The year is still young. Will K-Dot's reign on top be shorter than leprechauns? For Drake, once againthe throne is for the taking. His third album is on the way and songs like "Started From The Bottom" and "5 AM In Toronto" show that he can still turn it on like a light switch whenever he fancies.At the other end of the spectrum is Danny Brown, who has little mainstream recognition but has slowly built himself into a premier underground rapper. Fans continueto catch on to his 2011 album,Bleep, and he keeps slaughtering guest spots. 2 Chainz is still riding high offthe success of his debut album and newfound fame—the question remains if he can maintain his momentum.

When Kendrick Lamar dropped his major label debut,good kid, m.A.A.d. city, in October 2012, hip-hop rediscoveredEl Doradoat the intersection of Central Ave and El Segundo. And while the good kid’s next chapter is yet to be written, 2013 was the year in which Kendrick Lamar mastered theartof suspense, thus commanding our attention and definitively becoming theBest Rapper Alive.