2012 Recap
2012 was a big year for rap music. On the Top 10 Rap Songs list (courtesty of Billboard), Drake appears 4 times, and Kanye West & 2 Chainz appear twice. In the Top 10 Rap Albums list (also from Billboard), half of them were released in 2011 (#'s 1,3-6) but it's Drake who took the 2012 rap crown. Although it is listed as the 2011 list, MTV did its annual "Hottest MC's in the Game" list a year late, doing their 2011 list in 2012. The "Hottest MC's List" is a list made every year by a panel of music people from MTV. The list is based on who the people from MTV had the best overall year. Every year rap magazine XXL makes a short list of 10 "Freshman" rappers (11 in 2011) that readers should watch out for in the coming year. The list is in no particular order.
TOp 10 Rap Songs1. The Motto - Drake featuring Lil Wayne
2. Mercy - Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz 3. Paris - Jay-Z and Kanye West 4. Drank in My Cup - Kirko Bangz 5. Take Care - Drake featuring Rihanna 6. No Lie - 2 Chainz featuring Drake 7. Make Me Proud -Drake featuring Nicki Minaj 8. Cashin' Out - Ca$h Out 9. Lotus Flower Bomb - Wale featuring Miguel 10. Leave You Alone - Young Jeezy featuring Ne-Yo |
Top 10 Rap Albums1. Drake - Take Care
2. Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded 3. LMFAO - Sorry for Party Rocking 4. Young Jeezy - TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition 5. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter IV 6. Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne 7. Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don't 8. 2 Chainz - Based on a T.R.U. Story 9. G.O.O.D. Music - Cruel Summer 10. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city |
10 Hottest MC's in the Game1. Rick Ross
2. Drake 3. Kanye West 4. Nicki Minaj 5. Lil Wayne 6. Jay-Z 7. Meek Mill 8. Big Sean 9. Wiz Khalifa 10. Wale *Breakthrough Artist Award - Machine Gun Kelly (MGK)* |
Top 10 Freshmen of 2012 |
What to expect in 2013
2013 will be a big year for rap music. Expect debut albums from aspiring artists (A$AP Rocky, Danny Brown, French Montana, Gunplay, Kirko Bangz, Pusha T & Roscoe Dash). Expect albums from artists who haven't released since 2010 or before (Birdman, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Fabolous, Jay-Z, Joe Budden, Juicy J, Kanye West, Ludacris & 50 Cent). In addition, expect albums from artists who are trying to follow up their top 10 albums from 2011 or 2012 (Big Sean, Drake, Future, J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Mac Miller, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross,Tyga, Wale & 2 Chainz). With Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' hit "Thrift Shop" #1 in the country, 2013 rap is starting off with a bang.