Skillz Delivers Zingers and Tackles Headlines on ‘2012 Rap Up’

Just in time before the masses ring in the new year, veteran rhyme-slinger Skillz presents his 10th annual 'Rap Up' song. It has become a yearly tradition and hip-hop heads love him for it. The song is a bonus track on Skillz's just-released 'Thoughts Become Things' album.

Skillz usually raps over a slow R&B groove but this year he turns it up and gets ratchet over a bass-heavy beat with computer bleeps and horn synths. Lyrically, the Virginia wordsmith covers all the top stories in music, sports and entertainment.

From Beyonce and Jay-Z welcoming their new baby Blue Ivy to Frank Ocean coming out of the closet to Chris Brown and Drake's infamous champagne-throwing brawl, the emcee raps humorous zingers about each of those events. He also tackles the most talked-about headlines of 2012, like the Trayvon Martin shooting and the Aurora movie theater shooting. "The gun laws got to get right, because people are living a crazy life," he raps.

On the subject of rap artists, Skillz spits this zinger: "Wayne has two seizures / Drake got one Diploma / 2 Chainz came up / Kendrick went ham / Tupac came back / Oh, that was a hologram? Damn."

He also gives an elegiac tribute to Whitney Houston who passed away in February. Near the end of the song, Skillz thanks his fans for supporting his annual 'Rap Up' songs.

"I'll love y'all and y'all love the song / And that there is no question / I'm in the booth, it's hot as hell / I popped a molly, I'm sweatin, wooo!" he raps.