2 Chainz - Got One (Mixtape, 2011/2012)

My favorite 2 Chainz track from last year (thanks, Mike Will) has been given a music video, which looks like it was directed by Jordan Towers but was not. I buy da pussy, you payin’ for it/PUT YO HEAD THROUGH DA HEADBAWD

Gucci Mane - North Pole (Mixtape, 2011)

The unofficial sequel to Weird, Gucci focuses this whole song around the concept of being Santa Claus. It’s always refreshing to hear the playful Gucci of yore, but he’s seriously rapping about throwing pipe bombs down chimneys on this song. Maybe a late contender for rap song of the year? It definitely helps that Mike Will Made It. 

Mike Will’s Established in 1989 dropped yesterday. Featuring amazing songs from Future, Gucci, Schoolboy Q, Travis Porter Lil Boosie, Waka, Slim Dunkin and others. Mike Will is seriously producer of the year. 

Young Jeezy (feat. Future) - Way Too Gone (Def Jam, 2011)

Jeezy’s TM103 could’ve been a lot worse than it ended up, but thanks to some smart production decisions, as well as a decent cast of guest appearances to help lift the load (no Alley Boy), it is a solid entry in Jeezy’s catalogue, if nothing else. It is undoubtedtly the worst album Jeezy’s released to date, and he is little more than a shadow of his once dominant self, but we know those odds are often defied in the world of rap.

Perhaps the moment that glistens the brightest on TM103 is the Mike Will-helmed, Future assisted Way Too Gone. Way Too Gone starts off strangely enough with Jeezy’s voice run through a filter, the volume adjusted a few decibles below where it should be, making you question if you just downloaded a faulty copy of the album. The Mike Will Made It tag comes in, and the next four minutes are glorious. Jeezy’s hook-making ability is strong here, as it is often on the album, and Mike Will’s lushly-trap instrumental adds a lot to the atmosphere.

Future obviously kills it on the last verse - I’m really surprised he wasn’t given hook duty, but I guess Jeezy didn’t want shown-up that badly. As much as I like 2 Chainz, it’s funny seeing his feature Supafreak trying to follow this. Neither the beat nor 2 Chainz’ verse can compete with the combination of Mike Will and Future - potentially the most potent duo in all of rap at the moment.

Schoolboy Q - My Hatin’ Joint (Top Dawg Entertainment, 2011)

It’s the case of a once overlooked producer working with an overlooked (but not for long) rapper. Mike Will has been going hard since at least 2007, back when Gucci Mane slayed his beats regularly. He’s only recently come to prominence since Meek Mill’s breathrough hit of the summer, Tupac Back, a beat that was considered faux-Luger but sounded better than essentially anything Lex had done in half a year at the time. His work with Brick Squad helped shape his sound, and he helped shape the sound for the Luger’s and Southside’s who followed (contrary to popular belief). He’s been everywhere this year, producing for everyone from Ludacris, to Future, and now Schoolboy Q.

I first heard Q on Kendrick Lamar’s awesome Michael Jordan, and it was pretty much a wrap for me from that moment on. Q has more than a handful of flows, and even though I expected him to get his snarl on and tear this beat to shreds, he actually uses his laidback flow found throughout most of his underrated Setbacks, released all the way back in January. Mike Will changes up his style for this, with some Legend of Zelda flutes and an all around whimsical sound. Q on the other hand asks a brothel of women why they’re with their shitty boyfriends, showing signs of jealousy, but also some concern for the women he’s addressing (despite the fact that there’s, like, 12 of them).