With the year’s music videos, mixtapes and songs rated and ranked, we bring you our list of the most prized offering of any calendar year: the studio album. Although mixtapes have matured in recent years to give LPs a run for their money, the retail release will always be top dog–and this year was a prime example.
The album format has helped a number of artists cement themselves as serious contenders in the game (Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill), enabled some to revive their once-lost glory (Nas, Lupe Fiasco), while aiding others in adding to their legacy (Killer Mike, Sean Price).
We could have extended this list to well over 100 picks and justice would still not be served to all the great projects these past 12 months have brought. After a whole lotta tough decisions, we present to you our top 25 albums of 2012…
25. Ka – Grief Pedigree
Iron Works
iTunes
24. Small Professor – Gigantic, Vol. 1
Diamond Media 360
iTunes
23. Roc Marciano – Reloaded
Decon
iTunes
22. Blu & Exile – Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them
Dirty Science / Fat Beats Records
iTunes / Fat Beats
21. Sean Price – Mic Tyson
Duck Down
iTunes
20. Pac Div – GMB
RBC Records
iTunes
19. La Coka Nostra – Masters Of The Dark Arts
Fat Beats
iTunes / Fat Beats
18. Rapsody – The Idea of Beautiful
Jamla / Culture Over Everything
iTunes
17. J Dilla – Rebirth of Detroit
Yancey Media Group
iTunes / Merch
16. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1
Atlantic
iTunes
15. Skyzoo – A Dream Deferred
The Faculty / Duck Down
iTunes
14. Freeway – Diamond In the Ruff
Team Early / Babygrande
iTunes
13. Brother Ali – Mourning In America and Dreaming In Color
Rhymesayers
iTunes
12. OC & Apollo Brown – Trophies
Mello Music Group
iTunes / Bandcamp
11. Oddisee – People Hear What They See
Mello Music Group
iTunes / Bandcamp
10. Kanye West Presents G.O.O.D. Music – Cruel Summer
G.O.O.D. Music / Def Jam
iTunes
9. The Game – Jesus Piece
DGC / Interscope
iTunes
8. El-P – Cancer 4 Cure
Fat Possum
iTunes
7. Ab-Soul – Control System
Top Dawg Entertainment
iTunes
6. Meek Mill – Dreams and Nightmares
Maybach Music Group / Warner Bros.
iTunes
5. Gangrene – Vodka & Ayahuasca
Decon
iTunes
4. ScHoolboy Q – Habits & Contradictions
Top Dawg Entertainment
iTunes
3. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
Williams Street / Grand Hustle / Adult Swim
iTunes
2. Nas – Life Is Good
Def Jam
iTunes
1. Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city
Top Dawg Entertainment / Aftermath / Interscope
iTunes
Honorable Mentions:
• Oh No – Ohnomite (Brick / Five Day Weekend)
• Xzibit – Napalm (Open Bar Entertainment / EMI)
• Greg Grease – Cornbread, Pearl & G (River Life Media / Black Corners)
• M-Phazes – Phazed Out (Coalmine Records)
• Wu-Block – Wu-Block (E1)