As usual, I wanted to close another year with a “Top 10 Bangers of…” article, collecting the songs I ended up playing the most throughout 2022. Criteria for this list are that these songs must have come out during the year, were supported by a music video, and obviously were songs that I kept coming back to long after I first heard them. Here’s the list!
Benny The Butcher - Johnny P’s Caddy (feat. J. Cole)
Benny The Butcher has been in my current top 5 rappers for a couple of years now, so when he came back with another album in the “Tana Talk” series in the first quarter of 2022, I was excited. This track was the first single in the rollout and also is the opener on the album. The Alchemist laced Benny with one of the best beats of the year and J. Cole delivered my favorite verse of the year on the feature. Benny The Butcher also held his own with a dope verse. This is by far my favorite song of the year and has been in heavy rotation all year.
Kendrick Lamar - N95
This year marked the long awaited return of westcoast rap star Kendrick Lamar. “Mr Morale & The Big Steppers” is a monumental album and his first since 2017’s “DAMN.” The song “N95” is one of the most aggressive and upbeat tracks on the album. It is also politically and socially charged as Kendrick Lamar denounces our vices and total absence of focus on what is truly important in life and in the world, the rampant cancel culture as well as the hypocrisy of the world. An instant classic.
Black Thought & Danger Mouse - Strangers (feat. A$AP Rocky & Run The Jewels)
What do you get when you put Black Thought together with Run The Jewels and A$AP Rocky on a Danger Mouse production? Of course you’re going to be in for a real bar fest over a banging instrumental. Black Thought delivers a massive first verse and Killer Mike and El-P both came in great form. The more surprising addition of A$AP Rocky brings extra swagger to the song and he also managed to keep up with these top MC’s. Danger Mouse’s production is of course on point too. You’ll want to press repeat as soon as the track finishes.
Body Bag Ben & Planet Asia - Heavy Metal
I’ve always liked Planet Asia’s voice and raw delivery. I think he has one of the sharpest and most menacing flows in rap. First time I heard Body Bag Ben’s production was on last year’s comeback album from Canibus (“Kaiju”) and his dark and threatening beats are a great match for the Gold Chain Music spitter. Their 9-track project “Heist the Crown” which dropped late September this year is a killer and this track is the best example. “Heavy Metal” was released as a teaser to the album just weeks before and is one of the most banging underground rap songs of 2022.
Freddie Gibbs - Too Much (feat. Moneybagg Yo)
With the Grammy-nominated “Alfredo” album with producer The Alchemist, Freddie Gibbs had reached in 2020 his highest peak so far career-wise. As he started working on his next album, everybody got excited and wondered how he could top this. “$oul $old $eparately” (triple S for shorts) took him 2 years to complete and the result is his most commercial sounding project to date and feels like victory lap for Freddie. Similar to Nipsey’s 2018 major label debut, the whole project sounds very polished and despite the many (A-list) producers and guest features taking part it is a very cohesive album. “Too Much” sees Freddie partner with Moneybagg Yo for a radio-friendly track that still packs a punch lyrically from Freddie Gibbs. A definite highlight this year.
Larry June - Extra of Um (feat. Babyface Ray)
Bay Area’s Larry June released two new projects in 2022, a collaboration album with Compton’s Jay Worthy, and another solo project in “Spaceships On the Blade”. This track with Babyface Ray is taken from the latter and I believe was a late addition to the album as it is not present on the physical copy. Regardless it was a standout on the album for me: a dope beat reminiscent of the classic Bay Area brand of mob music, Larry June’s nonchalant raps and nice feature from Detroit’s sensation Babyface Ray.
Quelle Chris - The Sky Is Blue Because The Sunset Is Red (feat. MoRuf & Pink Siifu)
Left field rapper and producer Quelle Chris came back this year with yet another very experimental solo project in “Deathfame”. This album is definitely one of the highlights of 2022 for me and this cut featuring rappers Pink Siifu and MoRuf over a melancholic piano loop courtesy of producer Chris Keys is a standout song.
Peezy - How I’m Living
Detroit’s rapper Peezy isn’t extraordinarily lyrical but his brand of uncompromising street raps is something I’ve come to appreciate. In some ways he is similar to some Northern California rappers in his simple and direct lyrics, yet that are depicting vivid street life stories perfectly. “How I’m Living” is one great example of that, just raw non-stop bars over a dark instrumental without any hooks making for one of the best surprises for me this year.
Berner - Cold Champagne for Lunch
Berner has come a long way since the days of building a buzz locally on Bay Area rap forums in the early 2000s. With more albums in his catalogue that I am able to count, a Cannabis empire and a very successful street wear brand that he’s built from the ground up, Berner has become one of the biggest rap moguls, his wealth even making it on this year’s Forbes list. Off the back of releasing his “Gotti” album late last year and beating lung cancer into remission, he comes back with a double album packed with bangers. On the celebratory “Cold Champagne for Lunch” Berner raps about achieving wealth and living without worries. It’s a great track to vibe to with a cold beverage in hand and a song I keep on coming back to.
Pusha T, Nigo - Hear Me Clearly
After a 3-year hiatus following a Grammy-nominated album that sparked one of the biggest rap beefs lately (Drake vs. Ye), Pusha T had a lot of expectations to meet, even more so after teasing his upcoming “It’s Almost Dry” project as album of the year ahead of its release. It may not be that, but this new album is back-to-back bangers, no skippers. What else would you expect from such a great lyricist and production that seemed like a Verzus between Pharrell Williams and Ye (all tracks were produced by either or both). “Hear Me Clearly” is pure heat, one f the standout tracks from the album.
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