Rap Radar

What a week. If you missed it, below is the recap of our annual lists.

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Drake had a pocketful of remarkable verses in 2012. But the one he delivered on Rick Ross’ Rich Forever reigns supreme. With a chip on his shoulder the size of the Grand Canyon, Drake put the emo rap to the back burner and delivered a “sweet” response to Common’s diss. Over The Beat Bully’s mellow drums and synths, Mr. OVO came out swinging: “It bothers me when the Gods get to acting like the broads”. No one was safe. Not even Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa. (“Kobe about to lose a hundred fifty M’s/Kobe my nigga, I hate it had to be him/Bitch you wasn’t with me shooting in the gym!”) Good ain’t good enough, but you’d be hard-pressed not to give Drake his props.

Previously: #5 A$AP Rocky “Hands On The Wheel” l #4 Andre 3000 “Sorry” l #3 Jay-Z “3 Kings” l #2 Big Sean “Burn“

Do you remember that producer Jahlil Beats gave this beat to Jadakiss first (“Paper Tags”)? Probably not. Because Meek Mill and Big Sean lyrically exploded all over the damn thing and made it theirs. This is a clash of two young titans who thankfully are on the same side. Like an old school rap group, the dynamic duo trade rhymes building off each other’s wordplay. Rap fans can argue all day about which MC got the better of the exchanges but, one fact is clear, the guest from Detroit more than holds his own with the fiery Philly spitter. We love Sean’s line about his cousin (“Can’t believe he graduated/Threw him 20,000 dollars told his ass congratulations/Cause me… I wasn’t made for that shit”). Niggas used to talk about how Sean wasn’t that nice on the mic device but “Burn” proved they were just blowing smoke. Boom!

Since stepping into fatherhood with “Glory”, it was a minute since we heard from Hov. But on “3 Kings” he reaffirms his G.O.A.T  status while giving an update on his current state of affairs. Daughter Blue Ivy? She’s good (“Niggas couldn’t fuck with my daughter’s room/Niggas couldn’t walk in my daughter’s socks”) Record deal? Show me the money! (“I ran through that buck 50 Live Nation fronted me”) Nets ownership? (“Ex D-boy, used to park my Beemer/Now look at me, I can park at my own arena”) Even TJ Maxx was tuned in. When you add it all up, it’s, well, just different.

Occasionally, Andre 3000 will remind a “pussy ass nigga on the Internet” that his verses are good. And last year, nothing stood out more than his bars found on T.I.’s apologetic, “Sorry”. Boring? Definitely far from it. Manipulating his flow over Jazze Pha’s product-shizzle, 3 Stacks asks for forgiveness from the fans and Outkast’s other half, Big Boi: “And this the type of shit that’ll make you call your rap partner/And say I’m sorry I’m awkward, my fault for fuckin’ up the tours/I hated all the attention so I ran from it/Fuck it if we did, but I hope we ain’t lose no fans from it.” Nope, we’re still here.

Marijuana and beer were the driving forces behind ScHoolboy Q’s intoxicating single, “Hands On The Wheel”. But as the saying goes, it ain’t no fun if the homies can’t have none. Enter: A$AP Rocky. Utilizing an impressive double time flow, A$AP skims through a personal checklist of controlled substances: “With a little bit of crack, little bit of dope/Little bit of smoke/Little coke/Little weed, when they on them pills/Little bit of E/Little bit of shrooms/Little bit of deuce, what it do, hand on the wheels.” Say no to drugs, yes to this verse.