2012 was quite the year, wasn’t it? From a crazy political season and Olympic fever to “YOLO” and “Gangnam Style” mania, we had a share of highlights. We saw binders full of women, KONY, and the release of the iPhone 5. We also witnessed several dramatic events including Hurricane Sandy, the loss of Whitney Houston, and several mass shootings in the U.S. too. What a year it’s been.

Instead of revisiting everything in the news, I wanna take some time out and look back at the year I had (and what a year it’s been). It was a year full of highs and lows, good times and bad times, and some surprises too. Both personally and professionally, I had my share of events. So here it is everyone, my 2012 Year-In-Review.

The Rap Life

“He’s a Monster!” The Mixtape – It took me four years (and all of 2012 LoL), but I’m finally dropping a new mixtape. I actually had the idea of releasing this a few years back, but I just never got around to finishing it. Well, sometime back in October or November it hit me that I haven’t done enough this year. And moreover, I haven’t dropped a new release in so long. So I got my ass back in gear, sacrificed a LOT, and worked extra hard to get this CD done. Along with a couple of new tracks, “He’s a Monster!” is a collection of songs I’ve released over the last few years. I can’t tell you how good it feels to FINALLY release a new CD.

“One of a Kind” finally getting finalized – So this one’s tricky because I still haven’t “released” the song. “One of a Kind” is going to be my next single, which I’m super excited about. I still haven’t released it because we’re still planning the video, which is coming early 2013. The reason this constitutes as a highlight is ‘cuz of the hell I’ve had to go through to get this song done. I probably had at least five different engineers work on this song, and the process has dragged on for more than a year. So now, I FINALLY have a finished song ready to go. It means a lot because I put so much work into this song…plus oh yea, the song is pretty hot LoL.

New team – I didn’t place enough emphasis on this in the Opinions Columns throughout the year, but I’ve aligned myself with new producers and engineers who have really helped me progress this year. I think the reason that I’ve been as stagnant as I’ve been over the last few years (even though I have been recording) is because of my team. I had a lot of people that just don’t do it anymore. They’re either unmotivated, unresponsive, or just plain don’t care. It took me awhile, but I finally realized that I’ll never get where I wanna be unless I align myself with other talented individuals. And with Orlando being a melting pot for that, it wasn’t hard to realign with a different team that helped me get back on track.

Blow featured on TV – Now THIS was really exciting. My boy DJ Ra from Canada hit me up to inform me that my video for “Blow” was shown on television all across Canada. I found out that I was featured alongside Jay Sean, Raghav, and the Bilz & Kashif with my “Blow” music video. Super dope, right? The video was featured on V-Mix, which according to the Facebook page is “Canada’s first national TV show covering contemporary South Asian artists and music videos, while also providing Canadian musicians and amateur performers a platform to showcase themselves.”

Personal Life

My Birthday – Usually, my birthdays are pretty cool. I go out with friends, we cut a cake, and party too. This year was another level. I had TWO parties and mad people came out. On the first night, we all went to downtown Orlando to party it up and a lot of my friends who I hadn’t seen in a hot minute came through. On the second night, we had a 1920s-themed party with lots of family and friends. Then, I went to church the following morning (to bring in the day right) along with more family time. All in all, I had a blastttttt. I saw a lot of people I hadn’t seen in a hot minute, the turnout was better than expected, and I ate mad cake too haha. So I mean, when I stand back and look at how many friends and family I have that came out just to support me, I can’t help but feel blessed…y’nahmean? It’s an overwhelming feeling and I thank everyone that came out.

NBA All Star Game – So perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the year (and shoot, my whole life) was attending the NBA All Star Game here in Orlando! Yup, I managed to get tickets to one of sport’s BIGGEST events of the year, and wow was it amazing. Between the national anthem sung by Mary J. Blige (wow), the halftime show with Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Nicki Minaj, and Chris Brown, the awesome skits and events that went down during the time-outs and in-between quarters, the way they decorated the arena, and the game itself, I had a BLAST. There was so much more too – the way the players interacted with each other, all the trash talking, and the awesome highlights – it was an amazing time.

Singapore/Bali Trip – Ok so this was perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the year. I went on a month-long vacation to Singapore and Bali to attend my cousin’s wedding. It was so great to get away from all the drama, headaches, and constant work that I’ve grown accustomed to here. I had a few weeks of straight chillin’ where I spent it with family (a lot of whom I hadn’t seen in a really long time). Between the insane parties (that went to 6 AM every night), sitting poolside drinking coconut juice, or just enjoying the time with relatives, it was an amazing trip. Singapore was nice and Bali was extra nice. It’s one of those trips I’ll take with me throughout my lifetime.

The Marriage Question – So speaking of weddings, one of the questions I heard non-stop during my trip (and pretty often throughout 2012 too) was when I’m getting married. Ironically, I talked about this same thing last year. 365 days later, and it seems like nothing has changed. So the answer? Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve talked about this at length over the last few months, but I’m pretty content in my life for now. And with constant disappointment, letdown, and heartbreak, love has lost its allure…at least for me. Maybe 2013 will change my mind, who knows?

Favorite Albums

2012 had its fair share of good music drop. There was also a lot of blah music as well, but that comes as no surprise LoL. Here were my five favorite albums of the past year.

Nas – Life is Good – Yup, one of my favorite emcees returned after a hot minute to drop “Life is Good”, his eleventh studio album. I wasn’t in love with it initially (I won’t lie), but it grew on me. I was hatin’ on all the songs without drums haha, but it got better with time. Some of the topics, lyrics, and overall content of Nas’s stuff seriously impresses me. He’s back in rare form, and it’s refreshing to hear him like this again. And with songs like “The Don”, “Cherry Wine”, and “Bye Baby”, it was probably my favorite album of the year.

Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city – So the Compton emcee finally dropped his album. After experiencing a lot of buzz and exposure over the last year (especially after working with Dr. Dre), Kendrick releases “good kid, m.A.A.d city.” So what’d I think? It’s a refreshing, unique, and creative-ass album. He’s got a really abstract flow about him, but his beat selection makes it work. I was underimpressed with some of his previous mixtapes, but this changed my mind. It really reminded me of some old school Goodie Mob/Outkast mixed with west coast flavor. The hip hop game is currently oversaturated with generic rappers and overdone topics, so it was REALLY good to hear someone come out with an album like this. This is being dubbed album of the year on a lot of other hip hop sites.

Game – Jesus Piece – Game returns with his much-anticipated album, and he definitely delivered. I feel like being under Dre’s wing has really helped him with longevity in the game. He’s got his share of bangers, chill songs, and stuff in-between too. I honestly wasn’t too crazy about ALL the features, but he picked the right beats and got the right artists on those beats. It kinda’ bothered me that he changed his style up so much on the last album, but it seemed to work better here. Anyway, definitely a fire ass CD throughout.

Xzibit – Napalm – This was a real slept-on album of 2012. I used to be a HUGE Xzibit fan and had each of his albums. However, the last couple of albums really left me wanting more. I felt like he ran outta stuff to rap about and lost his way. Well, Mr. X to the Z is back in full force with “Napalm.” Xzibit really opened up on this album, touching on some pretty personal topics. In addition, his production is super on-point with a mix of hardcore bangers with west coast smoothness. I gotta give it to him for sticking to it and continuing to make this music. Is it the same fire from his first few albums? No, but times are different too, and so is he. It’s still a REALLY good album.

Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 – So initially, I just thought this album was alright. But after giving it some more plays, Food & Liquor 2 is a REALLY good CD. Songs like “Bitch Bad” (super innovative), “Battle Scars” (amazing song, mad relatable), and “Lamborghini Angels” are all super dope songs. If you can dig the political vibe on some of the songs too, it’s hot. And he’s got a lot of conscious, getcha-thinking kinda songs that I really felt as well. Well done Lupe, well done.

Favorite Videos

2012 also had its fair share of dope videos. Although there were maaaaaad videos that came out this year (and some more creative than this), these stuck with me. They’re all really well done and the music helped too.

The Wrap-Up

So looking back on the year that was 2012, there was a lot to remember. There were lots of highs, while there were also plenty of lows as well. I encountered setback after setback, yet somehow continued to manage a positive outlook (well, for the most part). I struggled, I persevered, and I fought. I really pushed through a lot this year to get where I’m at. It was a crazy year, and honestly I’m ready for it to be over. I’m ready for 2013.

Musically, although I did have several positive accomplishments I really felt like I could’ve done more. I didn’t drop one video this year, when I told myself I’d have like 4-6 this year. I could blame a ton of people, but I won’t. It’s up to me to get things done because it’s my career. So in the end, I’ll accept responsibility and make sure that the same doesn’t happen next year. The other thing I talked about last year was how “Something to Prove”, my upcoming CD, would drop in 2012. Well, it didn’t. I’ve been saying that for years, and it really makes no sense anymore. I wanna say that yes, it’ll drop this year – and I’m confident it will because it’s almost done – but I’ve also realized that you don’t have control of your plans. There’s a saying: “Man proposes, God disposes.” So although I’m almost sure it’ll drop this year, I won’t guarantee it. This is experience talking.

Personally, I also experienced my share of goods and bads. My birthday and the Singapore/Bali trip were probably the highlights of my entire year, and I’m really grateful that they happened. I know in 2013 I’ll continue to get the marriage question, but with me losing even more girls this year it’s hard for me to even think about it. I have another song (probably the third single) that really addresses this more. Hopefully I’ll be dropping that soon as well. But yeah, all I can do is remain optimistic and faithful.

So what’s in store for 2013? Haha million dollar question. I’m gonna definitely have to strong arm my career any more, similar to what I’m doing now with dropping the “He’s a Monster!” mixtape. My plans are to drop a minimum of four videos this year, my new album, and also do some more traveling. One thing I realized is that everytime I traveled this year (whether it was Singapore, Bali, Texas, or NC), it felt great. I mean, the whole packing/flying part is whatever, but just being away from all the drama for a short time is mad refreshing. So I’m planning on taking like four trips this year, which will help my overall mental health.

Throughout the upcoming year, I also have to get back to some of my goals to better my life. So yes, back to the gym I go. I’ll also resume my language lessons, start this company that I’ve talked about for awhile, and also tackle some things that I’ve put off for awhile. I’m getting older and time isn’t slowing down. Through all of it though, I have to continue to keep a positive attitude, remain faithful, and remind myself of Dada Vaswani‘s teachings. If I can do those things, then what do I have to be worried about, right?

Here’s to a great new year ahead. Happy 2013 peoples!

Filed under: Opinions by Ajaxxx
5 Comments »