Hip-hop experienced a stellar year in 2012, with Kendrick Lamar being hailed for releasing a stellar major label debut, Nas reminding everyone that hip-hop is still a vital genre for thirty and fortysomethings, and Big K.R.I.T. re-affirming that the south is capable of more than just club and trap rap.
But indie hip-hop produced some of the genre’s most inspired works. Here are ten of the best indie hip-hop releases from 2012, ranging from offbeat and quirky, to dark, to socially aware — the DIY rhymers made major-level noise this year.
