The Best Hip Hop Songs of 2012
This blog post will explore the best hip hop songs of 2012. This year was full of great music, and these are the stand out tracks.
Best Hip Hop Songs of 2012
It’s been an amazing year for hip hop music and there have been some truly amazing songs released this year. In this article, we’ll be counting down our top 10 favorite hip hop songs of 2012.
“Niggas in Paris” – Jay-Z and Kanye West
“Niggas in Paris” is a single from American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaboration album Watch the Throne (2011). The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Jay-Z’s thirteenth top-ten single and West’s eighteenth.
“No Lie” – 2 Chainz
“No Lie” is a song by American rapper 2 Chainz, released as the lead single from his debut studio album Based on a T.R.U. Story (2012). The song, which features Canadian rapper Drake, was produced by Mike Will Made It and written by 2 Chainz, Drake, and Travis “Travi$” Scott.
The song peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming 2 Chainz’s highest-charting solo single and Drake’s second-highest after “Hotline Bling”. Elsewhere, it also peaked within the top five of the charts in Canada and the United Kingdom. The music video was released on May 23, 2012 and was directed by Alex Nazari.
“I Do It” – Big Sean
“I Do It” is a song by American hip hop recording artist Big Sean, released on December 4, 2012 as the third single from his debut studio album, Finally Famous (2011). The song features guest appearances from rappers Drake and Kanye West. The song peaked at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
“Gangnam Style” – PSY
PSY’s “Gangnam Style” was not only the biggest song of 2012, but it was also the first YouTube video to reach one billion views. The international smash hit put Korean pop music on the map and introduced the world to PSY’s unique brand of humor and infectious dance moves.
“Swimming Pools (Drank)” – Kendrick Lamar
“Swimming Pools (Drank)” is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on July 31, 2012 as the lead single from his major-label debut studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. The song peaked at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Worst Hip Hop Songs of 2012
The year 2012 was a big year for hip hop. We saw the rise of new artists and the fall of some old ones. The genre continued to evolve and we were blessed with some amazing songs. However, not every song that came out was a masterpiece. In fact, there were quite a few duds. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the worst hip hop songs of 2012.
“Stupid Hoe” – Nicki Minaj
“Stupid Hoe” is a song by American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj, from her second studio album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012). The song was written by Minaj, Daniel Johnson and Trevor Smith, and it was produced by Johnson. Musically, “Stupid Hoe” is an hip hop song that contains elements of electronic music and R&B. The song garnered mixed to positive reviews from music critics; some praised thesong’s catchiness and club-oriented production, while others derided its lewd lyrical content. Upon the release of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, the track debuted at number 59 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at number 45.
The accompanying music video for “Stupid Hoe” was directed by Colin Tilley. It was filmed in late December 2011/early January 2012. The video features sexualized footage of Minaj dancing provocatively throughout a brightly-lit abandoned warehouse, as well as shots of her writhing around nude in a bathtub filled with foam. Upon its release, the music video was met with mixed reviews from critics; some complimented its colorful visuals and thanked Minaj for “finally” releasing a “proper” lead single from Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, while others dubbed it as one of the worst music videos of all time.
“Birthday Cake” – Rihanna
“Birthday Cake” is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, for her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). The song features rapper Chris Brown, and was released as the lead single from the album on February 2, 2012. On January 22, 2012, an unfinished version of the song, along with its explicit lyrics, premiered online. “Birthday Cake” is a remix to The-Dream’s 2007 single “Dirty Laundry”. Musically it is an up-tempo synthpop and R&B song which features military drumbeats and revving synths. Lyrically the songstress sings about having her cake and eating it too.
The unfinished version of “Birthday Cake” leaked onto the Internet on January 16, 2012. The full length track premiered online on February 2. It was released for digital download on February 6. Along with the digital release, exclusive remixes were commissioned by Def Jam Recordings forcake.” These remixes were made available for free on Rihanna’s official website on February 7. On March 5 2012, two additional remixes were made available for free download; one features American rappers Busta Rhymes and Rick Ross while the other features Trinidad and Tobago soca artist Machel Montano. The song has also been included in set lists during Rihanna’s fourth concert tour – the 777 Tour (2012).
Critics gave mixed reviews to “Birthday Cake”. Some complimented the club oriented production of the song whilst others criticized Chris Brown’s guest vocals and felt that it detracted from Rihanna’s performance. Additionally some critics found the lyrical content suggestive. Chart performance wise it peaked at number sixteen on both US Billboard Hot 100 and US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts; in doing so it became Rihanna’s twenty-second top twenty hit on the former and tenth top ten hit on latter. Internationally “Birthday Cake” peaked inside top ten in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea; in all three countries it became Rihanna’s first number one hit of 2012. The music video was filmed during late January 2012 by director Hulk Hogan. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics who praised Rihanna’s seductive behavior throughout the video but criticized its overly sexual nature
“Turn Me On” – David Guetta
This song is absolutely terrible. The production is awful, the lyrics are cringe-worthy, and the video is just a bunch of half-naked women dancing around. There’s nothing redeeming about this song whatsoever.
“Ass” – Big Sean
“Ass” is a song recorded by American rapper Big Sean. It was released on December 25, 2012, as the second single from Sean’s debut studio album Hall of Fame (2013). The song features American rappers Ludacris and Nicki Minaj. It peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The music video for “Ass” was filmed in January 2013 and was directed by Mike Ho. It was released on February 10, 2013. The video features cameo appearances from American rappers Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J and Tyga.
“I’m Different” – 2 Chainz
“I’m Different” is a song by American hip hop recording artist 2 Chainz, released November 8, 2012 as the lead single from his second studio album B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time (2013). The song, produced by DJ Mustard, features a guest appearance from American rapper Lil Wayne.
The song peaked at number 37 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Upon its release, “I’m Different” was met with mixed reviews from music critics.
