We have compiled all the albums released from January to June 2022.
2022 has had a strong start thanks to several excellent Hip Hop albums. Over half the way through the year, we’ve already witnessed Kendrick Lamar’s comeback, gotten the eagerly anticipated Future album, and heard Pusha T’s self-described “rap album of the year.” Fans finally received Lupe’s much-anticipated album Drill Music in Zion in June, and it didn’t let them down. Duke Deuce delivered a standout new album, and French Montana astounded some fans with a strong effort that was produced by Harry Fraud. We keep distilling this year’s seemingly limitless musical output down to the fundamentals and giving readers a rundown of the crucial albums.
Here is the list of the Top 10 Hip Hop albums of the year 2022 till now:
10) Logic – Vinyl Days
There are many Logic followers, but sometimes it seems like there are more detractors than admirers of the artist. Logic is one of those musicians whose fans are consistently sharply split. However, his rumoured retirement album “No Pressure” (2020) wasn’t at all poor, and with “Vinyl Days,” his seventh studio album (and first post-retirement), he produced a winner that is unquestionably his greatest work to date.
A behemoth of an album, Vinyl Days clocks in at a little over 70 minutes. Probably too much for the ADD set, but ideal for those who still value the craft of making LPs.
Although several of the contributors on this album, like Action Bronson, Curren$y, Royce Da 5’9′′, RZA, Blu, AZ, and The Game (among others), occasionally outperform Logic in terms of lyrical depth, it doesn’t matter. Vinyl Days is true to its name; it is a heartfelt ode to the heyday of hip-hop, with a variety of enticing sample-based boom-bap production throughout. One of the greatest pleasant discoveries of 2022 is Vinyl Days, which is stylish, revitalizing, and entertaining.
9) Benny The Butcher – Tana Talk 4
There have been many projects in between, but “Tana Talk,” the 2004 series that began it all (even if the first episode is no longer available to collectors), stands noteworthy for some reason. Benny The Butcher raised the stakes by titling his third album “Tana Talk 4“; it suggests a break from the more refined, popular beats on Burden Of Proof and a return to the raw sounds of Tana Talk 3. It remains to be seen if Tana Talk 4 will ultimately be compared to Tana Talk 3, but it is a fantastic album that is far superior to Burden Of Proof.
Hit-Boy created Burden Of Proof, and in our opinion, Benny The Butcher doesn’t fit with his crisp, professional sound. Thanks to Daringer and The Alchemist, Tana Talk 4 is largely produced. Along with the kind of surprising J Cole, who crushes it on “Johnny P’s Caddy” with the album’s biggest feature, regular collaborators Conway The Machine, Westside Gunn, 38 Spesh, Stove God Cooks, and Boldy James make an appearance.
8) Conway The Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes
God Don’t Make Mistakes, is Conway The Machine’s most impressive album to date. The Buffalo-based Griselda rapper becomes more deep and intimate than ever on his Shady Records debut and second solo studio LP, which follows From King to a God (2020) and a lengthy list of collaboration projects, mixtapes, and EPs. Standout tracks include “Guilty,” “Stress,” “So Much More,” and “God Don’t Make Mistakes.”
Conway’s album “God Don’t Make Mistakes” makes it more difficult to contest his status as one of hip-hop hop’s lyricists right now.
7) Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache
In a recent Apple Music interview, Post Malone said to Zane Lowe, “The whole thing I want to do is just be honest.” The most honest portrayal of his life to date is on his fourth album, “Twelve Carat Toothache,” which examines some of his inner issues without detracting from its lovely musical compositions.
You’ll discover as you go through the album that you fall in love with songs that weren’t meant for you and save songs for when you have the right mood and setting. Post Malone has achieved with this album exactly what I think he was meant to do: introduce listeners to new musical genres via charm, empathy, sincerity, and boldness and connect with their actual feelings.
6) Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry
A worried new parent and quarantining for COVID-19 led to the creation of “It’s Almost Dry.” Pusha T recently said to Charlamagne Tha God in an interview with a hint of dread in his voice, “I wasn’t going anywhere. He continued by explaining how he improved his pen game by using inventiveness. Twenty years later, Push’s writing has only become more acute. Behind prison, the storytelling has improved, becoming more detailed and witty. Push nearly exhibits linguistic expertise in the way it manipulates many concepts and phrases related to cocaine. It’s Almost Dry is a decent rap album that offers a few hard-hitting tracks, some fantastic production, and bar-for-bar greatness by one of the finest rappers, albeit lacking the biting of earlier albums.
5) NBA Youngboy – Colors
YoungBoy continues to expand his vocal range on “Colors,” his sixth solo album since the start of 2020. In addition to his trademark growl and voluminous harmonizing, he also uses multiple staccato chirps that are reminiscent of Playboi Carti and a moment where he literally whispers. However, these bursts of brilliance seldom come together to create something that comes close to his trademark piece. Four songs later, on “Snow Bunny,” he dedicates lyric after sensitive stanza to a white woman from Florida who sent him nude images while he was imprisoned and whose phone number he lost. “Bring the Hook,” a diss song targeted at O-Block and the late Chicago rapper King Von is startling in its brazenness.
4) Lil Durk- 7220
Lil Durk has successfully transformed himself into the voice of the voiceless thanks to his AutoTune-drenched melodies, mournful piano-backed instrumentals, and willingness to accept his sensitive side. It seems as though a higher authority has appointed him to represent everyone who has endured terrible things. His narratives are intimate but also have a global appeal. Sometimes they are about a life of death and addiction brought on by a poor background, while other times they are about self-inflicted misery. Yes, there are many singing rappers in this genre, but Durk stands out for his wounded wailing and lyrics that are so precise that they must be based on some real-world experience.
3) Westside Boogie – More Black Superheroes
In a true and constantly authentic way, “More Black Superheroes” analyzes the redeeming potential that Black men may find in their own emotions that culture has long taught us to hide. To further that message, he makes excellent use of his storytelling abilities in films like “Nonchalant,” which features Mamie, and “Stuck,” in which he deals with the weight of social bonds and enjoys ambiguity. His concise language, fluid flow, and half-sung melodies are reflections of his intense inner anguish.
Boogie has made a living by analyzing his feelings. He possesses the subconscious and imaginative abilities of a talented storyteller. A California rapper in his 30s who is undergoing musical treatment released the concept album Superheroes. Boogie’s sincerity, which makes his hardships seem real, sets the project apart.
2) Future – I Never Liked You
Since HNDRXX, Future has delved into a persona that is “toxic,” continuously looking for methods to minimize the value of women to increase his online visibility.
However, “toxic” also reduced the emotional nuance and depth of Future’s songs. Turn-up songs about a life of luxury coated with the feeling that he was overcompensating for lost love, as well as somber sagas about self-inflicted heartache, frank comments on the substances he blamed for his agony and relied on to heal it, were among the writings he produced. Even if the lyrics sound unoriginal, Future is such a skilled rapper and singer that his songs are nonetheless enjoyable.
He embraces his prior character on “I Never Liked You,” his first solo album in two years, and Future is preoccupied with his effect and his influence on the society he helped create. He uses vocal samples that have been cut up, whimpering croons, and lyrics that make it appear as though he is apologizing to a woman while actually attempting to get her to feel sorry for him.
1) Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
Kendrick Lamar’s last album for Top Dawg Entertainment, “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers,” has finally been released. The rapper breaks over “writer’s block” on his debut album in five years with a collection that highlights his sharp observational skills.
On his fifth album, Kendrick pulls back from the spotlight and focuses on his doubts, concerns, and ideals. Although wonderful, adventurous, and brave, it can be a bit challenging to use. Kendrick exposes a vast wall of both good and bad truths that he had concealed for almost five years. The lyrical, musically gifted character of the CD makes the wait wholly worthwhile.
He keeps repeating, “I can’t please everybody,” as if it were a mantra to help him deal with his impending failure. It takes forethought since nobody lives a lifetime, and every great artist has their own special moment in the spotlight. It’s not a tagline Kendrick Lamar needs right now, though, given that Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers is an album that, by the time it’s through, nearly blows the listener away.
