MuSiC2MyEaRs' Music Blog

Yeah I know it’s April now ( started writing this in March). I am pretty damn late getting to this post. I have a lot on my plate while at college and all of the stuff I have to accomplish from day to day but better late than never. Well let’s get right to it.

42. A Boy Named Hue-Huey Mack. This guy released this album back in April and had one huge song and a couple pretty dope songs allowing for me to put it on my list of the Top 42 Albums of 2012. It starts off well with a very introspective track with A Boy Named Hue. Nights We Lived For has a real dope beat and some nice flows from Huey. This song has grown on me over the past couple months and has become one of 5 my favorite songs on the album. Not A Story has a relaxed yet hard-hitting dubstep track that Huey raps over. Nothing Back (feat. Scolla & Mike Stud) was one of my favorite tracks of the entire year. The three verses were all murdered and ended with a bang with Stud’s dope verse. I listened to this track nonstop throughout the spring and summer. I honestly could not get enough of it. Some other dope tracks were Higher, Last Time (feat. Vonnegutt), The Times (feat. Scolla & Mod Sun), About Us and I Want It All.  I think this guy has just started to find himself as a rapper and artist on this album. Hopefully he can fully hone in on his talents to an even higher level on his next album or mixtape release. Good work and here’s to a bright future!

41. Control System-Ab-Soul. This album goes hard and delivers with the quantity and quality of collaborations not limited to Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q, Danny Brown & Jhene Aiko and a couple others. Track Two is a dope track with a dope beat and dope flow from Ab-Soul then totally switches it up with the next track Bohemian Grove which is a song to get high to. It has a real relaxed feel to it and gets you in that groove. The biggest song on the album is Terrorist Threats (feat. Danny Brown & Jhene Aiko) with a real eerie beat with a nice bass and some dope verses from Ab and Danny with the sensual intro from Jhene Aiko. Some other dope songs are the clever wordplay in Double Standard (feat. Anna Wise), the back and forth verses of Sopa (feat. Schoolboy Q), the Dr. Dre sounding Lust Demons (feat. Jay Rock & Bj the Chicago Kid), the collaboration between Ab & K-Dot on Illuminate (feat. Kendrick Lamar), the hi-hats on Showin’ Love and lastly the spoken word rap of The Book of Soul. This has a very wide variety of tracks from the hard-hitters to the blunt blowers to the real emotional and reflective tracks as well. Overall this album tells a story of who Ab-Soul is and we as fans look forward to hearing more from him in the near future.

40. Habits and Contradictions-Schoolboy Q. This is one of the most dope albums of the year in the hip hop world. Schoolboy Q was one of the best new up and comers next to Ab-Soul and a couple others. His album delivered with a large variety of beats, flows, samples and much more. Some of the best tracks on the album are Sacrilegious, There He Go (my favorite), Hands on the Wheel (feat. A$AP Rocky) [my other favorite], Sex Drive (feat. Jhene Aiko), Sexting, Gangsta In Designer (No Concept), My Homie, and Blessed (feat. Kendrick Lamar), This is such a dope album with a good amount of features to give some variety but not too much that one hears enough of the actual artist. Schoolboy Q is going to be a household name for years to come.

39. Rise - EP-Cris Cab. Cris has a very pure voice with a nice tone to it. He is also very versatile with pop tracks, reggae tracks, and much slower and alternative tracks and even some hip hop infusion. He is a very talented artist. Every song on the EP is fantastic. Paradise (On Earth), She’s So Fly (feat. Wyclef Jean), Face to Face, Good Girls (Don’t Grow On Trees) [feat. Big Sean], and lastly White Lingerie. It is only 5 songs but that is why it is an EP in the first place. Quality over quantity always wins. 

38. Jesus Piece (Deluxe)-Game. This is an album full of collaborations, dope collaborations that is. The ones that standout as the biggest are Jesus Piece (feat. Kanye West & Common), Pray (feat. J Cole & JMSN), All That (Lady) [feat. Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Fabolous & Jeremih), Name Me King (feat. Pusha T), See No Evil (feat. Kendrick Lamar & Tank), Can’t Get Right (feat. K. Roosevelt). Then there are solo tracks such as Heaven’s Arms, Hallelujah, Blood Diamonds and Dead People. This is a historic album for Game as one of his best ever. His best albums have been the past two next to The Documentary. 

37. #3-The Script. This is a great album although it is not my favorite of theirs. Their first album is my favorite and then the second is my next favorite. Hopefully they can have a huge album for their fourth album. Nevertheless there are some great tracks on this album such as Good Ol’ Days, Six Degrees of Separation, If You Could See Me Now (one of my faves), Give the Love Around, Broken Arrow, Kaleidoscope (one of my other favorites), Hurricanes and then obviously Hall of Fame (feat. will.i.am). This album shows the bands maturity and they have changed their sound slightly to reflect their present lives. I just loved the first album so much because of the surprise factor of this great new band and I really connected emotionally with it and therefore it is probably one of my favorite pop/alternative albums of all time. This album is actually pretty great too after listening to it one more time through. Good work guys!

36. Halcyon-Ellie Goulding. This girl is so talented. She has a easily recognizable voice that has become one of the most popular voices in the music industry today. Some amazing, beautiful and dope tracks are My Blood, Anything Could Happen, Only You (i love the intro), Figure 8, Hanging On (Edit) [dope track], Explosions, I Know You Care (beautiful), Dead in the Water (beautiful) and I Need Your Love (huge dance track). These are all great tracks. Cannot wait to hear some new stuff from her. 

35. Up & Away-Kid Ink. This guy delivers with one of the most surprising indie hip hop albums of the year and every time I listen to it, it gets better. The beats go hard and their is some pretty good messages behind the tracks such as the beautiful girl in the crowd and all the temptresses,  Some of the best ones are No One Left, Is It You (one of my favorites), Act Like That (3-Some), Walk In the Club, Lost in the Sauce (such a dope beat), Roll Out, Carry On, Neva Gave A Fuck (one of my favorites), Hell & Back (my favorite or second favorite),and then there is Drippin’ which is the one that sold the most on iTunes but is by any means not the best song on the album. Oh and I almost forgot the two singles released before the album Time of Your Life and I Want It All which are both dope tracks. Overall, this is one of the most dope albums of the year for hip hop and indie success. 

34. Fortune (Deluxe Edition)-Chris Brown. This guy is a hitmaker and is a very talented artist, singer and dancer. This had some standout tracks but not that many though. The rest were average or even below average. Turn  Up the Music is a great dance track, Till I Die (feat. Big Sean & Wiz Khalifa) is the typical smoked out joint-get it…, Mirage (feat. Nas) is the hip hop infused R&B track that actually worked pretty well with the dope verse from Nas, Don’t Judge Me (my third favorite on the album) is the response to all the haters and and how he still loves Rihanna plus the music video was a true piece of art, Sweet Love (my favorite) a beautiful R&B track preaching about that sweet sex, Strip (feat. Kevin McCall) is the strip club anthem, Don’t Wake Me Up (my fourth favorite) is the bit too much of auto-tune for one CB song, and the rest are just average. This is a major digression from CB’s 2011 hit album F.A.M.E. Hopefully he goes back to his amazing self in 2013. 

33. Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head-T.I. This is one of his best albums because he realizes who he is and does not try to stray away from it or be someone he is not. This album is his life in 18 songs. The ones that standout is Trap Back Jumpin’, Wildside (feat. A$AP Rocky), Ball (feat. Lil Wayne), Sorry (feat. Andre 3000) is where Andre 3 Stacks outshines T.I. on his own song with one of the best guess verses of the year in my opinion, Can You Learn (feat. R. Kelly), Go Get It, Guns and Roses (feat. P!nk) is the best track on the album, the verses and P!nk’s vulnerable lyrics and their joint sound with the really good message, Cruisin’, Hello (feat. Cee Lo Green), Wonderful Life (feat. Akon), and Hallelujah and the classic Love This Life. This is a dope album and we all cannot wait for part two of Trouble Man coming in 2013. 

32. R.E.D. (Deluxe Edition)-Ne-Yo. R.E.D. stands for Realizing Every Dream. This album is a great R&B album, not the best of the year but definitely top 6. He has such a pure and well-toned voice and has some good dance moves too. Cracks in Mr. Perfect leads the album off very well and then goes into one of the most beautiful songs on the album, Lazy Love. The beginning of the album is the best part with Cracks in Mr. Perfect, Lazy Love, then Miss RIght, Don’t Make Em Like You (feat. Wiz Khalifa), Be the One and She Is (feat. Tim McGraw). The second half is pretty good as well but does not hold up against the first. Some good songs from the second half are Forever Now, Shut Me Down, Unconditional, Should Be You (feat. Fabolous, Diddy), My Other Gun, Alone WIth You (Maddie’s Song), and Let’s Go (feat. Ne-Yo) by Calvin Harris. The first half is more of a typical R&B styled album then it switched gears and leans toward more dancefloor R&B anthems. These two R&B styles have become more and more popular as they years have progressed. R&B has so many different styles nowadays for better or for worse. Ne-Yo is one of the biggest names in the genre and will be for years to come. He is a household name. Overall great album!

31. Unorthodox Jukebox-Bruno Mars. This guy is definitely my favorite male voice in all of pop. It has such a versatile style and can nail any song you throw at him. This album is short but is filled with quality songs such as Young Girls, Locked Out of Heaven, Gorilla, Treasure (the intro is fuckin hysterical), Moonshine, When I Was Your Man (I knew this was going to be a hit when it first came out), Natalie and If I Knew. He tackles each genre from ballads, reggae styled songs to acoustic as well. He can do it all not that we did not already know that from his first album, Doo Wops and Hooligans but this just gave us total confirmation. Thanks dude!

30. Till the Casket Drops-ZZ Ward. This girl reminds me of Adele but has her own style; it is a bit more upbeat and has roots more in soul and blues instead of ballads etc. Some amazing songs are Till the Casket Drops, Put the Gun Down, Blues Eye Blind, Home, Cryin Wolf (feat. Kendrick Lamar), Last Love Song, Lil Darlin (feat. The O’Mys), Criminal (feat. Freddie Gibbs) and 365 Days. Wow this album is amazing. I am so impressed and excited for this new talent and to hear some new tunes from her soon. 

29. Blak and Blu (Deluxe Edition)-Gary Clark Jr. This guy is very similar to ZZ Ward in that he has in roots in blues, jazz and rock. He can slay any genre and make them all sound great witihin one album. Songs like Ain’t Messin ‘Round, Blak and Blu, Bright Lights, The Life, Glitter Ain’t Gold (Jumpin’ for Nothin’), Please Come Home, You Saved Me, Breakdown and Soul. One can hear how he is inspired by bands like the Rolling Stones, and some great soul and jazz artists as well. He has a very suave and mesmerizing style. Great album!

28. Les Is More-Ryan Leslie. Ryan Leslie is one of the most underrated artists in the game today. He is a musical genius, produces his own music, writes his own lyrics, sings and raps significantly better than most. Everyone should give him a listen. Some dope tracks are Glory, Beautiful Lie, Good Girl, 5 Minute Freshen Up, Maybachs and Diamonds, Swiss Francs, Ups and Downs, Ready or Not, The Black Flag and Beautiful Lie (Remix) [feat. Fabolous]. Such a dope album!

27. Breakfast-Chiddy Bang. These dudes, Chidera “Chiddy” Anamege and  Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin, have been killing it the past couple years ever since the release off their remix to MGMT’s hit track, “Kids” which was titled, “Opposite of Adults”. This album is filled with some real dope beats and production from Xaphoon and some sick verses from Chiddy. Some of the songs that stand out in my mind are the title-track Breakfast which goes so hard, the party-anthem of Handclaps & Guitars, the pop rap of Mind Your Manners (feat. Icona Pop), the smokers anthem Ray Charles,  the more psychological song Does She Love Me?, the R&B infused Run It Back (feat. Shirazi), the introspective Talking to Myself, and the always fun Baby Roulette featuring a dope sample from Train. This album takes you on a ride swinging through infectious beats and memorable verses with witty one liners and much more.

26. Careless World-The Rise of the Last King-Tyga. This is an above average hip hop album but the only thing was that it did not get promoted well besides the couple of club hits he had with Rack City, Faded and Make It Nasty. These songs are nowhere near the best songs on the album. This album is very versatile and has just the right amount of collaborations to give the listener a good feel for Tyga as an artist. Some dope tracks are Careless World, Lil Homie (feat. Pharrell)-any track Pharrell and the Neptunes produce is going to be dope, Muthaf**ka Up (feat. Nicki Minaj)-a fun track that has that deep and hard hitting bass, Do It All-reminds me of the top notch J Cole tracks, I’m Gone (feat. Big Sean), For the Fame (feat. Chris Brown & Wynter Gordon), Black Crowns, Far Away (feat. Chris Richardson), Kings & Queens (feat. Wale & Nas), Let It Show (feat. J Cole), and Still Got It (feat. Drake). This album gave me a pleasant surprise at the quality but what always happens is the tracks that are club anthems like Make It Nasty and Rack City etc always are the best selling and the high school and college students like the most and therefore thats how the album gets remembered which is very saddening to see. Nonetheless this is a pretty dope album. His second album is coming out soon and it’s not looking too great, but we will have to wait and see.

25. (III)-Crystal Castles. These next two albums were my favorite new electronic music finds of the year. It was hard for me to decide which album goes where. They were both so unique and out of this world and refreshing that I literally could not decide which one I liked better. This album goes hard with some infectious and hard hitting production and some sexy female vocals implemented within each track. Some outstanding tracks are Plague, Kerosene, my favorite Wrath of God (dope track to ski to), Affection (been growing on me with those silky female vocals-prob third favorite), Sad Eyes, Transgender, Violent Youth and Telepath. Such a dope project.

24. Shrines-Purity Ring. WOW! This is so cool honestly. Again those female vocals and sick beats are killing me slowly. Lately, I have been obsessed with the ladies singing on electronic tracks. I cannot get enough of it. Some real dope tracks are Crawlersout, Fineshrine, Amenamy, Grandlove (feat. Young Magic)-this is a great song to slay that powder to actually, Saltkin, Obedear, and Lofticries. I’m addicted to this group and cannot wait to hear some more cool shit from them in the near future. 

23. Food and Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album-Lupe Fiasco. This guy has been one of the most lyrically and politically consistent rappers ever since entering the game in 2006. This album is a quality album with topnotch lyricism, great beats, catchy choruses and much much more. Some dope tracks are Strange Fruition (feat. Casey Benjamin), ITAL (Roses), Audubon Ballroom, Bitch Bad, Put ‘Em Up, Battle Scars (feat. Guy Sebastian), How Dare You (feat. Bilal), Form Follows Function, Cold War (feat. Jane $$$), and Go To Sleep (Bonus Track). And one cannot forget the great track are Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free) with a dope reproduction of C.L. Smooth and Pete Rock’s ‘They Reminisce Over You’. That saxophone is so beautiful and soothing. Using actual instruments trumps over playing the instruments or synthesizers on the computer. Great american rap album indeed. 

22. Strange Clouds-B.o.B. B.o.B is extremely underrated as a rapper as he has gone towards the pop rap style the past couple years but he has the talent to be one of the best rappers in the game. There are some real great tracks that get you up on your feet and singing along but also ones that make you think as well which is why is so versatile. He can slay any track that a producer throws at him. Some real dope tracks are Bombs Away (feat. Morgan Freeman)-Morgan Freeman is a god so this is just a dope collaboration, Both of Us (feat. Taylor Swift)-huge hit and these two sound great together, Strange Clouds (feat. Lil Wayne), Play for Keeps, Arena (feat. Chris Brown & T.I.), Out of My Mind (feat. Nicki Minaj), So Good, So Hard to Breathe-amazingly beautiful sequel to Don’t Let Me Fall, and lastly Where Are You (B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray). This is interesting album but I am looking forward to hear more from this guy in the near future and see what direction he goes in. 

21. Coexist-the xx. This is mesmerizing and breathtakingly beautiful album. Ever since I heard the first couple seconds of their song Intro from their debut album, I have been HOOKED! And now they are back with a second album and I was so excited to see what they had to offer… and it was pure gold. Angels is a intriguing song that makes me as the listener want to hear more, much more. The combination of the male and female playing off each other vocally works so well with the acoustic and relaxing production to back their vocals up. Some other fantastic songs are Chained, Try (the beginning sounds so eerily cool), Reunion, Sunset, Tides, Swept Away, and lastly Our Song. The whole album is amazing and filled with love and chemistry! Amazing!

20. Overexposed (Deluxe Edition)-Maroon 5. These guys have become a huge hit over the past couple years. I like their music on their first couple albums better but they have officially blown up with help from Adam being one of the judges on The Voice which is now in its 4th season! This album is one of their best overall works though where it tells an emotional story about love and heartbreak. Some great songs are Payphone (feat. Wiz Khalifa), One More Night, Daylight, Lucky Strike, The Man Who Never Lied, Ladykiller (love this song), Sad, Beautiful Goodbye, and Wipe Your Eyes. I cannot wait to hear some new music from these guys as they have been one of my favorite male pop bands ever since I heard Harder to Breathe a decade ago (holy shit, its been that long, damn).

19. The 2nd Law (Deluxe Version)-Muse. Muse has become one of my favorite bands ever since I heard their music 5 or 6 years ago. I have my uncle to thank for that as he showed my favorite song by them, Starlight. This album has amazing production, outstanding vocals and a wide variety of tracks for any rock fan. Some excellent tracks are Supremacy, Survival, Follow Me (amazing song), Animals (another one of my favorites), Big Freeze, The 2nd Law-Unsustainable, and The 2nd Law-Isolated System. Watching the video of the making of this album left me at awe and amazement and how many little things they did just to perfect this album and all the unique instruments and unique things they did. Amazing album!

18. Looking 4 Myself (Deluxe Version)-Usher. This guy has been a hit-maker ever since he came into the industry at the young age of 14. He has one of the most successful careers in recent history and has been consistent and has been mentoring Justin Bieber successfully musically while Bieber’s antics are starting to become a problem. Is Ush really looking 4 himself?? I tend to think not as he knows what he is doing and has so much talent as an artist, singer, dancer etc. He has it all going for him. Some amazing tracks are Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Scream, Climax (fucking love this song-amazing production from Diplo), I Care for U (hits each and every falsetto), Show Me (fun song), Lemme See (feat. Rick Ross) (very straight to the point sexual song-but you gotta love it), Dive (breathtaking), Looking 4 Myself (feat. Luke Steele), Numb (relaxing electronic and kills the high note), Lessons for the Lover, Euphoria, I.F.U. and Hot Thing (feat. A$AP Rocky). God damn this album is DOPE! Each time I listen to it gets exponentially better.

17. One Night EP-Timeflies. These guys are gonna BLOW UP in 2013. I feel it. Cal and Rez are a power duo and a force to be reckoned with. They can murder any cover, remix, remake, freestyle topics that you throw at them and almost always sound just as good if not better than the original. Their original music is their best work though because both Rez and Cal are perfectionists so they work as hard as fucking possible to get the song sounding the best they can. That’s what became of the One Night EP… the best work they could put in and they are all about quality over quantity on this one as it only 6 songs. 6 amazing tracks that is. The title track gets to me every time no matter what kind of day I am having. Swoon is a party anthem. Worth It is a priceless and timeless record. Tonight I Can’t Say No and Nothing At All are some real quality songs and then their cover of WIld Ones is absolutely 10x better than the original. Cannot wait to hear a full length album from these two dudes and they have such a dope team helping them out.

16. You Are Not Alone-Kinetics & One Love. These guys both graduated from Cornell and are also another duo to be reckoned with but they are are a true hip hop who rap about matter that makes a difference in the world such as love, working hard for ones dreams and aspirations, the problems in today’s society and much more. Some real dope tracks are I Am A Computer, Hideous (feat. Mimoza), You Could Save Us All, Still Dreamin (feat. Termanology) (DOPE) Sign Lanaguage (feat. Wynter Gordon) (beautiful track about having the courage to say that you love someone), Sometimes I Feel Like A Robot, From Gorillas to Cyborgs (dope ass track-one of my favorites of years), and lastly This Too Shall Pass (feat. Accent & Polina Goudieva), I wish they used the original WIll You Be Remembered on this album because it was so much better with the production and verses. That was the only negative part of the album. 

15. Generation X-The Dean’s List. Sonny Shotz is one of my favorite lyricists in the underground hip hop game as he has such a dope flow and delivery and has had some real dope tracks over the past couple years. This is one of the most dope underground hip hop albums I have heard in  a while. This album tells a story right from the get go. Some dope tracks are Birth, Youth (feat. Sid Sriram), Growth , Love (feat. Dani Ummel), Culture / High, American (feat. Malique), Pain / Money, My Generation (feat. DanI Ummel), Trust, The Motive (feat. Dani Ummel), Take Shape (has been growing on me recently), This such a dope album and will be interesting to hear their new album as they have changed their name to The Kings Dead and their direction a bit as well. One can only wait and see. 

14. Trilogy (Explicit Version)-The Weeknd. This guy is the future of R&B!!! He has such a unique style yet recognizable voice.This is basically three mixtapes combined with three new original songs put in the mix so it is not new music. The only thing is that the quality of the music on those mixtapes combined with the three new songs are top quality and deserved to be on my list. I cannot wait for some new material from this dude. Some excellent songs are High for This, The Morning, Wicked Games, The Party & The After Party, Loft Music, The Knowing, Twenty Eight (one of the three new songs), Life of the Party, Thursday, The Zone (feat. Drake). The Birds Pt. 1, The Birds Pt. 2, Gone, Rolling Stone, Heaven or Las Vegas (mere opposites), Next and Echoes of Silence. Such a beautiful and amazing album.

13. No Sweat - EP-Radical Something. These guys deliver good vibes all year round. Cali is the place is to be. This is an amazing album filed with so much versatility and talent. These guys deserve to blow up in 2013 and 2014. I cannot wait to hear some new music from them in the near future. You Feel Amazing (what a beauty), Say Yes (so much fun to sing along to), Acid Rain (real dope track). Valentine (title explains itself-LOVE), Vibe To This (summer anthem), and lastly Waterfalls (another great one). These dudes are honestly so amazing. Versatility, chill, upbeat, happy, life, love and happiness. Each and every word right here describes their music in a nutshell. 

12. Life Is Good (Deluxe Edition)-Nas. Nas is one of the greatest lyricist of all time so you can’t not recognize this album as one of the greatest albums of 2012. Life is definitely good for Nas but he has had some marriage troubles over the recent years as he got divorced to his now ex-wife Kelis. Some dope tracks are Accident Murderers (feat. Rick Ross), Daughters (such a dope track), Reach Out (feat. Mary J. Blige), World’s An Addiction (feat. Charles Hamilton), The Don (cannot agree more), Cherry Wine (feat. Amy Winehouse) (RIP AMY), Nasty (Nas is fuckin Nasty), and last but not least Roses ( such a dope song). The album is one of the best hip hop albums of the year no doubt.

11. Babel (Deluxe Edition)-Mumford & Sons. This is an AMAZING album! I can listen to it nonstop and be content with my day. It is a timeless album. Music is an amazing thing isn’t it!! The whole album is amazing but some of my favorite songs are Babel, Whispers In the Dark, Ghosts That We Knew, Holland Road, Lover of the Light, Lovers’ Eyes. Hopeless Wanderer, Broken Crown, Below My Feet, For Those Below (Bonus Track), and The Boxer (feat. Jerry Douglas & Paul Simon) [Bonus Track]. Wow this is an amazing album. One word: TIMELESS!

10. Unapologetic (Deluxe Version)-Rihanna. Rihanna has been producing hits ever since she first came to fame with SOS and Unfaithful. Ever since those days she has matured and become much more of a sensual artist while still managing to pump out hits nonstop. This album is filled with pop ballads, R&B sultry hits and club anthems and much more. Some real dope tracks are Pour It Up, Loveeeeeee Song (feat. Future), Jump, What Now, Stay (feat. Mikky Ekko), Nobody’s Business (feat. Chris Brown), Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary, No Love Allowed, Lost In Paradise and Half of Me. God damn she is sexy!

9. Carpe Diem-V.I.B.E. These guys are one of the most chill hip hop groups around. The catch is that they also tell stories… damn good ones to clarify. Positivity, hanging with friends, political movements and getting your voice heard and much more inspirational and entertaining topics. The group features Rossy (vocalist) and Chris Young the Rapper.They sound great together. They love to have fun and speak their minds. Some dope tracks are Ready for the World, Head Up High, All I Know, P.T.T.P. (Live) [stands for Power To The People], Heart Is On Fire, Monday Morning, Colour of My Blood, Runaway, Golden Hills, and Just For the Night. This is an amazing album. The album tells a story of what matters to them and each and every song is exceptional in their own way. Cannot wait to hear more music from these guys.

8. Dreams and Nightmares (Deluxe Version)-Meek Mill. This guy has been killing it the past couple years especially this past year. 2012 was his year. He released the now most downloaded mixtape ever on Datpiff with over 4 million downloads and 2 million downloads within the first couple days. And he also hit us with this dope studio album, the first of his career that is looking to be very bright. The intro Dreams and Nightmares goes hard and gets us in the right mindset. From then on, there’s a good quantity of quality songs such as Young & Gettin’ It (feat. Kirko Bangz), Traumatized (one of the most dope tracks on the album), Maybach Curtains (feat. Nas, John Legend & Rick Ross) (real dope track), Amen (feat. Drake), Lay Up (feat. Wale, Rick Ross & Trey Songz) {my favorite track on the album)Tony Story Pt. 2, Who You Around (feat. Mary J Blige), and Burn (feat. Big Sean). This album hits hard production wise and lyrical wise and has some dope contributors to help out. It will be interesting to see where his career heads in the future.

7. Kaleidoscope Dream-Miguel. Miguel had the biggest R&B song of the year with Adorn and from there on all eyes were on him to deliver a great album… and he definitely did. Everyone loved his Grammy performance not excluding an ecstatic Kelly Clarkson who seemed pretty aroused from the sensual performance from Miguel. He has true talent and pushes the genre forward and to new realms. Some other amazing songs are Don’t Look Back, Use Me, Do You, Kaleidoscope Dream, The Thrill, How Many Drinks? (that little rap verse towards the middle-end was dope), Arch & Point, Pussy Is Mine (one of the most raw tracks I’ve heard, I was honestly gleaming at how crazy this song is when it came on), Candles In the Sun, and lastly Adorn (feat. Wiz Khalifa) [Remix]. This album is futuristic and sensual from song one to song twelve. It never stops hitting you right in the heart and a couple other places as well, haha. 

6. Born to Die (Deluxe Edition)-Lana Del Rey. She is a breath of fresh air, individualism, and retro-styled pop music that might have come from the 1970s. She is a true talent who has a very unique tone of voice that is now recognized throughout the world. She tells story about girls and what makes them who they are, love, sex and much more intriguing matter. Some fantastic songs are Born to Die, Blue Jeans (one of my favorites), Video Games (love this one too), Diet Mountain Dew, National Anthem (love this song), Dark Paradise (one of my favorite tracks), Carmen, Summertime Sadness, Without You and Lucky Ones. She has a beautiful voice and is a beautiful red head. She released another album later on in the year, called Paradise, that was great as well but did not live up to the amazingness of Born to Die. 

5. Channel ORANGE-Frank Ocean. This is a fucking beautiful album filled with sensuality, raw emotion and vocals, and a couple dope features (John Mayer, Earl Sweatshirt and one can’t forget Andre 3000’s verse). Thinkin Bout You was one of the biggest R&B songs of the year next to Miguel’s Adorn. Sweet Life is honestly one of the most fascinating songs. Super Rich Kids is a pretty dope song. Pilot Jones is a very interesting track. Pyramids is a piece of fucking GOLD, I tell you GOLD! Their stylistic switches throughout the song are so dope and the beat is sick about half way through. Plus it is practically a 10 minute song. Frank Ocean is a musical and creative god. No one can take that from him. Some other real dope tracks are Lost, Bad Religion, Pink Matter (real dope track featuring a sick verse from Andre 3000), and lastly Forrest Gump. Frank Ocean is a true talent and will hopefully be around for a while regardless of what people say or think.

4. Believe (Deluxe Edition)-Justin Bieber. This guy is one of the more talented artists we have seen come up in a while. He can play numerous instruments, dance well, HAD a beautiful girlfriend in Selena Gomez, oh and can also sing and has even tried rapping as well. He can do it all it seems like and seems really down to earth and really cares for his fans even though he has had some trouble with keeping his cool after this recent breakup he is going through. But back to the music he had so many hits songs on this album from Boyfriend, All Around the World (feat. Ludacris), to As Long As You Love Me (feat. Big Sean) (probably my favorite one), and Beauty and a Beat (feat. Nicki Minaj) (another one of my faves). These are all great songs that got so much radiopay. Boyfriend’s attempt at rapping and that falsetto, the dynamic duo of Luda and JB on AAtW, that beat and dope verse from Big Sean don on ALAYLM, and the sensuality of Beauty and a Beat especially in the video haha all make for real dope singles. The rest album is just as good if not better with the wide array of styles from sultry R&B to true pop to more acoustic style and much more. Some of my favorite tracks are Take You, Right Here (feat. Drake) (my favorite or second favorite), Fall, Die In Your Arms (one of my favorites), Thought of You, Be Alright, Out of Town Girl (real cool track), She Don’t Like the Lights, Maria (classy or not? i think so, it clears the air), and lastly Love Me Like You Do (which has a mix between late night R&B and late night hip hop and sounds fuckin dope. This is the best pop album of the year hands down. As much as people hate or love him, he has so much talent and will most likely be around for years to come just like his mentor Usher has been since the young age of 14. 

3. good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe)-Kendrick Lamar. This guy is the best new lyricist in the game confirmed as he won the Lyricist of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards this past year. He tells a story of growing up and the living in the city of Compton and how that made him the man he is today. He puts the listener in his shoes as much as he possibly could and tried to get us to understand where he comes from. He talks about things from not letting any pussy faze him, staying true to himself, temptation of women and the drug industry and much more. Some real dope songs are Sherane a.k.a Master Splitter’s Daughter, Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle, The Art of Peer Pressure, Money Trees (feat. Jay Rock), Poetic Justice (feat. Drake), m.A.A.d city (feat. MC Eiht), Swimming Pools (Drank) [Extended Version], Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst, The Recipe (feat. Dr. Dre) and Collect Calls. This is an amazing album featuring the always dope production from Dr. Dre, and the dope stories about K-dots trials and tribulations of his life. It will be interesting to hear the many other stories he tells over the years.

2. Chapter V (Deluxe Edition)-Trey Songz. This is the best R&B album of the year. Many people would disagree with amazing albums from Usher, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and Miguel, but this is the best traditional R&B album. Also I connected with this album the most and saw the huge improvement from his last album to this one. If I had to give an award to the most improved on this list, it would definitely be my man Trigga. He stepped up his vocal game, story telling skills and was “simply amazing”. Some beautifully dope tracks are Dive In (sensual), Panty Wetter (sensual as well), Heart Attack (vocals shine), Playin’ Hard (dope track), 2 Reasons (feat. T.I.) [club anthem], Hail Mary (feat. Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne) [gotta love it], Don’t Be Scared (feat. Rick Ross) [loosen the woman up and don’t you be scared of a nigga], Pretty Girl’s Lie (emotional one), Bad Decisions (vulnerable track), Forever Yours (sexy track), Fumble, Simply Amazing (song title explains itself), Never Again and Almost Lose It. Album filled with a number of different styles of R&B that can anyone and everyone can relate to, Trey you fuckin killed this album. Will be interesting to hear what Trey has in store for us for his Chapter VI!…

1. The Heist (Deluxe Edition)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Alright finally to the top spot: The number one album is the biggest indie sensation of the year: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’s debut studio album, The Heist (Deluxe Edition). These guy are some real artists and would not be where they are today without working with each other. They are dynamic duo that will be around for years to come with their true to life raps, emotional qualities, production from Ryan and socio-political issues tackled in a number of the songs on the album. I feel that I can already compare Macklemore to Bono in their mission to improve the equality of life between all people regardless. Some real dope tracks are Ten Thousand Hours (referencing Malcolm Gladwell’s theory that it takes ten thousand hours to master something), Can’t Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton), Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz); Wanz is 50 something years old which is hard to believe yet makes it that much more of a dope track, Thin Line (feat. Buffalo Madonna), Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert)-beautiful track about same-sex love and marriage and equality, Make the Money (perfectly describes true hip-hop), Neon Cathedral (feat. Allen Stone) (one of my favorite tracks-the piano is soothing and makes me think), White Walls (feat. Schoolboy Q & Hollis), Jimmy Iovine (feat. Ab-Soul), Wing$, A Wake (feat. Evan Roman), Gold (feat. Eighty4 Fly), Starting Over (feat. Ben Bridwell)-most emotionally challenging song for him to write-which makes it such an amazing song, My Oh My, and lastly the fitting Victory Lap. This album has something for everyone and tells the story of Ben Haggerty’s life (Macklemore’s real name). They did everything in relation to this album, their tour and music videos all by themselves as they are on their own independent level. This is the true definition of the DIY mentality. Keep doing you Macklemore and same goes for you Ryan Lewis. 

Here’s to an amazing year for music!

Dear Diary,: Past Gone

pastgone:

“Spoke to a girl last night that changed my outlook on life, music, etc. Inspire one another.” My heart sunk, knowing that this tweet was about me. Mike Stud, my favorite rapper that deserves to be bigger than he is, tweeted about me. The suicidal, depressed, nothing-special, little old me. I…

Alright so finally, I have some time to work on my blog. These posts have been way overdue and I owe it to those who actually read this. I write it for a couple reasons; one being that I want to get my voice out there and heard and two I want to spread some great quality music. Music connects people. Music is a language within itself. 

Let’s get started!

30. Bars On Me-Chris WebbyThis is a pretty dope mixtape from the man hailing from Connecticut. The first couple tracks feature some dope beats and samples and some dope flows from Webby and Bun B and Kid Ink. Change the World is the best song lyrically and material wise the rest of it is kind of lackluster besides his reusing of his freestyle from TheMaskedGorilla a couple years ago on the track Mission Statement with all new verses. On Mission Statement he raps about the tragic state of hip hop and how the rappers are “born out of test tubes” and I cannot agree more. Hip-hop today has these horrible rappers like 2 Chainz, Trinidad James, Chief Keef and many more who are ruining real hip hop. Rapping about chains nonstop and Molly and other drugs is not what hip hop is about. Please just stop wack rappers. Otherwise, its an average mixtape but still stands above much of the mixtapes released throughout 2012. 

29. Macadelic-Mac Miller. This mixtape grew on me more and more as time passed throughout the year. I really like the production on this tape. He is very full of himself and holds himself very highly as many rappers do. He has some nice rhymes but is not the best lyrically or most controversial or talking about relevant topics either. He is an above average rapper in today’s society though. Some dope tracks on the mixtape that everyone should check out is Desperado (great production and some dope rhymes),  Thoughts from a Balcony (one of my favorite songs of his), Fight the Feeling (feat. Kendrick Lamar & Iman Omari), The Mourning After, 1 Threw 8, Sunlight (feat. Iman Omari), Clarity & America (feat. Casey Veggies & Joey Bada$$). The production on this tape actually blew me away. I really love the beats Mac uses. They are real chill and have a very relaxed intrumental dubstep feel to them which plays well with Mac’s delivery and flow. Great mixtape!

28. Upscale-Bei Maejor. This guy transcends a number of genres not limited to R&B, hip hop and even electronic as well. His song Don’t Stop is a club anthem that will get the party going and has hints of electronic, R&B and hip-hop as well. Special has that old school western hip hop vibe to it. Mesmerized has a Chris Brown feel to it similar to the track Don’t Judge Me but also reminds me of B2K and Omarion at the height of their careers back in the early and mid 2000s. Some other dope tracks are The Truth, I’m Dying, Pillz (dope sample of Neon Indian’s Polish Girl), and the beautiful piano rap track Prayers For the Young Soul. I truly believe that this guy is going to be big and deserves all the respect he gets. He is a talented soul. 

27. Rose Island Vol. 1-Theophilus London. One never knows what to expect from this guy. He is so unique and transcends so many different genres. He has an interesting voice and style as in standout track Lisa. Some other dope songs are love is more red (feat. Sade), She Said Ok (feat. Big Boi), Big Spender (feat. A$AP Rocky), I Wanna Kiss You (feat. Lunice),and the best one on the mixtape Last Night (LVRS Anthem). Last Night hits hard with the bass and the verses are delivered masterfully by Theo. Dope mixtape.

26. OK COOL-Sammy Adams. This guy surprised with his second pre-album mixtape. The beats, the samples, the dope flows, the hip hop/pop mastery and just amazing sounds. My favorite tracks are Hands On the Wheel, Tear It Up, Over Again, Just Me and My Vocals, Total Recall, Undefeated, and Home. It will be interesting to see what comes of his official debut album…

25. Rocketshipshawty-Kid Ink. This guy is real quality-his beats are so ill, he has some surprisingly good raps with his real dope tone of voice. Some dope tracks are Badass, Fresh (feat. Eric Bellinger), Weekend (feat. Devin Cruise), Can’t Ignore Me (my favorite track on the tape), Ghost (nasty track), and lastly Hell & Back Remix (feat. MGK). WIth a remix to an already great track and a solo version of his first single Bada$$… This is a downright nasty mixtape. Total FIRE! I cannot wait for his next album coming in 2013. #BatGang #TheAlumni

24. I Love Nujabes/Sight & Sound-Accent. This guy is a real interesting talent. He has a real raspy voice when singing and then has this real deep rap voice that has a hint of raspiness. He has a real dope flow and delivery and is a lyricist to be reckoned with. My favorite songs off of I Love Nujabes are Stream of Consciousness, She Smells Like Flowers, Rapping for Change and Runaround (feat. Kinetics). My favorite songs off of Sight & Sound are The Grey Kingdom 1.5, The One I Need (feat. Chyna Griffin), The Warming, and Everybody’s Crazy (feat. Kinetics). This guy will most likely be a big underground hip hop artist similar to that of Talib Kweli. 

23. Follow The Leaders-The KickDrums. These guys are a real dope alternative rock band similar to The Black Keys but with a hip hop infusion on a number of their tracks. They deserve to become big because of their talent and their uniqueness and embracement of numerous genres. Some real dope tracks off the mixtape are Thieves In the Choir (feat. Casey Veggies), Want My Blood (feat. DZ Deathrays & Rockie Fresh), My Life (feat. Machine Gun Kelly), Naked, Whatever You’d Like (feat. Gilbert Forte), and Come and Go (Alan Wilkis & The Kickdrums). This is real solid mixtape. I am very impressed by these guys…

22. Fear Not Failure-QuESt. This guy has dope flows for days. He is rambler who speaks the truth. He uses some dope beats and murders them all. He’s a real lyricist that talks about different states of mind, emotions and events that happen in almost everyone’s life at some point and allows the listeners to connect with his music. Some of my favorites are Nothing to Fear. The Gambler, Nowhere to Go (feat. Logic), One Way, I Go, You Go

21. The Higher EP-The KickDrums & Dee Goodz. This the second EP by these guys with the addition of rapper Dee Goodz who adds to the previously established hip hop infusion. Higher, Go, Echoes, Take Um Home, and A Faded Picture are all real dope tracks. I am looking forward to some new music from these guys in 2013!

20. The Investment-Dunson. This guy has an interesting style. He has soul, swag and just enough cockiness that it won’t get on people’s nerves. He won this XXL Contest and was therefore featured in the magazine. He is on his grind and is going to blow up any minute now. Some dope tracks are Count On It, Used to Know (feat. Lazee) (dope remix to Somebody That I Used to Know), Warning (absolutely kills this track), Cross Town Lovers (feat. John Legend), Don’t Disturb (feat. Mickey Factz), Weapon, and Ode to My Microphone. This guy is a humble guy who kills it on the mic and knows what matters in life. 

19. Driving 88-Rockie Fresh. Rockie Fresh is now signed to a major label, MMG. Ricky Rozay was the one who found him and has supported him ever since. Ever since I first heard his first mixtape, The Otherside, back in 2010 I have been totally invested in his music and talents. His rhyming scheme is killer and he has this really recognizable voice that captures your ears right from the beginning. This mixtape is no different… It is a real dope one that grows on the listener each time they listen to it. He is going to blow up now that he is part of that close-knit family of MMG. MMG is really making moves, Wale, Omarion and now Rockie. Shits happening over there. Some real dope tracks from the tape are Into the Future, Don’t Worry (feat. Rebecca Jordan), Turn It Up (dope remix of Krewella), Driving 88 (feat. Case Veggies), So Long, Where I Wanna Be (feat. Phil Ade), Come Around and No Fear. This is his best mixtape to date. There is an amazing amount of improvement since his first mixtape and the Redux of the first tape. He has improved lyrically and material and has stayed true to himself and still has that dope flow that we all have grown to love.

18. Click-Huey Mack & Mike Stud. These guys are best buds and decided to do a mixtape together this past year. Both of these dudes are going to blow up in 2013. They have tons of followers on Twitter and Facebook and are improving with each and every song and mixtape release. Some great tracks on this mixtape are School, Hollywood and Make You Love Me. I know Mike has a mixtape coming out probably by May. Huey Mack will probably release one as well at some point during the year. I am looking forward to the both of them. Heres to 2012 and to an even better 2013!

17. With a Little Help From My Friends-Kinetics. This guy is one of the dopest lyricist around and needs to get more credit. He released this mixtape to get us all ready for the powerfulness of Kinetics & One Love’s debut album, You Are Not Alone. Hence the title, the mixtape has some real dope features. The best tracks are Chris Nolan (feat. Young Joey & Beau Young Prince), Make It Work (feat. Accent & Missy Modell) Bottle It Up (Remix feat. Mike Stud & Accent), Rich Man (feat. Unknown Prophets), Runaround (feat. Accent), Any Means Necessary (feat. Nitty Scott), Would You Follow Me? (feat. Deuce Broadway) [dope beat], Back Home (feat. Hendersin), This Is Not A Love Song (feat. Accent). Amazing project!

16. The Soul Tape 2-Fabolous. Fabolous is one of the most underrated rappers in the game. He is an above average lyricist and has had some huge songs over the past decade or so and uses dope beat nonstop. This tape is a classic. Some dope tracks are Transformation (dope beat and verses), For The Love (dope meaning), We Get High (real relaxing beat), Diamonds, Louis Vuitton (feat. J Cole) (orgasmic, dope flows, dope instrumental beat), Only Life I Know (feat. Troy Ave), Diced Pineapples (feat. Trey Songz & Cassie) (motherfuckin sexy song), Beauty (feat. Wale) and Want You Back (feat. Joe Budden & Teyana Taylor) (dope sample of Throwback by Usher). Fabolous killed this one!

15. Royalty-Childish Gambino. This guy is one of the most talented guys alive. He is a comedian, actor, screen writer for 30 Rock and Community and is a now successful rapper. Can it get any better than that? This mixtape has been critically acclaimed by the likes of many including Datpiff as one of the best mixtapes of the year. I have to agree on that. Some great songs are We Ain’t Them, Black Faces (feat. Nipsey Hussle), Unncessary (feat. Schoolboy Q & Ab-Soul), Shoulda Known, R.I.P. (feat. Bun B), Silk Pillow (feat. Beck), Wonderful (feat. Josh Osho) and Real Estate (feat. Alley Boy, Swank & Tina Fey) (holy shit Tina’s verse is HYSTERICAL!). This mixtape is excellent.

14. The Cool Cafe-Jaden Smith. Alright, this is probably the most surprising one on this list but just take 60 seconds or so to read this post about the mixtape and then if you like what you see go listen to and download it. He is only 14 and already has a surprisingly deep voice especially hearing him squeak his way along on Justin Bieber’s “Never Say” Never back in 2010. He has a real interesting flow and delivery which gets the listener hooked and listening closely right from the beginning. He is very lyrically mature for his age and that pays off in the overall output of each song and the tape as a whole. Some dope tracks are Hello, Know Why, Down (feat. OmArr & T. Coles), Cries (sample of Purity Ring’s “Lofticries”), Chase The Sun (feat. Josiah Bell), The Coolest, Can’t See Tomorrow (feat. OmArr), Jus’ Not Ready (feat. T. Coles), First Time (feat. T. Coles), Find You Somewhere (feat. AcE & Willow Smith), Pumped Up Kicks  (Like Me) and Underwater-Too Much (feat. OmArr & T. Coles). Honestly, he is very reflective and keep you brain running and thinking about what he is saying in his songs. Their whole family is just real talented it’s crazy!

13. Detroit-Big Sean. Big Sean absolutely kills this tape! Right from the beginning with Higher and 24K of Gold (feat. J Cole), Woke Up (feat. Say It Ain’t Tone, Early Mac, Mike Posner & James Fantleroy), 100 (feat. Royce Da 5’9” & Kendrick Lamar), Sellin Dreams (feat. Chris Brown), I’m Gonna Be (feat. Jhene Aiko), FFOE, Once Bitten, Twice Shy, and Life Should Go On (feat. Wale) & All I Know (feat. Wiz Khalifa). I am very impressed by the overall quality of the mixtape and am really looking forward to his sophomore album as a a result. 

12. Dreamchasers 2-Meek Mill. Meek Mill has the most downloaded mixtape of all time on Datpiff which is very impressive with so many quality miztapes on there. You cannot doubt his lyrical talent and ability to tell stories. The purpose of the mixtape was to get his fans ready for his debut album coming out a couple months after the mixtape. Some great songs are Ready Or Not, Amen (feat. Drake & Jeremih), Use To Be (feat. Jordanne), Big Dreams, Take U Home (feat. Wale & Big Sean), The Ride and On My Way. He is a real rapper regardless of what anyone thinks. 

11. Don’t Flatter Yourself-D-Why. This one of the best mixtapes of the year-dope production, versatility, dope flows, personal reflection, authentic and so much more. I cannot get over how amazing this tape is. I did not give it its due time. I did not listen to it enough to give it is full potential but I luckily realized how good it was when I was going through all the mixtapes I downloaded this year and gave this one more full listen through. Some dope tracks are Hawaii, 2000 Miles, New York Times, Ballad of an Asshole, Kill Me Now (feat. Casey Veggies), We Don’t Know, All Good (feat. Hit-Boy), Good Will Stunting, Flattery, Limitless, So Committed and David & Goliath. Awestruck!

10. Keep Your Friends Close-Dylan Owen. This guy is a true poet and storyteller and a very talented one indeed. He stays true to himself, has very clever lines and is very connected to his home and where he came from and where he is now and is going to be in the future. Some amazing tracks are Bookmarks, Keep Your Friends Close, Garden of the Angels, Ghosts, The Comeback Home, Burn This Whole Place Down, In the Corner (feat. Kinetics) (favorite song on the tape) and Welcome to the Crossroads. Dylan Owen should be up there with the best storytellers and poet rappers out there. He could blow up any day now. 

9. Summer of Rad-Radical Something. This summer was so chill especially with the release of a song a week from these amazing dudes. These guys are from California and they have some real chill vibes. My favorite songs from the weakly releases are Sky Is Born, All These Times, Lemonade, Spread Your Wings, Santa Barbara, Hang Out and Naked In Venice. Sky Is Born, Hang Out and Naked In Venice were my three favorites. I cannot wait for their new album coming out this year! 

8. Building Skies-Luke Christopher. This guy has soul! He raps, he sings! He has dope flows and lyrics. He produces or co-produces all of his music. He is another one of the best storytellers and has a lot of belief in himself and his vision. This is his debut mixtape at the young age of 19. He has a long and successful road of him. Some amazing tracks are Possibilities (The Opening), Attention, Celebrate, How Far, Blue Skies, Social Network, Pretend We’re In Love, The Rescuer, Christopher Robin, Letter to Myself, Pocket Full of Dimes, Tree In My Front Yard, Cheers (The Closing). The tape as a whole is one story of the man he is and what he hopes to become as long as he stays true to himself. He has dreams and they are slowly but surely coming along. 

7. #SundayStudDay-Mike Stud. This guy is a force to be reckoned with. He creates hits each and every week and has a real dope mixtape under his belt with his second solo effort coming some point in the next couple months. Well, third considering this one is his second. He can do wrong with these releases. It all started with So Good (feat. Missy Modell). Then things got heated up with Boyfriend (Remix). Those two songs and Timeflies Tuesdays are what inspired him to start the #SundayStudDay. Some dope tracks are Youth (dope sample of We Are Young), Still Fly (Remix), Glad You Came (Remix), One More Night Remix (feat. ELEW) and A-Team Remix. #HitsOnDeck!

6. Popular Culture-XV. This guy is a true talent-lyrically, production wise, collaborators, etc. When this first came out, I knew had to get my mind right, so I turned off the lights in my room and put on my Beats by Dre and experienced the mixtape in its full element. It was unsurprisingly mind blowing. Some dope tracks are Andy Warhol (feat. Slim The Mobster), Breaking Bad (feat. Raja), Be There, be Square, Her Favorite Song (feat. Raja) (my favorite song too! haha), The Kick (real dope), Go On WIthout Me, Wonkavator (feat. Emilio Rojas), Jedi Night, Aaahh! Real Monsters (feat. Schoolboy Q & B.o.B) and One of One. Amazing!

5. The Transition-YONAS. YONAS is the best unsigned lyricist in New York. He has some real dope flows, he has amazing lyrical talent and sick production. This mixtape is the best yet for this guy. The best songs are The Transition, Don’t Give A Damn (my favorite track), Lost Me (my other favorite track), Feels Right (feat. Logic), Looking for You, A Reason to Breathe (feat. Brother Ali), and Can’t Knock Me Down. There are a lot of other dope tracks but a number of them are remixes to previously released tracks such as Pumped Up Kicks and Drive It Like You Stole It by The Glitch Mob. XV is going to be big in 2013!

4. Under the Influence-Timeflies. Cal and Rez are forces to be reckoned with. Cal with his sensual styled crooning and verses and Rez’s ability to create excellent beats ranging from bangers to a more suave and reflective style. These one features both of these with bangers such as Glad You Came, We Found Love to more relaxed dance tracks such as The Beginning and Stand By Me to even slower songs such as Someone Like You and Sleep Forever. They are very versatile and can kill any song you throw at them for a freestyle, remix or cover. 2013 is going to be a huge year for them as are many years to come!

3. Young Sinatra: Undeniable-Logic. This guy is real rapper who is in touch with his fan base through social media and UStream and creates some amazing rap songs. This is his best mixtape yet! It starts very well with the tracks Inception and Set the Tone. It then changes to old school 90s rap style tracks such as Dead President III, No Biggie, Young Sinatra III and All Sinatra Everything. Some other great tracks are Relaxation, Tic Tac Toe, Life Of A Don, We Get High, Numbers (my favorite track), Do Ya Like, Aye Girl and Dear God. Amazing mixtape and cannot wait to hear the next one!

2. Alphabet Soup-Jitta on the Track. This guy hails from my home state of Connecticut so as my dad taught me well, you have to support the locals. This is not giving him any benefit of the doubt or anything… HE HAD THE SECOND BEST MIXTAPE OF THE YEAR! Amazing production, dope verses, authenticity, catchiness, chill vibes and much more. Some amazing tracks are Stars, The Last Star Fighter, LumberJack, Charlie Brown, Trillmatic (feat. Kyd Gwap & Dom McLennon), Smoke Signals, Bout That Life, Letters Pt III and Last Flight (my favorite track). This mixtape shows tremendous improvement since his first and second mixtapes in all aspects. He deserves to get noticed after this dope of a release.

1. TMRW, TMRW-Luke Christopher. This guy is a real cool cat! This was his second mixtape release of the year. He is still only 19 years old. He might be 20 years old at this point but he was 19 when released this mixtape. He is still really young and has a really bright future ahead of him. He had a chance to have a major record label deal but all of the ones he was offered were not the right ones for him at this point in his career. He will get a good deal in the near future. This tape has some amazing songs such as Intro, Never Been, Malcolm & Martin, Superstar, We Here, On Fire, Sex With You (feat. Common), I, Beautiful (feat. Almost September), Sweeter (feat. Arielle), Best Day Ever (might be my favorite track actually even though it is not the most listened to), Roses, Superman, What’s In A Name (feat. Mathai) and Outro. This mixtape does not have one bad song let alone one subpar song. They are all above average songs that are full of love, emotion, respect and political points as well. There is a little bit everything in there. His music is life in a nutshell.

Wow that was a lot of work and time put in but it was for a good reason because music is my passion and I am just trying to spread some great music around and get heard! I shall be posting the best albums of the year by the end of next weekend. 

Thanks everybody!

2012 was a big year for singles and albums sales so here are some of my favorite songs of the year. I will start with number 155 and go all the way down to number 1… What will it be??

155. Glory (feat. B.I.C.)-Jay-Z. This is a dope song written by Jay-Z about the new passion in his life… his newborn daughter, Blue Ivy. She is his “child of destiny” and his “child with a child from destiny’s child… that’s a hell of a recipe.” Beautiful song dedicated to his new daughter! Blue Ivy Carter shine bright!

154. Animals-Muse. Muse has developed their signature sound but also have been able to push new boundaries with their new album, The 2nd Law, with tracks just like Animals. From nasty guitar riffs to Matthew’s signature tone of voice to the great chemistry between each band member, Animals is a standout track on an album full of amazing sounds.

153. Use Me-Miguel. Miguel’s Kaleidoscope Dream was an atypical R&B album but in today’s society and the broadness of each genre, this album has been deemed a classic and one of the best of the year. One track that stood out was Use Me for it’s rawness, dope beat, catchy chorus and Miguel’s vocal talent that shined through the entire track. 

152. Follow Me-Muse. This is an amazing track off their new album. It has an eargasmic crescendo to the chorus and then stays at a high-intensity level until the end of the track. This is very finely produced track by these guys. They never cease to amaze me!

151. Don’t Look Back-Miguel. The backup singers combined with Miguel on this track really make the track. Sensual, raw, emotion, pure vocals, high reaches, beautiful. An outstanding track that is a must listen and must purchase for any R&B fans. 

150. The Wave-Miike Snow. This is one of my favorite alternative tracks of the year. It has a relaxed vibe with some very interesting high pitched sounds for the chorus that remind me of birds chirping in the morning. A very well put together track featuring some nice drums and higher reaches of a piano as well. Very instrumental track.

149. You Feel Amazing-Radical Something. This song is the definition of Cali vibes: acoustic guitar, pure vocals by Josh Cocktail, catchy chorus and some chill verses delivered by Loggy. This is off their No Sweat EP which was amazing all-around. Fun times for these guys all the time. I would love to go to one of their shows out in Cali in their home state, maybe on a beach. It would be a blast. Frisbee, beach football, volleyball and some great tunes.

148. I Won’t Give Up-Jason Mraz. This is a very beautiful acoustic track by Mr. AtoZ. This is my favorite pure love song of the year. Is there anything else I have to say about this track? It’s pretty self-explanatory.

147. Young Homie-Chris Rene. This guy overcame so much in the past year or so with being a recovering drug addict. That subject seems to be a recurring topic and how that led to success. I will elaborate on that a bit more later and in the future best of posts for 2012. This was his best song for its fun-loving sound and emotion-filled rhymes and vocals.

146. Tic Tac Toe-Logic. This has one of the dopest beats of the year. The production on this song and the rest of his mixtape was unreal. Plus his lyrical ability pushes the song to even higher levels. And this is not even the best song on the mixtape…

145. F**kin’ Problems (feat. Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)-A$AP Rocky. This beat goes hard and as do all three of the verses. 2 Chainz adds a surprisingly nice touch to the chorus. Drake’s and K-Dot’s verses stand out as the best. A$AP does hold his own but he was outperformed by the other two. Nonetheless a real dope track.

144. Far Away (feat. Chris Richardson)-Tyga. This is love song from Mr. Make It Nasty… a great track featuring some great vocals from Chris Richardson on the chorus. It reminds me of the duo of Kanye West and Chris Martin on Kanye’s amazing track, Homecoming or even Heard ‘Em Say (feat. Adam Levine). This song should relate to thousands of people around the world who have had some kind of long distance relationship or just being away from your significant other for a significant amount of time. 

143. I’m Gone (feat. Big Sean)-Tyga. The duo of these two guys makes for an excellent track. When I first listened to it and the beat fades slightly, I knew something dope was about to go down. I was not wrong. Big Sean delivers a dope verse to close out an already great track.

142. American (feat. Malique)-The Dean’s List. Malique’s vocals and the piano make the song what it is. The lyrics are dope as well but when I first listen for something that sounds good then I listen for some kind of story or meaning or just dope lyrics and wordplay. This has a bit of all of these. 

141. Young Sinatra III-Logic. The production on this song is unreal… sampling Charlie Sheen saying WINNING, his usual woman saying YOUNG SINATRA, and a girl moaning in the background of the first verse. Added to that are some dope lyrics and sick chorus. This guy is one of the most talented lyricist who is upcoming right now.

140. We Ain’t Them-Childish Gambino. This has a R&B hip hop feel that is not too hard hitting and has some nice production behind it. Gambino’s enunciation and his delivery makes for a dope track almost every time. He is very clever! This one is no exception. Absolute best song on his Royalty mixtape.

139. Tomorrow-Eddy B & Tim Gunter. These guys are talented! This song illustrates a person waiting for the future and what is to come. But the thing is you cannot wait for it you gotta work for it. The thing is they are working very hard to get to where they want to be. They have a bright future ahead of them.

138. Love This Life-T.I. This a fun song to rap and sing along to. The style of flow and delivery by Tip in this track made me fall in love with this track plus it was spring when it came out and it was a great track to blast with the windows open. 

137. So Good-B.o.B. This is a typical spring/summer track that got some great traction. B.o.B has become a pretty dope pop rapper which there is nothing wrong with because he stays true to himself and is pretty under appreciated lyrically. 

136. Whistle-Flo Rida. This was one of the biggest songs of the year and for once I would say Flo Rida deserved it. This is a very catchy song and the whistle in the song puts the icing on the cake. 

135. Underdog-Eddy B & Tim Gunter. This the HIP HOP UNDERDOG ANTHEM! This was my shit over the summer when it came out. It’s a great workout track or running track. It gets me energized and pumped out. These guys are truly on their grind. 

134. King Wizard-Kid Cudi. Cudder is FUCKIN BACK! When Cudi starts the song with his little inspirational speech, I, as the listener, get my mind in the right place and ready to be amazed each and every time. Cudder delivers to his full ability on this track, which is the second single to his upcoming album, Indicud. 

133. Stay (feat. Mikky Ekko)-Rihanna. This is a true ballad, if I’ve ever heard one before. Mikky Ekko adds very vulnerable and heartfelt lyrics in his verse. These two combine for a beautiful ballad by Miss RiRi.

132. Freedom-Nicki Minaj. For some reason, people have not been giving Nicki enough credit for her tracks recently. She is a pop and street rapper who has surprisingly better than average lyrical talent. This song illustrates her lyrical talent perfectly. 

131. Sweet Life-Frank Ocean. Oh My God! This is just one of the most beautiful and raw tracks from this man. Oh, ain’t a sweet life. Frank slays this track. The chorus is the crescendo and the the verses are very relaxed and instrumental backed. It has a kind of jazzy feel to it. It reminds my of the great Stevie Wonder.

130. Ho Hey-The Lumineers. This song and this band was the biggest indie find of 2012. They now have a huge cult feeling. This is a beautiful track that is very similar to that of Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros.

129. Breakfast-Chiddy Bang. This was my second favorite Chiddy song this year off his debut album by the same title. Dope beat. Even more dope lyrics. Xaphoon Jones is a GOD as is Chiddy. They are just having some fun on these beats.

128. Just What I Am (feat. King Chip)-Kid Cudi. He is back to his roots…PUN INTENDED. He is back to his smoking week habits. It is good for his musical career but not for his health. Well, you gotta make sacrifices I guess. He is back! 

127. Floats My Boat-Aer. Now, this is the ultimate summer jam. Aer are the shit. They love to live life and do not care what people say or think about them. That’s the true way to live, just be yourself and don’t be scared to do whatever it is you want.

126. Alive-Krewella. This is the most outstanding track of their amazing EP released this past year. Krewella consist of producer Rain Man, and sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf. These three musketeers play hard and get down and dirty every single time they come on stage. Their vocals sound orgasmic on each and every track. They are the best on this track because it’s simple beat and climax.

125. National Anthem-Lana Del Rey. I cannot describe my love for this lady in simple words. She is a pure talent! This is a really cool song featuring her suave and silky vocals and her very sensual style with some great backup vocals on the chorus which makes for a masterful track.

124. A-Team (Remix)-Mike Stud. A-Team by Ed Sheeran was a huge track but I actually liked this one a bit more. Stud never ceases to amaze me with his more emotional tracks. The emotional ones are always his best. For a 23 year old who loves to party he can really deliver with these tracks. True artist right here and lyricist.

123. Remember You (feat. The Weeknd)-Wiz Khalifa. The beat, The Weeknd’s vocals, the beat slows, Wiz delivers. This track was the best track on his album no doubt. The Weeknd came truly make any hip hop track a hit as we learned from Drake’s Crew Love back in 2011. 

122. Songbird-Aer. These guys delivered with this debut album. This is one of the better tracks on the album. It has a positive message and how we are all one kind and we should not be putting each other down. We are putting down ourselves if we are put down other people. It all needs to stop.

121. Glad You Came (Remix)-Mike Stud. This is a fucking sexy song. Pure orgasm waiting to happen type of track. Its gets you in the mood… the RIGHT mood. The beats goes hard. Mike delivers on the verses and also with his glossy voice on the chorus. Excellent track.

120. Few Times-Aer. Again, another dope track from Aer. The Aer Movement is really grinding hard the past year or so. They have become a huge hit around college campuses and high school kids who love to live free and have fun. 

119. Like the Way-Aer. This is my favorite track on the album. The guitar riff gets me every time and the verses are real dope. The repeated bridge at the end is my favorite part of the song and is partly why I love this track so much.

118. Locked Out of Heaven-Bruno Mars. This is a great track featuring some amazing vocals from Bruno. I honestly think he has one of, if not the best and most pure voice in the pop genre. Yes, some of the R&B singers have a more pure voice than him but he has such a powerful and strong voice. He has soul and also some swag. 

117. One Good Thing-Jared Evan. This man is a true artist and talent. He has a very vulnerable voice and has a voice other than just singing songs. He has a emotional connection to the songs he sings and records and wants to bring the messages out forth in his songs to as many people as possible. “One good thing about music is, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” -Bob Marley and Jared Evan.

116. Intro-Luke Christopher. This is the most dope intro I’ve ever heard… EVER. The beginning with the girl speaking… the rest of the track is the ultimate look at me now with pure lyricism attached to it. This leads of the mixtape perfectly.

115. Lay Up (feat. Wale, Rick Ross & Trey Songz)-Meek Mill. This is a dope track about how girls can get the “lay up”. Trey makes this song as well as the verses. For some reason this was a huge year for Trey Songz in my mind and ears. Meek’s album was dope as well. This track was one of the reasons I really enjoyed his album. 

114. Battle Scars-Guy Sebastian & Lupe Fiasco. Guy’s vocals on the chorus improves the aesthetics of the song. His voice is full of emotion and heart and combine that with Lupe’s always excellent lyrics makes for a dope track.

113. Don’t Judge Me-Chris Brown. This is a real raw track. It is top three on his slightly lackluster album, Fortune. It perfectly illustrates the times that we live in and how technology allows people to do things they would not be able to do even 5 years ago…Tweeting. All-in-all its a beauty of track that showcases Chris’s more pure vocals and also the emotional end of the track that just uses the perfect amount of auto-tune. 

112. Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. This song is now number one on iTunes!! It and Macklemore’s career has come a long way since his Professor Macklemore days. This song has been a huge hit around the country for young college students like the kids at St. Lawrence University which is where I am a freshman at. The song practically perfectly describes the fashion styles of a large majority of the people here.

111. Lazy Love-Ne-Yo. This is such a cool sounding track that features the strong vocals from Ne-Yo. Lazy Love is the best kind of love, isn’t it? You just bathe in each other’s presence. It is a beautiful thing. Pure heart and rawness in this track. 

110. Maybach Curtains (feat. Nas, John Legend & Rick Ross)-Meek Mill. This is the best song on the album in my opinion. John Legend’s pure voice, Nas’s and Meek’s dope verses and Rick Ross with his delivery of his verse makes for the best song on an already dope album. 

109. Celebrate-Luke Christopher. This is the best song off of Luke’s first mixtape, Building Skies. It has that ultimate party outside by the pool feel to it. Luke’s soulful R&B and hip hop delivery confirms that. Great track to vibe to!

108. Charlie Brown-Jared Evan. This is song that goes out to all the bullies in the world who need to stop what they’re doing and just accept people for who they are. No one deserves to be picked on. We are all different people and have our own weird habits or passions that people might find abnormal. Who cares what people think. Don’t let it get you down. Very talented dude in Jared Evan.

107. Love Me Like You Do-Justin Bieber. I really love the slow hip hop beat and delivery of this song. JB’s pure vocals bleed through and then he delivers nicely on a nice short verse at the end that took me by surprise. Dope track!

106. Youth-Mike Stud. This has a real sick sample of We Are Young by Fun. After that, Stud hits us with some real knowledge! Better check it out if you have yet to do so.

105. Thought of You-Justin Bieber. This is a fun track and the chorus is silky smooth. Justin has a real good voice that sounds good on any type of track, acoustic, dubstep, pop, electronic or even R&B and hip hop as well. He is true talent.

104. Sky is Born-Radical Something. This was one of my favorite tracks off of their mixtape Summer of Rad. It was the first song and really started it off right. Acoustic and great verses from Loggy and that terrific voice that Cocktail that all of the fans have fallen in love with. 

103. Scream-Usher. This was a great track over this past summer. It had the hard hitting base drum and the amazing vocals from Mr. Ush-Ush. Great dance R&B track.

102. Wide Awake-Katy Perry. The best Katy Perry track of the year. This is a real delivery of a track vocally for Miss Perry. I really cannot wait to hear some new music from her. She is one of my favorite female artists out there and has been ever since the release of her album Teenage Dream back in 2011.

101. We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monae)-Fun. One of the best alternative rock songs of the year that features a real cool talent in that of Janelle Monae. The chorus is one of the most fun songs to sing of the year. It was a huge hit around the country.

100. Worth It-Timeflies. This song made a last second jump into the top 100 for me after listening to it one last time earlier today and I thought to myself, “Wow, this really an amazing track. The production, the bass, the handclaps, the sensual voice of Cal and everything else.” Mindblown!

99. Ass Back Home-Timeflies. The power of Neon Hitch and a dope electronic remaking of Ass Back Home compels you. Cal’s verses are some of my favorites of his ever. Honestly so dope!

98. Don’t Wake Me Up-Chris Brown. “Dearly beloved. If this love only exists in my dreams, don’t wake me up.” Classic! This song perfectly illustrates the love that only exists in people’s dreams. The surreal love. This was one of the best dance-floor anthems of the year.

97. Lemme See (feat. Rick Ross)-Usher. This is a damn sexy song. It makes the listener wish they were listening to it with their significant other and do that sexy thang together…

96. All Around the World (feat. Ludacris)-Justin Bieber. The dynamic duo is back at it! They deliver with a sweet dance track and a dope verse from Luda to finish it off nicely.

95. Marilyn (feat. Dominique LeJeune)-G-Eazy. This is a beautiful, sad, tragic song that has some beautiful vocals from Dominique and some heartfelt verses from G.

94. One More Night-Maroon 5. This was the best song off of Maroon 5’s great album, Overexposed. It is sung in the woman’s perspective which I find very intriguing from Adam Levine and the band members. Fantastic song.

93. Money Trees (feat. Jay Rock)-Kendrick Lamar. One of the most dope songs on one of the most dope hip hop albums of the year. K-Dot delivers with a two amazing verses and then Jay Rock kills the third verse. Ya Bish!

92. Still Got It (feat. Drake)-Tyga. Tyga had some surprisingly dope tracks on this album but for some stupid reasons it did not sell as well as it should have. This was one that stood out in my eyes. Drake does well on the hook and Tyga’s verses are pretty good. The songs speaks about the love and the feelings a person still has for the person they love.

91. I Knew You Were Trouble-Taylor Swift. Oh god. It’s Tay Tay! This is honestly one of the best pop-country songs ever made. The chorus has some sweet dubstep in there as well. Every girl in my dorm was blasting this the day it came out. She is a true songwriting talent but is not someone a guy would want to go out with.

90. Swoon-Timeflies. This is a dope party track from Timeflies. Best Timeflies party track to date. #Swoon

89. Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe-Kendrick Lamar. One of the most dope songs from this man. “I got my drank, I got my music, I will share it but today I’m yellin’, Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe.”

88. Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free)-Lupe Fiasco. Lupe Fiasco always delivers lyrically but in this song he preaches to society and how it is headed in the wrong direction because of all the crap we watch and listen to. He is right and we need to listen to stuff and watch things that are worthwhile and teach us something meaningful. 

87. Poetic Justice (feat. Drake)-Kendrick Lamar. Gosh there are hits on hits on hits on this album of Kendrick’s. I guess that’s what happens when you are the protege of Dr. Dre and he executively produces a large portion of your album. Kendrick has the talent though. Drake’s verse was dope as well.

86. Handclaps & Guitars-Chiddy Bang. This is real fun track describing Chiddy Bang in a couple words. “Oh, oh, oh, I just came to party.” A must listen. Dope lyrics and great production from Xaphoon Jones as always.

85. Youth (feat. Sid Sriram)-The Dean’s List. This song is perfectly summed up by the lyrics of the chorus, “I guess we’re young enough to live it up and old enough to give a fuck.” Dope verses as well.

84. Daughters-Nas. Nas is one of the greatest lyricist of all time and this song is no exception to that rule. This is a dope track talking about a dad’s love and want and need to protection for their daughters especially once they get to be in their latter part of their teenage years. I totally agree with him. 

83. Hail Mary (feat. Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne)-Trey Songz. This is hard-hitting track featuring a dope verse from Jeezy and Weezy. Trey puts the icing on the cake and really makes the track what it is with the chorus and his verse. He has such a pure voice and has swag out of this world.

82. Hang Out-Radical Something. This is a real chill song to vibe to in the summer with your friends merely anywhere. These guys have an amazing chemistry together. This song reminds me of the amazing times I had this summer with everyone! I miss Fairfield already after just returning yesterday for my second semester of college. I love it here though!

81. Simply Amazing-Trey Songz. This is a beauty of a track illustrating the love for a girl and how amazing she is. I have felt this way before. There are indeed some beautiful and amazing down-to-earth girls out there. Sometimes they might be tough to find but they are indeed out there. Trey Songz kills it!

80. Guns and Roses (feat. P!nk)-T.I. I fully believe that this is T.I.’s best song of his career. I bet 75% of the fans will disagree with me but say what you want to say. This is an amazing track featuring heart, a dope beat, sick bass drum, and some real amazing vocals from P!nk. Amazing track. 

79. Dive In-Trey Songz. “Oh, I’m about to dive in. I was just thinking about takin’ a couple laps.” Classy as fuck. Trey has so much game and has a warm heart but has that player in him as well. Ultimate love-making track!

78. Diamonds-Rihanna. Amazing track! Rihanna always delivers with a huge hit. 2011 was We Found Love and now 2012 is Diamonds. Let’s see what 2013 has in store for us.

77. Don’t Make Em Like You (feat. Wiz Khalifa)-Ne-Yo. The best song on his recently released album. Great R&B beat and pure vocals as well as a very good verse from Mr. Khalifa. Keep doing you who you do!

76. Lost In the Sauce-Kid Ink. This is one of the most dope beats I’ve EVER heard. I said it! Kid Ink is a dope producer and has such an interesting tone that this has become one of my favorite hip hop songs of the second half of 2012. I still cannot get over this beat.

75. So Hard to Breathe-B.o.B. Here is the sequel to Don’t Let Me Fall. A great track featuring some real dope verses from Bobby Ray. One of his best songs of his career. I still like Don’t Let Me Fall a bit better because of its wow factor.

74. Last Flight-Jitta on the Track. This track gets me every time. The guy on the chorus seems so vulnerable and emotional and the beat combined with Jitta’s verses are just amazing. Plus, Jitta is from CT. CT represent!

73. Sleep Forever-Timeflies. Real chill vibes on this one. This is a late night track to play as your laying on the couch with some beautiful ladies having a great night. Then you might just want to sleep forever indeed.

72. Can’t Ignore Me-Kid Ink. This track is even better than Lost In the Sauce because of the piano and his verses and his tone of voice as always. Honestly, Kid Ink can do no wrong overall. 

71. One Night-Timeflies. This track makes my mind run and makes me think deeply and who I am and who I want to be. It has that psychological and philosophical feel to it. Plus the beat is real dope. Rez is real talented producer and Cal has a real intriguing voice that pulls listeners in. 

70. Get Free ColeWorld-J Cole. This is one of the sickest samples ever. Cole samples Major Lazer’s Get Free (feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors) who has a real intriguing and cool sounding voice. His verses are real dope. He always has some kind of message in each of his songs. I cannot wait for his album in just about a week now. Gonna be real dope.

69. Glad You Came-Timeflies. This is the best remix of Glad You Came of the year. The hard-hitting electronic beat produced by Rez and the mesmerizing verses of Cal. Amazing track!

68. One More Night (Remix) (feat. ELEW)-Mike Stud. ELEW is a fucking god on the piano and Stud delivers a couple dope verses as well as those glossy choruses we have become accustomed to. Real beautiful yet sad track.

67. The Motive (feat. Dani Ummel)-The Dean’s List. Dani Ummel has an amazing voice and has been The Dean’s List go to girl for vocals on any of their songs. She is so good. This is a real dope track featuring some real verses by Sonny Shotz about his team and how they are a family and how they are winning. 

66. Only One-Sammy Adams. Here is Sam Adam’s best song in a while. He has become Mr. Pop-Rap similar to that of B.o.B but not as lyrical. The chorus is one of the sickest choruses of the year. It is so much fun to sing to. The song is an ode to his girl and how she is the only one no matter who heads his way. I give Sammy the thumbs up for this one on all fronts. 

65. Thin Line (feat. Buffalo Madonna)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. This song talks about the thin line between someone leaving someone no matter how much they might love you. This is real song not talking about crap. Macklemore is an amazing artist and is going to be around for many years to come even though he is already 29. 

64. Captain Hook (No Hands)-Mike Stud. This is an ode to Drake and how he is “Captain Hook” furthermore a real dope track with a hard-hitting beat and real dope samples of No Hands, HYFR and Diced Pineapples. Total talent right there!

63. What Now-Rihanna. What an amazing track! True ballad influenced by electronic and dubstep music. Rihanna has a real amazing voice! She has so much talent. This makes me feel real strong and believe in myself as it should to many other listeners.

62. A Wake (feat. Evan Roman)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. This a real cool song featuring some intriguing, raspy-toned vocals from Evan Roman and some verses that speak the real truth from Ben Haggerty. A must listen!

61. Pain / Money-The Dean’s List. This is one of the most dope combination of two songs ever. Pain is real dope track as is Money. I like Pain a bit better. Not the feeling or emotion but the song haha. Money has a real cool beat and much slower style to it. I really enjoy both songs. 

60. Culture / High-The Dean’s List. This is real dope track. Culture probably had my favorite verse of the year on it:

“Billie Jean, walking around the city; With a pair of red bottoms and piercing on her tittie; She was barely 22, he was almost 18; It was windy in The Shire so they moved to New Orleans; Hip-Hop in the bedroom, Rock in the kitchen; It was R&B dinner for the soul they were missing; You can probably hear em lovin on the floor by the oven; Purple rain for the soundtrack skips when she’s coming (cumming), Words for the moment, smoking herbs til we stonin’; She don’t know the basic functions of an iPhone; Colors from the 80s with the music of the 90s; And a couple free sprits wearing nylon; The culture of the last the future of the past; The present day skakespeare quotes you should grasp.”

Is that not dope or what?

59. Leto (Radio Edit)-Archie. This was my favorite Archie track this year as well as one of my top 3 electronic tracks of the year. It is very soothing and real cool to listen to. I have really started to enjoy electronic music as long as I listen to other stuff as well which I do. My roommate only listens to electronic music so it gets a bit annoying times but if it wasn’t for him I would have never found this next group who I have now fallen in love with. 

58. On My Way to Heaven (Seven Lions Remix) (feat. Richard Bedford)-Above & Beyond. Above & Beyond is real dope electronic artist but this Seven Lions Remix improves the song by a mile. I really love their signature sound that is somewhat apparent in each of their songs. Richard Bedford has some sweet vocals, as well. The drop is so sick!

57. Days to Come (feat. Fiora)-Seven Lions. This amazing track is off of their EP with the same title and is the best track on it by a mile. The EP is real good but this song is fire! Fiora’s vocals are terrific and the drop in this one is just as good but it sounds consistently better throughout the entire track so that’s why it has the slight edge over A&B. 

56. Born to Die-Lana Del Rey. This the title track off her debut album. It is an amazingly beautiful track that displays her unique tone of voice well. It’s not my favorite Lana track but its top three. 

55. Boyfriend-Justin Bieber. The chorus is amazing! I actually love this song. Not his best song but nonetheless an interesting track with his “rap verses”. The beat is real sick!

54. Madness-Muse. This is amazing relaxed dubstep track that is an awesome production.  They have finally realized what you need. They have finally seen the light. They are amazing talents who always push the genre in so many ways forward. This track is no exception.

53. Video Games-Lana Del Rey. This is one of the most mesmerizing tracks I’ve EVER heard. She is so amazing! I really do not what else to say about her. Everybody should listen for themselves. So unique! Also watch all of her music videos, true art!

52. Turn Up the Music-Chris Brown. This is a great dance track from Chris. I listened to this nonstop last winter and spring when it first came out. It was one of my most played songs of the year. He has a lot of talent and needs to use it well on these next few albums. I do not want to be disappointed.

51. Blue Jeans. This is my favorite Lana Del Rey track because of her usual tone of voice, the relaxed beat, the uh ohs, and the bridge and chorus. When she starts singing the line, “I will love you till the end of time” I get real excited. She is so amazing!!

50. Tonight Is the Night (Timeflies Remix)-Outasight. This is a dope remix featuring a sick verse from Cal adding to the already great track from Mr. Outasight. One of my favorite and most played songs of the year.

49. In the Corner (feat. Kinetics)-Dylan Owen. Dylan kills it. The beat goes hard. The female vocalist. Kinetics… arguably his best verse and my favorite one to date. If not then top three no doubt. Real heart in this track!

48. So Good (feat. Missy Modell)-Mike Stud. Missy is a SEXY thing! She has a real excellent voice and Mike kills the verse. Simple as that.

47. Waterfalls-Radical Something. This is real chill song that has the amazing voice of  Josh Cocktail and Loggy on the verses. I listened to this track nonstop this past summer. I could not get enough of it.

46. Beautiful (feat. Almost September)-Luke Christopher. This man is real artist with some soulful old-school hip hop swag. Everyone should go download his mixtape, TMRW, TMRW.

45. Somebody That I Used to Know (feat. Kimbra)-Gotye. This is the ultimate sing-a-long track specifically during the chorus. Gotye had arguable the radio hit of the year with this song. It is an amazing track no doubt!

44. I-Luke Christopher. This song is about staying true to yourself and never changing no matter what. Do not ever change to be with someone or to make someone else happy. As long as you are happy with yourself, do not change!

43. Pyramids-Frank Ocean. This is one of the best R&B tracks of the year. The best Frank Ocean song of the year no doubt. It’s length, its variety, its number of styles, Frank’s vocals, the beat and its overall production. This is a track that deserves a GRAMMY!

42. Both of Us (feat. Taylor Swift)-B.o.B. This is honestly a beautiful track featuring Tay Tay’s cute vocals and a dope beat and some great verses from Bobby Ray. Amazing track!

41. Adorn-Miguel 2012 was honestly the year of the revival of R&B. Miguel, Trey Songz, Usher, Frank Ocean, Chris Brown and Ne-Yo all had some great tracks and some amazing albums as well. This was one of the standout tracks through the entire genre. Easily top 10. It is the ultimate sensual love song for R&B. Miguel is a huge talent and has pushed the genre forward in ways never imagined.

40. Right By My Side (feat. Chris Brown)-Nicki Minaj. This was my favorite Nicki song of the year. Her duet with Chris worked out perfectly. They sound real good together. The beat was sweet and I really liked Chris’s verse the most. 

39. For the Fame (feat. Chris Brown & Wynter Gordon)-Tyga. This was my favorite Tyga song of the year featuring the chorus sung by CB and some nice vocal additions by Wynter Gordon as well as Tyga’s sick verses. A person should never be in something for the fame but for the love and passion! 

38. Boyfriend (Remix)-Mike Stud. Mike’s first verse is one of my favorite’s of his and then add that to a almost as dope second verse and his suave voice on the chorus. #HitsOnDeck

37. Naked In Venice-Radical Something. This is one of my favorite Radical Something track this past year. It has pure heart and emotion, rawness and some sweet vocals from not only Josh Cocktail but also Big Red as well as a real dope flow from Loggy. Loggy’s verse is arguable my favorite of his of all time. 

36. How I Feel-Chris Brown. CB can actually rap! This is a real dope track featuring real heart and emotion and the listener can really feel where he is coming from. People should stop hating on him so much. Yeah he might be a total douchebag but he is a true artist at heart!

35. From Gorillas to Cyborgs-Kinetics & One Love. This is an amazing track that features some of the most dope hip hop verses I have heard to date by any artist. Kinetics is already one of my favorite lyricists of all time. That’s how much of an effect he has had on me over the past two years or so. The rawness of the last 90 seconds of the song is unreal. Amazing track. 

34. Forever Yours-Trey Songz. This is yet another great Trey Songz to get in the bed to. This one has a real dope beat that sounds so sick combined with Trey’s pure vocals. #ForeverYours

33. Sweet Love-Chris Brown. Another love making track from CB! Oh baby, let’s get naked, just so we can make sweet love…” is all I have to say.

32. Too Close-Alex Clare. This guy came out of nowhere with one huge song. It hits you hard in the chest. He has an amazing voice to go along with it. One of my favorite pop songs of the year.

31. Vibe To This-Radical Something. This was one of my favorite tracks of the summer as my friends Sarah, Olli and Heather and I vibed to this all summer long. I miss summer even though I live and die for the winter and snow!

30. We Found Love-Timeflies. This is one of the dopest remixes I’ve heard to date. No doubt the best We Found Love remix ever. Timeflies kills it each and every release. I can’t wait all the new music coming form them not excluding Timeflies Tuesdays!

29. Say Yes-Radical Something. This was one of my favorite songs of the summer as the same friends and I blasted this almsot every single time we hung out. I kid you not. This is an amazing track!

28. Truth-Felly. This is one of the best true hip hop songs I’ve heard this year and for a while. Speaks the truth. Plus this guy is a senior at the high school I used to go to. I knew he would blow up. He deserves a deal of some sort in the near future.

27. Numbers-Logic. Best Logic song to date. Best song of his career. He is gonna blow up in 2013 and 2014. I can feel it! He is one of the best upcoming lyricists in the game.

26. Bad Decisions-Trey Songz. This is Trey’s Don’t Judge Me but even better and more heartfelt. That’s why Trey’s album was better than CB’s this time around. He is on the rise the past three years or so. 

25. On Fire-Luke Christopher. A real dope sample of We Are Young. The best of the year as a matter of fact. He is a true rapper and artist. I cannot wait for some new music from this man.

24. Beauty and a Beat (feat. Nicki Minaj)-Justin Bieber. This is JB’s fourth best song of the year. The fun-loving vibes, Nicki’s real dope verse and the great dance beat in between each verse. An amazing overall track!

23. Sex With You (feat. Common)-Luke Christopher. This guy is so talented that Common realized this and hopped up on a real dope track and delivered a sick verse. This is an amazing duo right there.

22. Nothing Back (feat. Scolla & Mike Stud)-Huey Mack. This was one of my most played tracks of the year. Top 3 most played of the year. Mike’s verse stood out as the best in my mind and was part of the reason why I listened to it so much.

21. No Faith in Brooklyn (feat. Jhameel)-Hoodie Allen. This is an amazing track by Hoodie that blew me away in the emotional way and also Jhameel really put the track on a whole other level. 

20. Ten Thousand Hours-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. This was the first song on his album The Heist and also what he opened his show with in NYC when I saw him back in November. He has become one of if not my favorite rapper of the past year. Ten Thousand Hours in this song represents the amount of hours it takes to master something. 

19. Right Here (feat. Drake)-Justin Bieber. The combination of these two on a R&B track like these leads to an godly track. JB kills it! Drake kills it! There is nothing wrong with this song. They are both talking about how they are always there for their significant other. It’s too bad what has happened to JB’s and Selena’s relationship. They were really cute together. Selena is one of my favorite celebrity crushes. She is so cute and sexy and mature! I would love to meet her one day!

18. No Interruption-Hoodie Allen. This was my jam over the spring and summer especially during tennis season. Plus it got a lot of plays this fall at college. Hoodie kills the verses and absolutely slays the chorus.

17. Heart Attack-Trey Songz. This is his best vocal performance on the entire album. Too bad it has to be this song but it is a beautifully executed track. One of the best R&B songs I’ve ever heard. I could listen to this song on repeat and the rest of the album for an entire day maybe even a week if I was in the right mood. It puts me in the heartfelt mood though. So I probably could listen to it for a week straight.

16. We In This Bitch 1.5 (feat. Future & Drake)-DJ Drama. This is one of my all-time favorite Drake verses and because of that I listened to it non-stop during the spring and summer. I could not get enough of it. Plus the beat is real dope! Every time I listen to it now, it brings me back to driving back and forth to the gym and my house. It makes me wish I was still back in that time but I love college and my life now just as much as I did back then. 

15. Critic-Mike Stud. This is real dope track saying fuck all the haters and critics and to just listen up. But the haters are why he is here and still doing this. This is one of my favorite Mike Stud tracks of all time.

14. You Don’t Know Me-Tarik & Mike Stud. These two guys deliver a real hip-hop song that speaks real truth and illustrates the lifestyle of hip hop perfectly. The verses are real dope and are arguably the best of both of their careers lyrically.

13. Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. This is a real influential and meaningful song for today’s society. It talks about how Ben thought he was gay as a kid, how he has an uncle who is gay and how gays are still to this day looked down upon. He speaks on not only gay rights but equal rights across the board. This is truly beautiful song!

12. Die In Your Arms-Justin Bieber. This is honestly one of my favorite songs of the year. It is a real heartfelt, great vocal performance that shows his vulnerable side a bit. I really like this new sound of his. He has matured really quickly with his this new and much more mature sounding album.

11. Is It Worth It-Mike Stud. This is a real heartfelt track. Mike asks himself if this music career is really worth it. I believe it is. He has some surprising talent for starting to rap as a total joke. Look what came of it. 

10. Neon Cathedral (feat. Allen Stone)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. We have reached the Top 10. Finally. Almost done. I love doing this. Do not get me wrong but it is very time consuming. This is one of the most enthralling songs on the album. Allen Stone’s vocals pull the listener in and listen real close and makes me think about who I am and who I want to be and how I can improve as a human being.

9. Superman-Luke Christopher. This is my second favorite track by Luke Christopher of all time. He has such a pure and soulful voice and then kills each and every verse. I cannot get enough of this guy. When is he going to release some new tunes??

8. Pretty Girl’s Lie-Trey Songz. This song really hits me hard in the heart because of the personal connection I have to the lyrics especially in the second verse. The beat sets the mood and then his vocals come in and melt your heart. He kills the chorus. He Honestly has an amazing range and voice. 

7. Victory Lap-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. This was one of my favorite songs of the summer. I blasted it nonstop. It brings me back to the summer as well. This is his victory lap after all he has been through it is amazing to see how well he is doing now. Salute to him! and Ryan as well!

6. Climax-Usher. This is one of my favorite Usher song’s of all time now. It might even be number one. Produced by Diplo. Holy shit that beat is fire! Add the beat to Ush’s amazing lyrics and heartfelt execution and we have ourselves a huge track on our hands. He croons about reaching the climax of a relationship and how it hurts the hurt so much. 

5. Better (feat. T-Pain)-Bow Wow. This song was released back in May but I did not find it until early November. This is Bow Wow’s best track of his career by far. T-Pain kills it! Bow kills the versus lyrically and the beat is real dope. The video is real dope as well. The song talks about how you should do you no matter who is hatin’ on you because it will all lead to better things.

4. As Long As You Love Me (feat. Big Sean)-Justin Bieber. JB and Big Sean SLAYED this song. I was amazed at how amazing of a production this track was and is to this day. My favorite JB track of all time. He is an amazing talent. Also, I believe that Big Sean’s verse was the best of his career!

3. Never Been-Luke Christopher. This is my favorite Luke Christopher track of all time. This is an amazing combination of hip-hop and R&B. Luke was probably my favorite new artist of 2011-2012. I cannot wait for the new music from him this year!

2. Under the Sea-Timeflies. They had originally done this for Timeflies Tuesday as a freestyle but they added an extra verse and a bridge to it and remastered to make it sound even more amazing before and what do we get, my second favorite song of the year…

1. Starting Over (feat. Ben Bridwell)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. This is arguably one of the hardest songs to write. But what came out of it is my favorite song of 2012. The heart and soul and lyrics and the thought process is poured into this track. Ben Bridwell adds a very nice touch to the song and it brings it to that next level. Truly amazing track!

Okay so the Top 155 Songs of 2012 have been named! What do you guys think? Comments and discussion encouraged!

So 2012 is over and it was one of the best years of my life. I had some great times with some of my best friends, family, some hard times as well, passed my first semester at college, and much more. But that’s life and life takes you on a journey. You gotta make it your own and work hard for what you want. It does not come easily. This year gave us some beautiful music videos as well as some downright sexy ones. Let’s get to it!

Honorable Mentions

A) Sign Language (feat. Wynter Gordon)-Kinetics & One Love. This is a track with a true-to-life message that is sad to hear but happens all the time. The lyrics really brings us into Billy and Amy’s respective situations. The video really paints that picture. The song was one of my favorite and most emotional songs of the year. I really felt the emotion and connect that a number of people would have to this particular song. The video did the song justice but it did not live up to the power of the song. Nonetheless still a great video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzWmL7iteV0

B) TMRW, TMRW Intro & Outro-Luke Christopher. These two tracks are simple but very lyrical and really give a glimpse into Luke’s purpose and his everyday life. He is truly on his grind. The Intro is a classy song basically saying to all the major record labels and people who doubted him, look at me now. I’m on my grind. The Outro talks about how he is “madly in love with music” and, “he doesn’t know anything else.” Great tracks and concept for the entire mixtape. Definitely check it out if you have yet to do so. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k1FRzJn5VI

C) The Boys-Nicki Minaj & Cassie. This is a sexy track with an even more sexy video featuring Nicki looking fabulous. Nicki’s verses are actually pretty dope with that nasty flow of hers. Cassie was the one who really stood out for me with her sensual and intimate sounding tone and her outfit especially her style of hair. She has a very sexy edge to her personality. God damn, Diddy is a lucky guy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXFcr6oy5dk

12) One More Night-Maroon 5. This is one of the best Maroon 5 songs and videos since their first and second album. It reminds me of the track Lost Ones by J Cole. This song is meant to listened to from the woman’s perspective, which is very interesting. The video is in the style of mini-movie which is very artistic and shows an interesting side of Adam Levine that some of us may not see in real life or on The Voice per say. Plus, the woman in the video, Minka Kelly, is one of the sexiest women alive. The baby is the cutest little thing with those chubby little legs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwK7ggA3-bU

11) Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Macklemore is one of the best up and coming rappers and he is still independent which is big in today’s music industry, especially hip hop. Ryan Lewis is a master of a producer as well. This track is not Macklemore trying to make a record that would make some quick money but it is true to his lifestyle and how he grew up. He would go to his local thrift shop’s in Seattle and buy some clothes such as outlandish fur coats and then go out on the town and rock the coats. He is a real person who raps about what he battles each and everyday. This is a fun video with a good meaning about thrift shops and giving back as well.  Plus it features a Delorean. What’s not to like? I will leave you with Batman Pajamas Onesie.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK8mJJJvaes

10) Beauty and A Beat (feat. Nicki Minaj)-Justin Bieber. This is Bieber having a blast! He is still a kid. He can have fun, but people should stop freaking out when anyone including Bieber does something the least bit wrong or offensive. Yeah teenagers smoke weed sometimes. It’s not going to kill you. Yeah couples get into fights sometimes as well. It is hard for a kid to grow up from the age of 13 or so on in the spotlight of the entire world. This is awesome video featuring some beautiful ladies in bikinis, some sweet dancing movies and Nicki Minaj. Is there anything more one could ask for? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys7-6_t7OEQ

9) Naked In Venice-Radical Something. This is a cool concept with some dope visuals. Loggy rapping, Big Red adding to the chorus along with Josh Cocktail’s silky smooth vocals makes for a wonderous track and a beautiful girl to add to it. When Loggy turns around after running away and smirks, he looks the happiest little kid in the world. Great track. Great video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJHv-9xo3Hw

8) National Anthem-Lana Del Rey. Gosh she has a very intriguing voice with such a raspy and unique tone. The beginning of the video reminds me of Marilyn Monroe and her beauty and sex appeal. A$AP Rocky is a huge reason why the video is so forward thinking. Putting them two together is such outside-of-the-box thinking. Very clever. The concept is very special. This is a beautiful track featuring a beautiful family. Fantastic video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxDdEPED0h8

7) Don’t Judge Me-Chris Brown. This is one of the better tracks off Chris’s most recent album, Fortune, which was a bit of a train wreck. This video is arguably the most talented and artistic video of Chris’s career. The material and the lyrics make the video mesmerizing to watch over and over. One can also see the influence of graffiti and Japanese art. Very cool! Hopefully Chris can come back with a great new album in 2013 or 2014 to make up for this less than successful one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z29nI8RQV0U

6) Heart Attack-Trey Songz. This is a song that anyone who has been so in love that they can’t stand them but can’t live without them. This song portrays Trey’s broken love story with the beautiful Kelly Rowland. This song brings out Trey’s vocal talent. The video is has a sad ending but there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, maybe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r3MZNCGzVY

5) As Long As You Love Me (feat. Big Sean)-Justin Bieber. This was honestly one of my favorite songs of 2012. The lyrics, the verses from JB, the one verse that Big Sean killed; it’s just a masterful combination. This video showcases young love and how tough and sometimes weird it is. It highlights the ups and the downs but through and through all that should matter is the love between the two people. The girl who plays Justin’s love interest looks very similar to a skinnier faced Miley Cyrus who has beautiful eyes and a beautiful face. Great production! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4em3LKQCAQ

4) Happy Ending-Mike Stud. This is real heartfelt and special song for Mike Stud off of his freshman mixtape back in 2011 but the video itself was not released till 2012. Either way, it is still a interesting yet very sad video featuring three very heart-wrenching stories about three different people. This is the best video of Mike’s career to date. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo5Bd1rpW7s

3) Better (feat. T-Pain)-Bow Wow. This is the best Bow Wow song to be released in his career. It has true meaning to all the strippers who are struggling just to make ends meet and make a living for themselves. They do not necessarily want to be doing what they do on a daily basis but sometimes it’s the best or only option they have. Bow Wow talks about how everyone hates on people and how one should never let someone steal their pride. Agreed. Great video man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqS4S2UqhcE

2) Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Now this is a very influential song and video. No neither of these guys are gay but Macklemore did once think he was gay as a kid and he has a gay uncle. He has a very big reason why Referendum 74 was passed in the state of Washington where Ben Haggerty (Macklemore) resides. This is a beautiful video featuring the beautiful vocals of Mary Lambert who is actually a gay person. This song more widely speaks to the issue on equal rights across the board not just gay people. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0

1) A Million Lives-Jake Miller. This video is my favorite video of the year partly because of the surprise factor. This video caught me off guard and blew me away with its honesty and true heart. Jake Miller is a talented rapper who is really making a name for himself for speaking the truth and talking about things like love and disease not shit like money, weed and big booty girls all the time like a majority of rappers do nowadays. I praise this man for this video. Everyone should watch this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGGs65J3UEA

Thanks everyone! I will be posting the Top Songs of the Year next tomorrow. Then Mixtapes and Albums after that as well as Rookies of the Year etc. Hopefully should have them all done by mid week next week if not earlier. Plus its my birthday today, 19 years old. Last year as a teenager. Hmm, intriguing! Have a wonderful day and a great year. 2013!!

speaks the real truth… gotta work hard for what you want to do with your life

(via kissedxgold-deactivated20130329)

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!! IT’S 2013!!!!

I am planning to post the best of 2012 posts over the next week or so. I have been real tired the past couple of days and have not worked on that yet. I will get to it tonight and most of the day tomorrow and have at least all the planning done by tomorrow if I am lucky even one of the posts done. 

Albums/Mixtapes…

1. The First Agreement-Dizzy Wright. This guy is a dope rapper. His song Flyin’ High (feat. Nikkiya) got me hooked after the first listen. The chill vibe to the beat and the soothing, slightly raspy voice of Nikkiya kept me interested and listening closely to the lyrics of Dizzy. This is his debut album. Before this he had a couple of mixtapes released online for free that built up a supporting fan base and some street cred before he was able to release this album. The intro sets the stage right for the rest of the album with another solid beat featuring a relaxed and beautiful piano and some great vocals from Nikkiya again. Some other good tracks on the album are My Life, Shotgun Kisses (feat. Jarren Benton & Irv Da Phenom), and Vampire Bite (feat. Man-Like-Devin). He has similar flow to that of Wiz Khalifa and also a similar voice tone as well. He is a more lyrical, sophisticated version of Wiz Khalifa. I have no disrespect for either of them. They are their own rappers and people and deserve all of their success thus far. Dizzy is on his way up! 2013 and 2014 should be good years for him and the rest of the Funk Volume crew. Album Rating: 7/10 stars.
2. Girl on Fire-Alicia Keys. Alicia Keys has one of the most pure and clean voices out there. It is a true beauty. This album showcases it so well with songs like Brand New Me, Listen to Your Heart, Fire We Make (feat. Maxwell), Tears Always Win, etc. They are all great tracks if they are ballads or more upbeat fun songs such as Girl on Fire (Inferno Version) [feat. Nicki Minaj] and New Day. The intro sets the tone right away with the beautiful piano solo. It just melts your heart and gets you in the right mood to experience the power of her vocals. Some of my favorite songs off this album are Brand New Me, Tears Always Win and Not Even the King. This album is full of raw emotion, pure vocals, and a new Alicia Keys that is even more sure of herself as an artist, not that she needed to be. This is a great album; definitely one of my favorites of hers. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
3. Falling Up the Stairs-Vonnegutt. These guys are not held under one genre. They are alternative rock and hip-hop. They are talented and mix well together. This is their debut album but they did have a successful mixtape back in 2011. Some great tracks are Downfall, Bright Eyes, Thinking About the Time, Knock (feat. Will Pugh), and Too Close. The rest of the album is pretty awesome as well but those are just my favorite songs. Album Rating: 8/10 stars.
4. O.N.I.F.C. (Deluxe Version)-Wiz Khalifa. This is actually a dope album. I was not sure what to expect from this dude. He pleasantly surprised me with this one. The beats he uses are some of the best in the game. The whole album is very aesthetically pleasing and sounds great. The lyrics on the other hand are not as great but average for a rapper in today’s society. He is living his life and does not care what anyone thinks about him as a rapper or as a person. He smokes, he drinks and he lives ‘young, wild & free’. Some dope tracks are Let It Go (feat. Akon), The Bluff (feat. Cam’ron), Work Hard, Play Hard, Got Everything (feat. Courtney Noelle), Fall Asleep, Rise Above (feat. Pharrell, Tuki Carter & Amber Rose), Remember You (feat. The Weeknd) and last but not least Medicated (feat. Chevy Woods & Juicy J). This honestly is a better album for Mr. Khalifa for who he is as a rapper than Rolling Papers. Yes, Rolling Papers had more “hits” that were played on the Top 40 Radio and also Urban Radio but that was not who he was. He just wanted to make some hard fast money. Now, he knows who he is as a rapper. He is not great lyrical rapper but manages fine and then kills it with the beats he uses. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
5. Warrior (Deluxe Version)-Ke$ha. Ke$ha is a crazy motherfucker. She goes hard as we have learned over the years. She looks like an unsanitary homeless person most of the time but she still manages to have huge fans and some halfway decent songs each and every album release. This album is who Ke$ha is; she is a Warrior hanging out with Crazy Kids living in a Supernatural Wonderland full of Dirty Love, but through and through All That Matters is The Beautiful Life. Some other great tracks are Thinking of You, Wherever You Are, Only Wanna Dance With You, and Last Goodbye. As much as I’d love to hate her, I just cant’t, at least for a long period of time I can’t. In my opinion her second album kind of sucked. It all sounded the same. Her first album was probably her first for me as of right now. This one is actually a close third. It could close in and surpass the first one soon. I salute you, Ke$ha! Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
6. Jesus Piece (Deluxe)-Game. This album is full of collaborations and in no way do they take away from the album. They only add to it. This a concept album as well and I really enjoy the concept. It is a refreshing idea from Game. Some great tracks are Jesus Piece (feat. Kanye West & Common), Pray (feat. J Cole & JMSN), All That (Lady) [feat. Lil Wayne, Big Sean, Fabolous & Jeremih], Heaven’s Arms, Name Me King (feat. Pusha T), See No Evil (feat. Kendrick Lamar & Tank), Hallejuah and Blood Diamonds. This could be a classic. This actually reminds me of Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Album Rating: 9/10 stars.
7. Unorthodox Jukebox-Bruno Mars. He is back!!!! This a relatively short album but it a very good one. The lead single, Locked Out of Heaven, set the album up very well. It slowly grew on me each and every time I listened to it. Now the album is out and it is pretty good. His first album was a good bit better based on the quality and length. This is not a disappointment but it is not at the quality of Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Some great tracks are When I Was Your Man, Moonshine, Young Girls, Gorilla, Treasure and If I Knew. Album Rating: 8/10 stars.
8. Sight & Sound-Accent. Accent is back with his second EP featuring the likes of Kinetics and a couple of others. He is one of the best new lyricists I’ve heard in the past six months or so. He has a very interesting tone to his voice. His ability to sing with that deep and raspy voice of his is unique and then mixing with his rapping voice which is very similar but not exactly the same. Some excellent tracks are Grey Kingdom 1.5, The One I Need (feat. Chyna Griffin), Mass Pandomoneyum (Remix feat. B. Love, KTSB & Kinetics) and the best one of the EP Everybody’s Crazy (feat. Kinetics). This is a dope EP featuring some chill beats and real dope and real lyrics from a up and coming rapper. EP Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
9. Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head (Deluxe Version)-T.I. On this album Tip embraces who he is and does not try to be someone else. He has a sequel to this album coming most likely some point during 2013. So we have that to look forward to but back to this album. It is actually a pretty dope album and addresses who he is as a person, a rapper and a businessman. Some tracks that illustrate those ideas are Trap Back Jumpin’, Guns and Roses (feat. Pink), Wonderful Life (feat. Akon), Hallelujah, Ball (feat. Lil Wayne), Go Get It, and Wildside (feat. A$AP Rocky). Some other great tracks are Can You Learn (feat. R. Kelly), and Addresses. This album embraces his lifestyle and does not try to change it even though he has had some obstacles in the past three years. He is back a new and improved man who knows who he is and knows what he has to do in the future. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
10. The Higher EP-The KickDrums & Dee Goods. The KickDrums are a dope alternative band that remind me of The Black Keys and then Dee Goodz is a rapper with a dope flow. Higher is dope track that sets the stage for the rest of the EP. Some other fantastic tracks are Go, Echoes, Take Um Home, and A Faded Picture. EP Rating: 4.5/5 songs.

Singles…

1. Louis Vuitton (Extended Version)-J Cole. J Cole is back with a passion with this song and also his lead single Miss America. This is a good instrumental beat featuring nice a nice snare drum beat and the higher echelons of a piano. The combination of those and Cole’s verses makes for a great track. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
2. me&u-treekeeper. This is a dope instrumental track from electronic producer Treekeeper featuring some vocal samples and a sick bass and some underwater effects. All in all it is a good track to listen to either while skiing or studying. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
3. Love This Life (feat. Mike Stud)-Huey Mack. These two are back at it with a remix to T.I.’s Love This Life. Stud is on the chorus with his sensual vocals and Huey kills the verses. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
4. When I Was Your Man-Bruno Mars. He honestly has one of most amazing voices in the music industry. He is great during his live performances. Some people sound pretty horrible live but he sounds the same as he does on the mastered version of his songs. This is probably my favorite Bruno Mars’ song ever. It is pure emotion and amazing. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Month.
5. Fuckin Problem ONE TAKE-Futuristic. He now tackles and safety’s Fuckin Problem and comes as no surprise. His flow is dope. His lyrics are clever and full of variety and a good vocabulary. Honestly he is literally killing the past 5 or 6 songs. He can do no wrong! Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
6. Pay for You (feat. G-Eazy & Devon Baldwin)-Skizzy Mars. Skizzy has dope flows for days. His delivery combined with his flows and his slightly nasaly tone makes for numerous dope tracks thus far. This one is no exception featuring a great verse from G-Eazy and the lovely vocals from Devon Baldwin. Great track. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Month.
7. Lights (Remix)-YONAS. YONAS finally tackles this one and adds a harder and more bass heavy sound to the beat and then tears up his verses. YONAS has become one of my favorite lyricists over the past year and half or so. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
8. King Wizard-Kid Cudi. This is a real dope track that in combination with Just What I Am (feat. King Chip) confirms that Kid Cudi is officially back. WZRD was a weird phase for him and now he is back to being himself. This song features some dope verses and a catchy chorus after a couple listens. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Month.
9. Home-OnCue & Chris Webby. This song is dedicated to the school shooting in Newtown Connecticut and all the proceeds on iTunes go towards helping the children and their families and the school and what the rest of the school needs to do to move their new school in Monroe Connecticut. Thee guys are real artists and this is a beautiful track. They both deliver great verses with a true message that we are with the ailing families and are praying for them during these hard times. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Month.
10. Wise Man-Frank Ocean. He literally does not produce a bad track. With those pure and beautiful vocals of his combined with his heart of gold makes for some pretty amazing tracks. This one is definitely one of them. It is not on an album or anything but it was just released online and I was so happy to hear some new Ocean. I cannot wait till his next project. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Month.

Ok so I have been bogged down with work, travel and just college in general and have not had a chance to do my blog recently. I have started my Facebook Page called Dope Music & Skiing. Here is the link so you all can like it: https://www.facebook.com/DopeMusicSkiing 

Back to the music now,

Singles…

1. Naked In Venice-Radical Something. The video and single came out for this song before I did my last post but I did not buy it on iTunes until the day after my last post. This song definitely deserves a post on this blog post. The chorus is catchy, the verse by Loggy is addicting and pulls you in as the listener, and DJ Big Red even sings a few lines for us. Overall dope track. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months
2. Cockiness (Love It) [Remix] (feat. A$AP Rocky)-Rihanna. This is the official remix to the extremely provocative and sex-driven song by Ms. Rihanna. A$AP’s verse improves the song two or threefold. It is a surprisingly well delivered verse. My opinion has totally changed after hearing some of the new verses by A$AP. He is actually a good rapper, not the best but nonetheless not that bad. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
3. Clique-Kanye West, Jay-Z & Big Sean. This is the last single released before Cruel Summer got released. Clique is talking about G.O.O.D. Music as a family (clique) and how they are at the top right now and ain’t nobody fuckin with my clique. They are probably right with Big Sean killing it right now, Kid Cudi returning back to his old form and also the new Kanye Song which I will review later on. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
4. Ronan-Taylor Swift. This is a sad song about a true story of a not-quite four-year old boy who died of cancer, told from the perspective of his mother. Swift incorporated ideas from the mom’s blog and also gave the mom co-writing credit. There is no doubting that Taylor Swift is a special person with a warm heart and a huge talent for writing heartfelt songs like this one. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
5. The Boys-Nicki Minaj & Cassie. This is a hot track. Nicki’s verses are on point. Cassie adds a nice touch and they both look sexy in the video that just got released last month. Cassie is so beautiful though. Diddy is a very lucky guy to have her. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
6. Don’t You Worry Child (Radio Edit) [feat. John Martin]-Swedish House Mafia. This is a sad time considering this will be there last tour and album and after that they are breaking up. But they blessed us with this track again featuring the great vocals from Mr. John Martin who did the vocals for the hit track, Save The World. Now he is back again for their new huge track. One Last Tour tickets are now on sale as well. 4.5/5 stars.
7. Where Were You (feat. Dawn Richard)-Drake. Drake blesses us with one of my favorite unreleased tracks of his in a while. It features Dawn Richard who was one of the vocalists from Danity Kane and then Diddy - Dirty Money but now she has started her solo career. Drake sings a verse and Dawn sings a verse and then culminates in a quick verse from Drizzy. Topnotch track. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
8. Celebration (feat. Chris Brown, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa & Lil Wayne)-Game. Game’s new track has a winner lineup right here featuring Breezy’s great vocals, Tyga’s interesting verse, Wiz’s good verse and Lil Wayne who has been having a better than usual year lyrically. Game’s verse is decent as well. The chorus is what makes the track though with Chris’s eerie vocals to make it a total smoke fest. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
9. Balcony (feat. Young Jeezy)-Cassie. Cassie is so sexy and this is her new single for her upcoming album which might actually come to life after trying to release an album for 4 to 5 years now. This is a pretty good single with two sick verses from Jeezy and Cassie’s vocals which are sounding a bit better. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
10. Sorry-Ciara. This is a beautiful R&B track by Ciara. Her vocals on the track are topnotch. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
11. Finally Found You (feat. Sammy Adams)-Enrique Iglesias. This is a typical radio-friendly pop track but the thing is it features Sammy Adams whose album should hopefully be coming out soon and this verse should hopefully bring some recognition to his name. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
12. Blue Whale-Frank Ocean. Now this is an interesting mix. This is a rap song by Mr. R&B Frank Ocean. How he holds his own, though. This is surprisingly a really good song. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
13. Die Young-Ke$ha. Here is the lead single for Ke$ha’s new album which is going to be called, Warrior. I am honestly kind of tired of this white girl fake-rap shit. Here first album was actually pretty good but this is getting kind of old now. Also everybody is using dance and electronic beats for their songs. There is no more originality on production because everything sounds the same. But the song is sadly catchy as usual. Single Rating: 4/5 stars.
14. Blue Velvet-Lana Del Rey. Here is the first single for Lana’s new album Paradise. It is a beautiful track as her song always are. I can not wait to hear the rest of it next month. This fall has been an amazing season for new music. I wonder what the rest of it will be like and also the winter season. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
15. Diamonds-RIhanna. This is a great track from the Queen of Hit-song-making. Diamonds has been doing well on the charts and in my opinion does not disappoint. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months. 
16. Get Free Coleworld-J Cole + Major Lazer. This is one of the best rap tracks I’ve heard in a while. It features a great sample of Major Lazer’s Get Free and then the verses by Cole are so sick. And then the end of the track is so sick with the commentary of this guy talking about how we need to start to listening to the words of all these songs and not be so numb to what people are saying. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
17. Locked Out of Heaven-Bruno Mars. Bruno Mars has become one of my favorite pop singers nowadays and I was ecstatic that he released a new song. His voice is so pure and he has soul and a great ear for some great upbeat tracks like this one. He is very jazzy and cool with his delivery and also belts out those high notes perfectly. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
18. Just What I Am (feat. King Chip)-Kid Cudi. Cudder is fuckin back!!!!!! I’m so pumped for his new album, Indicud, coming out soon. This is him back on his smokin grind. It is just who he is. One great line from Cudder’s verse is: Neighbors knockin’ on the door, asking can we turn it down, I say ain’t no music on, she said naw that weed is loud. Is that not the sickest line ever. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
19. Compton (feat. Dr. Dre)-Kendrick Lamar. This is the second single for Kendrick’s new album good kid, m.A.A.d city. The beat is tight, kendrick’s verse is nice, soulful chorus and a dope verse from Dre. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
20. Skyfall-Adele. This is the title track for their soundtrack for the upcoming James Bond movie with the same title, Skyfall. Adele’s voice is sounding great and the song has a nice slow rise to the climax of the song. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
21. Remember You (feat. The Weeknd)-Wiz Khalifa. The Weeknd’s beauteous vocals set up the track very nicely. Wiz’s verses are improving as time passes by. I really like the sound of this track. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
22. Wide Awake (prod. by Madeon)-Ellie Goudling. This song was released out of nowhere the same day that her new album, Halcyon, was released. It was a very pleasant surprise. I am always up for some new Ellie music. This is a great dance track produced by the new upriser Madeon. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
23. She Don’t Put It Down (feat. Lil Wayne & Tank)-Joe Budden. Joe Budden has his first big track on his hands basically since Pump It Up. This a track featuring a verse from Weezy and a nice relaxing R&B chorus from Tank. I like it a lot. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
24. Shine (feat. Chiddy Bang)-Outasight. Outasight has had some great tracks in the past 6 months or so with Tonight Is the Night both the regular version and the Timeflies remix which was so sick, and now this one featuring a great verse from Mr. Chiddy Bang. Dope. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
25. Ride-Lana Del Rey. This yet another amazing track from this beautifully talented vocalist. Her new album comes out next month and it will be amazing. I cannot wait to hear the thing in its entirety. The video for this song is practically in mini-movie with its length exceeding 10 minutes. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Dew Months.
26. Doom and Gloom-The Rolling Stones. God these guys are amazing. They are still rocking at 70 years old!!! This a great track that sounds just like the best of their tracks from their prime. It is going to be an extremely sad day they finally hang their instruments up and retire for good. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
27. Catch My Breath-Kelly Clarkson. This woman has an amazing and powerful voice. She seems to be able to keep making some great tracks that really show off her pure vocals while still having time to catch her breath. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
28. Don’t Make Em Like You (feat. Wiz Khalifa)-Ne-Yo. This is one of the best Ne-Yo songs that I have heard probably since Mad. His last album kind of sucked. The past two songs (this and Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) are definitely sounding a lot better. It will be interesting to see how the album as a project turns out. Next month we will figure that out. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
29. Ball (feat. Lil Wayne)-T.I. I am a bit surprised how well this song did. It made it all the way to number 6 on the iTunes charts and is now slowing slipping lower and lower. This is a decent song that will get some play time in the clubs but we need to hear another great track from the man before the album comes out. I am really wondering how the album will turn out. Hopefully positive. Single Rating: 4/5 stars.
30. Roads-Chris Mann. Chris Mann was a contestant on The Voice Season 2 and made it to the Finals but lost to Jermaine Paul. Nevertheless he has a pure and strong voice and good range. He is about to release his first album and this is the title of the album. I really like the song. It is a beautiful that really displays his strong vocals well. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
31. Charlie Brown Remix (feat. Wax, Emilio Rojas & Tayyib Ali)-Jared Evan. The original was already a dope track and now with three sick verses from Wax, Emilio Rojas & Tayyib Ali made the song that much better. I have to say that Tayyib’s verse is my favorite of the three. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
32. For All-Far East Movement. The first words of the song are, “Love is for all.” There is nothing to not like about this song. Good message and good beat. This is one of their better songs. It will be interesting to see what comes of their new album when it comes to life. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
33. Listen to Me (Pink Matter Remix)-Futuristic. This is one of the dopest rap tracks I have heard in a long time partially because I did not expect it to come from a rapper like Futuristic. It has that “wow” factor to it and I was just blown away by the lyrics and the video to accompany it. This is a really deep track full of emotion and really gets to the listener if the listener is in the right mindset. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
34. Captain Hook (No Hands)-Mike Stud. This is an addictive song that has a great R&B feel to it. It was uploaded to YouTube back in September but the mp3 was not released until about two weeks ago. I just downloaded it this past week. At first I liked it but all of sudden thursday I just listened to it 10 times in a row and all of a sudden started to get addicted to the flow, choruses and the way the song was put together. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
35. What Can’t We Do (Here We Go Again) [feat. Kid Ink]-Cris Cab. This is great track with a dope beat featuring Kid Ink who has been making major moves in the industry ever since the release of his debut album, Up & Away. Cris Cab’s debut EP came out recently and I will be doing a review for it later on in this post. Cris Cab has that beautiful sounding soul voice with a reggae style to it and has some cool and swagger in it as well. I really like him and the music he has been putting out. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
36. F**kin’ Problems (feat. Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar)-A$AP Rocky. This the best A$AP track to date in my opinion well mostly because of the guest verses. My two favorite songs before this were Pe$o and Goldie otherwise I was not a huge fan of him and his crew but now after watching a short documentary on him, my opinion has been slightly changed and have much more respect for him as a person and as a rapper. Drake’s hook and verse as well as K-Dot’s verse are fantastic. 2 Chainz is tolerable and A$AP’s verse is not bad either. Overall dope track that I will be bumping for a while. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
37. Enemy-The Weeknd. The Weeknd never ceases to amaze me. His voice, the beats he uses, his delivery, his tone, the emotion he puts into each song is always there on each and every track. This is hard-hitting track that gets you right into the song from the beginning. This guy is the right now and the future. His Trilogy is coming out on November 13th so we all have that to look forward to. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months. 
38. Guap-Big Sean. Mr. Sean Don is back with his lead single to his sophomore effort, Hall of Fame, which is coming out December 18th, 2012. Hopefully it will be good. By the looks of it, it should be decent. I am not a huge fan of the song. It’s not his best work but he always puts lots of energy into his tracks. It will be interesting to see what comes of the rest of the album because he said is going to of a more deeper level than his freshman effort. I would not call Guap a deep song but that’s not worry about. He also said there would be the bangers on there as well. Guap is definitely a banger. The beat was produced by Young Chop and KeY WaYne and it goes hard. So, this is actually a pretty sick track now that I am listening to it again. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
39. Like I Used To-Tayyib Ali. This is the first single for this man’s upcoming mixtape, Keystone State of Mind 2 coming soon. By releasing this as his first single, he is portraying a more mature and reflective mood than usual and is advancing and improving as a rapper and a poet as well. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
40. Chum-Earl Sweatshirt. Earl is back. The new single is dope. I really like his delivery and the style he goes for in most of his songs not excluding Chum. It is good to see him back and good as new. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
41. Love Me Like You Do (feat. Justin Bieber)-Jaden Smith. Gosh darn this kid is talented. I have a feeling he will be big by the time he is 17 or 18. The future is looking bright for him. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
42. The Come Down (feat. Conner Youngblood)-Skizzy Mars. Skizzy is back with his new single for his upcoming mixtape, Phases, coming out soon. It is not my favorite of his but has that familiar flow that all of his fans have become used to and love. Single Rating: 4/5 stars.
43. Everybody-The Lonely Biscuits. These guys have an alternative rock feel but are also hip hop infused. I really like that signature sound of theirs though. They pull the listener in with their infectious production and relaxed vibe and then the rapper comes in with a laid back flow and kills it. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
44. Better (feat. T-Pain)-Bow Wow. This song came out back in May but I just happened to come upon it two weeks ago and it has been playing nonstop ever since. T-Pain slays the chorus and Bow Weezy kills the verses and the video goes along very smoothly with the song. This is Bow’s best song in a while, probably since Ain’t Thinkin’ About You (feat. Chris Brown). But this song has more meaning and resonance with the listeners especially the female listeners out there. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months.
45. Young Girls-Bruno Mars. This is the second single for Bruno Mars’s album coming next month. It is not as good as Locked Out of Heaven but still showcases his vocals well. I cannot wait to hear the rest of this album and what he has up his sleeve for all of his fans. He is no doubt my favorite male pop singer in the industry right now. Single Rating: 4/5 stars.
46. Freedom-Nicki Minaj. This is one of Nicki’s most meaningful songs to date and her flow is one of the best I’ve heard from her thus far. She talks about being herself and not being fake etc. It also has a great beat to back the great lyrics from Ms. Minaj. Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months
47. Don’t Rush (feat. Vince Gill)-Kelly Clarkson. Kelly tries her hand at some country… and not surprisingly sounds exceptional. She is such a talented vocalist who has been killing ever since 2002 when she won American Idol. Vince Gill complements her very nicely as well. Great overall track. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
48. Trillmatic (feat. Kyd Gwap & Dom McLennon)-Jitta on the Track. This guy resides from CT and represents to his best on this track. Infectious beat, catchy hook, and two great verses from Kyd Gwap and Dom McLennon. Dom’s and Jitta’s verses stand out as the best of them. CT here we go! Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
49. Thought I Told Yall-YONAS. YONAS is back! This is an aggressive, hard hitting song with the chorus going, “I thought I told yall, we dont care no, we dont give a fuck about what you think
50. Believe In This Life-Jermaine Paul. The winner of The Second Season of The Voice, Jermaine Paul, is back with a new single, Believe In This Life. It is a dance-infused R&B track featuring his great soulful vocals and putting his heart into the song. I really look up to this guy as a man and singer and how he portrays himself. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
51. Concrete-Logic. Logic is back with a dope sampling of Nas’s NY State of Mind. He kills the track with his sick flow and delivery and nasty lyricism. Logic I feel could be the next Nas. Well no one will be the same as Nas but what I am saying is that Logic is also a topnotch lyricist, uses and produces some dope beats and has a story to tell and talks about real shit in every single one of his tracks. That is hard to come across these days in rap. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
52. Rest of My Life (feat. Usher & David Guetta)-Ludacris. This song sounds very familiar to last years Without You (feat. Usher) by David Guetta with the production from Guetta and the chorus from Usher. The only real difference is the added verses from Ludacris. Usher’s vocals are as always great and Luda’s verses are pretty good. It should get some radio play but it all starts to sound the same. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
53. Miss America-J Cole. Hell yea! Cole is back with his lead single for his new album, Born Sinner which is coming out in early 2013. This is not his best work but still nonetheless a dope song with some real lyrics and a sick beat. Cole never disappoints even on his less popular songs that he releases. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
54. Lucky Rogers-Mike Stud. Another dope lyrical track that goes hard from Mr. Stud. Dope sample of Drop The World if I hear correctly and that tough guy rap that Mike kills each and every time. Clever dude right there. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
55. Poetic Justice (One Take)-Futuristic. He just cannot stop killing every single One Take. Listen to Me and now this. At first I thought he was just another rapper but now my opinion has totally altered for the better. This guy is going to be big. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
56. Moonshine-Bruno Mars. The third single is another great track from Mr. Mars. He has such a pure tone to his voice that has really resonated with fans. He has soul and swagger and has that jazzy side to him as well. He is one of the most talented musicians out there right now. I cannot wait to hear the rest of this album. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
57. C’mon-Ke$ha. Here is Ke$ha’s new pop-talk-rap song. She has become famous for her style and she definitely does it well. But honestly I am getting kind of annoyed. Her first album was her best. The second had only a couple of good songs and the third album is sounding all the same. She cannot sing very well so I do not know what to look for in her and some kind of variety but we will have to see. Single Rating: 4/5 stars.
58. Hallelujah-Game. Game is actually becoming one of my favorite rappers. He is actually real dope. That flow he has, the beats and production he uses, his verses and lyricism. He is actually an underrated rapper. This song is so sick. I am looking forward to his concept album Jesus Piece. Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
59. Lose Yourself ONE TAKE-Futuristic. Please stop Futuristic. You are killing these one takes. Why are they so good? You are gonna be a big force in the hop hop world in the near future. I can feel it. To anybody who has not checked this guy out, you need to right now. He is so dope! Single Rating: 5/5 stars.
60. Sorry (feat. Andre 3000)-T.I. This is one of the better singles so far of his for this upcoming album. Still not amazing. Andre 3000 murders Tip on his own song which is not surprising considering Andre’s lyrical talent. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
61. Scream & Shout (feat. Britney Spears)-will.i.am. Interesting song with a good beat. This is number one on iTunes right now so I guess it is a pretty good song. Props to William and Britney. They actually work very well together on this particular song. Single Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
62. My Life (feat. Eminem & Adam Levine)-50 Cent. 50 Cent is back! But actually… he kills this track. The lyrics are pretty dope. Adam Levine sounds awesome on the chorus and Eminem kills it as always as he is the true king of rap! Single Rating: 5/5 stars. Co-Single of the Few Months. 

Albums…

1. Daydream-Sid Sriram. This guy has such a amazing and toned voice. He most reminds me of The Weeknd but is not the same. He has an individual style and does not try to be something he is not. The concepts in his music and EPs are really out of this world and intriguing. I really admire what he has done with his career thus far. Some dope tracks from this EP are Insanity, Disappear, Wake Up and Elevate (feat. Aziz Francois) Aziz Francois is the rapper from The Dean’s List who are now called The King’s Dead. EP Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
2. Well Done 3-Tyga. This is an average mixtape from Mr. Tyga Tyg. Some songs honestly kind of suck; others are not bad with features or remixes to past songs. Do My Dance (feat. 2 Chainz), Diced Pineapples (stand out track), Ready To Fuck, and Girls & Guitars (feat. Kirko Bangz). Diced Pineapples is a great lyrical track and the rest basically are bedroom songs which there is nothing wrong hence it being a mixtape not a studio album. So, overall, its not horrendous or amazing. There are some bright moments and some low points but nonetheless a decent mixtape. Mixtape Rating: 6.5/10 stars.
3. Detroit-Big Sean. Big Sean has become one of my favorite rappers of the past three years headed by his hit track My Last (feat. Chris Brown). Ever since then, I have kept my eyes wide open for any new music from him. It has payed off with the release of his next mixtape Detroit. This is a dope mixtape with some features from J Cole, Mike Posner, French Montana, Chris Brown, Wale, Kendrick Lamar and a number of others. There are also a few stories told by Common, Young Jeezy, Snoop Lion. This is a very well put together mixtape and far exceeds that of Well Done 3. Some great songs are 24K of Gold (feat. J Cole), Woke Up (feat. Say It Ain’t Tone, Early Mac, Mike Posner & James Fantleroy), 100 (feat. Royce Da 5’9” & Kendrick Lamar), Sellin Dreams (feat. Chris Brown), I’m Gonna Be (feat. Jhene Aiko), and FFOE. Big Sean has the attitude of fuck the world and I’ma do me and no one can tell me what to do or to stop doing what I love to do. He is a true rapper and raps about what goes on his life and what his aspirations are and that appeals to listeners. Mixtape Rating: 9/10 stars.
4. Coexist-The xx. Gosh these guys are so relaxing and have very melodic vocals. I can listen to this while falling asleep, waking up on a weekend after getting a plushy 10 hours of sleep or just while thinking and relaxing on my own. They are so good. The album starts off with one of my favorite tracks on the album Angels. Chained, Fiction, Try and Sunset are great tracks. The whole album is real good though. The beats are real relaxing but also have some solid bass to go along with them. Also Jamie xx has produced a couple of tracks for Drake so we will be definitely be seeing more from him in the near future. Album Rating: 9/10 stars.
5. Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer-Various Artists. When an album is produced by Kanye West and has GOOD Music all featured on there, it is bound to be a huge hit. Well yes, it did sell well but it is not as good as projected to be. Clique and Mercy were huge club hits before the album being released and also New God Flow had a good run off of Pusha T’s dope verse. I Don’t Like was a hit throughout the country as well but there barely worthy on the album besides R. Kelly return to form with To The World supported by verses from Kanye. Otherwise the album is very much so a lackluster one. Album Rating: 7/10 stars. C’mon Kanye you can do better than that. Cruel Winter coming soon!
6. Jerusalem-The King’s Dead. Here is the new name for The Dean’s List. They are still the same group but have a new name and a more mature, advanced sound to their music. At first, I was not sure how I liked the new name and the direction they were taking their music. I really liked their tracks from their mixtape The Drive-In and also their album Generation X. This is a totally different style… It has grown on me each time I come back and give the mixtape a listen. Some dope songs are Sour Apple Rich Girls, Mighty California, Spacely Man, No Peace In A Rebel, Jerusalem (feat. Sid Sriram) and Not For Me. Sonny’s lyricism is still there and always will be. The production is still there as well with the sick beats. I guess I was just astonished to see the new direction but I am amazed at how versatile these guys are and based on that and the aforementioned material I strongly believe that these guys will be here for a while no matter their group name or what direction they decide to take in the future. Mixtape Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
7. The Truth About Love-P!nk. P!nk is one of the most talented female artists out there and always puts on a great performance. Her new song Try is a beautiful ballad and has gotten some decent radio play. Some other cool songs are Here For The Weekend (feat. Eminem) and The Great Escape.The rest of the album is pretty good as well. I actually did not like her first single Blow Me (One Last Kiss). I did not like the rhythm and how it played off her vocals. I like her ballads better but she is no doubt a talented singer. Album Rating: 7/10 stars.
8. Battle Born (Deluxe Edition)-The Killers. I have been a fan of The Killers from the beginning; their style, their lyrics and the great vocals from Brandon Flowers. This album is no exception. It is actually focuses a bit more ballads than usual and slower songs that push Brandon’s vocals to the forefront of the songs. A couple great songs are Flesh and Bone, Here With Me, Miss Atomic Bomb and Be Still. The song that really was a clear winner of a song was Heart of a Girl. It is song full of emotion and heart and really brings the listener into the world of Brandon and the rest of The Killers. The guitar at the beginning gets me in the zone and ready to listen to the song; it calms me down and slows down my heartbeat and totally soothes me. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
9. Shields-Grizzly Bear. Grizzly Bear had their hit debut album come out back in 2009 with their big song being Two Weeks which so many different artists have sampled and remixed ever since then. It is one of the great alternative tracks of the past three years and now they are back with their new album called Shields. It has a bit of a country feel to it and the vocals remind me of The Black Keys a bit. This album is a lot heavier and not as upbeat as Veckatimest. It is still a wonderful alternative album. Some awesome songs are Yet Again, Sleeping Ute, and Speak In Rounds. Album Rating: 7.5/10 stars.
10. Babel (Deluxe Edition)-Mumford & Sons. Gosh these guys are talented. Marcus Mumford’s voice is an interesting one and has this grit and this unique sound to it. It really pulls me in as a listener. They are one of the great alternative bands ever since their hit Little Lion Man and The Cave came out back in 2010. Ever since then they have been on a tear on the charts and touring non-stop selling out at many of the locations. The whole album is amazing and does not miss a beat. The first couple of tracks are the best Babel, Whispers In The Dark, Ghosts That We Know, Lovers’ Eyes, and Below My Feet. This is one of the best albums of the year. Album Rating: 9.5/10 stars.
11. Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album-Lupe Fiasco. The lead single, Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free), has a dope sample of C.L. Smooth and Pete Rock’s They Reminisce Over You. I remember being first introduced to that song from NBA Street Vol. 2. It’s that addictive saxophone and those dope lyrics of Lupe. Moving on, Lamborghini Angels is another great track that took me a bit to get used but now bump all the time. The album itself is a great project and has some great material on there including tracks such as Battle Scars with Guy Sebastian, Strange Fruition (feat. Casey Benjamin), ITAL (Roses), How Dare You? (feat. Bilal), Go To Sleep and Bitch Bad. We better hear another album from this guy. It will be a sad day to officially see him go. The rap game is a lot less talented without him. He is one of the best lyricist in the game up there with Eminem, Nas and Kanye West. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
12. Push and Shove (Deluxe Edition)-No Doubt. No Doubt is back after going on hiatus for the great career of Gwen Stefani. They are back and all around the age of 40. They are getting up there but they still are Looking Hot and Sparkle. Some other good tracks are Push and Shove, Gravity, and Heaven. They are great band to blast in the car and sing along to. My dad, sister and I would always blast Rock Steady on beautiful spring and summer days. I miss being home all the time and just rocking out with them. :( Album Rating: 7.5/10 stars.
13. Carpe Diem-V.I.B.E. I am amazed by this album! Every single song is dope. I cannot say anything bad about these guy. Rossy’s vocals are soothing and never hit a sour note. Chris Young’s tone of voice and delivery and flow are topnotch. They kill any haters with this album full of lyricism, instrumental beats, soul, and good messages. Check out the album on iTunes and if you like it buy it for all of $8.00 and support the group. They are real talented. Album Rating: 9.5/10 stars.
14. Must Be Nice-G-Eazy. G-Eazy has a nasally voice but sounds pretty dope on the mic. This album is actually pretty dope. It does not have a huge hit in my opinion that can be played over and over like Endless Summer (feat. Erika Flowers) or a number of the songs from The Outsider but nonetheless it is a solid album through and through. Some sick songs are Plastic Dreams (feat. Johanna Fay), Lady Killers (feat. Hoodie Allen), Mad (feat. Devon Baldwin), Must Be Nice (feat. Johanna Fay) and the standout track Marilyn (feat. Dominique LeJeune). G-Eazy is at his best on this album with a good amount of features, some emotional tracks and just having fun. Album Rating: 7.5/10 stars.
15. Quality Street Music-DJ Drama. DJ Drama is a dope producer who has the dope ability to bring together some of the best rappers and R&B artists in the game all on one album. There is bound to be a couple of good tracks on an album with that star quality and some not so great ones. Some good tracks are Goin’ Down (feat. Fabolous, T-Pain & Yo Gotti), Never Die (feat. Jadakiss, Cee-Lo Green, Nipsey Hussle & Young Jeezy), Clouds (feat. Rick Ross, Miguel, Pusha T & Curren$y), My Way (feat. Common, Lloyd & Kendrick Lamar), Pledge of Allegiance (feat. Wiz Khalifa, Planet VI & B.o.B), and Same Ol’ Story (feat. Kid Ink, Schoolboy Q, Corey Gunz & Childish Gambino). Actually not bad, Drama. Impressed. Album Rating: 8/10 stars.
16. Kaleidoscope Dream-Miguel. Miguel pushes R&B to new reaches. He is so innovative and creative. The combination of his style and silky and pure vocals and great production choices have made him into one of the big names in the genre after his debut, All I Want Is You, did exceptionally well. This album is a bit of a different style with more harder-hitting base and not so bluesy as the last album. It is a more raw and original album. This album is a lot easier to jam to and get up out of your seat and dance and sing along to. Some amazing songs are Don’t Look Back, Use Me, Kaleidoscope Dream, The Thrill, Pussy Is Mine, Adorn, and Adorn (feat. Wiz Khalifa) [Remix]. This is a real solid album full of pure vocals, great beats, a feature from Wiz Khalifa and a story. #BedroomMusic Album Rating: 9/10 stars. 
17. The 2nd Law (Deluxe Version)-Muse. Muse is a British alternative rock band who have been around since the early 90s but did not reach popularity until the song they did for the Twilight Soundtrack called Supermassive Black Hole. Ever since then  they have been touring nonstop and making some really great albums. This album is no exception. They always are innovating to new limits and this album pushes to new horizons by incorporating some hard-hitting base on Follow Me and Madness and some of their usual great guitar synths and solos and those signature vocals from Matthew Bellamy. They also have the more metal infused songs too such as Supremacy and Survival. I really like Animals as well. They have such a recognizable sound that when one of their songs come on, if one is a fan of their music, they will know it is them right away. Explorers is a more relaxed song and has a more fun side to it a bit. the whole album is really well put together. watching the video of them producing each song in the studio was eye-opening. they are real talented guys and it was very interesting watching them record each part of each song and then putting them together and making one product out of those numerous sounds. I tip my hat to them for a wonderful and far-stretching album. Album Rating: 9/10 stars.
18. Lightning-Matt & Kim. I really love their sound. It is always upbeat, fun-loving and care-free. Those electronic infused alternative rock beats are so great and never get old. This new album has a couple of terrific tracks such as Let’s Go, Now and It’s Alright. My sister just recently saw them live in Boston and she said they put on a great show and I bet they did. They are a fun group to listen to! Album Rating: 6.5/10 stars.
19. I’m Right Here-Chris Rene. This guy was the winner of The X Factor last year and now has his debut album out on iTunes. He is living life now. He had two hit songs out with Young Homie and Trouble. The whole EP is pretty solid through and through. My favorite songs that were not released as singles are Chains and Back From the Dead. Young Homie is the best one. It is has soul, a relaxed beat and a catchy chorus and a even better meaning. One great lyric from Young Homie is, “If you wanna build your love up, put your hate down.” This lyric really speaks to today’s society in how we don’t see each other as equal beings and just try to find things that are wrong with people to make ourselves feel more superior and better than the other people. We all need to see each other with loving eyes and look at the positive side of life and not always think about the negative. We also need to deal with our problems in healthy ways not be drinking and doing drugs but by talking and reflecting about what went wrong and getting your emotions out or at least on paper. It is not healthy to keep everything inside for so long. Well that was my little rant. Great album, though! Congrats, Chris! Stay strong with the sobriety! EP Rating: 4/5 stars.
20. The Cool Cafe-Jaden Smith. Damn this kid can rhyme. His flow and delivery are very unique and he is only 14 fucking years old! I am real impressed with this mixtape. I remember his verse on J. Bieb’s Never Say Never two years ago and I always think back to when he was first about come in on the verse and he said, “I can handle it!” His talking at the end of the songs reminds me of Childish Gambino on his dope track off his debut album called That Power where he told his story about the girl he liked from summer camp. The best songs are Hello, Know Why, Cries, Pharaohs, Chase The Sun (feat. Josiah Bell), Can’t See Tomorrow (feat. OmArr), Jus’ Not Ready (feat. T. Coles), First Time (feat. T. Coles), Find You Somewhere (feat. AcE & Willow Smith), Underwater (Too Much) [feat. OmArr & Josiah Bell]. Where did this deep voice come from? This kid is actually real good. Mixtape Rating: 9/10 stars.
21. Bars On Me-Chris Webby. My outlook on this guy is all he talks about is weed and hoes but he is a better than average lyricist. I feel like he gets more intimate and starts talking about more mature stuff besides drinking, drugs and sex then i feel like he can make it. This mixtape has some pretty dope shit on there. Bars On Me is a dope beat with those female vocals in the background. Wait A Minute (feat. Kid Ink & Bun B) is another dope track. I really like the chorus and then Kid Ink kills the second verse. I really like his tone of voice and how it contrasts with Bun B and Webby. Some other decent tracks are Change The World and Mission Statement. I do not know if he will ever make it. He has the talent and lyricism to make it but he lacks the material and meaning to his songs. I would be willing to see say he was not just rapping to make money but for the love it and see what happens when he does that. I feel he could do well but we will have to wait to see. Mixtape Rating: 7/10 stars.
22. The Heist (Deluxe Edition)-Macklemore & Ryan Lewis! Alright time for some real shit right here. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are a duo to be reckoned with just like Cal and Rez from Timeflies. They now have a debut studio album after a long process. This album is full of hits, meaningful and emotional songs and some hysterical lines as well. There is a little bit of everything. The important thing is the album as a whole tells the story of Ben Haggerty (Macklemore) and what he has been through the past couple of years and how he got here. The album starts off with an impressive track Ten Thousand Hours. It is one of my favorites on the album and has a great beat and catchy chorus. Can’t Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton) is the second track and is a great track to blast wherever you are. The chorus is perfectly sung by Ray Dalton who Macklemore and RL are going to be working with on his solo debut effort in the near future. The third track was his huge commercial hit titled Thrift Shop (feat. Wanz). The song talks about thrift shopping and just wearing hand-me-downs and fur coats etc. A great track to jam to and pre-game to. Thin Line (feat. Buffalo Madonna) is the fourth track is a song that talks about the thin line between being a rapper and the rap world being all that he does and not having time for relationships and friends etc. It is a great song with a true-to-life message. The next track is a very special song to Macklemore and his family and to hip hop as a culture. It is important for human society actually! The song is titled Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert) and Ben raps about how he thought he was gay just because he could draw and he kept his room straight when he was a kid. He also has a gay uncle and was an advocate for getting REF 74 approved in his home state of Washington. This is a huge song and has a real positive meaning of not just same sex love and marriage but equal rights and treating people equally throughout all of society. The next song is Make The Money which is a song about how people should make the money but don’t let the money make you.  The first few lines are the best, “Now, this is my job, I will not quit it! Pulled me out the depths, when I thought that I was finished. Yeah, I question if I could go the distance. That’s just the work regardless of who’s listening.” Inspirational. His lyrics are to the point and put the listener right in his boots and feel his emotions and opinions clearly. The next song is Neon Cathedral (feat. Allen Stone). This is a beauty of a track. That piano gets me the second it comes in and Allen Stone’s vocals on the chorus are full of heart. Ben’s verses are topnotch as usual. Gosh this is an amazing song! The next song is an instrumental track called BomBom (feat. The Teaching). I felt myself waiting for the vocals to come in through the entire track but was slightly letdown when there was not any. But it was a nice touch and change to have a purely instrumental track on such a vocally-focused album. White Walls (feat. Schoolboy Q & Hollis). This is a dope song featuring dope verses from Macklemore and Schoolboy Q. Schoolboy’s delivery is impressive. I really like his style and nasty factor. The chorus is infectious. Hollis swoons the listeners with her vocals and how they fit in perfectly with the song. Jimmy Iovine (feat. Ab-Soul) is another great track. Jimmy Iovine is the chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records. This is a track about how Macklemore did all of this with no major label and how they weren’t giving him a good deal. It was a horrible deal basically. He’d rather being a starving artist than succeed at getting fucked. Great last line! The next track is Wing$ which is a dope track about Nike shoes and how he collected the shoes when he was a kid and how they were thought to make you fly. “We want what we can’t have; commodity makes us want it.” Wing$ is one of the standout tracks that was released before the album came out. A Wake (feat. Evan Roman) is a fantastic song about society and how we are dying and become dead as a group of people. We need to re-open our eyes and wake up to the problems of the world. It won’t be easy but we need to get up out of this hole that technology and we as a people have dug for ourselves. Evan Roman adds a nice touch on the chorus. Gold (feat. Eighty4 Fly). This one of the more pop-hip hop songs that is great to sing along to especially the chorus. There are some great lines at the end of the song, my favorite being, “Two girls gold spandex so pretty, the girl ain’t even gold, she just got golden girl titties… I’m kidding. Everyone is gold in my city! You paint Betty White gold, even Betty White can get it!” hahahaha. classic! Starting Over (feat. Ben Bridwell) is a song very close to Macklemore’s heart. It is about how he was sober for 3 and a half years and how we relapsed for 2 styrofoam cups and felt like he just waisted 3 and a half years of his life. He lost the compass where self is. The chorus is well-fitting as well. His sobriety was so public that there was no privacy and so this is why he wrote this song. This song as well as Same Love are the two most special songs on the album. The song ends with the line, “If I can be an example of gettin’ sober, then I can be an example of starting over.” Perfect ending line. He is very straight to point and does not just babble about stupid shit. He raps about his life and his experiences and what matters to him. Cowboy Boots is a great song mentioning hanging with your friends drinking PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) beer. There is a deeper meaning of doing lines (of cocaine) at the bar and being young and all that and how time goes slow. He said he be a goddam liar if he said he didn’t miss his old lifestyle having fun all the time drinking and doing drugs but knows that where he is now is in a much better place with better people who support and love him for who he is. Castle is another classic fun song talking about pirate ships, unicorns and all that great stuff. He wants everyone to come party with him in his castle. I would gladly accept your invitation! One great line is, “Girl’s booty was bigger than the stomach of Rick Ross’s.” That must be a pretty big booty… My Oh My is another great track about the Seattle Mariners back in the ’90s and dedicated to Dave Niehaus who was the announcer for the Mariners at the time and who passed away back in 2010. Ken Griffey Jr. back in his prime. I wish I could’ve been there to witness it. I was too young to realize what was going on for most of it. Great song dedicated to his city, the Mariners and Dave Niehaus. RIP. And he ends with a well-deserved Victory Lap. This song was featured on the 2012 XXL Magazine Freshman Class Mixtape. I could not stop playing it all spring and summer long. The verses, the chorus, it all sounds so good. So the album has come to a close and well it is a well organized album of meaning, heart and soul, failure, success, and preaching and much much more. If one is a fan of true hip hop, they will like this album and should go and support him by buying it on iTunes or in stores. I actually was lucky enough to be able to see him in concert on November 20th in New York City with my cousin. He puts on a great show. I am going to do some kind of special concert review probably on my Facebook where I also post all the videos I took while there. I will do it once I finish this blog post. So, I should definitely be able to do it on Friday or Saturday at some point. Album Rating: 10/10 stars!!
23. #3-The Script. I first heard The Script when they opened up for Paul McCartney back in 2009 at Citi Field. What a way to get introduced, huh? They were so amazing live and had a good group personality on stage that I downloaded their album on my phone while at the concert. Ever since then, they have been one of, if not my favorite pop-rock bands in the recent years. Their albums are well put together and have meaning and tell great stories. The lead singer, Danny O’Donoghue has a great voice and really puts his heart into the songs he sings. They are now back with their third album appropriately titled #3. It has some great tracks on there such as Good Ol’ Days, Six Degrees of Separation, If You Could See Me Now, Give the Love Around, Kaleidoscope, Hurricane and Hall of Fame (feat. will.i.am). The overall compilation of the songs is well put together and they are guys who seem to be grounded and down to earth and have yet to make a bad album. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
24. Halcyon (Deluxe Version)-Ellie Goulding. Ellie Goulding is a beautiful British girl with a soothing, wide-ranging voice who can sing you to sleep or get you pumped up or even get you a bit horny I must say. This album has some great production that is upbeat and features some steady bass but also has the beautiful piano and background singers. Some of my favorite songs are My Blood, Only You, Figure 8 (dubstep infused), Hanging On (Edit), Explosions, I Know You Care (beautiful track), I Need Your Love (feat. Ellie Goulding) song by Calvin Harris and lastly Anything Could Happen. This is a great album and everyone should support her. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
25. Rise-EP-Cris Cab. Cris’s voice must come from heaven. It is a pure and multi-styled voice that stretches across a number of genres. The whole EP is solid with tracks like Paradise (On Earth), She’s So Fly (feat. Wyclef Jean), Face to Face, Good Girls (Don’t Grow On Trees) [feat. Big Sean] and White Lingerie. The EP is only 5 songs but they are real solid ones. I am very happy this guy is getting recognized and he has features from Big Sean, Wyclef Jean and also a feature from Kid Ink came out a couple of days after this was released. He also had a number of features off his most recent mixtape called Echo Boomers ranging from Pharrell and Mavado and Wyclef to Melanie Fiona and Shaggy and Marc Roberge of OAR. A wide variety there. This dude is gonna be a big hit in the next few years. EP Rating: 4.5/5 stars.
26. Country, God or the Girl (Deluxe Version)-K’naan. K’naan is a very unique artist. I would not put him solely under one genre though. He can rap, freestyle, has that pop sound to his music. Their are songs by him for almost any mood the listener might be in. Wavin’ Flag can a whole crowd screaming and pumped while on the other hand, the song Take A Minute can really relax a person and is an amazing song to ski to. This is an interesting album featuring some interesting collaborations with the likes of Nelly Furtado, will.i.am, Mark Foster, Keith Richards, Bono and Nas. Some of the more impressive songs are Coming to America, Is Anybody Out There (feat. Nelly Furtado), More Beautiful Than Silence, Nothing to Lose (feat. Nas), Simple, and Bulletproof Pride (feat. Bono). I really like the sound he is portraying on this album. He is very grounded in his heritage and where he came from and who he is as a human being. Album Rating: 6.5/10 stars.
27. Cabin Fever 2-Wiz Khalifa. The beats he uses on his mixtapes are always some of the best in the game. They go hard. They are chill. His voice when he is high (basically all the time) is pretty dope so the choruses are sick. His flow and delivery are always there. Some dope tracks are Fucc Shit (feat. Menace), Pacc Talk (feat. Juicy J & Problem), Stu (feat. Juicy J), and Nothing Like The Rest (feat. French Montana). Mixtape Rating: 6.5/10 stars.
28. Red-Taylor Swift. This album sold 1.2 million copes in its first week. Congratulations to you, Taylor. You are a very talented songwriter with all the breakups she goes through she probably does have a lot to write about. She really puts her heart on the page and puts her emotion into it. This album has some pretty good songs in We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble, Sad Beautiful Tragic, Red, and Everything Has Changed (feat. Ed Sheeran). She is very talented but with all the breakups I have begun to wonder what goes wrong within her relationships that she always breaks up so quickly and often. She is this cute thing with beautiful long legs. She is said to not know how to be normal in a relationship and has problems and is not that fun to be around at parties. She does not really drink. She only drinks it if it tastes like candy and sweets. Well, who cares. Album Rating: 7/10 stars.
29. Til The Casket Drops-ZZ Ward. This woman is so talented and has soul. She has such a versatile sound that reminds me of Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, Carrie Underwood and also Amy Winehouse. Some great songs on this album are Put The Gun Down, Cryin’ Wolf (feat. Kendrick Lamar), Last Love Song, Criminal (feat. Freddie Gibbs), and 365 Days. This is an excellent album and I am saying now she will be big in the music industry for many years to come. Album Rating: 9/10 stars.
30. Blak and Blu-Gary Clark Jr. This guy is talented and has a real pure voice. He also has a very versatile style ranging from blues, jazz and soul to pure rock and roll. Some great songs on the album are Ain’t Messin’ ‘Round, Blak and Blu, Bright Lights,  Please Come Home, and Things Are Changin’. This is yet another great album from a new artist. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
31. good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe)-Kendrick Lamar. This guys is already one of the best lyricists in the game. He just recently won the Lyricist of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards. He totally deserved after releasing this dope album featuring sick songs such as Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter’s Daughter, Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle, Money Trees (feat. Jay Rock), Poetic Justice (feat. Drake), Swimming Pools (Drank) [Extended Version], and The Recipe (feat. Dr. Dre). With being Dr. Dre’s protege comes with dope production and high quality lyrics. He delivered in all aspects of that with this great album. Album Rating: 9/10 stars.
32. Numbers-MellowHype. These guys are no doubt the best of OFWGKTA. Hodgy Beats is a dope lyricist with a sick flow and Left Brain produces some dope beats. Some sick songs are 65/Breakfast, Astro (feat. Frank Ocean), Nfwgjdsh, Monster, 666 (feat. Mike G), P2 (feat. Earl Sweatshirt), and Gnc. Actually a pretty dope album. It exceeded my expectations. Album Rating: 7/10 stars.
33. Two Eleven-Brandy. Two Eleven was the date that the great Whitney Houston left this world, so Brandy dedicated and named the album in her presence and legacy and how she affected so many people. She was one of the greatest female vocalist of all time and will stay there forever. She had a gift given to her by god but had some problems with drinking and drug use that eventually led to her death last year. It seems that the real talented always die young: her, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Bob Marley, Janis Joplin, and Brian Jones and even Steve Jobs. It is real sad to see all these people to go so early in their lives. But this album is a great album featuring a big name in the R&B genre. She has a very pure and clean sounding voice that is full of heart. Some great songs are Wildest Dreams, No Such Thing As Too Late, Let Me Go, Without You, Put It Down (feat. Chris Brown), Scared of Beautiful. Overall outstanding album. I would say that 2012 has been the year of great hip hop albums and also great R&B albums. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
34. Les Is More-Ryan Leslie. This is a dope album full of real dope production and some dynamic combination of his great R&B voice with some pretty good verses as well. This guy is a real talent. He went to Harvard University and scored a perfect 2400 on his SATs. WOW! But back in 2010 he had his music and backpack stolen out of a black Mercedes Benz in Germany and put out a reward of $20,000 if the person who stole it would give it back. He never did. So, he then upped the reward to 1 MM. One Million Dollars. He then gave the stuff back but the music was not on his hard drive. The guy later sued Ryan for 1 million dollars and Ryan was ordered by the judge to pay the guy 1 Million dollars. This is some fucked up shit. Ryan is so talented that he was luckily able to recreate the music he made for this album and in return gave us a dope album called Les Is More. Some dope tracks are Glory, Beautiful Lie, Good Girl, 5 Minute Freshen Up, Dress You to Undress You, Ups & Downs, and Beautiful Lie (Remix) [feat. Fabolous]. Album Rating: 9/10 stars. I hope he gets his music back soon. 
35. Rabbit Inn Rebellion-State Radio. These guys are real talented and have any interesting sound that is a mix for alternative rock and indie more soulful rock. Some great songs are Freckled Mary, Roadway Broken, Take Cover, Adelaide, Sugarbeet Wine, and Ocean. A good variety of tracks on her for all rock fans. Album Rating: 7/10 stars.
36. Dreams and Nightmares (Deluxe Version)-Meek Mill. This actually a really sick album. I usually do not love Meek Mill but these fully exceeded my expectations. Right from the first track Dreams and Nightmares which is dope intro to this album and really sets the tone for what is to follow. Some other dope tracks are Young and Gettin’ It (feat. Kirko Bangz), Traumatized, Maybach Curtains (feat. Nas, John Legend & Rick Ross), Amen (feat. Drake), Lay Up (feat. Wale, Rick Ross & Trey Songz), Tony Story Pt. 2, Who You Around (feat. Mary J. Blige), and Burn (feat. Big Sean). Overall dope album. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
37. R.E.D. (Deluxe Edition)-Ne-Yo. Ne-Yo has been one of the big names in the R&B genre ever since he entered in the industry with his hit song So Sick. Ever since then I have been following him closely and listening for any new music from him. I would say this is his best work yet in relation to the deepness of it and it is more reflective and a darker side. Just by the name of the first track, Cracks In Mr. Perfect, the listeners can tell what is to come from this album. Some other beautiful songs are Lazy Love (love this beat), Miss Right, Don’t Make Em Like You (feat. Wiz Khalifa), Be The One, She Is (feat. Tim McGraw), Carry On (Her Letter to Him), Forever Now, Unconditional, Should Be You (feat. Fabolous, Diddy) and Alone With You (Maddie’s Song). This is a beautiful album full of emotion and even some great dance tracks. Album Rating: 9/10 stars.
38. Trilogy (Explicit Version)-The Weeknd. All except for three of these songs have been released before and most notably for free. But the thing is I bought this album for a few reasons. One because of the mastered for iTunes production and higher quality sound, the three new tracks and also to support this very talented vocalist. This an amazing album featuring mind-blowing vocals from The Weeknd. Some dope tracks are High For This, The Morning, Wicked Games, The Party and The After Party, Loft Music, The Knowing, Twenty Eight, Thursday, The Zone (feat. Drake), Rolling Stone, and Til Dawn (Here Comes The Sun). This is an amazing trilogy of mixtapes made into an album. I really like the concept. Album Rating: 9/10 stars.
39. Paradise-Lana Del Rey. Lana is one of the most unique new female vocalists out there now. Ever since Born to Die I have been attached to her music and have not stopped. Her tone of voice is so distinctive and when it comes on, everyone knows it is hers. She has become very iconic with her albums and also her music videos. She is a beautiful girl as well. Some fantastic songs on this re-release of her debut album are Ride, Body Electric, American and Blue Velvet. She is so talented. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
40. (III)-Crystal Castles. These guys are a crazy alternative band that sounds very electronic based. They kind of remind me of Purity Ring but a little more out there and uptempo and hard-hitting. Some dope tracks are Plague, Kerosene, Wrath of God, Affection and Sad Eyes. Real out of this world music. Total mindfuck. Album Rating: 8/10 stars.
41. Global Warming-Pitbull. This guy is getting on my nerves. But he somehow still pulls people in to listen to his stuff. This album is actually not that bad with all the features he has on it ranging from Chris Brown on Hope We Meet Again, Christina Aguilera on Feel This Moment, Usher on Party Ain’t Over (Produced by Afrojack), and The Wanted on Have Some Fun (Produced by Afrojack) and a couple of others. If there was no features on this album, I honestly could not stand him by himself. The features make this album bearable for me and the Afrojack produced beats are a nice touch as well. Album Rating: 6.5/10 stars.
42. Unapologetic (Deluxe Version)-Rihanna. The queen of hit-songs is back with her new album, Unapologetic. It starts off with a song, Phresh off the Runway, that has a good beat but other than that honestly sucks. It is worst song off the album. It slowly gets better from there with Numb (feat. Eminem). It seems that each song is better than the previous one. Pour It Up is a dope track with a sick beat. Loveeeeeee Song (feat. Future) is another good song where for maybe the third time Future actually doesn’t make me want to skip the track and not listen to it. He fits perfectly with Rihanna’s vocals and they sound great together. What Now and Stay (feat. Mikky Ekko) are two beautiful heartfelt tracks from RiRi. Then it goes to arguably the most anticipated track on the album, the duet between RiRi and Chris Brown called Nobody’s Business. They always sounded great together and Chris’s crooning in the beginning of the song is a wonderful touch. Honestly, I approve of them. They love each other and when a person loves somebody, it does not just go away like that. There is always a place for that person in their heart. They were able to get past their problems and hopefully have a healthy relationship and be happy together. I wish them the best of luck. Some great tracks at the end of the album are No Love Allowed, Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary, Lost In Paradise and Half of Me. Obviously Diamonds is a great track that I cannot forget to mention. I was worried after listening to the first track but I was slowly relieved as the album moved along. Album Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
43. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up-Nicki Minaj. Damn this re-release starts off real dope with a hard-hitting beat and some dope lyricists and clever wordplay from Nicki on Up In Flames. Freedom is one of the best tracks by Nicki in all aspects. Hell Yeah (feat. Parker) has a fun beat with a nice bass and some nice reggae/R&B sounding vocals from Parker. The other good songs are The Boys (feat. Cassie) and Va Va Voom. I find it interesting how the worst songs sell the best on some of these hip hop albums but whatever. Pretty dope re-release. It is really short though. Album Rating: 7.5/10 stars.
44. Alphabet Soup-Jitta on the Track. Damn! This guy represents from CT which is where I hail from. This is honestly one of the dopest mixtapes of the year. Jitta delivered with some A+ material on this one. Right from the start with Stars, The Last Star Fighter, Lumberjack, Charlie Brown, Trillmatic (feat. Kyd Gwap & Dom McLennon), Flow Talk For Me, Smoke Signals (Remix to Lights by Ellie Goulding), Bout That Life, Letters Pt III, and Last Flight. This is definitely in the running for mixtape of the year. Nice work, Jitta! Here we go, CT! Mixtape Rating: 9.5/10 stars.
45. The Soul Tape 2-Fabolous. Here is the sequel to one of the best mixtapes of 2011. It is almost just as good. Fabolous is one of the most underrated rappers in the game. He delivers with sick beats and nice lyrics and flow. Some sick songs are Transformation, For The Love, We Get High, Diamonds, Louis Vuitton (feat. J Cole), Diced Pineapples (feat. Trey Songz and Cassie) and Want You Back (feat. Joe Budden & Teyana Taylor) [dope sample of Throwback by Usher].  Sick mixtape! Mixtape Rating: 8.5/10 stars.
46. Nights Like These-Outasight. This is a fun album featuring some upbeat songs with some good verses from Mr. Outasight. Some great tracks are Let’s Go, I’ll Drink To That, Ready Set Go, Tonight Is the Night, Now Or Never and Shine (feat. Chiddy Bang). This is a great album to blast on a beautiful summer day with the windows down in the car. Great album! Album Rating: 7.5/10 stars.
47. Rocketshipshawty-Kid Ink. Kid Ink always has the dopest beats. He produces a majority of them himself. He is a very talented producer and only started rapping to make more money off his beats and make a living for himself. I salute the man for doing what he is doing. Some good tracks on this mixtape are Bossin’ Up, Weekend (feat. Devin Cruise), Can’t Ignore Me (outstanding track), and Hell & Back Remix (feat. MGK). Those four tracks standout at being the best on the tape. Mixtape Rating: 7/10 stars.
48. One Night EP-Timeflies. These guys a true force to be reckoned with. They are blowing as we speak. They are all about quality over quantity and this EP illustrates just that. 6 tracks is a relatively small amount but that is why it is accurately titled an EP. The EP starts off with a dope track One Night and then moves on to the huge banger that is Swoon. After that things get a little bit more relaxed but still have those star-quality beats from Rez on tracks such as Worth It, Tonight I Can’t Say No, and Nothing At All. Then the EP closes with a mastered version of their amazing cover of Wild Ones that blows away Flo Rida’s original track. These guys are real dope and have a huge fan following all from the internet. They also put on an amazing and entertaining show. I saw them live in NYC back in December 2011. It was probably one of my favorite shows I’ve been to and I have been to some pretty historic concerts such as The Rolling Stone and Paul McCartney. Amazing EP! EP Rating: 5/5 stars or 9.5/10 stars.

Ahhhh finally done!! This took me a whole week long to type working on it for almost 2 hours each day except for one. I will probably not do another post till sometime around Christmas but I really don’t mind that. I am totally out of things to write. My mind is burnt out. See you guys later this month! Thanks for all the support :)

Another goes out to grandpa Pridgeon. I miss watching all those sporting events with you and thanks for the autographed Al Kaline baseball. Love you <3 (at St. Lawrence University: Rebert Hall, South Wing)