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.