12 Musical Moments We're Thankful for in 2012
10 months of inspiration, hilarity and great music.
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12 Musical Moments We're Thankful for in 2012 - There's a lot for us to be grateful for in 2012 — food, family, Barack Obama's re-election, the Knicks' 8-1 record. But some of the things that made us smile most this year were in the world of music. It's been 10 months of inspiration, hilarity, and above all, great music. Read on to see the 12 musical moments that we're most thankful in 2012. —Alex Gale (Photos: Lisa Peardon, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images and Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d. city - Kendrick Lamar's amazing major-label debut, and its almost-as-amazing success on the charts, warmed the hearts (and ears) of hip hop heads when it dropped in October. The funky, Southern-influenced production, sung melodies and nimble rhymes recalled OutKast in their prime and the album sold 200,000 copies despite its left-field artistic vision and lack of overtly radio-ready singles. It was great to know that music like this is still being made and that it can even blow up. (Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Samsung)
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Nas Returns - Nas delivered one of his best albums in years with Life Is Good. Introspective, uncompromising songs like "Daughters" and "A Queens Story" harkened backed to his Illmatic glory days. (Photo: Jeff Dormeus)
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Jay-Z Breaks in Barclays - From Marcy to Madison Square to his own arena. Jay-Z's epic eight-show opening run at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, which he co-owns, was nothing short of inspirational. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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Rihanna's 777 Tour - Rihanna's hyped-up 777 tour/publicity stunt saw her performing in seven countries in seven days, with 150 journalists and fans tagging along aboard her private Boeing 777. However, the tireless travel schedule was quickly compounded by loads of alcohol, hours-long waits on the tarmac and before shows, an undersupply of food and restrooms, and Rihanna's odd refusal to mingle at all with her increasingly agitated guests. The tour soon seemed to descend to near anarchy. Needless to say, #rihannaplane has become one of the more amusing hashtags of the year, though we're not sure Rih Rih's just-released hostages feel the same way. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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The West Coast Takes Over The Cypher - The West Coast Cypher at the 2012 BET Hip Hop Awards was one for the history books, with OGs Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, E-40, Xzibit and DJ Quik trading bars with newcomers YG and Kendrick Lamar. "Respect the West," Kurupt's shirt read, and after this it was impossible not to. (Photo: BET)
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"Mercy" Explodes - Arguably the song of the year, Kanye West and company's inescapable "Mercy" was an event with a capital E. (Photo: G.O.O.D. Music)
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Jay-Z Feels the Glory - "Glory," Jay-Z's tribute to Blue Ivy, aka the Golden Child, aka the president in 2048, featured the unflappable MC at his most vulnerable, most humbled and most happy after the birth of his daughter. (Photo: FameFlynet, Inc)
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Frank Ocean Rides the Wave - Frank Ocean's unlikely breakthrough is undoubtedly one of the biggest, best music stories this year. Not only was his quirky, deeply introspective Channel Orange one of the best, most lyrical R&B debuts ever, but it achieved unexpected commercial success — despite (or maybe even because of) Ocean revealing he was once in love with a man a few days earlier. Walls are breaking down in R&B, pop culture and society as a whole, and that's a great thing. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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2 Chainz Pushes Up on Nicki - 2 Chainz's lanky, joyous dancing behind a stoic Nicki Minaj in the video for "Beez in the Trap" — another song of the year contender — was one of 2012's most hilarious sights. (Photo: Young Money)
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