QB teenager, while Life Is Good sees him as grown man, divorced with a grip of financial problems. Nas has always been consistant, with each of his last few records scoring highly here at HipHopSite, but Life Is Good is one of the first in recent memory that saw universal acclaim, industry-wide.

1. Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City – Is anybody arguing against this record? Kendrick’s unorthodox style, understated-yet-brilliant production, and most of all, bold approach to making an album for the biggest, most respected label in the business, without an anthemic single propelling it, is testament that his art comes first. Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City captures a snapshot of what many inner-city youths struggle with, without attempting to glamorize it or gloss over it’s unfortunate, tragic significance. We can only imagine what Detox sounds like.

10. Roc Marciano – Reloaded – Roc Marciano’s music is not for everyone; he’s like the Taster’s Choice of this rap shit. Reloaded began as a remix project for Marcburg, and then was scrapped for an entirely original album. Better that way, as Roc’s equally understated production and flow made this one of the most original sounding LP’s of the year.

9. Masta Ace + MF Doom – MA_Doom: Son Of Yvonne – First we heard that Masta Ace was recording an album with MF Doom (excitement!). Then we heard it was over the old Special Herbs instrumentals (disappointment!). But then we heard the single (excitement!). And then we saw the album cover (disappointment!). Then we heard the album… satisfaction.

Although Ace used a series of older Doom beats for this album, he executed it perfectly, taking us back to his early Crooklyn childhood, with a heartfelt LP dedicated to his recently passed mother. This was so well done, we wouldn’t mind seeing him do another album with Doom from the Special Herbs archives.

8. El-P – Cancer 4 Cure – This probably would have rated even higher on our list if we weren’t first spoiled by Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music, also produced by El. Interestingly, El’s album had an almost entirely different sound – although still cut from the same cloth – suggesting he hasn’t missed a step, despite playing a more reclusive role in the post-Def Jux era.

7. Ab-Soul – Control System – Kendrick Lamar wasn’t the only one out of the Black Hippy camp to release an incredible album in 2012. Schoolboy Q’s Habits and Contridictions also satisfied, and Ab-Soul’s Control System delivered far beyond expectations. While rated @@@@1/2 here – the same rating given to Kendrick – this album still holds strong, despite now living in Kendrick’s shadow by comparison.

6. Oh No – Ohnomite – Concept albums are usually better in theory than in execution, but Oh No defeated that notion with OhNoMite, which found him with the full sampling rights to the catalog of Rudy Ray Moore. OhNoMite is an incredibly produced album with an amazing guest list, that keeps hitting you over and over again until you can’t help but succumb to it’s level of freshness.

5. O.C. & Apollo Brown – Trophies – Sometimes it just takes the right producer to bring out the fire of your favorite older rapper. Case in point is Trophies, the Apollo Brown produced O.C. album. It not only redefined O.C. for a new generation, as arguably his best LP since his classic debut, Word…Life, but also rose Apollo Brown’s name to fame in the underground.

4. Gangrene (Alchemist + Oh No) – Vodka and Ayahuaska – Like OhNoMite and Al’s mixtape with Action Bronson, Rare Chandeliers, we saw incredible consistency on just about every track on Gangrene’s sophomore release. Disturbing, psychedelic beats from both producers made this one of the most unique, enjoyable underground hip-hop LP’s of the year, hoping that they will next follow-up with a Greneburg LP, with Roc Marciano to complete the trio.

3. Brother Ali – Mourning In America, Dreaming In Color – Both Brother Ali and Jake One are in top form here, and arguably created the best work of their respective careers with Mourning In America, Dreaming In Color. The seamless combination of substance heavy lyrics and sonically pleasing production makes this one of the most important hip-hop albums of the year.

2. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “The Heist” – The runaway smash of the year, Macklemore reeled in radio with his catchy “Thrift Shop” tune, only to deliver a heavy, musical album that dealt with hot-button topics like gay marriage, alcoholism, addiction, religion, and the major label system. Mack is easily hip-hop’s breakout star of 2012, and the wall-to-wall production from Ryan Lewis didn’t hurt either.

1. Killer Mike – R.A.P. (Rebellious African People’s) Music – How good was this album? Mike showed signs of greatness throughout his Pledge mixtape series, but crafted easily the best indie album of the year after teaming with El-P on R.A.P. Music. It’s been said ad naseum, but this is the millennial Ice Cube + Bomb Squad.

Stay tuned for our 2012′s Best Major Label albums and Best Mixtapes lists coming up soon…..

10. 1982 (Statik Selektah & Termanology) – “2012″ – Sheer brilliance as Stat and Term neglected employing the overused Busta Rhymes’ “end-of-the-world” concept for their 2012 LP, and instead based it around the presidential election. A commemorative plate, with Term for president with Statik Selektah as his running mate (or the other way around), as Obama looks on, slightly out of frame. Nice job, gentlemen.

9. Ryan Leslie – “Les Is More” – In an age where most can hardly afford to press up physical copies of their albums, Ryan Leslie took things much further with his Les Is More cover. The all-black-everything, stitched in fabric cover, embroidered by The Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace is a reflection of Leslie’s appreciation for the finer things. Lupe got it wrong, Leslie got it right.

8. Game – “Jesus Piece” – Jesus rocking the Jesus piece? Game’s controversial stained-glass cover didn’t quite make it to retail, and was saved for the special edition, but was definitely one of the most talked about covers of the year.

7. T.I. – “Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head” – For a while, it looked as if this album would never see the light of day, with numerous push-backs and delays. Not only did it drop – it was good – and it was wrapped in a gorgeous 70′s, Black western-style painted cover to boot. Hook, line, and sinker.

6. Lord Finesse & Mike Smooth – “Funky Technician” Instrumentals – Slice Of Spice pulled this trick on their 2011 unearthing of LL Cool J’s “Year Of The Hip-Hop” single, but used it to even greater effect on this Joe Buck re-imagining of Lord Finesse and Mike Smooth’s Funky Technician LP. This seminal 1990 Wild Pitch album looks cooler than ever before, with notable names, songs, and quotes scribbled all over the cover.

5. Freddie Gibbs – “Baby Face Killa” – Gangster Gibbs as interpreted as a faux-Leroy Neiman. Fine art rap.

4. Brother Ali – “Mourning In America, Dreaming In Color” - Another highly controversial cover, and easily the most thought provoking of the year. Brother Ali is a white Muslim living in America, with this cover portraying his sometimes conflicting points of view. It is designed to draw a reaction, as traditionally the American flag is not supposed to touch the ground, much less be used as a Muslim prayer rug. Ali means no disrespect, as he sums it up on the first line of the album’s opening track, “Letter To My Country Men”: “I used to think I hated this place / couldn’t wait to tell the prez straight to his face / but lately I changed, nowadays I embrace it all / beautiful ideals and amazing flaws.”

3. Action Bronson & Alchemist – “Rare Chandeliers” – This album cover pretty much sums up Al and Bronson’s sense of humor in a nutshell, presenting their collaborative album as a sort of Cannonball Run-esque, 80′s action movie. The fact that it was released as an animated gif makes it even more ridiculous. Non stop excitement, which includes police chases, shotgun blasts, wizardry, and jiggling booty.

2. Nas – “Life Is Good” – After reports of Nas’ ex-wife, Kelis, making his life a living hell by demading exorbitant child support sums, Nas got the last laugh with his Life Is Good album cover, which features him holding a piece of her wedding dress. Bye bye, baby.

1. 2 Chainz – “Based On A T.R.U. Story” – For the record, we hated this album. As a matter of fact, we even voted 2 Chainz’ T.R.U. Religion mixtape as one of our worst album covers of 2011 (which features him taking a piss and texting at the same damn time). But, there wasn’t a sleeker, more eye-catching cover than this one, as designed by Kanye West’s DONDA firm, which bucked the major label trend of “photo + fonts” for an album cover. Tity Boy didn’t need to appear on the cover, the extra-sleek imagery speaks for itself.

We know we made you wait, but we’re kicking off our 2012 Year-In-Review with a bang, starting with the Worst Album Covers of 2012. Don’t be mad ya’ll……

10. Masta Ace – “MA Doom: Son of Yvonne” – We’re not going to dis this album, it’s one of the best records of the year, in fact. But unfortunately people judge books by their covers all the time, and this is a false representation of what lies inside. Ace deserves better!

9. Brianna – “Face Off” – The Pen & Pixel era is long gone, but that doesn’t stop rappers from pulling this kind of shit. Here, Brianna confirms our long standing theory that the music industry makes music for robots, by robots.

8. Dominic Lord – “Fashion Show” - We’re not sure if ex-ASAP member Dominic Lord is the gay rapper, and frankly we don’t care. However calling your album Fashion Show and posing like you’re in mid-spin on the runway for your album cover…. well, the jokes just write themselves.

7. Schoolboy Q – “Habits and Contradictions” – Here’s another good album that deserves better cover art. A ski-masked serial-licker, while Q stands by idly? Perhaps concepts cannot explain.

6. Keyshia Cole – “Woman To Woman” - Hmm, maybe her and Brianna can have a woman-to-woman about starring in John Woo’s Face Off 2.

5. 50 Cent – “5: Murder By Numbers” – The original cover to this album looked way better, except that it was a shameless jacking of The Expendables 2 promo poster. This album was troubled from the start, as Fif tried to side-step Interscope and release it himself, instead opting for a last minute mixtape release, with an obviously last minute cover done in MS Paint.

4. Beanie Sigel – “This Time” – Watch out Philly traffic, ol’ Jazz Hands Sigel is on the case. Running the streets……with dance.

3. Tyga – “Well Done 3″ – Tyga’s last album had him sitting on the throne, and this one does too, so to speak. We’re not sure if he’s taking a shit, or simply hanging out in a sauna shirtless with Drake, Lil Wayne, and Lil Chuckie. Either way, his “187″ mixtape cover made up for it, with simplicity and style to spare.

2. DB Tha General – “I Invented Gas” – Yeah, try your best not to get in an elevator or go on a long road trip with this stinky bastard.

1. Too $hort – “No Trespassing” – Street signs is watching. Rap legends deserve better.

This week’s Hellafine Fridays podcast episode is a special edition, acting as volume two of last year’s massively popular Blog So Hard mix. Blog So Hard 2: All Blog Everything collects our favorite b-side / non-album tracks from 2012. As we were selecting our favorite blog-bangers from the year, we noticed a lot of slowed down beats and soulful production, acting as almost an underground answer to the current “hot club sound”, which finds tracks like 2 Chainz’s “No Lie” and Trinidad James’ “All Gold Everything” clocking in the 50 and 60 BPM ranges.

The end result is a much bleaker sound to the mix than it’s predecessor, but with the economy sluggishly recovering, Hurricane Sandy, and the rash of violent crimes in 2012, it’s was kind of a bleak year. There’s a story to be told here, as songs like Pusha T’s “Exodus 23:1″ and Pharoahe Monch’s “Damage” indirectly touch upon the gun violence that happens daily in cities like Chicago, while Game’s “Murder” and Rick Ross’ “100 Black Coffins” deal with the aftermath. Incidentally, among both of this year’s massacres in Colorado and Connecticut, for the first time, rap music was not to blame, as this time violent movies and video games were the scapegoat. The intent here was not to make a depressing mix, but perhaps it’s a sign of the times.

But it’s not all gloom. There’s some DOOM here too. And some Common, AZ, CL Smooth, Beatnuts, Alkaholiks, Cage, Soul Position, De La Soul, Raekwon, O.C., Jean Grae, and other classic hip-hop artists that we don’t hear enough from these days. And keeping those guys around is part of what this site and this mix are about. Today’s new generation of emcees are also represented here as well, such as Brother Ali, Mac Miller, Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, J. Cole, Roc Marciano, Statik Selektah, Termanology, and Freddie Gibbs. And Jay-Z helps bring the mix to a close with a light at the end of the tunnel on “Glory”, a celebration of the birth of Blue Ivy Carter – who is featured on the song – suggesting a brighter future is in store. Here’s to 2013. – DJ Pizzo

1. “Rap & Bitches” – 1982 (Statik Selektah + Termanology)
2. “Can You Keep Up” – Busta Rhymes (feat. Twista)
3. “Street Knock” – Swizz Beatz (feat. A$AP Rocky; prod. AraabMuzik)
4. “The Jig Is Up (Dumpin’) – Kendrick Lamar (prod. J. Cole)
5. “Kill Screen” – Jean Grae
6. “Ask About Me” – C.L. Smooth
7. “No Sell Out” – Common (prod. No I.D.)
8. “Doomsayer” – MF Doom (prod. Young Guru)
9. “Bang” – Liknuts (Alkaholiks + The Beatnuts)
10. “Of The Soul (Remix)” – Mac Miller (feat. Posdnous of De La Soul & Raekwon)
11. “Writer’s Block” – Brother Ali (prod. Jake One)
12. “The Good Life” – Soul Position (RJD2 + Blueprint)
13. “Get Free Cole World” – J. Cole & Major Lazer
14. “The Void” – Cage (feat. Sherry St. Germain)
15. “Exodus 23:1″ – Pusha T (feat. The-Dream)
16. “Damage” – Pharoahe Monch
17. “100 Black Coffins” – Rick Ross
18. “Murder” – Game (feat. Kendrick Lamar & Scarface)
19. “Enter The Void” – Joey Bada$$ (feat. Ab-Soul)
20. “My Nigga” – AZ (prod. Buckwild)
21. “Stop Me” – Roc Marciano (prod. Just Blaze)
22. “Shame” – Madgibbs (Madlib + Freddie Gibbs) (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid)
23. “Glory” – Jay-Z (feat. Blue Ivy Carter)*
24. “The Biggest Loser” – Apollo Brown & O.C.
25. “Hot Shots Part Deux” – Action Bronson + Riff Raff + Dana Coppafeel

*Blue Ivy murdered that shit.