This week, HipHopDX capped its year-end review with a look at our Top 25 Albums of 2012. Additionally, we named our favorite albums that readers disliked and vice versa, as well as our top mixtapes, rookies, albums we missed and news stories from the past 12 months. And in a year filled with beef, Meek Mill and Cassidy concluded December by taking their issues to wax. After the latter released his diss track “Me, Myself & iPhone,” the Maybach Music Group rapper fired back with “Repo” and declared that he would not respond further. Finally, Hip Hop was dealt a sad hand after Pro Era member Capital Steez took his own life at the age of 19.

HipHopDX Names Its Top 25 Albums Of 2012

HipHopDX has been rolling out the year-end features over the past few weeks, reaching a denoument with our Top 25 Albums of 2012. For the list, editors and contributors put their heads together to settle on the stand-out releases from the past 12 months, choosing records from veterans (Big Boi’s Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors, O.C. & Apollo Brown’s Trophies, Nas’ Life is Good) to new jacks (Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city, Big K.R.I.T.’s Live From the Underground, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ The Heist). We also picked a few albums that we loved and you hated (Rick Ross’ God Forgives, I Don’t) and LPs that you loved and we hated (B.o.B’s Strange Clouds). We also picked our most important rookies of 2012 (Joey Bada$$), as well as albums we missed (Chino XL’s RICANstruction) and the most important news stories of 2012.

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Meek Mill Fires Back At Cassidy With “Repo”

The war between Meek Mill and Cassidy heated up this week. After taking shots on Twitter, the Maybach Music Group rapper acknowledged Cass’ challenge to battle on wax last weekend, to which Cass said that Meek waited too long to respond. Instead of letting it go, Meek dropped his scathing diss track “Repo,” spitting, “Whatchu made this year, whatchu worth nigga? I dropped Dreams & Nightmares, I made church, nigga / I did ‘I’ma Boss’ young’n set the summer off / Now these old niggas mad at me ’cause they fallin’ off.” Cassidy brushed off the record with a single tweet, stating that it wasn’t up to par. Meek decided to leave the beef alone after his diss, taking to Twitter and writing, “No more attention on broke nigga shit….. I’m done…. Time 2 get this money! Nothing else #mmg #dcr.”

Pro Era’s Capital Steez Dead At 19 Years Old

Hip Hop was dealt a tragedy this week. Shortly after Pro Era released its breakout mixtape PEEP The aPROcalypse, one of the group’s members committed suicide. Early on the morning of Christmas Eve, Capital Steez – largely hailed as one of the standout members of the crew alongside Joey Bada$$ – posted a single tweet that hinted at his actions, writing, “The end.” Later in the day, Joey took to Twitter to state that Steez had in fact taken his own life, confirming what fans feared. “This unfortunate xmas eve.. Lost a best friend, a brother, a pro, a partner. Letting go is never easy.. May ur soul rest in peace Jamal..” HipHopDX extends its condolences to Pro Era and Capital Steez’s family during this difficult time.

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Other items of note:

– Skylar Grey Explains Mood Of Debut Album, Eminem & Dr. Dre’s Involvement

– Tony Yayo Calls Game’s “Jesus Piece” “Trash Rap,” Game Responds

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– Jay Electronica Praises French Montana & Big Sean, Slanders Trinidad James In Twitter Rant

– Family Of Slain Teen Rapper Says He Was Shot For Wearing Lil Jojo Hoodie

– Drake Hoping To Cash In On His Popular “YOLO” Phrase