It’s hard to say what 2012 has added to music culture. In many ways, things haven’t drastically changed this year. Maroon 5 and Chris Brown are still making music, and we still listen to dubstep at parties. But one thing is apparent: Two talented artists have pushed the boundaries of their musical niches by rewriting the codes of rap and R&B. The commonality in these innovations has been a strong narrative skill, combining music and relatable, intimate content. If anything, 2012 has pulled back the curtain on some of the smartest musical minds in the industry.

In the post-Kanye era, few hip-hop artists have transcended the banalities of the rap stereotypes of yore. Themes like getting “hot bitches,” drinking, smoking and generally being the dominant male prevail 99 percent of the time in mainstream rap. To many this is comforting and expected, but every few years someone has to clear the air. Kanye did it in 2010 with “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” by completely divulging his own psyche to his fans and haters alike, convincing most everyone that rap could be a creative device instead of a cold, calculated product. Two years later, 2012’s answer is twofold.

In terms of rap, Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City” is an excellent example of this year’s narrative focus. While Lamar doesn’t drastically change the game, he uses rap as a tool to tell an elaborate story. The result is a sprawling affair of over an hour’s length, often using real sound clips to preface epic tales of Lamar’s life thus far. “Backstreet Freestyle” is Lamar’s early mission statement and desire for success; he demands to be heard when he says, “respect my mind or die from lead shower,” and critiques his own genre’s misogyny when he teases the listener with his possession of a “wifey, girlfriend and mistress.” The song follows a short clip of a supposed friend inviting Lamar to join in the fun of a blunt and some freestyle, leaving the following track as a nostalgic, youthful jaunt that foreshadows Lamar’s present success.

At other points on the record, Lamar grows up, separates from his friends and finds fun in debauchery without letting it control his image. “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and “Compton” are examples of this flux, cataloguing the life of a young, ambitious musician without relying on the stereotypes of the genre. In terms of production, “Good Kid” is sleek and satisfying, sampling artists from Beach House to Hit Boy and featuring the likes of Drake and Dr. Dre. It’s an ambitious debut that grounds rap again, stripping away the boring filler of radio hip-hop.

In terms of R&B this year, it’s undeniable that Frank Ocean’s “Channel Orange” is a new landmark of personal struggle in the contemporary music world. While the album itself is beautiful from start to finish, the added allure of his bisexuality makes Ocean appealing to a wide audience, and his graceful coming out has only increased the album’s success. “Channel Orange,” like “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City,” is a document of self-discovery as well as a series of American profiles. When Ocean isn’t crooning about his own trials and tribulations, he crafts eloquent pictures of the impoverished and the wealthy, proving that neither money nor social comfort can buy happiness. Ocean gives us the most devastating narrative in “Bad Religion,” where he himself hits rock bottom in a taxicab, facing his darkest fears and doubts in the presence of a stranger.

His success lies in his ability to speak as a multitude of different individuals through R&B, commenting on his own misfortunes and the misfortunes of countless others. He manages to keep his production interesting as well, with epic John Mayer guitar solos and samples of “Forest Gump.”

So, thus far in 2012, the most masculine-oriented corners of music culture have been liberated by a movement away from alpha-dog jockeying towards self-conscious vignettes of real American life. Instead of documenting the opulent lifestyle of the stereotypical hip hop star, Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar have been polarizing this year by challenging the boring conventions of each genre’s formula. In doing so, both “Channel Orange” and “Good Kid, m.A.A.d City” are the high watermarks of the new decade in hip hop that are likely to be influential for years to come.