1991

Coming on the scene like a whirlwind of Santigold, Nicki Minaj, Grace Jones, and that killer remix of the Jungle Brothers track "I'll House You," Harlem rapper, singer, and "Liquorice Bitch" Azealia Banks made every "cool," "one to watch," and "wow" list that mattered in 2011, thanks in part to attractive tracks like "L8R" and her smooth cover of Interpol's "Slow Hands," but mostly because of "212."

That New York-loving, tribal house monster with a Nina Simone-like break in the middle winds up on Banks' debut EP, clawing and kicking the competition to the curb with more cuss words than Scarface (and that's two-plus hours vs. three and a half minutes) and brilliant boast after brilliant boast ("You could see I been the bitch since the Pamper," with everything else being unquotable in mixed company).