It isn’t easy condensing a year’s worth of rap music. Still, we can safely say there were enough recognizable songs that couldn’t be ignored. Some were regional anthems. Some took off on a national scale. Hip-hop’s go-to producers (Mike Will Made It and Young Chop) and everyone from Future and Big Sean to Chief Keef helped shape a new diverse sonic signature. With only a week and a few days left until the year is up, we reflected on songs that have an undeniable lasting appeal. There are obvious ones such as “Love Sosa” and “No Worries,” but we made sure to highlight the best from rap’s eclectic pool of MCs. It’ll be interesting to see where hip-hop will go since new trends are forming by the minute. Before we set our sights on 2013, here are 30 songs that’ll stay in heavy rotation.—XXL Staff

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