The 10 Best Trap Tracks of 2012

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Trap is one of those genres that either sucks you in immediately, or you instantly loathe. There are many trap detractors (detraptors?), but the rise of southern rap in the mainstream has helped this sound prosper. 2012 was the year that everything clicked for the sound, where it became more than just throwing 808s and Trap-A-Holics mixtape drops and hitting "trap" on your sequencer. The sound went global!

That's right, dance music heads on both sides of the Atlantic fell in love with the sound, with scenes being born often. Almost too quickly; there's already a massive amount of trap originals, remixes, and refixes out here on your Internets. These 10 here? These are without a doubt the most lethal trap tracks to touch down in 2012, from Flosstradamus to TNGHT.

10. ETC!ETC! & Brillz & Diplo ft. Whiskey Pete - "Bueller"

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Yes, we definitely know that there was a version with Chuck Inglish on it. It was alright, but we prefer the original. Whiskey Pete's rhymes accent the stabs perfectly, and that flip of "Oh Yeah?" Massive. The Moombahton breakdown is where it's at as well.

9. UZ - "Trap Shit v9"

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UZ, the masked enigma. While we still won't say don't know who UZ is, this mystery man might be who we consider to have blown up the trap scene. He's the one who spawned a grip of ASCII-heavy imitators, but he's also the one who Mad Decent and NPR got behind. The twinkling melody and rapid-fire percussion on this one put it heads above a lot of his own work, as well as the work of the legions out there. Hopefully 2013 will find him showing more of what he's got.

8. Hardwell - "Spaceman (Carnage Festival Trap Remix)"

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Carnage is another one who really came into his own in 2012, bringing the "festival" trap sound to light. Remixing a number of anthemic rave smashes, Carnage showed just how turnt up a rave can be. He's got the knack for focusing in on the biggest and brightest, and throwing it right into the trunk of your whip. And with singles on Fool's Gold, along with his friendship with Borgore, he's truly just getting started.

7. Die Antewoord - "I Fink U Freeky (CRNKN VIP Remix)"

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CRNKN's one of those producers who proved himself, but doesn't seem to get as much exposure as other trap producers. He received early praise for a track with UZ, but it's his solo output that really goes in. This is the second version he's released of his "I Fink U Freeky" remix, and wins because of the hypnotic spell it puts over you. Marvelously mesmerizing melody. One of the true anthems in this scene's time.

6. TNGHT - "Bugg'n"

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While TNGHT are the obvious critical darlings, it felt like some circles were split on the impact that Lunice & Hudson Mohawke's TNGHT project truly had. With a five-track of rapper-less instrumentals getting a lot of love, many didn't see the point. Maybe it just takes certain people, like Kanye West, to realize the potential of this act. Sure, this is pretty sparse, but it invokes more swing than other cuts do, and you could visualize someone like A$AP Rocky going for his over this beat. Undeniable.

5. Mayhem & Antiserum - "Brick Squad Anthem"

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Mayhem and Antiserum aligned to create an infectious riddim, truly paying homage to the trap music that guys like Flocka create. Built to do nothing but cause pure pandemonium in the club, the "Brick Squad Anthem" is one you can't forget. You won't remember how you got home, but you'll remember when this one dropped.

4. Kanye West - "Mercy (RL Grime & Salva Remix)"

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While it feels weird for producers to trap-out tracks that are already drenched in that 808 swag, you're playing yourself if this isn't in your top tier of trap remixes. RL Grime and Salva attacked one of the biggest rap cuts of 2012 with a fury, dicing out the most important bits from "Mercy," adding some spices and creating a big-body remix for the ages. So heavy, so very necessary.

3. Baauer - "Harlem Shake"

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Combining the best parts of his love for hip-hop and bass music, Baauer growled onto the scene with the snappy bounce of "Harlem Shake." This one got the ears of everyone, from Diplo to Benji B, and at a time where trap seemed to be dying a quick death due to the lack of ideas, Baauer showed the world that you could breathe life into the machines... and do the harlem shake, obviously.

2. Major Lazer - "Original Don (Flosstradamus Remix)"

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This is arguably the one that started it off. If ever there's a need to define the trap sound within EDM, this should be the track. We get a number of different movements within the track, the "RUN THE TRAP!" sample, and a whole lot of fun. No wallflowers when this one drops, trust that. Flosstradamus took no prisoners, and kept their feet on the scene's neck for the rest of 2012.

1. Flosstradamus - "Rollup (Baauer Remix)"

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We truly hope that Flosstradamus didn't mind what Baauer did to their track. It's not to say that their original wasn't dope, but Baauer's knack for designing sound truly blew this one out of the water. Gigantic bass rumbling coupled with an overall fun bounce, there was nothing else touching the mastery behind this.

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