10 great rap lyrics of 2013

“I’m important like the Pope, I’m a Muslim on pork
I’m Makaveli’s offspring I’m the king of New York
King of the coast, one hand, I juggle them both
The juggernaut’s all in your jugular -- you take me for jokes.”

Listen to the track (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Jan. 3, 2014 12 AM PT

By Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times Pop Music Critic

Click through to see 10 memorable hip hop rhymes from 2013.*

(*Because many supreme rhymes featured cusses that rendered them unquotable, it’s not accurate to call this a list of the year’s best rap lyrics. As such, assume that any links may contain language that’s not safe for work.)

“I am a god
So hurry up with my ... massage
In a French ... restaurant
Hurry up with my ... croissants.”

Listen to the track (Michael Loccisano / Getty Images)

3. Chance the Rapper, 'Cocoa Butter Kisses'

“Cigarettes on cigarettes my mama think I stank
I got burnholes on my hoodies all my homies think it’s dank
I miss those cocoa butter kisses
I think we are addicted.”

Listen to the track (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“Driver roll up the partition fast
Over there I swear I saw them cameras flash
Handprints and footprints on my glass
Handprints and good grips all on my ...
Private show with the music blasting
He like to call me Peaches when we get this nasty
Red wine drip, we’ll talk that trash
Chauffeur eavesdropping trying not to crash.” (Rob Hoffman / Invision for Parkwood Entertainment / Associated Press)

“Cowering like cowards cowering on concrete showers in Rikers Island
Victims, we the wolves that’s wilding
We often smile at sights of violence
Acting brave and courageous ain’t advantageous for health and safety
So when we say run the jewels just run’ em baby, please don’t delay me.”

Listen to the track (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

“Still in my skull is a vacant empty void
Been using it more as a bin for storage, take some inventory
In this gourd there’s a Ford engine, door hinge, syringe
An orange, an extension cord, and a Ninja sword
Not to mention four linchpins, an astringent stored
Ironing board, a bench, a wrench, an oru winch, an attention whore
Everything but a brain, but dome’s off the ... chain like an independent store.”

Listen to the track (Pierre Andrieu / AFP/Getty Images)

“Kept his sticky in a Stussy pouch
Ski mask, bloody ‘Preme hoodie
Tossing doobies out the window of the hoopty
Night black as Paul Mooney at the movies
But the moon was out, food was always optional
Eating nothing but hard punches to that abdominal.”

Listen to the track (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

“Pain in my heart, it’s as black as my skin
They tipping the scale for these crackers to win
No reading, no writing, made us savage of men
They praying for jail but I mastered the pen
Descended from kings, we at it again
Just hand me the crown, I’m active again.”

Listen to the track (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Honorable mention: Nicki Minaj, 'High School'

“He said he came from Jamaica, he owned a couple acres
A couple fake visas cause he never got his papers
Gave up on love, ... with them heart breakers
But he was gettin’ money with the movers and the shakers
He was mixed with a couple things, ball like a couple rings
Bricks in the condo and grams to Sing Sing.”

Listen to the track (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)