The Espada of 2012

Hands down, my favorite Espada

Yooooooo I am so fucking lazy.  Holy fuck I'm lazy.  All it took was the NBA season to get into full swing for me to stop writing about...pretty much everything.  I do Insanity everyday after work, watch a game or two, fuck around on Twitter (follow me @UchihaHunter) then stay up til 2am or later watching bullshit unfold on Twitter...then I get up at 5am and wonder why I'm tired.  I casually brought up the idea of spending less time on Twitter and more time writing to a new...acquaintance of mine and she simply replied "Do it!"......so, as with most things I've done, a female's influence pushed me to get off my ass before the year was over.

For the uninitiated among us, "Espada" is a term for one of the top 10 most powerful Arrancar (this is Bleach talk).  So using that term, I'm going to speak a little on my 10 favorite tracks of the year.  2012 has been a pretty insane year for me...I've had 4 jobs, started this blog, finally finished part of my schooling, had a few girlfriends, and just a bunch of personal shit thrown on top of that.  It seems like this year just had so much of everything...including music.  Outside of perpetual disappointments Jay Electronica (who was supposed to drop his debut) and DOOM (who was supposed to drop DOOMSTARKS with Ghostface Killah), I've actually been pleased with the quality and the quantity of work released.  Despite what people may say in these end-of-year posts, there has been a TON of good music released, and it was very difficult for me to choose just 10 songs that I loved from 2012...



So...I ORIGINALLY wanted to do a top 10 with some bullshit connection to the Espada so I could do some shit with it...THEN I was all like "well I'll do a top 20, since Aizen first led us to believe there were 20 Vast Lords in his army"...THEN I looked at my list and saw 66 and was all "I should cut it to 50," but when it blew up to 79 I figured "fuck it, let's just make this a nice round base 10 number...100."  So yea, now I've got my top 100 tracks.  Tracks 21-100 won't have any explanations, but tracks 1-20 will have a little something...


100. Game - Black Jesus
99. Wiz Khalifa - The Plan (Ft. Juicy J)
98. Childish Gambino - American Royalty (Ft. The RZA)
97. Big K.R.I.T. - Boobie Miles
96. Meek Mill - Dreams and Nightmares
95. Domo Genesis - Fuck Everybody Else
94. A$AP Rocky (Ft. A$AP Ferg and Raekwon) - Underground Killa$
93. Chief Keef - Don't Like (Remix) (Ft. Kanye West, Pusha T, Big Sean, and Jadakiss)
92. Joey Bada$$ - World Domination
91. Mellowhype - P2 (Ft. Earl Sweatshirt)
90. Killer Mike - Don't Die
89. XV - One of One
88. Fabolous - Want You Back (Ft. Joe Budden and Teyana Taylor)
87. Childish Gambino - They Don't Like Me (Ft. Chance the Rapper)
86. Lupe Fiasco - Put 'Em Up
85. Meek Mill - Maybach Curtains (Ft. Nas, John Legend, and Rick Ross)
84. Big K.R.I.T. - 4EvaNaDay Theme
83. Kendrick Lamar - Compton (Ft. Dr. Dre)
82. Sean Price - Solomon Grundy (Ft. Ill Bill)
81. Rick Ross - Pirates
80. Wu-Block - Crack Spot Stories (Ft. Raekwon and Jadakiss)
79. Freddie Gibbs - Crazy (Ft. Jadakiss and Jay Rock)
78. Wiz Khalifa - Nothin' Like The Rest (Ft. French Montana)
77. Game - Can't Get Right (Ft. K. Roosevelt)
76. Hit-Boy - East vs. West
75. Rick Ross - Fuck 'Em (Ft. Wale and 2 Chainz)
74. Joey Bada$$ - Survival Tactics (Ft. Capital STEEZ)
73. Big Sean - How it Feel
72. Smoke DZA - Marley's Garden
71. Nas - Accident Murderers (Ft. Rick Ross)
70. Kendrick Lamar - The Recipe (Ft. Dr. Dre)
69. The Other Guys - Father's Day
68. Rick Ross - Sixteen (Ft. Andre 3000)
67. Hodgy Beats - Rella (Ft. Domo Genesis and Tyler, The Creator)
66. MMG - Power Circle (Ft. Kendrick Lamar)
65. Sean Price - Straight Music
64. Lupe Fiasco - Form Follows Function
63. A$AP Rocky - Suddenly
62. Meek Mill - Tony Story, Pt. 2
61. Nas - Nasty
60. Action Bronson - Steve Wynn
59. Tyler, the Creator - Sam is Dead (Ft. Domo Genesis)
58. Schoolboy Q - Raymond 1969
57. Meek Mill - Intro to Dreamchasers 2
56. 50 Cent - You A Killer...Cool
55. Puff Daddy - Same Damn Time (Remix) (Ft. Future and Ludacris)
54. Lupe Fiasco - Lamborghini Angels
53. XV - Go On Without Me
52. Omarion - M.I.A. (Ft. Wale)
51. Dom Kennedy - We Ball (Ft. Kendrick Lamar)
50. Talib Kweli - Congregation (Ft. Black Thought and Ab-Soul)
49. Big Sean - 100 (Ft. Royce da 5'9" and Kendrick Lamar)
48. Kendrick Lamar - Westside, Right on Time (Ft. Young Jeezy)
47. A$AP Rocky - 1 Train (Ft. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Bada$$, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, and Big K.R.I.T.)
46. Childish Gambino - Toxic (Ft. Danny Brown)
45. Domo Genesis - All Alone
44. DJ Khaled - They Ready (Ft. J. Cole, Big K.R.I.T., and Kendrick Lamar)
43. JJ DOOM - Guv'nor
42. Big Sean - Life Should Go On (Ft. Wale and Wiz Khalifa)
41. Domo Genesis - Elimination Chamber (Ft. Earl Sweatshirt, Vince Staples, and Action Bronson)
40. A$AP Rocky - Bath Salt (Ft. A$AP Ant and Flatbush Zombies)
39. Wiz Khalifa - Ridin' Round (Ft. Juicy J)
38. Wu-Block - All in Together (Ft. Styles P and Jadakiss)
37. Wale - Ji-Dope
36. Nas - Cherry Wine (Ft. Amy Winehouse)
35. Sean Price - Remember (Ft. Freddie Gibbs)
34. Freddie Gibbs - Tell a Friend (Ft. Curren$y)
33. Killer Mike - Jojo's Chillin'
32. J. Cole - Grew Up Fast
31. Nas - Loco-Motive
30. Kanye West - Mercy (Ft. 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Pusha T)
29. Rick Ross - 3 Kings (Ft. Jay-Z and Dr. Dre)
28. Mellowhype - 65/Breakfast
27. Wale - Change Up
26. Hit-Boy - Jay-Z Interview
25. Wu-Block - Been Robbed
24. Fabolous - Beauty (Ft. Wale)
23. J. Cole - I'm a Fool
22. Kendrick Lamar - The Art of Peer Pressure
21. Frank Ocean - Super Rich Kids (Ft. Earl Sweatshirt)


20. Joe Budden - Words of a Chameleon

This is the only track I fucked with off of Budden's A Loose Quarter mixtape...man, this nigga can rap. I don't like the direction of the tape, but man, Budden is still dope. I wanted to include his "Stay Schemin" freestyle verse in here somewhere, but gah.


19. Game - Hallelujah (Ft. Jamie Foxx)

You should already know from this how I feel about Game's album.  This was one of the many pleasant surprises from that great album.  Jamie Foxx is older than Jay-Z but he's still belting out vocals without being called an oldhead huh...


18. Lupe Fiasco - Freedom Ain't Free (Around My Way)

I REALLY wanted to put this higher, but I couldn't.  Very good song, despite the controversy behind it.  Can't go wrong with the "T.R.O.Y." beat really, and as far as verses, we know Lupe's one of the best at rapping about social issues.  Very dope track.


17. Nas - Stay

My second favorite track from this album...but you already knew that.  That "but do I got love for ya?" part of the verse is some of the realest shit spat this year.


16. Schoolboy Q - Hands on the Wheel (Ft. A$AP Rocky)

This was HUGE at the beginning of the year...it hit a lot of people's favorite track list back in January.  Q and Rocky have a really good chemistry, and this is yet another example of that.


15. Freddie Gibbs - The Hard (Ft. Dana Williams)

If you haven't already checked out Baby Face Killa (or my review), please do so.  Gibbs isn't exactly a "new" rapper, but he's definitely one of the best of the newer guys out.  This is one of my favorite tracks from that mixtape...it was difficult to not fill the list with Gibbs tracks.


14. Ab-Soul - Terrorist Threats (Ft. Danny Brown and Jhene Aiko)

I still think Ab-Soul is overrated (his stans are among the most irritating in rap right now), but this track is dope.  "I ain't tryna be nobody's chattel." I'm mad I couldn't put more Danny Brown on this!  If it was 2011, he'd have filled my top 20!  Cheeeck!


13. Sean Price - Bully Rap (Ft. Realm Reality)

Sean Price really might be the most entertaining nigga in rap right now...who the hell would rap some shit like "I fuck around and throw yo baby organs...use yo baby's organs just to make a baby organ"?!  Only P!  I didn't review Mic Tyson but if you like that thuggish ruggish shit, you probably already listen to Sean Price.


12. Wale - Freedom of Speech

Wale is in my top 5 of MY favorite rappers (different from the 5 rappers I think are the best rappers)...I've been fairly disappointed in his post-MMG work, but this got me hyped for the very good Folarin mixtape.  I wanted to sneak more Wale into this list, but I was trying to show some semblance of objectivity...Wale really can rap when he wants to.  He acts an ass on this track.


11. Wu-Block - Drivin' Round (Ft. Masta Killa, The GZA, and Erykah Badu)


I love Erykah Badu...you love her too.  The alliance of Sheek Louch and Ghostface Killah produced a number of solid tracks, as I reviewed here.  I hadn't heard a new GZA verse in a minute, so it was nice to get a track with him on it.

Ladies and Gentlemen, your Espada!

These are MY personal 10 favorite tracks.  They're somewhat in order, but I didn't want any artist to have more than 1 top 5 song, so I had to switch some of it a little.

10. Earl Sweatshirt - Chum

Earl Sweatshirt is probably my favorite rapper right now...when you listen to Earl and listen to him now, you can really hear the growth (both physically and lyrically).  I was a little concerned that when he got back from Samoa he'd have lost a step, but he's killed features all year long as well as dropped a couple of good tracks.  This sort of track is him at close to his best, speaking on his past, from his early loneliness to joining up with Tyler and Odd Future, to the time in Samoa, to his return.  Disappointing if you wanted him to keep rapping about rape and shit, but for those of us who like progress, he's made excellent strides.

9. Freddie Gibbs - BFK

Like I said before, Gangsta Gibbs is probably my favorite "new" rapper out.  If you want "quality street music" (to steal DJ Drama's phrase) then look no further...Gibbs is that guy.  There aren't too many rappers fucking with Gibbs' flow ("send him to God, tryna rob the Godfather, and if you scared of catchin a murder, then why bother?" is fucking ridiculous the way he says it), and despite this track, he's got a breadth of lanes he fits in.  This is the title and standout track from his Baby Face Killa mixtape/album.

8. Game - Blood of Christ

The audio on this is a little off since this is an actual album track, but this'll do.  When I first heard this track...my expectations for the rest of the album went through the proverbial roof.  Despite the length, it's only 2 verses, but damn he hits hard in those 2 verses.  Sean Price is a very entertaining rapper, but Game is as well on this one ("iPhone in my hand doin the 40 wop, that nigga looked up and thought he saw 40 Pacs" is hilarious when you consider what happened to dude.  The best track on Jesus Piece.

7. A$AP Rocky - Goldie

A$AP really had a dope year...the mixtape was decently received, his name was all over the place, whether for music or his questionable fashion choices, and he aligned himself with other hot acts in Drake and the Black Hippy crew.  "Goldie" was a hit from the time it dropped, and rightfully so; Hit-Boy low-key went the fuck off this year, producing a bunch of hits (no pun).  Rocky fits the screwed sound better than some Southern artists I've heard use it, and the visual for the track isn't too shabby either.

6. Kendrick Lamar - Black Boy Fly

Again, the sound is a little off here, but damn.  Maybe it's because I'm a basketball fan.  Maybe it's because I loved that he mentioned Game on this.  Maybe it's because Kendrick fucked around and dropped a possible classic.  Maybe it's all of these things, but I REALLY fuck with this track...he really fit a copious amount of hood shit in less than 5 minutes.  This is probably my favorite track off of good kid, m.A.A.d. city when I consider how much I hate hearing Maya Angelou's voice...but again, you already knew this.

5. Killer Mike - Reagan

Sadly, I waited until the end of the year to listen to Killer Mike's excellent album, R.A.P. Music.  I didn't get around to reviewing it, but PLEASE cop this album.  Hell, just check this video out.  Killer Mike is the rare educated rapper who fits in all sorts of areas of rap.  Maybe you remember him from "The Whole World" or "Poppin' Tags"...that's not the REAL Killer Mike, IMO.  This album is Killer Mike at his finest, spitting socio-political raps ("cuz free labor's the cornerstone of U.S. economics").  PLEASE COP.

4. Nas - Queens Story


I'm glad they uploaded an official video...the pitched up/down versions are blasphemies to this track.  Nas also dropped an album of the year contender in Life is Good, and I'd argue this is the best track off that album...in fact I already did.  Anyone who's from Queens or lived in Queens in the 80s can appreciate this track even more than I do, and I fucking love it.  Excellent production, excellent raps, I was really surprised that this album was so good.

3. Kanye West - New God Flow (Ft. Ghostface Killah and Pusha T)


Man.  I'm still in disbelief that two songs dropped that I like more than this.  From the "Mighty Healthy" sample to actually getting Ghostface to drop a (fucking EXCELLENT) verse for it, this track is just about everything one could hope for.  Ghostface's shit-talking on this is absolutely divine.  I had this Jesus piece since 94...I dunno what y'all talkin about...AND my eagle!

2. Kendrick Lamar - Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst


I have a subtle weakness for 10min+ songs.  In my experience, they're generally pretty damn good (this, "300 Bars and Running," "The Who," "10 Min," etc.) and generally they know when to switch the beat up.  This track hooked me as soon as the nigga died when telling Kendrick what he hoped just in case he died before the album dropped...damn.  If you didn't listen to Section .80 or good kid, m.A.A.d city, you might be a little thrown off by the verses and the perspectives of said verses, so I'd suggest listening to both (since...ya know...they're dope).  "Sing About Me" could have been a top 5 track by itself, but then he added "I'm Dying of Thirst" which, outside of my annoyance with old women's voices (regardless of who they belong to), is dope in its own right.  A very powerful song from a very strong contender for album of the year.

1. Odd Future - Oldie


For the most part, you were probably riding with me and my list, hahahahaha...this is where my personal bias comes into play.  I fucked with this track before seeing the video, but seeing the video made me LOVE it.  "You keep filming, fuck what they say!" Hahahaha Tyler is hilarious to me!  I already commented on this in my review of The OF Tape, Vol 2, but man, they really do have like 4 above-average rappers in the group. The beat is perfect...it's not trying too hard to do anything, and really it reminds me of another Odd Future posse cut, "Window" off Tyler's Goblin.  They're having fun...A LOT of fun.  There's a lot of talent in that room...A LOT of talent.  To make this even better, two of the more buzzed about artists in hip-hop are part of this group and this song; Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt.  Frank Ocean revealed his first love was a man, then proceed to drop what many people consider one of the best albums of 2012 in Channel Orange. Personally, I'm not much of a singing guy, so I only liked about half of the album, but I acknowledge that it wasn't bad.  Either way, this was a GREAT year for Frank Ocean; whether it was his work on Watch the Throne or his debut album, he continued on the momentum generated from Nostalgia-Ultra.  Earl Sweatshirt, on the other hand, turned 18 and made his return to the United States of America proper.  "Oldie" was the first song I heard from him after his return, and good grief...he reminded OF fans that he's the best rapper in that group...and it's not even close.  "Me?  I just spent a year Ferris'n, and lost a little sanity to show you what hysterics is//spit til the lips meet the bottom of a barrel, son this sterile piss flow remind these niggas what embarrassed is" "Vocals bold and rough evoke a ho to pose as drum and let me hit and beat it with the stick until the hole is numb" Just so many damn quotables, and like a young Nas, it just seems so effortless for dude.  If he actually releases a proper debut album in 2013, I fully expect it to be GREAT.  Not good, but GREAT.  Blame the man of 2012 for that.

Dope.

It's your world, Kendrick.  Whether it was dropping a possible classic debut album or being the front man of one of the hottest groups in hip-hop, Kendrick was every fucking where.  As I was compiling this list, I found myself removing Kendrick songs from it just because there were already so fucking many...as if it wasn't enough that most of his album belonged on here, he also had bonus tracks and songs that weren't released on the album...not to mention his features, which appeared on OTHER good albums (Game's and A$AP Rocky's, Big Sean's mixtape, Dom Kennedy's mixtape, etc.).  In a year where we got a lot of music and a lot of artists bursting onto the mainstream, Kendrick made his presence felt in a way even better than Drake did, IMO.  I now have to judge other talented artists like Freddie Gibbs and Earl Sweatshirt off of their actual debuts, rather than mixtapes and independent releases...he proved that you can drop a quality album without a truly successful single, AND that you can still conceive and sell a complete work.  At the end of the day, you're going to be judged primarily by your catalog, and Kendrick's major debut is a shining star.  I can only hope that hip-hop's momentum continues through 2013...now I just need that Jay Electron-never fucking mind, man.