The Return of the Cool blog will not be posting anything else until the New Year, so shoutout to all of you who have made this blog popular, and expect bigger and better things from us in 2013. The Return of the Cool blog isn't going anywhere! We're just getting started (;
There were A LOT of hot mixtapes and albums this year, way more than 10 that's for sure. Look below to see which two mixtapes were thisclose to making the list year:
Meek Mill- Dreamchasers 2
Dreamchasers 2 was a big hit this year. With songs like "Amen," "Burn" and "Used to Be" and with features like 2 Chainz, Drake, Fab and French Montana, this mixtape was a smash.
A$AP Mob- Lord$ Never Worry
It was good to see the whole team collaborate. Lord$ Never Worry was indeed, trill. Every song was pretty good, but "Purple Kisses" and "Gotham City" definitely stood out. Special shouts to A$AP Ferg, hope to hear more from dude.
So let's talk about the best album of the year. Yes yes y'all, Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, m.A.A.d City is #1, and on this album he gives us 12 reasons why. Moving over 500,000 units making it certified gold, GKMC has already been classified as a classic hip-hop album. Kendrick is a bomb storyteller, letting us in as he reminisces on growing up in Compton with the homies and that "crazy ass girl Sherane."
The Deluxe Edition
Each song speaks on the real. It's one of those albums you have to listen to from beginning to end, interludes included, which shouldn't be a problem because GKMC is crack. He starts off with "Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter," a trip to get some gone wrong, ending with his mom and dad leaving him a hilarious voicemail. It transitions into "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe," which strays away from the story the album is telling but serves as one of the most popular tracks. He then proceeds to turn up on "Backseat Freestyle,"(produced by Hit Boy) taking us back to when he was 16 living carefree. On "The Art of Peer Pressure," we hear the prelude to the intro track and how he ended up at Sheranes'. As you can see, as I said before, it's just better to play this from beginning to end- the story is dope.
Kendrick and Sherane
The features on the album are perfect for it. On "Money Trees," fellow Black Hippy member Jay Rock rips his verse, getting more recognition from the song than K. Dot himself. The song "Poetic Justice" with Drake and a sample from Janet Jackson is a certified smash, now we're just waiting on the video, which Lamar hopes Miss Jackson will appear in. MC Eiht appears on "m.A.A.d City," hopping on one of the album's more animated tracks with ScHoolboy Q yelling throughout, and Dr. Dre, one of GKMC's executive producers, appears on "Compton," reminding us that the infamous city has been holding the rap game down.
Girrllll.
Songs not mentioned such as "good kid" (featuring and produced by Pharell and Chad Hugo), "Real" (feat. Anna Wise), and the two-song collabo "Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" were just as good as the rest of the album. And of course by now everybody and their daddy knows how hot "The Recipe" and "Swimming Pools (Drank)" tracks were this year. K. Dot and the rest of Black Hippy are really changing the game right now, and with all the hype around them right now, 2013 is looking even better than 2012 for the group (though we may not ever get a group album). Shoutout to Kendrick Lamar for giving us that real just in time to make the top spot in 2012, and let us hope he continues to keep his consistency and show out even more next year. Salute to the TDE gang- y'all #1!
This album is a must buy. Go cop it if you haven't already. Also look out for the short film Kendrick is directing for the album (!!!). Look below for the video to "Swimming Pools (Drank)" and song snippets from each one on the album:
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Frank Ocean is number two on the countdown for his first studio album, Channel Orange. When I mentioned him on my other blog last year, I knew for a fact he would be around for a while, releasing one of the best mixtapes of 2011, nostalgia, Ultra. His voice and music give off the coolest vibe, and when "Thinking About You" was released online he had the internet going CRAZY! With nU he already garnered a buzz, but with that song followed by "Sweet Life" and the almost 10-minute "Pyramids," he solidified himself as a staple in R&B.
Channel Orange is one of the best R&B albums to come out in years. Each song is more beautiful than the last. On "Bad Religion" and "Forrest Gump," Frank lets us into his personal life, expressing his feelings for his first love -a man- which we found out about this past summer when he put up this Tumblr post. Like I said in my previous post about nU,I love how open and honest he is, and he continued this on CO. On songs like "Pilot Jones" ad "Lost," Mr. Ocean speaks on his former female lovers and how they've gotten caught up in the drug lifestyle. You almost forget this man is telling a story because you're so wrapped up in the flow and his voice on the album. And let's not get into the songs with features. MAN. The homie Earl Sweatshirt finally got some widespread recognition with his bars on "Super Rich Kids," and John Mayer had a smooth instrument solo on the track "White," although I would have much rather preferred the version where Frank Ocean sang (as featured on The OF Tape, Vol. 2- listen here). "Pink Matter" though? With Andre 3000? Between Frank's awesome vocals, the lyrical content, the dopest feature, AND a reference to Dragon Ball Z, this is definitely one of the best tracks on Channel Orange. Hell, even the interludes are hot. From the intro "Start" where he is playing Street Fighter on the PS to the the other interludes where he gears us up for the next track (which is good reason as to why you should listen to this album in order), they all go. The hidden track "Golden Girl" on the end of "End" with Tyler, the Creator is also a nice surprise. I haven't even mentioned "Crack Rock" and "Sierra Leone," but if you have listened to CO you know that this entire album is perfection.
Listen to one of the best albums of the year below, so good that Frank is nominated for SIX Grammys in 2013- hats off to him. Also check out the videos for "Pyramids" and "Thinkin Bout You," as well as his newest track, "Wise Man," off the Django Unchained soundtrack:
Nas is one of the best rappers of our time. Being raised in Queens myself, I grew up on his music. So it was no surprise that his 10th studio album, Life Is Good, would bang. He has always been great at storytelling, and he didn't fail to do it on LIG. The wise lyricist created one of the best albums of they year, taking it back with old school hip-hop beats and telling us stories of his personal life.
The intro, "No Introduction" assured us that this album, like his others, would be classic, reminiscing about being raised in Queensbridge. He then continues to go in on the following tracks like "Loco-Motive" feat. Large Professor and "A Queens Story."On one of the more popular tracks entitled "Daughters," Nas reflects on fatherhood and raising his daughter, catching rage when the "social network" told him to get his kid. He then goes on to speak about Kelis, dedicating the song "Bye Baby" to her, though the entire album was influenced by their divorce (see album cover). His other singles, "Nasty" and "The Don" made me feel like I was back in Southside in the early 90s, listening to reggae and the latest in hip-hop on Hot 97. So many artists this year have had hits, but so many lacked substance. Luckily for us, one of the Hip-Hop Kings came back and showed them what it really is, getting nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys, which will be presented next year. There have only been a handful of albums this year that I could stand to listen to straight through, and LIG was on the top of the list. Rick Ross, the only rap feature on the album, made sure to come strong on "Accident Murderers." It almost makes you upset that this dude doesn't rap like this on the regular. Nas of course, slays. One of the best songs on the album, the smooth "Cherry Wine," features the late Amy Winehouse and makes you wish they could have done more tracks together.
Nas will forever be what a lot of these rappers wish they could. Period. Just a few weeks ago a deluxe edition of Illmatic was released but was quickly sold out (trust, I was mad when I tried to order it and was shut down). 21 years in the game and this MC is still gettin' it in like this. Let us all hope he continues to drop a new album every once in a while, reminding of us what greatness truly is. If you got the bread and are in NYC for New Year's Eve, check him out with Elle Varner at Radio City Music Hall here. Check out some videos from Life Is Good and a few tracks from the album below:
First featured back on this blog in August, Jaiy Roses is back with an even smoother track dedicated to the ladies. Produced by none other than himself, Jaiy has plans to release his album "XIII: Lost Secrets" in mid-February. Listen to "Taking Chances" below:
"I used to wanna rap like Jay-Z/ Now I feel I could run laps around Jay-Z."
This really isn't that far-fetched.
Ab-Soul is simply one of the best lyricists of our generation, period. His word play on Control System is crazy, pulling out bars that leave all of us wondering what in the hell he actually meant. I know I am not the only one who has had to pull up Rap Genius while listening to the album (which is a good idea, since Ab-Soul himself explains some of the lyrics). Upon first listen, some of the things he says may go over your head, but this man goes HARD while maintaining his super chill demeanor.
Control System opens up with the beautiful Jhene Aiko singing on "Soulo Ho3," while AS hypes us up to hear the rest of the album. On "Bohemian Grove" he gives us one of the chillest beats on CS (other than "Empathy"), then proceeds to turn up on tracks like "Terrorist Threats" with fellow rapper Danny Brown, "SOPA"and "Lust Demons" with Jay Rock. He also spits on sensitive subjects, specifically on "The Book of Soul," where he lets us into his personal life- touching on his life-threatening skin condition and the loss of his former lover and friend, singer Alori Joh, earlier this year. The production on this independent album wasn't the best but it fit perfectly with Ab's flow. I'm sure when he gives us his major debut album next year we'll be satisfied all around with it. Ab-Soul shows so much promise, and it's only a matter of time before him and Kendrick are fighting for the #1 spot as long as he stays consistent.
Watch Ab-Soul's music videos from Control System and take a listen to "Only 1"- Soul's latest track produced by Willie B- and the entire album, below:
Ab-Soul feat. Danny Brown & Jhene Aiko x "Terrorist Threats"
Seems like this rapper is here to stay...forever. Check out the video for "Long Live A$AP", the intro track for A$AP Rocky's album of the same name that was leaked is set to come out January 15th.
Game is officially back on his grind. This album is so official- between the his flow, production and 23 features (not including the Kevin Hart skits), Jesus Piece deserves to be on every list that speaks on the hottest music this year.
We all know by now The Game doesn't care about being controversial, so having a concept album based around religion and street life wasn't surprising- we were going to listen regardless. With all these other great artists on JP, one would think The Game would be outshined by them- especially when rappers like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Common didn't disappoint. In actuality, he stepped it up with every artist he was rhyming with and made sure he was heard and remembered on each track. The two songs where it's just him ("Heaven Arms" & "Blood Diamonds") he ripped. I'd also like to shoutout two singers on JP- producer K. Roosevelt had me thinking I was listening to Frank Ocean at first on "Can't Get Right" and JMSN (on "Pray" also featuring J. Cole) is on the come up after he swooned girls with his song "Love & Pain" earlier this year. And hearing Kevin Hart at first was unexpected but hilarious nonetheless.
I was surprised by a couple of his samples, but if you know The Game, you know he has always had a good ear. Standouts are the two he used by Florence and the Machine- an indie rock band-, "1st of the Month" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and "Lady" by D'Angelo. When it comes to production, from the the intro track with Meek Mill to his take on blood diamonds on the track of the same name (on the Deluxe Edition), the beats are SICK.
With this album only being 2 weeks old, you can expect people to ride to it into 2013. The fans love it and Dr. Dre gave it his seal of approval, so expect this album to receive more and more praise (no pun intended) in the next couple of weeks. Peep music videos from songs off the album as well as some of the tracks below (WARNING: "I Remember" video is NSFW):
The Game feat. Chris Brown, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa and Wayne- Celebration
The first R&B crooner to make the list is Miguel at number six. With Kaleidoscope Dream he DID THAT. He has grown so much since he first came on the scene. KD is a sexy album you can listen to straight through multiple times, making it one of the best albums of 2012.
With his seductive, moody voice (similar to Usher and The Weeknd), Miguel has dudes singing his lyrics to us girls as we swoon over how he good he sounds over such smooth and soulful beats. Songs about love, drugs, lust and sex will always sell, and Miguel and his label surely did that with this alternative R&B album. Opening with his single track "Adorn," he set the tone for the rest of KD, with even sexier songs like the title track, "Use Me," "Arch & Point," "How Many Drinks" and "Pussy is Mine." His songs that aren't sex-themed are just as -if not more- beautiful. The beats on "Do You...," "The Thrill," & "Don't Look Back" are just as sexy and smooth as the rest of the album. And what's even better is that the album is JUST HIM. No other artists were featured on the album, and really, they didn't need to be.
Kaleidoscope Dream tracklist
If you can catch any of the rest of his concerts, you should definitely go and check him out (check here)- I can only imagine what this album sounds like live. If not, you can listen to the entire album for free on Spotify. Check out the Dream Tour video below (while "Do You" plays in the background) as well as some music videos(which are just as cool as the songs themselves) and tracks from Kaleidoscope Dream:
The first (but certainly not the last) rapper to appear on the top ten list from Black Hippy is ScHoolboy Q at number seven. Out of all the dudes on his team, Q brings the most energy to his music, which is apparent on Habits and Contradictions- his music is unorthodox. His rhymes can only be rivaled by members of his own crew and he holds his own when on tracks with them.
Q's voice is unique, and no one is messing with his delivery- it's hype. He goes off on "Oxy Music," "Raymond 1969," and "Nightmare on Figg St,"-just to name a few- and "Blessed" with K. Dot and "Sacrilegious" are fan favorites. "Hands on the Wheel" feat. A$AP Rocky was the hottest single on the album, and it still goes like it did earlier this year. ScHoolboy Q's charisma on a track is unmatched, making him the standout rapper of 2012.
Look out in 2013 for his untitled album with Interscope (!) and lets hope him and the rest of Black Hippy continue to slay- and come out with their collabo album in the near future. Check out some music videos from the album below as well as some of the hottest tracks on Habits and Contradictions:
ScHoolboy Q feat. Ab-Soul- Druggys With Hoes Again
If you haven't heard this mixtape this year then I don't know where the hell you've been. Earlier this year Rich Forever was the most downloaded mixtape in history. Of the 20 songs on the tape, the majority were fire- the only skippable song is "Mine Games" (sorry Kelly). I'm sure no one forgot how hot "Stay Schemin" was (and still is), and though I'm not a fan of "Ring Ring" people everywhere were riding to this song earlier this year. High-profile features like Nas, Pharell, and John Legend were on some of the best songs on Rich Forever, and though many feel like too many features is just too much, with this mixtape they helped make it 10x better. The production on this mixtape, specifically on songs "MMG Untouchable" and "King of Diamonds," was INSANE. Ross has been in the game for a minute now, this man has a good ear. This could have easily been his album, which to many people (myself included) was actually better than God Forgives, I Don't.
(Sorry but this picture is classic.)
Officer Ricky has come a long way since his earlier days, and its obvious with the empire he has built with rappers Meek Mill, Wale, Stalley, Omarion (seriously) and others. I mean, when have you not heard one of these guys on the radio this year? They stay putting out hits, vlogs, and anything to keep them in the limelight. 2012 was a great year for MMG, now lets hope they continue to kill it in 2013.
Listen to some of the tracks and watch a couple of the Rich Forever European Tour vlogs below:
"They belong at the top but they ain't trippin, cuz they'll get there in a minute..."- Wiz (edited by me)
Every now and then a rapper/ rappers will send me their music and I'll think, "Wow, this sounds promising." Their stuff will be different. They won't try to give me hipster, trill, or gangsta music. They make their own sound, and its something I know I will remember and others (myself included), will enjoy. That is what attracted me to EarthGang.
Raised in Atlanta, GA, Johnny Venus & Doctor Dot (born in Cali) want to give you that "pure pure," not the basic music that a lot of Atlanta artists are trying to sell. Meeting on a field trip during their time at Mays High School, they decided to come together and form EarthGang. As of right now they have written and produced two albums, Mad Men and Good News, and have shared the stage with Big Sean and Curren$y, from UGA in Athens, GA to Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
EarthGang has substance. Upon hearing Good News I knew this group was about their sh*t. It's an album where you won't want to skip any songs, instead just sit back, enjoy, and listen to straight through. Describing their music as "unapologetic & passionate," this creative duo delivers a smooth flow over soulful and feel-good beats. Set to release their third album "Shallow Graves for Toys" soon, EarthGang already has the Atlanta underground scene going crazy with their singles "The F Bomb (IDGAF)" and "Miss The Show" from their mixtape The Crash Course, which you can download after the jump.
It's not often you hear rappers that make you feel like their music can change the game. But that's over with once you hear what I have in store for you below. Check out EarthGang's website for more info on the group and download their mixtape, The Crash Coursehere.
Listen to their albums and other music on their bandcamp site, and make sure to follow them on Twitter and like their Facebook page.
Everybody should know by now that Kanye West doesn't sleep. With a group of some of the hottest rappers and singers out right now, the man doesn't have time. He made sure that this compilation album held a spot in our music library this year, which is why him and his crew get the number nine spot for Cruel Summer.
G.O.O.D Music didn't disappoint with GOOD Fridays this year before the release. With hits like "Mercy," "Clique," and "Cold," Mr. West and the rest of G.O.O.D. owned the radio this year. "New God Flow" and "I Don't Like" (introducing Chicago's own Chief Keef) were bangers this year. And even if it wasn't a single, each of the album's songs were replay-worthy. As said in my first post about this album, G.O.O.D. Music brought the heat on tracks like "The Morning," "Sin City," and "The One," and kept us entertained with featured artists like Ghostface Killah, Ma$e and R. Kelly. The production on this album was BANANAS, as we knew it would be.
Special shoutout to Teyana Taylor, she wasn't on it much but she did her thing on "Bliss." I've been following her career since "Google Me Baby" and it's nice to see how far she has come.
Big ups to G.O.O.D. Music. We didn't get the rumored Cruel Winter but there's still hope in the next few months, and we have releases from Kid Cudi, Pusha T, and Kanye's 6th studio album to look forward to. 2013 is gonna be G.O.O.D. Watch some videos and listen to some of the album below:
As we await Wale's Folarin mixtape which drops Christmas Eve (hosted by DJ Clark Kent), he decided to drop a track yesterday that did not make the cut. Hear the freestyle, "Too Much Talk," where he also shows tribute to the shootings in Newtown, below:
Here's the promo video for the much anticipated mixtape, download it December 24th:
His next album is rumored to come out February 2013. Details later.
Coming in at number ten is Dom Kennedy's "Yellow Album" mixtape.
With a lot of the hottest rappers out right now hailing from the West Coast, Dom does not disappoint. I will admit I myself have slept on Dom, first hearing his stuff last year. But with his laid-back flow and smooth beats, this was the perfect mixtape to ride to this past summer. The Cali native also has a nice lineup of features on the tape, including K.Dot, Freddie Gibbs, Too $hort and Mr. Rozay. Combine his use of samples from Biggie (one of his biggest influences), Aaliyah and Musiq Soulchild, and the crazy production from THC and others, The Yellow Album has the perfect sound to be played all year long. Hear a few of the hottest tracks + the video to "My Type of Party" after the jump, and download it here.
Get Home Safely is due out next Spring. he stopped by L.A. Leakers a couple of weeks ago to talk about it, check it out below:
With all the new releases coming out today before Christmas I thought it would be only right to hear them out before finally publishing the Top 10 list.
I also had a lot of these albums way before they were actually released and didn't want to be insensitive to the artists, so I've waited for them to be released before talking about them.
Lookout for #10 tonight- Dom Kennedy- Yellow Album.
If you noticed that I put Snoop "Lion," I only did that because Snoop because I will never refer to him as a feline. So Snoop Dogg, Mavado and Popcann released a new track entitled "Lighter's Up," which is surprisingly not that bad. Listen below:
If you like the reggae tip Snoop on, listen to his lastest track, "Here Comes The King," featuring Angela Hunte, available for download.
Snoop Lion x Here Comes the King
Reincarnated is set to be released around Spring 2013.
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