1. Drake “Started from the bottom”
2. Rihanna “Pour It Up”
3. Major Lazer “Watch Out For This”
4. Sean Kingston, Wiz & Chris Brown “Beat It”
5. Lil Wayne, Drake & Future “Love Me”
6. Daft Punk, Nile Rogers & Pharrell “Get lucky”
7. Trinidad James “Females Welcomed”
8. Robin Thicke, Pharrell & TI “Blurred Lines”
9. Tyga & Wiz “Molly”
10. Kendrick Lamar “Swimming Pools”
yes to some sexy house! »> Jessie Ware - Sweet Talk (Cyril Hahn Remix)
massively grown on me »> Swizz Beatz - Everyday Birthday feat. Chris Brown and Ludacris
a lickle bit bassy »> My Nu Leng - The Grid
Shout out to Kendrick Lamar and Azealia Banks who didn’t quite have a song to make this list but were a huge breath of fresh air in 2012.
Here we go…
In no particular order…
1. Diplo “Express Yourself” feat Nicky Da B
Diplo is the man. Fact. This song perfectly shows what he does best: authentically entering the world of a niche subgenre – in this case New Orleans ‘Sissy’ Bounce – and making a banger.
The drop on this is ridiculous. So much so that I used the beat in a Destiny’s Child mash up I did over the summer.
The music video of the year.
2. French Montana “Pop That” feat Rick Ross, Drake & Lil Wayne
Yeah it’s ignorant. Yeah it’s misogynistic. Yeah it’s cartoon Hip Hop. But if you experience this in a club you will be a convert.
I was lucky enough to experience the crowd reaction to this song multiple times while on an early summer trip to Miami.
The song makes people go bananas!
3. TNGHT “Higher Ground”
What planet is this from?
Easily my favourite song to play out while DJing in 2012. Lunice and Hudmo have been rewriting music rules for the past few years individually but together their TNGHT EP showed that their appeal is way beyond hipster communities and hype blogs.
Higher Ground was one of those songs that crossed genres and had everyone wilding out!
4. Julio Bashmore “Au Seve”
The perfect mix of sexy House and rowdy Bass. It’s rare you get a song that makes girls want to boogie and guys want to skank out. This song triumphantly walked that thin line.
5. Rick Ross “Stay Schemin” feat Drake & French Montana
What a strange year Rick Ross has had.
He’s gone from just another mainstream rapper to the king of mainstream Hip Hop to a figure of hate in only 12 months.
This was the lead song off his ‘Rich Forever’ mixtape that came out in the 1st week of 2012: a mixtape that took him to ‘the king of mainstream Hip Hop’ phase of his 2012 journey.
This song kicked off Drake’s endless run of show-stealing features throughout the year and introduced a wider audience to French’s MaxB-esque ‘singing’.
It also gave us the best line of the year… “B*tch you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym”.
6. Baauer “Dum Dum”
Baauer was undoubtedly the break-out producer star of 2012.
So hard to pick one of his songs for this list. The reason Dum Dum has been chosen is that it is the most pure example of the Trap sound that dominated 2012: silly, thumping and downright catchy.
“Damn son, where’d you find this?”
7. Kozzie “Yeah”
Whatever you make of Grime, you have to respect the way the scene refuses to conform to America’s influence on music. Grime for the past 12 years has sounded like nothing else.
In 2012 Kozzie really stood out as the guy to watch out for in the future and, aside from the multiple sound clashes and youtube freestyles, it was this Preditah-produced track that really helped with that.
YEAH!
8. DJ Khaled “Hip Hop” feat Nas, Scarface & DJ Premier
I like my dumb gangster Hip Hop… as some of the entries on this list will attest. However, every now and then a song comes along that reminds you why you fell in love with Hip Hop in the first place and how the genre can be just as genuinely powerful and moving as other more lofty types of music.
Here, Nas and Scarface eloquently breakdown their complicated relationship with the Hip Hop game.
Who was expecting a masterpiece like this to come from a DJ Khaled album?
9. Darq E Freaker “Blueberry (Pills & Cocaine)” feat Danny Brown
The A-Trak affiliated Detroit MC has long been a champion of UK Grime music, often citing Dizzee as a big influence, so it should be no surprise he’s dabbled with the Grime sound over the past few years. One of the most obvious examples being ‘Bruiser Brigade’ from his ‘XXX’ mixtape.
On ‘Blueberry’ we saw him fully committing to the sound by working with one of the scene’s most creative producers, Darq E Freaker.
This was released on Southern Hospitality’s label. Southern Hospitality are the guys behind 3 of the best Hip Hop nights in London: Player’s Ball, Rated R and Hip Hop Karaoke.
This song has torn it up at many of their nights. The video is mental too.
10. Kanye West “Mercy” feat Big Sean, Pusha T & 2Chainz
This will shut down clubs for the rest of time. Not sure what else there is to say.
Oh yeah, here are 3 facts that you can bore your friends with…
1. The beat change for Kanye’s verse samples a particularly dramatic scene from the film Scarface.
2. The woman ranting in the chorus is a sample from Super Beagle’s ‘Dust A Sound Boy’ and she actually says “It is a weeping and a moaning and a gnashing of teeth, It is a weeping and a moaning and a gnashing of teeth, It is a weep – comes to my sound, which is the champion sound.”
3. Despite it being all creative and sh*t, I was slightly disappointed by the video.
So there you go…
As always, feedback appreciated.
Out of curiosity, here were my 10 biggest songs of 2011:
1. Big Boi “In The A” feat TI & Ludacris
Yessss Daddy Fat Sax AKA General Patton AKA Sir Lucious L. Leftfoot! Take note LL, this is how an older rapper should stay relevant. Make bangers and the younger audience will come to you, you don’t need to go to them.
Can’t wait for the video!
2. Lay-Z “Come Around” feat JME & Shorty
Fresh from smashing Major Lazer, Annie Mac and Channel One at the Redbull Culture Clash a few weeks ago, here’s a bit of Grime heaviness from BBK. It’s off Lay-Z’s Lobster EP which is out now.
3. The LOX “Ryde Or Die, Chick” feat Eve
Coming from 1999 this is arguably the finest mainstream Hip Hop single… ever. Timbaland does his thing with this beat.
4. Bondax “Baby I Got That”
In the wake of the Disclosure whirlwind Bondax have become the forgotten duo of Future Garage. This shows why they deserve just as much attention as them.
5. Enigma Dubz “”We Make It Work” feat Trilla & Screama
More UK music. Not sure what genre this technically is (Dubstep? Grime? Trap?) but it bangs harrrrrrrd!
6. Young Zee “ That’s My N*gga For Real”
Why the hell wasn’t Young Zee bigger? He hung out with the Fugees and appeared on The Score’s ‘Cowboys’. He was the stand out star of The Outsidaz, the late ‘90s New Jersey group. He also used to rhyme with Eminem and, by all accounts, easily keep up with him.
“Oh, did he flop because he was boring or something?”
No. Not at all. He had charisma by the bucket load.
In most cases if a rapper doesn’t make it it’s because they’re missing something, but in Zee’s case it was more likely a mixture of bad luck and politics, just like a talented footballer who gets injured at the wrong time and never quite gets to the level they should. Shame!
7. Gucci Mane “Normal”
Gucci Mane seems to get a spot on this list every month! ‘Real Hip Hop’ fans dismiss him as a violent, heavy accented moron – the epitome of a Dirty South rapper. It’s your loss; the guy has bangers for weeks and can write songs way catchier than your average East Coast rapper. I like my rappers with personality. This is from his summer 2010 mixtape ‘Mr Zone 6’.
8. Little Nikki – Intro Intro
UK Funky for the Bieber generation… and there’s nothing wrong with that. London girl Little Nikki is only a teen and seems to have a bright future ahead if she can keep making edgier pop like this.
Imagine what Simon Cowell would’ve paid to have kept this song for Little Mix.
9. Riff Raff “Bird On A Wire” feat Action Bronson
Instrumental of the year!
From his work with French Montana to this, Harry Fraud is slowly getting a name as the best up and coming producer around. Futuristic yet based in a sound that fully gives props to the originators.
As for Riff Raff and Action Bronson… God knows how they hooked up, but it works.
10. Fat Joe “Yellow Tape” feat Lil Wayne, A$AP Rocky & French Montana
When this dropped a few weeks ago you could hear purists all around the globe b*tching and moaning about the use of the ‘Ante Up’ sample. F*ck it! Hip Hop has moved on. Come and join us in the future, it’s fun.
See you guys in January. As always, feedback appreciated.
beautiful!
Mad!!!
DIPLO TRACKLIST:
Faithless – Nightmare on Insomnia Street
Matteo DiMarr – Zilla
Gina Turner – Giovanna (Van Toth Remix)
Gregor Salto, Franky Rizardo & Soul – Cash Out Cashing Out
Africa Bambaataa – Planet Rock Unplugged
Crookers – Trillex
Roska – Penetration Test
Carli & Style of Eye – TANK
Rihanna – You Da One (Major Lazer Dubplate)
John Dahlbäck – Get Wild
DBN – Gotta Get Thru This
Clouds Crude Oiljayhood – Laughing Track
Steve Angelo – Slow Cooker
Danny Brown – Witit
Dada Life – Happy Violence (Drunkenstein Remix)
Dexter – Intro
Bingo Players – Rattle (Spenda C Remix)
TNGHT – Buggin’
Chuckie & Silvio Ecomo – Moombah (Munchi Remix)
The Prodigy – Smack My Bitch Up (Noisia Remix)
Birdy Nam Nam – Goin In (Skrillex Goin Hard Remix)
DJ Sliink – You Can’t Stop Me Now
Schlachthofbronx – Work
Baauer – Dum Dum
Juicy J – Geeked Up Off Them Bars
M.I.A. – Bad Girls (Switch Remix)
Cadenza & Nasher – Gyal Town
Buju Banton – Driver A
Kanye West – Clique feat. Big Sean and Jay-Z
Sidney Samson – The World Is Yours (Bass Sick Remix)
Diplo – Set It Off (CRNKN Remix)
Slugabed – Mountains (ARP 101 Remix)
Destiny’s Child – Say My Name (Cyril Hahn Remix)
Julio Bashmore – Au Seve
Redlight – Lost In Your Love
Calvin Harris – Sweet Nothing feat. Florence Welch
Riff Raff & Chief Keef – Cause My Gear
Blood Diamonds & Dominic Lord – Barcode
Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank)
A$AP Rocky – Problems
Angel Haze – New York
Not Given – Dump Truck
French Montana – I’m a C Boy
Mykki Blanco – Haze Boogie Life
Collie Buddz – Ganja Pipe
Skrillex & Damien Marley – Make it Bun Dem (Deathsquad Remix)
Misfits – Monster Mash
SYSTEM D 128 TRACKLIST:
Colour y Darkness – Korlofsky Master of Madness
Haunted Dancehall – Sabres of Paradise
Motorpsycho – Motorcycle Psycho Drums
Riz Ortolani – Canibal Holocaust
Esplendor Geomatrico – Moscu Esta Helado
RZA / Wu Tang Clan – Hidden Chamber Track
Kill Yourself – D-128 Collage
Atomic Rooster – Sleeping For Years
Intruder – Killing Winds
Erykah Badu – I Want You
Three Six Mafia – Sippin on Syrup
Busta Ryhmes – Gimme Some More
Barrington Levy – Murderer
Grindhouse Double Feature Promo – Blacula y Slaughter
Jimmy Castor Bunch – Dracula Part I
Biggie Smalls – Kick In The Door
EPMD – Symphony 2000 (Rare M.O.P. Version)
UNKLE Feat. Mike D – The Knock Drums of Death Part II
System D-128 – Altered Beat
Boriqua Posse – Rare Arts (Haunted House)
Bonus Beat – Haunted Vocal Breakdown
Liars – Tumbling Walls Buried Me in The Debris With ESG
69 Boyz – Tootsie Roll (Central Florida Remix)
Barry De Vorzon – Theme From The Warriors
Azimuth – Melo Dos Dios Bucidos
Can – Mushroom Head
Liquid Liquid – Optimo
Solid Groove – Throwing Stones
Kill Yourself Again – Three Six Halloween Mix
Three 6 Mafia – late night tip
Three 6 Mafia – Barrin’ You Bitches
Three 6 Mafia – Mafia Niggaz
Three 6 Mafia / Prophet Posse – Catch A Blast
Three 6 Mafia / Killa Klan Kaze – Like To Get Away
Three 6 Mafia Feat. Twista – Smoked Out
Three 6 Mafia – Da First Date
Three 6 Mafia Feat. Project Pat – Red Rum
Three 6 Mafia – Smoke Dat Weed (Screwed)
Three 6 Mafia – Stomp
Three 6 Mafia / Gangsta Boo – Victim of Your Own Shit
Three 6 Mafia / Lil Wyte – Ten Toes Tall
Three 6 Mafia / Frayser Boy – Pistol Player
Three 6 Mafia / Gangsta Boo & Crunchy Black – Thought You Knew
Three 6 Mafia – Anyone Out There
Three 6 Mafia – Judgement Night
Chambers Brothers – Time Has Come Today
