2012 was a good year for rap music. Fresh faces like Kendrick Lamar and 2 Chainz (a long time bench player with Ludacris’s Disturbing the Peace squad) made a major impact, while industry vets like Kanye West, El-P and Nas all returned with quality releases.

The Bay Area held it down with two new radio slappers from E-40 and Clyde Carson, a solid mixtape from Andre Nickatina and new music from Fillmore rapper DaVinci. Here is 20 of our top picks for the year.

What were your favorite releases of 2012?

*Disclaimer: This list is mostly street rap and potentially NSFW. If you are offended by profanity, sexual content, etc., this playlist is not for you.

• Tag: 2 chainz, Andre Nickatina, audio, Clyde Carson, Davinci, E-40, El-P, Featured, Kanye West, Ludacris, Nas, rap, Reviews