Only Adding To Our Legend

Songs of the Year

With 2012 wrapping up it's time to look back and count down the five best tracks of the year.

Choosing just five songs was no easy task considering how much music came out this year. Everyone from Lil' Wayne somewhat returning to form, to the Dungeon Family's Future cracking out hooks left and right, to rap cliques MMG and G.O.O.D. Music both putting out compilation albums full of hits, 2012 was undoubtedly filled with radio-friendly singles. But through the airwaves if you looked hard enough 2012 was also filled with quality music that only shows promise for the future.

Now, before I start rambling here are my five best songs of 2012. Feel free to comment and discuss what you feel should have made the list or what have been excluded.

5. T.I. feat. Andre 3000 - Sorry

Quiet as it's kept, Tip had been on a killing spree prior to his 8th album Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head. With guests verses on Future's 'Magic' and the 2 Chainz hit 'Spend It', T.I. not only catapulted his fellow ATLiens into the position they're in now, but also renewed interest in himself after many fans had abandoned him. On 'Sorry', T.I. is in rare form as he spits two unapologetic verses defending some of his decisions in the past, stating that if you were in his position you might have made those same mistakes. The third verse finds Andre 3000 stealing the show as always, as he uses more than sixteen to ask for forgiveness for his mashaps. The highlight of any optimistic Outkast fan comes with a personal apology to Big Boi for being the reason why the duo is in hiatus. Although coming at the end of the year, Andre's verse only (He doesn't even like rapping fast!) makes this one of the best of 2012.

4. Nas - Daughters

For two decades Nas has made songs dealing with so many topics I'm surprised he hasn't run out yet. With his summer release Life is Good, Nas tackles his toughest subject yet; his own daughter. When Nasir's daughter Destiny made some of her latex collection public earlier this year, the Queens emcee responded the only way he knew how. With help from producer No I.D., Nas crafted one of his most personal tracks ever. He took full responsibility for some of his daughter's decisions, claiming that maybe he should have focused on being the best father and not the best rapper. With a cameo from Destiny in the visuals for the song, it seems like their relationship is better than ever. With over twenty years in the game. Nas not only looks the same as when he started, he's still rapping the same too.

3. Frank Ocean feat. Andre 3000 - Pink Matter

So, basically in 2012 all you had to do to make a classic song was catch Andre 3000 in his trailer while he was doing his other career and ask him for a verse. In all seriousness, 'Pink Matter' would have been a classic without the 3 Stacks feature. It is Frank Ocean at his best; soft instrumentals, organic production, and emphasis on his song-writing. The standout track from his debut channel ORANGE, the song is without a doubt a new millennium vocal jazz song, with remnants of Etta James or Ella Fitzgerald. Slightly underproduced (which makes the song what it is), 'Pink Matter' is undoubtedly the song that led to Ocean's six Grammy nods. While Ocean has said that his debut might be his first and final album, he has given us a song that will reach timeless status.

2. G.O.O.D. Music - Mercy

The first single for Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music debut compilation album had everyone with a radio either saying "swerve", "2 CHAINZ!", or thinking they were Ric Flair. With verses from Big Sean, Pusha-T, Titi-Boi, and 'Ye himself, 'Mercy' stayed in rotation for damn near a whole year (I guarantee you'll hear it somewhere today). The track prepared us for Cruel Summer and only propelled 2 Chainz' stock even further. After freestyles from seemingly anybody and everybody, the Getting Out Our Dreams crew's posse cut has made it to the exclusive instant classic hall of fame. With new albums from Sean Don, Pusha, and maybe Kanye himself, he looks like G.O.O.D. Music will roll over their success into the new year and take over 2013 also.

1. Kendrick Lamar feat. Jay Rock - Money Trees

Song of the year, ya bish. Like it or not, Kendrick Lamar came through in 2012 to crush the buildings and single-handedly change the culture of hip hop music. While Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City plays out like a movie that could be turned into a Spike Lee joint one day, 'Money Trees' is the song that put K. Dot on top. Partially set in '03 when Lamar is 17 (PLEASE listen to this album all the way through to understand the story), the proclaimed leader of the new West West raps on his dreams of becoming a rapper. With a final verse from TDE's own Jay Rock, Kendrick and company put to rest any doubt that Black Hippy is going anywhere any time soon. With everyone from fellow Compton rapper The Game changing his album cover to mimic his autobiographical theme to Big Sean including skits on his next album to follow his format, Kendrick Lamar has directly and indirectly changed the game; and it's only the beginning.

Young Man's Game

Music has always been looked at as one of the most timeless expressions of art. The combination of nostalgia and In the modern era, musicians have earned the iconic status that was formerly reserved entrepreneur tycoons and revolutionaries. The difference with musicians is that a majority of the time this legendary prestige is only gained after investing decades and decades of work into the craft; for most genres. Then it hit me. While aging in other genres of music is celebrated, maturing in the hip hop culture is viewed as a weakness.

I initially questioned this after being reminded on Twitter that today is ~~Ether Day,~~ I mean Jay-Z's birthday. At 43, Hov is without a doubt the one of the most successful rappers in history, and even in his forties is still one of the most popular and influential emcee's. While Jay-Z has found the formula to stay relevant, it has been a secret that has remained elusive for most other rappers.

The root of this problem stems from the genre itself, where some of the strongest features also leads to lack of longevity. Hip hop is the most personal form of music in the world. In contrast to other music, rap albums have become audible autobiographies. Especially in the internet age, fans do not want the music as much as they want to know the story behind the music. What happens much too often is that once a rapper becomes successful, the things they use to rap about become unbelievable. Atlanta star T.I. is a prime example. It's easy to authenticate dope boy rhymes when you're fresh out the trap. It's not so easy to believe when you have been a millionaire for the past decade with a reality show. It becomes hard to believe that the same person driving the newest Bentley on BET is still in the hood serving fiends on the block. And just like that, fan appeal and interest declines.

While realness and authenticity has always been a reason for fans to abandon an emcee, the current state of the genre can also be to blame. With artists' work being so easily and readily available, the value that music once had is non-existant. In this mixtape generation, the strategy has gone from innovation to imitation. Whereas artists before tried to distinguish themselves from others by always being fresh, the artists of today have developed the habit of hoping from trend to trend, which results in the music being forgetful rather than timeless.

While the hip hop fans marvel at '90s artists like Jay-Z and Nas for still being relevant, the genre has to find some way to restore the value back into the music. As I write this Fleetwood Mac is preparing to do a world tour while celebrating six decades of work, Wayne Newton is still doing weekly shows in Las Vegas, and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler is hosting American Idol while a majority of rappers from five years ago don't even have a record deal. Hip Hop is the music of the moment, but if there is not a way to truly innovate the culture, then it may not be the music of the future.

Songs of the Year

Young Man's Game

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