The 15 Most Slept On Albums Of 2012
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Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday Roman Reloaded The Re-Up
Where Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded lacked in fiery bars, The Re-Up made up for with eight new singles. The rapstress brings back the flavor of her debut album, pairing floaty vocals with sparring punchlines. The content showcases all of Nicki's alter egos: a boss lady ("I'm Legit" featuring Ciara), a singles lady ("I Endorse These Strippers" with Tyga and Thomas Brinx), and a genre liberator ("Freedom"). While her extra-curricular beef (see Target, Mariah Carey and Steven Tyler) may have taken center stage, the Queens-bred lyricist brings the hood back much to the Barbz and any hip-hop heads' delight.
Buy On iTunes
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Santigold - Master Of My Make Believe
Some people are still waiting on the follow-up to Santi's indie-rock self-titled debut banger, Santogold. News flash: the sophomore follow-up dropped earlier this year. It's definitely not a slump, either. On Master Of My Make Believe, Santi blends alternative, dubstep, and pop well enough to create a sound that's completely all her own.
Buy On iTunes
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Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio
Pianist and producer Robert Glasper makes like Dexter—the kid scientist, not serial-killer killer—and merges musical beakers for his grand, jazz-meets-rap-meets-soul project. The 34-year-old renaissance man, who’s been featured on albums by Kanye West and Q-Tip, named Black Radio for the durable recording device known to survive plane crashes (a suggestion of Mos Def, who appears on the title track as Yasiin Bey). And the LP is indeed everlasting, inviting the likes of Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco and Bilal to vibe out to breezy saxophones, bass and keys for the perfect incense and Riesling kick back. Consider this experiment a radioactive success.
Buy On iTunes
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Yuna - Yuna
If you're looking for the songbird of the new generation with impeccable sense of style, impressive pipes, and the ultimate co-sign (shout-out to Pharrell), Yuna’s your girl. On her U.S. debut, the Malaysian singer is soothing, yet playful with her delivery, emitting Colbie Caillat vibes but from a hipper perspective. She's even bringing back the Badu wrap.
Buy On iTunes
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Tyga – Careless World: Rise of the Last King
YMCMB's young gunna has come a long way from just sharing a byline on wax among his posse on songs like "Bedrock" and "Roger That." Though his claim to fame didn't mirror the meteoric rise of his fellow label mates Drake and Nicki Minaj, he inched his way to the forefront thanks to club bumpers "Faded" and "Rack City." But his sophomore effort Careless World: Rise of the Last King showcases the solid talents of the under-rated Compton MC. His lyrical simplicity combined with young charisma makes his tracks relatable whether divulging his heartaches on "Far Away" or reminiscing on struggle on the Big Sean-assisted "I'm Gone." No matter the tempo, T Raw is versatile in his flow, combining sing-songy flows with catchy hooks.
Buy On iTunes
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Skyzoo – Theo vs. JJ: Dreams vs. Reality
A solid prep for his album A Dream Deferred that followed, the theme of Cosby Show’s Theo Huxtable against Good Times’ JJ Evans lifestyles showed in sophisticated sharp raps over evenly weaved hardcore hip-hop melodies.
Buy On iTunes
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Melanie Fiona – The MF Life
Much like her performance at this year’s BET Awards, Melanie Fiona’s sophomore album, The MF Life, was painfully overlooked. Fiona bridged the gap between new and old by drawing on the sounds of Motown, yet finding wiggle-room to experiment with some hip-hop sensibilities. Batter up her powerhouse vocals and it’s a clear homerun.
Download On iTunes
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KA – Grief Pedigree
Dark, plodding and abyss-deep lyrically, Brownsville N.Y.’s KA sets the originality tone for every rapper out with his Grief Pedigree album. Self-directed videos and self-produced beats to match his grim flow will brighten your mind.
Buy On iTunes
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Jeremih – Late Nights With Jeremih, Hosted By DJ Drama
Though critics initially tagged Jeremih as Dream Lite, he’s more like a factory concoction of Dream, Trey Songz and The Weeknd—and that works for us. Pop in this moody mixtape, which boasts certified production by the likes of Mike Will and Tricky Stewart, and treat your auditory nerves to get-it-poppin anthems laced with vulgarities (“Rated R,” “773 Love”) and plenty of, uh, tongue-twister vocals. Get stimulated.
Download/Stream On Dat Piff
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9th Wonder & Buckshot – The Solution
The producer-rapper duo’s third album solves the formula for grown-man rap heads looking for more than brash boasts and club cuts. Relationship issues, money traps and the perils of hard work are explored on this soul sample odyssey.
Stream On OkayPlayer
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Joey Bada$$ - Rejex
When the youngest in charge on the rap scene dropped his B-sides CD Rejex—a host of tracks and original mixes that didn't make it on his breakout debut mixtape 1999—plenty of heads were too caught up bumping the first one to check this out. If you haven't yet, you're doing yourself an injustice as a hip-hop fan, trust.
Download On Dat Piff
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AB-Soul - Control System
The self-proclaimed black-lipped bastard came through so hard on Control System that people weren't ready for it. Some of his bars are so intricate they tend to fly over people's heads or send them running to Rap Genius (ex: "Got a few two liters and it's about to go down/Then again it's the prescription of choice/Just call us the Phenergan boys."). Ultimately, Ab proved to be TDE's wittiest lyricist on this one—yes, that includes rap's golden child Kendrick Lamar. Give Control System a few plays in its entirety, and we guarantee the line "Who got a Sprite?!" will be your answer to everything.
Buy On iTunes
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Dom Kennedy – Yellow Album
While Yellow Album certainly was banging out a lot of car windows this summer, we felt like the album never got past the music-savvy crowd—it doesn't even have a proper Wikipedia page for crying out loud. This mixtape has an infectious balance of smoker anthems, smooth cruising joints, and dope collaborations (i.e. Kendrick Lamar, Freddie Gibbs, Too $hort), making for a must-listen tape from one of hip-hop's most promising out of the younger generation.
Download/Stream On Dat Piff
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Freddie Gibbs – Baby Face Killa
It doesn't take long for DJ Drama to yell “quality street music,” and it’s the perfect adlib account of Freddie’s latest set of corner boy cuts. When you’re ready to break from the money-dance strip records and rap-EDM joints, cue this up for more of the young G’s brand of remorse-less drug sagas and cameos from the likes of Young Jeezy, Dom Kennedy and Krayzie Bone.
Download/Stream On Dat Piff
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Elle Varner – Perfectly Imperfect
Elle Varner’s neo-soul, funk-infused debut album, Perfectly Imperfect, packs a punch with clever storytelling. Who else could make a mantra-hook about a refill sound so erotic? Not to mention, her raspy and sultry voice. She’s easily this year’s¬ freshest R&B leading lady.
Buy On iTunes
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