The Mid-Year Hip Hop Awards (2012)

Talib Fiasco

Soooo....We're almost into the second half of 2012, so I proposed making a thread devoted to all the releases, artists etc. from Jan-June '12...

So, just copy and paste the list down the bottom, and fill it in accordingly...if you can't fill in one part properly, as in you haven't heard enough to decide or make a fair judgement..no biggie!:)

Hopefully at he end we could tot up all the choices/votes to gather the most popular of each field...

So the categories...this is my own compilation but if you have some suggestions fire away!!:D...oh and one choice for each will be grand!!


Best Album:
Best Mixtape:
Best EP:
Best Instrumental Album/Mixtape:
Most Under-rated Release:
Best Track/Song:
Best Rapper/MC:
Best Producer:
Most Disappointing Release:
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12:


....thats all I can think of atm....any additions please just shout!

Mine:

Best Album: Killer Mike & El-P - R.A.P. Music
Best Mixtape: Big K.R.I.T. - 4 Eva N a Day
Best EP: Milo - Milo Takes Baths
Best Instrumental Album/Mixtape: Blockhead - Interludes After Midnight
Most Under-rated Release: L*Roneous - Lgorithms
Best Track/Song: Gift Of Gab - Market & 8th
Best Rapper/MC: Killer Mike
Best Producer: El-P
Most Disappointing Release: Blu & Madlib - UCLA
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: Deltron 3030 - Deltron Event II

Jimmy Iovine

How strict are we going to be about the release dates for tracks?

I have one in mind but it was put up on Youtube in December (but not as a single) and then released officially on an EP then in January.

Talib Fiasco

Yeah thats fine...seeing that it was 'officially released' in '12 that should be fine!

Oleg Luzhny

Best Album: DJ Premier & Bumpy Knuckles - The Kolexxxion
Best Mixtape: Big K.R.I.T. - 4eva N a Day
Best EP: -
Best Instrumental Album/Mixtape: -
Most Under-rated Release: Jon Hope - Work In Progress
Best Track/Song: Reks - Power Lines (Feat. Easy Money)
Best Rapper/MC: Reks
Best Producer: Statik Selektah
Most Disappointing Release: -
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Debut LP

Bobby Baccala

My one is gonna be pretty poor because I've ignored a lot of material that's come out this year and what i have listened to i havent been impressed by, so I'll do a short one.


Best EP: Ammunition - Chamillionaire
Best Instrumental Album/Mixtape: Neckbreakers - The Expert (still listening to it)
Best Track/Song: The Recipe - Kendrick ft Dre
Most Disappointing Release: California republic - Game
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: Napalm - Xzibit.

Talib Fiasco

Good stuff so far guys I've already got a few projects I must listen to thanks to yer two posts and sure thats another good thing from this: We'll all get a few recommendations and stuff....

Andy_rse

Best Album: I Self Devine - The Sound Of Low Class Amerika

Best EP: Terawrizt - Reign Of Tera (yeah I said it :P)

Most Under-rated Release: Kristoff Krane - Fanfaronade

Best Track/Song: Atmosphere - Some Day Soon

Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: Brother Ali - Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color

Andy_rse

TheComeUp wrote: »

Best Track/Song: Gift Of Gab - Market & 8th

Man I never got round to hearing that Gift Of Gab album, how is it? Blackalicious are one of my favourites, gonna have to go get that now!

Talib Fiasco

Andy_rse wrote: »

Man I never got round to hearing that Gift Of Gab album, how is it? Blackalicious are one of my favourites, gonna have to go get that now!

Eh it wasn't too bad but without question it was disappointing for me. I too love Blackalicious and Gab has a good solo collection behind him but I dunno this album just didn't do it for me. The production was pretty average and not what you would want for Gab to rip up and tbh it was doing him little favours. That and the choruses on some tracks *shudders*...like Effed Up for example. But Gab is lyrically dope on this, but it's nothing really different from what we've all heard from him on Nia and Blazing Arrow. Dream Warrior was another really impressive track but honestly I was disappointed overall. Still worth a listen of course. You could like it more than me....I've been a little cruel on some projects this year!!

Syndic

Best Album: Action Bronson- Blue Chips
Best Mixtape: Big K.R.I.T. - 4eva N a Day
Best Track/Song: Nas- The Don
Best Rapper/MC: Killer Mike
Most Disappointing Release : DMX - The Weigh In
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: Tech N9ne- TBA

HATCHET IRL

Best Album: El-p - C4C

Best Mixtape: Action Bronson - Blue Chips

Best Track/Song: Krizz Kaliko ft. Tech N9ne & Twista - Kill ****

Best Rapper/MC: Killer Mike

Best Producer: El-p

Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: Brother Ali - Mourning In America And Dreaming In Colour

My laptop has been brokrn with a few months just have it back now and so just catching up with my music, too much hiphop now enough time for me at the moment

Jimmy Iovine

Best Album: Awaken - Koncept
Best Mixtape: 4eva N A Day - Big K.R.I.T.
Best EP: Ammunition - Chamillionaire
Best Instrumental Album/Mixtape: Neckbreakers - The Expert
Most Under-rated Release: Jermaine's EP - Emcee Jermaine (probably my overall pick for project of the year so far. Just listening to here again and I can't get over how good it is.)
Best Track/Song: The Formula - Apollo Brown & O.C.
Best Rapper/MC: Emcee Jermaine (his EP is ridiculously good. He is better than most rappers out there.)
Best Producer: El-P
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: MadGibbs' album

mufcboy1999

Best Album: I actually dont have one yet believe it or not
Best Mixtape: 50 cent - the big 10
Best Track/Song: kendrick lamar ft dr dre - the recipe
Best Rapper/MC: Kendrick lamar (kills everything he touches atm)
Most Disappointing Release : DMX - The Weigh In (hugely letdown by this)
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: Kendrick lamar- good kid in a bad city

Talib Fiasco

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

Best Album: Awaken - Koncept
Best Mixtape: 4eva N A Day - Big K.R.I.T.
Best EP: Ammunition - Chamillionaire
Best Instrumental Album/Mixtape: Neckbreakers - The Expert
Most Under-rated Release: Jermaine's EP - Emcee Jermaine (probably my overall pick for project of the year so far. Just listening to here again and I can't get over how good it is.)
Best Track/Song: The Formula - Apollo Brown & O.C.
Best Rapper/MC: Emcee Jermaine (his EP is ridiculously good. He is better than most rappers out there.)
Best Producer: El-P
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: MadGibbs' album

Damn I completely forgot about the O.C and Apollo album. That ish was bonkers. 'Anotha One' was probably my favourite track from it. Actually that may well have been my favourite album so far because I love me some DITC and Brown is doing great things with the last few years. Eh but I'll stay by my choice. Killer Mike and El-P is such a weird blend but it works so well.

Good stuff so far everyone!! I'm impressed

Jimmy Iovine

TheComeUp wrote: »

Damn I completely forgot about the O.C and Apollo album. That ish was bonkers. 'Anotha One' was probably my favourite track from it. Actually that may well have been my favourite album so far because I love me some DITC and Brown is doing great things with the last few years. Eh but I'll stay by my choice. Killer Mike and El-P is such a weird blend but it works so well.

I never fully listened to the album. I heard 'The Formula' on here a few weeks ago and it's just an amazing song. The fact that it's a tribute to The D.O.C. makes it even better.

There's so much music around now that I haven't even gotten to 10% of it yet. Hopefully my list will change come the end of the year.

Just thinking there that the Killer Mike album is a close contender for album of the year for me. If I listen to it a bit more then I'll probably end up with that.

Talib Fiasco

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

I never fully listened to the album. I heard 'The Formula' on here a few weeks ago and it's just an amazing song. The fact that it's a tribute to The D.O.C. makes it even better.

There's so much music around now that I haven't even gotten to 10% of it yet. Hopefully my list will change come the end of the year.

Just thinking there that the Killer Mike album is a close contender for album of the year for me. If I listen to it a bit more then I'll probably end up with that.

Yeah The D.O.C deserves it. Such a shame about him though. His debut was so classic. It's Funky Enough is one of the few jams from the 80's that could be mistaken for a modern sounding track. He's strikes me as a real G though. I hear he's planning to release a documentary on the truth of NWA and Dre and Eazy and that stuff. I'd actually pay to see that instead of the bullsh*t NWA film thats gonna come out.

But yeah definitely man get that album. I got mine from the bandcamp the hour it was officially released and I'm gonna get a hard copy if I can. It's great. Just pure 90's style spitting over Apollo Brown butter. O.C is still very nice lyrically. I was astounded by how much I enjoyed it and how good it sounds. The Killer Mike album really is something. Lyrically he's not great at all but he's got that knack like all southern rappers to make great songs and of course they all tend to get great production.

Thats another reason why I like Curren$y so much...my friends always joke about him to me because they know I love that very heavy deep lyrical stuff from the deep deep underground yet they know I'm obsessed with a guy who raps about weed and women 24-7!

I too have been slacking due to the Leaving Cert but I have been catching up. Two albums I've really been liking in the last few days are BM Ultra by Black Marvel which is just raw gritty in your face rapping which I love. The other is Lo Fi Fingahz by Gensu Dean which is just quality lyrics and beats that work together as a collection.

Boom_Bap

Best Album: Oddisee - People Hear What They See
Best Mixtape: Action Bronson - Blue Chips
Best EP: Kyle Raps & Diwon - Tyrone Gosling EP
Best Instrumental Album/Mixtape: Genshu Dean - Lo Fi Fingahz [INSTRUMENTALS]
Most Under-rated Release: Clear Soul Forces - Detriot Revelution(S)
Best Track/Song: Clear Soul Forces - Get No Better
Best Rapper/MC: Joey BadA$$
Best Producer: El-P
Most Disappointing Release: WZRD
Most Anticipated Release from July-Dec '12: Aesop Rock - SkelethonThis is my list at this moment in time, it will probably change in aboutn 18 minutes!
There have been some really strong releases this year. Some notable ones that I've excluded are

El-P - C4C -> the only reason this isnt my favorite is because it didnt really evolve as much as expect from I'll Sleep When You're Dead

Killer Mike - R.A.P Music -> Big Beast is a contender for best song, and the album is a contender for best album. But it didnt blow me away like Oddisee's album did.

Joey BadA$$ - 1999 -> This kid can rap his a$$ off, but his mixtape just wasnt consistent enough. His track Survival Tactics is also a contender for song of the year.

Sundown X Chuuwee - Millenium Falcon -> Dope album but they just need to take it up another level to be really good.

R2 - Soul Vibes -> This is excellent, just havent listened to it enough yet to cast my vote on it.

Mally & The Sundance Kid - The Last Great..... -> I just cant get over how much Mally sounds like Fresh Daily when listening, but great album.

Talib Fiasco

Okay I'm gonna change two of my choices around. I'm still catchin up on earlier releases in the year and I have been completely blown away by one. The rapper is called Anthm and honestly he's unbelievable. He sounds like a cross between early Elzhi, Blu and K-Dot. He has released an EP called Joy & Pain and has Blu and wait for it....Freddie Gibbs on it. The EP is phenomenal and it now easily my top EP of the half year. But also his track with Blu, Polaris is my track of the half year. I'm pretty sure this track is the only one I've heard all year that still gives me goosebumps after like 20 plays. The hook is just crazy dope. I'm sure this guy has released another EP (not certain) but if he has and it's anywhere like Joy & Pain this guy is definitely my rapper of the half year too. I'll report back when I listen to said EP if it exists. Honestly he's gonna be big big big if he's managed right. Check out the tracks with Blu and Gangsta Gibbs. His EP is free download. Great stuff.

Boom_Bap

The other ANTHM release is called When We Were Kings. It's excellent. More of a mixtape where he raps over other people's beats. I got it once upon a time and completely forgot about it. But I had the iPod on shuffle on a long haul flight, one track came on and I immediatly turned shuffle off and listened to the album a few times.

I was excited about Joy & Pain, but the production is overall just too 'dance' oreintated for me.

mufcboy1999

As i said iv no favorite album of 2012 so far but i must have listened to the snippets from nas new album 20 times already, this album is shaping up to be class and tbh my favourite so far, yes i know impossible to judge it of a few second snipps but still i can tell im going to enjoy it.

bye bye baby, the last track on the album sounds very promising and my favourite from the snipps.