Underrated Albums of 2012

What's good everyone?  We're back with the next year's worth of highly acclaimed, yet heavily slept-on and underrated, releases.  While 2010 and 2011 were very damn good years, 2012 had become the best year of the new decade.  Along with more known albums such as Kendrick Lamar's major label classic debut, good kid, M.A.A.D. City, Nas' incredible Life Is Good,  Big K.R.I.T.'s major label debut, Live From The Underground, and the major label debut of now defunct supergroup Slaughterhouse, welcome to: Our House, there were quite a number of other projects that were every bit as knocking and impactful on different levels, but didn't get the just due they deserved.  This was truly a hell of a year.  With that said, let's get started.

15. El-P

Cancer 4 Cure

Production: artist, Nick Diamonds, others

The genius behind underground revolutionaries, Company Flow, as well as the creative force behind Cannibal Ox, returned with his first album in five years with Cancer 4 Cure.  Most known for his menacing I'll Sleep When You're Dead and the landmark underground debut, Fantastic Damage, El-P struck with the same conspiracy theoretic talk that has earned him among the most intelligent and thought-provoking emcees around.  Not to mention his innovative production style that has garnered him rightful acclaim over the years, especially his later work with Killer Mike as Run The Jewels.  Although a little different sounding in overall texture, El-P reached another level of unconventional hip-hop.

14. Action Bronson & The Alchemist

Rare Chandeliers

Production: The Alchemist

The charming chef outta Queens was blazing the underground before he blew up with his major label debut, Mr. Wonderful, three years later.  He was a mixtape favorite with efforts such as Bon Appetit...Bitch and Blue Chips. Not to mention his debut full-length album, Dr. Lecter, and his Well Done collabo album with Statik Selektah.  With Rare Chandeliers, he teamed with producer extraordinaire, The Alchemist, and he spits over some of the grimiest, yet melodic, Alchemist production to date.  Along with guests such as Evidence, Styles P, and the late Sean Price, Bronson delivered the goods served on a platter, only complete with good, witty lyricism.

13. Brother Ali

Mourning In America & Dreaming In Color

Production: Jake One

One of the most important fixtures in all of hip-hop is Brother Ali.  Besides crafting some of the game's most amazing albums known to hip-hop to this very day, Ali is above all else, real and highly woke.  Continuing to shake up the game with his brand of political and social commentary, he dropped Mourning In America & Dreaming In Color.  The effort, solely crafted by Seattle beatknocker Jake One, is as flammable and controversial as anything we had ever heard from Ali.  More political than anything we had heard from him before, this is the album we needed in 2018, even more so than 2012.  Caught between his "mourning" and his "dreaming", Ali was a visionary that never stopped with his undisputed truth.

12. Ab-Soul

Control System

Production: Sounwave, Willie B, Dave Free, Curtiss King, Tae Beast, others

TDE's stoned thinker, Ab-Soul, had just delivered his excellent debut, Longterm Mentality, in 2011 and showed his above average rhyming abilities and storytelling.  He took it to another level woth his fantastic follow-up, Control System.  Mostly touching on subjects dealing with control in some sort of capacity (thus the title), it's also painfully personal, as the simply heartbreaking "The Book Of Soul" demonstrates, as it's mostly centered around the death of his girlfriend, fellow TDE artist Alori Joh.  Soul is straight MENSA with his release and knows how balance his intuition and intelligence with his pain in amazing detail.

11. Killer Mike

R.A.P. Music

Production: El-P

Killer Mike is a philanthropist, motivational speaker, and one of the hardest emcees out.  Already known for previously acclaimed work such as I Pledge Allegiance 2 The Grind and Pl3dge, he dropped the solo album of his career with R.A.P. Music, which also served as a precursor to his now landmark collaborations with El-P as Run The Jewels.  This was the first taste as El Producto served as sole producer on this hellacious project.  Revolutionary and in-your-face, this was the south's version of AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and is still revered as his magnum opus to this day.

10. Sean Price

Mic Tyson

Production: The Alchemist, 9th Wonder, Khrysis, Evidence, Babu, others

The late Sean P was one of the most ferocious emcees to come from NY.  This Boot Camp Click member and half of the ominous duo, Heltah Skeltah, had already been known for putting in serious work with excellent releases such as Monkey Barz and Jesus Price Supastar.  With his third full-length album, Mic Tyson, he stepped up his bars even more over some thumping production the entire album.  Although not quite the four alarm blaze Jesus Price was, this was every bit as rugged and no holds barred, and stands as one of his truly blistering efforts.  Long live P!

9. Big K.R.I.T.

4eva N A Day

Production: artist

The growing phenomenon that was Big K.R.I.T. was continuing to bubble by the year and by the project at this time.  In 2012, he dropped 4eva N A Day, which followed other critical darlings Return Of 4eva and K.R.I.T. Wuz Here.  Soulful production with honest, personal rhymes are what defines K.R.I.T. and this excellent effort was just another example.This mixtape contained little to no filter and he was starting his rise to stardom, as this was his official precursor to his Def Jam debut, Live From The Underground

8. The Alchemist

Russian Roulette

Production: artist

When you hear an Alchemist beat, you can always expect heat and fire from him, as his form of cleverly crafted melodies and prodigious usage of samples make him among the elite of hip-hop producers.  In 2012, he dropped the conceptual Russian Roulette, which was covered with tons of samples from Russian songs and excerpts.  Although mostly an instrumental album, when emcees such as Roc Marciano, Durag Dynasty, Action Bronson, and Fashawn show their skills, we see the best come from these cats and the others represented on there thank to the ingenious production from Alan The Chemist.  This mad scientist dropped an unorthodox, yet knocking, effort.

7. Skyzoo

A Dream Deferred

Production: !llmind, 9th Wonder, Jahlil Beats, Black Milk, Focus, DJ Khalyl, others

One emcee that has to be considered among the most consistent and prolific emcees of the decade is Skyzoo.  The Brooklyn-bred spitter is highly respected due to his verbal daggers mixed with his insight and introspection of the world as a whole.  His prior full-lengths of The Salvation and especially the THUMPING collab project with producer !llmind, Live From The Tape Deck, were examples of his incredible talent.  With A Dream Deferred, he goes back to his Brooklyn roots and takes us through his childhood dreams of wanting to be an emcee and all of its ups and downs.  This is top to bottom a darling of an album and Sky continued to show why he keeps being an acclaimed artist.

6. Murs & 9th Wonder

The Final Adventure

Production: 9th Wonder

The duo of Murs & Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder have been compared to the likes of other emcee/producer duos such as Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Show & AG.  Many have argued that the majority of Murs' best work has come courtesy of his work with 9th.  Beginning with the epic Murs 3:16...The 9th Edition, the two have crafted some magical releases, and they decided to close the book with The Final Adventure.  Just as soulful and charming as ever, we saw Murs grow from a down-in-the-dumps, bitter man into a more enlightened, optimistic man with sights on grandeur.  As for 9th, well he continued to be among the greatest beatmakers alive, but together, this was one of the best duos around.

5. Bumpy Knuckles & DJ Premier

KoleXXXion

Production: DJ Premier 

The saying is "One man's trash is another man's treasure".  This saying held especially true with this collaborative effort between veteran NY emcee Bumpy Knuckles and the almighty DJ Premier, KoleXXXion.  This was an effort that was filled with Premo beats that were turned down by various emcees (who the FUCK turns down a Premo beat for God's sake!) and ended up being used by Bumpy.  One listen to this whole album and one is thinking, "Why would anyone turn down a beat like this?" No worries, as Bumpy blistered them and made this album was power-packed right hand.

4. Joey Bada$$

1999

Production: MF DOOM, J Dilla, Statik Selektah, Chuck Strangers, Lewis Parker, Lord Finnesse, others

The beginning of Pro Era started with its most known and notable star, Joey Bada$$.  The young Brooklynite dropped his mixtape, 1999, to immediate acclaim, as this was a fantastic throwback to the 90s.  The sound and aura of this effort was so lid to late nineties NYC, and with production from DOOM, Dilla, Lord Finnesse, and Statik Selektah, it's not hard to understand why.  Praised for bringing back a sound beyond his teenage years, this was the essence of great things to come for Badmon and the Pro Era crew.

3. Rapsody

The Idea Of Beautiful

Production: 9th Wonder, Khrysis, Eric G, AMP

Before she was a Grammy nominated emcee, the Snow Hill, NC native was still an underground spitter making a hell of a lot of noise among her peers.  Down with 9th Wonder and his Soul Council collective, Rapsody dropped her first full-length studio album with The Idea Of Beautiful.  Still bringing the same confidence and ferocity previously displayed on projects like Thank H.E.R. Later and Return Of The B-Girl.  Honest and personal, Ms. Evans lays it out for you to digest tackling issues mostly relating to the average everyday woman, much less being a woman in the hip-hop game.  We saw greatness here, and it only got better.

2. Roc Marciano

Reloaded

Production: artist, The Alchemist, Q-Tip, The Druids

Long Island's Roc Marciano is gritty NYC hip-hop at its finest.  Displaying a ruggedness not seen since the nineties with his insane debut album, Marcberg, he continued with his equally menacing, Reloaded.  Much like Mobb Deep's Hell On Earth to their Infamous album, Reloaded took the formula that made Marcberg such an animal album and made it even darker and every bit as cohesive.  This isn't one for the shook.

1. Apollo Brown & O.C.

Trophies

Production: Apollo Brown

Longtime NYC veteran, D.I.T.C.'s own O.C. has been known as a definite emcee and a damn talented one at that. Dropping an underappreciated classic in Word...Life in '94 and a hell of a follow-up with '96's Jewelz, O.C. can deliver excellent hip-hop.  However, it had a minute since we heard Omar Credle at his Smoke & Mirrors best.  Enter Trophies, a collaborative effort with insane Detroit beatmaker Apollo Brown.  This album is easily his best effort since Jewelz and O.C. sounds so refreshed to the point where he sounds almost flawless over every single track presented.  This album served as a hallmark within this era for O.C. and let even more people know that Apollo Brown officially had next.

Honorable Mentions

ScHoolboy Q- Habits & Contradictions

Oddisee- People Hear What They Wanna Hear

Death Grips- The Money Store

Aesop Rock- Skelethon

Gangrene- Vodka & Ayahuasca

Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson- Dice Game

Oh No- OhNoMite

Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch- WU-Block

Obie Trice- Bottom's Up

Freeway- Diamond In The Ruff

Homeboy Sandman- First Of A Living Breed

MHz- MHz Legacy

Big Boi- Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors

As we were still fairly new into this new and burgeoning decade, we were starting to see more and more stellar material.  In 2012, this was the most evident up to that point.  Non-stop bangers flooded our speakers and showed us how special this year really was.  Until next time folks!