Takin' Mines' Top 25 Albums of 2012

Takin’ Mines’ Top 25 Albums of 2012

By Takin Mines | 12.31.2012 |
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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)

Comments: (2)

2 Replies to "Takin’ Mines’ Top 25 Albums of 2012"

Larry Huge says:

December 31, 2012 at 11:16 am

this album is doooope! –> http://willc.bandcamp.com/album/elis-prism

Real Best Album tho says:

January 10, 2013 at 2:31 pm

Azealia Banks “Fantasea” imo was an album, and it was the BEST of 2012 http://www.datpiff.com/Azealia-Banks-Fantasea-mixtape.372155.html

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Greg Grease – “Forward”

If you’ve managed to get this far during the week, you probably deserve a break. And what good timing to introduce Greg Grease‘s latest video for “Forward”, a stripped down, less-is-more banger that doesn’t need to be overdramatic to get it’s point across. Directed by Adam Dunn as a part of his #LABB (Lights and a Backdrop) series, the visuals are as minimalistic as it gets, allowing the Grease, his DJ and his turntable to play centre stage. Check it out and be sure to pick up Greg Grease’s Black King Cole EP if you don’t already own it.

Blu & Nottz (feat. Rashad) – “End of the World”
CJ Fly (feat. A La $oul & Phife Dawg) – “Seek Well”
Boldy James (feat. Earl Sweatshirt, Da$h & Domo Genesis) – “Reform School” (prod. by The Alchemist)
Danny Brown (feat. Scrufizzer) – “Dubstep”
Black Milk – “Dismal”
Alterbeats (feat. Guilty Simpson & The Rockness Monstah) – “Fruit Punch”
Snow Tha Product (feat. CyHi The Prynce) – “Hold You Down”
Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – “Harold’s”
Childish Gambino – “Yaphet Kotto”
Stan Ipcus – “Wifey Material”