“Now Punch is my mentor, Top Dawg is the coach

Jay Rock is my older brother, I was there when he wrote

His name on his record deal, we had figured the coast

Would live on a pedestal, once the shit hit the store

Found ourselves scrambling, tryna figure it out

Soul told me that the record shop ’bout to go in a drought

Q ain’t got a place to stay, and ’bout to sleep on the couch

We eating off each other tray, the dollar menu amount”

– The Heart (pt. 3)

A year ago, RESPECT. was gearing up to give Section.80 the props for the album of the year despite its mixtape status. Now, GKMC is leading the pack of all publications’ album of the year.  What 2012 helped prove was that Kendrick was not the only one who could carry the TDE torch.

The year began early with Schoolboy Q’s Habits & Contradictions releasing in January. The opus includes the singles “Hands On The Wheel,” “Blessed” and “Druggys Wit Hoes Again” which features A$AP Rocky, Kendrick and Ab-Soul respectively.

Control System came out in May with “Terrorist Threats” and “Pineal Gland” as the heavy singles. “Empathy,” where Ab-Soul commemorates his fallen friend, Alori Joh, was the third single off of the album.

These two projects served as the appetizers to what everyone was really waiting for. Solid projects by both Ab-Soul and Schoolboy Q meant that Kendrick couldn’t slip in his debut album if he wanted to be who we all knew he could be.

As young’ns in the game, TDE had much more to prove than MMG, G.O.O.D. Music and YMCMB. (Yes, we’re gonna leave Bad Boy out of this post.) Coming from and reppin’ hard for the west coast, TDE had much to prove to themselves, their coast and to the culture. There was no major co-signs on paper, though love and admiration for the collective was voiced by numerous up-and-comers and established artists.

The buzz that TDE created for themselves was in such a high order, that even when Dr. Dre brought them under Interscope, the shock was minimal and the “will they change after being signed?” discussions were slim. Fans already believed in the product and didn’t need a major label to co-sign what the fans already knew.

GKMC was instantly thrown the title of “classic” once it leaked a few days prior to its release, but that is something that only time will tell. Compton, South Central, Watts and Carson – and Los Angeles as a whole has a whole new spotlight on them now courtesy of these four artists.

While the other main collectives in hip-hop concerned themselves with sub-par compilation albums, TDE successfully plotted their come-up and maintained all of the new and older generations attention.

Everybody has since serenaded the new fate of king Kendrick, and we meant it, so it’s only right that his court/cabinet/crew are represented as all winners as our group of the year.

PS: And no, Kendrick, we did not let hip-hop die on October 22. 

The post Why TDE Is the Most Important Rap Crew of 2012 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

3. 2 Chainz

2 Chainz. Hairweavekiller. Tity Boi. Call him what you want but one thing you can definitely call him is HOT. 2 Chainz came out strong this year, reinventing himself and hoping on every imaginable track which catapulted him to sign a deal with Def Jam. He was caught riding around and getting it with T.I., calling all the “Supafreak”s with Jeezy, beeing in the trap with Nicki, swerving with Kanye on “Mercy” and looking for a big booty hoe for his birthday with Kanye. His album Based on a T.R.U Story has already went gold which only affirms why he is a contender for Artist of the Year. From his wild, hysterical dance movies to his swaggy, flamboyant wardrobe to his incredibly charismatic, funny adlibs and verses (chain the color of Akon), 2 Chainz has proved that that he is a star and isn’t going anywhere.

–Nina Long

2. Chief Keef

Who woulda thought this young kid from the Chi would have everybody yapping in 2012? Even your grandma had an opinion on the ever controversial Chief Keef, who blew up this year thanks to party-starting anthems and a whole lotta irreverence. Signing court papers with his stage name? Check. Skipping a video shoot with 50 Cent and Wiz Khalifa? Check. Kicked off Instagram for posting slop top pics? Check. On social media and in the press, Keef took IDGAF to a whole ‘nother level, becoming infamous for his mum demeanor that even prompted some to claim he’s autistic.

And the music? Oh, the music. Keef and his Glory Boyz released a slew of mixtapes that kept the streets satiated in 2012, culminating in a pretty solid album that didn’t do huge numbers but showed a lot of promise nonetheless. “Love Sosa” has already entered the ears of frat boys nationwide, and you can expect “Hate Bein’ Sober” to do the same in 2013. Love him or hate him, you know you’ll be paying attention.

–Nick Harwood

1. Kendrick Lamar

2012 was the coronation of King Kendrick Lamar.

After inking a deal with Aftermath in March of this year, there was fear that Lamar would become another artist in the long list of MCs that went into the Bermuda triangle that was Dr. Dre’s studio, only to never be seen again. Fortunately for the 25-year old Compton rapper, this was not the case.

Fans were almost immediately treated with a laid back, Westcoast single “The Recipe,” in April and the wheels began turning on the K. Dot bus.

After building a loyal fanbase with the critically-acclaimed independent release section.80 in 2011, Lamar hit while the iron was hot and delivered good kid, m.A.A.d city on October 22, 2012. The album is Kendrick’s life story as a kid from Compton, told in 68 minutes.

While good kid, m.A.A.d city didn’t have any noticeable “radio single,” the album debuted at #1 on the charts with over 242,000 copies sold and has since been certified gold. Kendrick’s major label debut has been heralded as a classic by many publications (sorry, Shyne).

Not only did Kendrick Lamar leave his fingerprints all over 2012, he also put Top Dawg Entertainment on the map with releases by Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul and solidified his brand as a force to be reckoned with. Tack on some guest features for the likes of Rick Ross, Big Sean, Pac Div and Game and you couldn’t miss Kendrick if you tried. Bow down.

–Kevin Ahmadi

The post 2012’s Artists of the Year appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

5. ScHoolboy Q & A$AP Rocky – “Hands on the Wheel”

Prior to releasing Habits & Contradictions, the album on which said song appears, Schoolboy Q and A$AP Rocky had collaborated on the latter’s song, “Brand New Guy.” It was here that listeners were first introduced to the two’s undeniable chemistry. “Got it jumping like Kriss Kross / Mismatching no jigsaw.” The line fittingly reflects the dynamic duo: the life of any party, and a partnership that just naturally goes together.

Fast forward to 2012 and the two have collaborated on Schoolboy Q’s “Hands on the Wheel.” Folk-rock singer-songwriter Lissie simultaneously provides the hook and steers the wheel, as passengers Schoolboy Q and A$AP Rocky create an ode to late night debauchery.

“Am I over-faded / Hell yeah it’s true” proudly proclaims Schoolboy on the first verse, his night of unrestrained ratchet-ness increasing drastically through the song’s three minutes.

Then comes Rocky: “With a little bit of crack, little bit of dope, little bit of smoke, little coke, little weed, when they on them pills.” Logically, combining several illegal substances just sounds like a recipe for disaster. But Schoolboy and Rocky are on the pursuit of happiness, and they’ll be fine once they get it (hopefully).

Hooks, blunts, brews and a heaping pile of other indulgent pleasures–this is “Hands on the Wheel.”

–Elijah Watson

4. Nicki Minaj – “Come on a Cone”

Nicki sold out. Blame misogynistic double standards, or the marginalization of black radio, or artistic laziness — whatever you want, really — but the fact remains that Nicki went full “Starships” on the sequel to her saccharine Pink Friday. I’m talking Rebecca Black “Friday” status — vomitrocious neon four-to-the-floor teeny bop. Sorry Barbs — and I do consider myself a hardcore Barb — but it’s true.

Nicki bisected Roman Reloaded into that shameful bullshit and a solid first half that leaned decidedly towards hip-hop. Incredibly, Nick Minaj verse-hook rapped on half of her album, and it was some of the greatest rap that came out this year. Most of the beats were crafted by the more and more talented Hit-Boy, and Nicki shredded them with the same ferocious flow that got her to where she is in the first place.

“Come on a Cone” sticks out because it self-consciously addresses the poppy nonsense that its creator embodies. When Nicki got that $12 million Idol check, we all rolled our eyes. But on “Cone,” she mocks the whole pop star stereotype, belting in a caricatured vibrato: “Dick in your face, put my dick in your face!” This is Lil Kim’s “Suck My Dick” sung in the style of Kelly Clarkson’s “A Moment Like This,” a brilliantly ironic and funny moment on an otherwise depressingly upbeat LP. Here’s to hoping Nicki’s actual appearance on the singing competition is anywhere near as subversive.

–Nick Harwood

3. Kanye West, Big Sean & Jay-Z – “Clique”

Kanye West and his very close friends made the word clique cool. After September 6, 2012, it wasn’t about rap crews, groups or collectives. It was about being in an exclusive clique.

And if we didn’t believe it already, this clique wins. From Big Sean’s young and uninhibited sense of humor, to Jay-Z’s continued insistence that nobody is even close to as good as him to Kanye’s thrilling and emotional closer—This song moves. These rappers, their friends and affiliates are quite obviously the rawest in the game. The song becomes like a well-written story or the perfect movie. The listener is constantly on their seat, waiting for the next amazing line, but at the same time enjoying the moment. It’s like you want to be on repeat and move forward at the same time because the juicy goodness is both coming and going.

That’s before I even mentioned the beat–a beat that comes to define 2012, a year of incredible production. Hit-Boy’s operatic creation becomes an almost overwhelming experience for the body, capturing every fiber and cell and making it vibrate and buzz. The body comes alive to the music.

This song is a celebration in the best way possible. It’s an ode to one single crew whose lyrics and beat made it cool for everyone else to refer to their friend group as a ‘clique’ too. It’s the best of Kanye and when Ye is at his best, he makes one of the best songs of 2012.

–Lauren Schwartzberg

2. Kendrick Lamar & MC Eiht – “M.A.A.D. City”

K. Dot was a little late for a Grammy nomination but not too late to get props from us. Cheers to the dude who was able to form great production into a template for telling an intricate story and still make the world want to listen. Kendrick’s good kid m.A.A.d city penetrated the hearts of inner-city kids, while still saving some bass for our good southern folk. In addition to the beat provided by Tha Bizness, his flow demanded our attention, and  on “m.A.A.d city” he even went back and brought O.G. MC Eiht along for the ride. Some rappers don’t know when to quit yappin’ enough for the beat to breathe. Kendrick manages to do so, while following the rhythm of the track so perfectly, we thought it was 08’ Wayne.

–Ryan Lyons

1. Kanye West, Pusha T, Big Sean & 2 Chainz – “Mercy”

Back in 2010, through the amazing G.O.O.D. Friday series, Kanye showed us the magic of collaboration. Each Friday between August 20 and December 17 was spent in anticipation: everyone knew something monumental was in store. In 2011, in the aftermath of his masterful fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye continued with the killer collaborations, but they were mostly with one other artist: Jay-Z. This year, on the strategically chosen day of April 6, Good Friday, Kanye went back to his 2010 formula.

The result was “Mercy,” an ambitious track featuring the lyrical skills of Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz, and the technical skills of Mike Dean, Lifted and Hudson Mohawke. With its obscure dancehall sample and dark, throbbing bass, “Mercy” was destined to be a banger. But what really captured our collective ear was the 2 Chainz verse at the end of the song. Like Nicki Minaj on “Monster,” 2 Chainz unleashed in a way that we had never seen before.

But beyond the lyrical contribution of Atlanta’s number one True Religion evangelist, “Mercy” is just a solid track. After 8 months of consistent plays and purchases (It went double platinum) it may have had its run, but there’s no doubt: it ran a marathon.

–Stephen Kearse

The post 2012’s Song of the Year appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

5. Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank) (dir. by Jerome D.)

Well, if he’s trying to get us to stop drinking, at least he made it look nice. Jerome D. directs Kendrick Lamar as he and his liquor bottles defy gravity, fly through space and crash into swimming pools and the ceiling respectively. In a climate of hundreds of rap videos of artists partying in clubs surrounded by scantily clad women and flowing liquor, K. Dot supplies us with a fresh take on the same old scene. This video first showed us that Kendrick is more than just artful lyrics. The captivating, contrasting colors and inspired scenes reveal that Kendrick’s got a visually creative side to him as well…not that we expected anything less.

“Swimming Pools (Drank)” makes our list not only because of the important message—we all already know Kendrick is of the more straight-edge variety—but it’s the simplicity and elegance of the visuals that allow the message to remain strong. Here we have a perfect match between song and video. Art and message complement each other, each reinforcing the power of the other. Now I just want to see good kid, m.A.A.d city transformed into a full-length feature film.

–Lauren Schwartzberg

4. A$AP Rocky – “Goldie” (dir. by A$AP Rocky)

“Come on now, we all know gold is gettin old,” preached Tony Yayo back in 2003. It only took nine years for A$AP Rocky to call his bluff on that one, and he did it with the backing of 2012’s best video of the year.

It is without a doubt that “Goldie” held it down as one of the stand out joints from that pretty muthaf***er’s debut mix tape Live.Love.A$AP, but the crisp, lavish visuals for the hit single help the all-gold grills, magnums, guns, kicks, and champagne in Rocky’s life shine even harder. 

What makes this video important for 2012 is that is directed by none other than A$AP Rocky himself, proving that in this new age of hip hop, rhyming isn’t enough to keep you on top. Today’s MC’s have to be versatile, not only in their lyrics and style, but in their repertoire of off stage skills as well. A$AP’s self-directed Parisienne adventures officially make him a dope rapper, over the top fashionista, originator of the entire A$AP brand, and an accredited music video director- essentially surpassing the triple threat. Plus, the pretty boy lets his whole team stunt in the video too, showing off his “Always.Strive.And.Prosper movement and cult like following. Pretty much, the Pretty Flacko’s got it made and he’s sho’ ’nuff not afraid to show and tell just how good 2012 has been to him:

Basically the concept of the video is to be more flamboyant and just to showcase a lot of flashy luxury—old foreign cars and fashion models. I need you to know this is all my idea. I’m the flyest motherfu**er you know.

Sure, he’s cocky, but A$AP Rocky is clearly multifaceted and proves his wealth of talent in “Goldie.”

–Fatima Johnson

3. Kanye West, Pusha T, Big Sean & 2 Chainz – “Mercy” (dir. by Nabil)

2. Odd Future – “Oldie” (dir. by Terry Richardson)

“You keep filming, fuck what they say” said Tyler in typical fashion as Terry Richardson tried to get the cameraman to stop recording as the OF ringleader spit the first verse of the group song “Oldie” into the lens. Thank God, or perhaps Satan in this case, that he did. Otherwise, we may have never seen such a candid, authentic, and humorous ten-minute video performance of arguably the illest posse cut in a long time. It was one of the first times where everyone from the group was really all together again as Earl had just returned home from Samoa. You could feel the energy in the room illuminating off this feeling of unity and finally all being together as every member participated in either cracking jokes, rapping their verse, singing along another member’s verses, playing around with props and costumes, or just in general being the usual wolf gang suspects. Music groups in hip hop have been coming back strong these past few years and this is a perfect example of the new generation of ‘em. It shows the personalities, and rapping ability, of practically the whole Odd Future collective. As Tyler says, just admit: not only are they talented, they’re rad as fuck.

–Jack Sommer

1. Drake – HYFR (dir. by Director X)

Ask anybody who has ever posted a Drake relationship meme on their timeline what HYFR means and they probably couldn’t tell you. Well, maybe they do just because Drake killed 2012 that much. Alas, “HYFR” contains one of Drizzy’s most potent verses of his still early career.

There’s nothing worse than giving a great song a terrible visual treatment. Remember “Best I Ever Had” video? While we can argue the brilliance/tastelessness of that all day, let’s move on. Director X opens with baby Drake doing a shuffle move than involves an arm motion that resembles propelling a wheelchair forward.  As we learn Drake has decided to get re-bar mitzvahed, we can assume this will be a party scene video. How right we are.

This just isn’t an normal opulence showing, this is a Jewish one! We got all Drake’s Jewish homies like his OVO reppers OB O’Brien (he may or may not be the red-headed goon mean mugging the whole time) and OVO Ryan and his non-Jewish homies Khaled, Stunna, Mack Maine and Trey Songz alike. Everything you could want at a bar mitzvah is here; The chair toss, the hora, Trey Songz encouraging you to shot some liquor and even Lil Wayne breaking a table center piece with a skateboard all the while failing to be original with a panda ski mask on. HYFR and Mazel Tov!

–Nick Williams

The post Best Music Videos of 2012 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

When God plays a hand on the table it’s hard to compete, but we didn’t only pick Big Sean’s emphatic exclamation because he brought in some help from the big guy upstairs. The ad-lib perfectly sums up Sean’s killer year, and it’s a year we’re happy to celebrate with this playa from Detroit.

It started off with “Clique.”Sean welcomed us into the undeniable song of the fall both by saying “Oh god! You’re about to experience rap history!” while still somehow seeming like he was a bit surprised to be there. It’s as if he said, “Oh god! Me, Kanye and Jay on a beat? Remember when I was a telemarketer making $120 a week?” We don’t really remember that telemarketer stuff, but we’re definitely happy you’re here now. Oh god! And not only are you now on a beat with ‘Ye and Jay, but your verse was the most fun (there! We said it) and you’re lovely voice graces the hook. God oh god! Not that you need to hear it from us, but welcome to the big leagues.

Big Sean, we just want to be like you. Truth is, I probably listen to all this rap music because I wish I could do it myself.

“Oh god!” is one of those great little ad-lib’s that we, as non-rappers can throw into everyday conversation: “Hey, I got out of work early today,” said Sheryl. “Oh god! Let’s go to a bar!” replied Dave.

Much like the famed *Kanye Shrug* and Rick Ross “Ruh” these shouts and classic rapper moves work best when all the plebes can follow along and feel connected. Thank you, Sean.

Finally, this wasn’t a huge year for ad-libs. We heard a lil “Bang” from Keef and Waka the yes-man shouted, well, “Yes!” but it’s hard to compete with a unique voice like Sean’s starting off some of the hottest songs of the year. He’s just happy to be here sitting next to raps legends and it all comes together with those two words. Oh god! Welcome to the club.

The post Why Big Sean’s “Oh God” Is the Best Ad-Lib of 2012 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

5. Captain Murphy (a.k.a. Flying Lotus) feat. Earl Sweatshirt – “Between Friends”

Earl has always been one to court mystery. Upon arriving home back in February, though he released “Home” and appeared on the tail-end of Odd Future’s OF Tape Vol 2, for the most part, the young emcee kept interviews, performances and features to a minimum. When he did do features, they were always in the midst of other Odd Future members (or affiliates, like Casey Veggies). So for the most part, it seemed that Earl was keeping it all in the family.

This all changed when Adult Swim released “Between Friends,” a Flying Lotus produced track featuring Earl and the mysterious Captain Murphy. This was Earl’s first [released] song outside of the OF camp since he returned.  The track features some intriguing voice modulations that make Earl and Captain Murphy sound eerily similar; the only thing that really distinguishes them is their distinct rapping styles. Over the hauntingly melodic instrumental, they sound like spirits having a conversation. The fact that few people can blend in with Earl so intimately led many people to believe that Captain Murphy was Tyler, but this turned out not to be true (Captain Murphy is Flying Lotus). Earl went on to be featured on multiple tracks from Domo Genesis’ mixtape, No Idols, but “Between Friends” still stands out.

–Stephen Kearse

4. Kendrick Lamar & Gunplay – “Cartoon & Cereal”

Does Robert F. Winch ring a bell? He’s the sociologist that came up with the idea, piggybacking off Plato’s first law, of opposites attracting. A prime example of Winch’s hypothesis is Kendrick Lamar and Gunplay’s “Cartoon & Cereal.”

The year arguably belongs to Kendrick, so Gunplay really couldn’t lose on this record. In the world we live filled with Wayne and Trey Songz features, this is a breathe of polar opposite fresh shit. With Kendrick’s witty linguistics, ability to flip to his subconscious voice mid verse, and Gunplay’s Carol City cries that reads like poetry, this collaboration goes.

Not meant for the radio, this THC produced track brings all the subcultures in. The hipsters loved it just as much as the West Coast hip-hop heads. Not to mention, this track shut down TDE’s website. That was probably because of lines like this. “Tell a story that I’ll never glory 25 / Not to worry, every warrior will come and see euphoria/And that’s a covenant I put on every tribe.”

–Nick Williams

3. Ab-Soul, Danny Brown & Jhene Aiko – “Terrorist Threats”

Ab-Soul released his debut album Control System back in May, its first single being “Terrorist Threats” which featured Danny Brown and Jhene Aiko. With much friendly competition from his TDE brethren, Ab-Soul knew that he had much hype surrounding him. “Terrorist Threats” was that distinct banger that Ab needed to set him apart from his crew.

With talks of war, politics, historical figures and of course, Soulo’s trademark references to our “third eye,” Soul found his fans rhyming along with him passionately. Danny Brown raps in his signature fashion speeding and braking with his highly-enunciated voice an impressive last verse:

Feel my pain
Going insane
I’m ashamed
‘Cause I ain’t got shit but an EBT card from a fiend that owes me
and it’s in his daughter’s name

This track is full of fighting words. Fortunately the apocalypse did not unleash on us, but perhaps if a worldwide revolution were to begin, expect this song to be played on boom-boxes of hip-hop heads and Selassie worshippers.

RESPECT. was in attendance at Soul’s show at New York’s SOBs where Ab-Soul headlined for the first time. This was the last song performed and as Soul descended from the stage, all you could hear was a collective chant of “You have three eyes.” Don’t forget it.

–Ragel Thys

2. Meek Mill & Big Sean – “Burn”

We first heard “Burn,” Meek Mill’s collaboration with Big Sean, on Dreamchasers 2. But the Jahlil Beats-produced joint was so hot (pun intended) that the label decided to soup it up for release on Millie’s debut album, Dreams & Nightmares. Perhaps it’s because “Burn” is one of the best examples of what the 25-year-old rapper can do on a microphone. His delivery is always barky and abrasive, as if he’s fighting to stay alive over the all-consuming beats he tends to ride, and on “Burn,” he’s at the top of his game.

Meek Mill is loud and exciting — which is exactly what Big Sean is not. Sean is known for his creep voice and playful, “try-sexual” flow, and it’s that counterbalance that makes “Burn” work so well. We like when Sean goes hard, and he pulls it off here. The two spitters play off each other well, making Sean’s part feel less of a feature and more of a true collaboration. Both of them are flexing their second lives in the rap game, and based on their success on “Burn,” we can expect even better from them in the new year.

–Nick Harwood

1. Pusha T, Kanye West & Ghostface – “New God Flow”

While G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer received lukewarm reviews from critics across the board, a few standout tracks from the project proved to be instant successes. Simply put, the single releases for this album (“Clique,” “Cold,” “Mercy,” and “New God Flow”) set a trajectory for the rest of the project that was quite difficult to maintain. Nevertheless, these four joints did more than their fair share in making up for a project that proved to be lacking in more ways than one.

“New God Flow” takes the hip-hop world back to Ghostface Killah’s second studio album, Supreme Clientele, but for this cut Kanyeflips the concept from the hook on Ghostface’s record “Mighty Healthy.” In doing so he creates a track that simultaneously shows deference to the Wu Tang member’s storied past, while also showcasing the lyrical talents of G.O.O.D. Music signee Pusha T.

The extended verses from Kanye and Pusha T really make this track stand out, but that is not meant to take anything away from Ghostface Killah’s bars. The addition of the Wu Tang member lends some contrast to Pusha and Kanye’s delivery style on this cut, but what’s nice about this record is the end result does not feel forced. With so many collaborations of this caliber, the problem inevitably proves to be the coexistence of big names on a single song. These guys make it work so well on “New God Flow” that one might be inclined to wonder what went wrong with the rest of the album. Don’t let the mistakes belie the careful choices that went into making this album, but unfortunately several records from this project missed their mark. The process worked for “New God Flow,” so you won’t catch anyone complaining about this joint.

–Jack Freifelder

The post Best Collabs of 2012 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

5. Kendrick Lamar – “Backseat Freestyle” (prod. by Hit-Boy)

Hit-Boy had a marquee year in 2011 with “Niggas in Paris” off Watch the Throne and he didn’t stop in 2012. In addition to releasing his own free album, the Cali-native produced the most blistering cut off Kendrick Lamar’s major label debut, good kid, m.A.A.d city.

Kendrick’s anthemic rhyming on “Backseat Freestyle” is made even more powerful by the brooding bass and piercing chimes Hit-Boy has laid down. Though the song, in the context of the album, is another piece of Kendrick’s story (in this instance, a teenager in the car with his homies not caring about anything in the world at that moment), the record stands alone as a street banger.

Even with an album so lyric-driven, there needs to be a momentary break for the listener to let loose (and, hey, if it works in the streets to garner buzz for sales, so be it).

This marks one of the rare instances in which the chorus of the song is not the focal point that keeps listeners attentive. Hit-Boy’s beat is undeniable and one gets the feeling that should they hit pause they may just get slapped – possibly by a body part that rivals a Paris landmark.

–Kevin Ahmadi

4. Nicki Minaj – “Beez in the Trap” (prod. by Kenoe)

Nicki Minaj has been overly criticized for having gone pop, but she silenced the haters with one song: “Beez in the Trap.” Produced by Kenoe, the beat is incredibly infectious with the sound of bubbles popping throughout. The pulsating beat reminds you of heavy raindrops hitting a window or needles hitting the ground. The beat is ice cold, and gives Nicki the chance to do what she does best. Nicki is a spitter, and the pinging, popping, and snapping throughout the track is the perfect platform for her to do that. It’s hard yet effortlessly simple. The song is ratchet music at its finest, and Nicki’s confidence oozes throughout. The beat is gritty and gets you hype before Nicki utters her first “Yo.” The track is filled with energy and swagger that is only magnified with comedic verses from 2 Chainz and Nicki herself. Kenoe provides an out of space feel with the beat that Nicki took and knocked straight out of the box. Hands down, it is one of the best beats of the year.

–Nina Long

3. A$AP Rocky – “Goldie” (prod. by Hit-Boy)

When hip-hop conversations turn to the topic of production one thing remains supreme: staying power. More to the point, Hit-Boy’s production discography over the last year or so has proven that he’s going to be around for the long haul. His work with The Throne helped make a household name for himself in rap circles, but Hit-Boy’s ability to produce for artists across the board has been equally important.

Case in point: “Goldie.” It’s always good to see the East and West coasts coming together to produce hot records, but what sets “Goldie” apart is the way that Rocky’s lyrics play off the subtlety of Hit-Boy’s offering. This isn’t the high-octane beat we’ve seen on joints like Weezy’s “6 Foot 7 Foot,” but that in essence is what makes this track work so well. Simplicity is key but certainly not at the expense of quality in this case.

To put it bluntly, “Goldie” brought two of the hottest young names in the game together on one track. A$AP Rocky handled the vocals, Hit-Boy took care of the beat and hip-hop faithful reaped all the rewards. Here’s hoping that more of the same is yet to come from this tandem.

–Jack Freifelder

2. Chief Keef – “I Don’t Like” (prod. by Young Chop)

You know your beat is dope when someone else has to change it before they can rap on it. Such was the case with Chief Keef’s “I Don’t Like,” produced by Young Chop. After it caught Kanye’s ear, it was quickly sent over and given a G.O.O.D. Music tune-up. Young Chop was not happy. Peep this excerpt from his conversation with Chicago’s DJ Moon Dawg:

I’m mad as hell, I’m mad as fuck, for the simple fact that they did not ask me to change up shit in my beat. How the fuck did they add another melody over the instrumental? These motherfuckers is playing me and I don’t give two fucks, I will sue the shit out of Kanye West…They didn’t ask me for none of that, I don’t fucking like that. I made a fucking sound, so you supposed to stay with my fucking sound. The beat is fucking hard by itself. That shit don’t sound the same, it don’t got the same feel.

Chop and Ye eventually patched things up, but he’s right when he says that the G.O.O.D. Music remix is a different beast. Luckily, the effect of the remix was positive. Since then, Chief Keef and Young Chop have been on the rise, especially Chop, who has worked with Big Sean, Pusha T, Ace Hood, Birdman and Gucci, among others.

–Stephen Kearse

1. Kanye West, Pusha T, Big Sean, 2 Chainz – “Mercy” (prod. by Lifed, w/ additional production by Mike Dean, Mike Will, Kanye West & Hudson Mohawke)

When we heard the first single from G.O.O.D. Music’s Cruel Summer, we all shook our heads in both strong agreement and confusion about what was being said on the sample. Did we care? No, we just mumbled along under our breaths forcing our bodies into our best rendition of Lil B’s cooking dance in the club and on countertops. The instrumental was actually created by G.O.O.D music’s latest signee Lifted, and also feature’s added effects from both Mike Dean, Mike Will and Hudson Mohawke. The sample, added by Ye, is actually the voice of legendary toaster Fuzzy Jones from the Super Beagles song, “Dust A Sound Boy.” With trap experts Mike Dean and Mike Mill on the added production, the drums hit much harder and better. That the song features input from many hands is indicative of Kanye’s collective approach to hip-hop music — a meeting of great minds and ideas. It also inspired 2 Chainz to drop the most fire
guest feature this year: “Horse power, horse power / All this polo on, I got horse power.”

–Ryan Lyons

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