Ahhhh c’mon now! This joint is just too dope! You have two stellar wordsmiths and emcees in El Gant and Ras Kass dropping literal ‘art pieces’ in the form of sixteens for the masses over some thunderous production from Martello Sousa. This is an instant Top 50 track for the year with this combination…but do you want some unfortunate news? We have to wait until October 14th to get Gant’s new album, Gantatello. How can we be that patient after this joint!?
Single You Out: El Gant x Shyste – Necessity (ft. Ill Bill)
El Gant and Shyste are connecting for a new project that’s dropping on Tuesday, called Schemes. And here we have the lead single featuring Ill Bill, Necessity. Jack Of All Trades produces an uptempo banger that the emcees absolutely destroy. I love the work Gant and Shyste have put out independently over the years, and super excited to hear this eight track project with them together!
Single You Out: J57 – Jamo Jamo (ft. Ras Kass x El Gant x DeeJay Element)
I love me some Jamo Gang. And J57 brings the the trinity back together as Ras Kass and El Gant join him for the track Jamo Jamo off of his forthcoming EP San Gennaro which drops on March 31st. So in just a few days.
The track is dark and draws you into the intricate wordplay of the three emcees with the finishing touches provided by Deejay Element on the cuts.
50 Best Songs Of 2022
Lists of this magnitude are tough to do and I take a great deal of pride in crafting. I think the first ten to fifteen are easy to distinguish and then after, I think the places can be somewhat become interchangeable. All great tracks, where the pecking order becomes less discernible. So many artists could have been included multiple times on this list, but then we lose depth. Artists like Mickey Diamond and Jay Royale could have had multiple entries. As it stands only one emcee, Ransom, got two tracks selected for this list.
In the end, this is a testament to the strength of hip hop in 2022. We can agree to disagree on many points but maybe you will find something dope you hadn’t heard or a new artist to support. This is my hope.
Thanks for your time and readership!
-Stef aka thathiphopguy
| Song | Artist | Notes |
| #1 – Done | M-Dot & Apollo Brown | This is the track that sets the tone for the entire year and this is what M-Dot and Apollo Brown typify: Hard work and talent! |
| #2 – Unruly | Vandal & Nottz | A song that gets caught in the head and does not let go. It is a personal anthem. |
| #3 – Power Nap | Nicholas Craven & Boldy James | Boldy and Craven is a beautiful union and nobody makes me crave a little rest like this cut. Beautiful music. |
| #4 – A Most Dreadful Symphony | Ransom & V Don | This song’s whole vibe gives me chills. |
| #5 – Chain Gretzky | Mickey Diamond & Big Ghost | No song went harder than this in 2022. |
| #6 – War I Bring | Sherm LaRock & Midaz | No song went harder than this in 2022…except above |
| #7 – Area 57 (ft. Skyzoo) | J57 | Dope rhymes. Fluid flows. A Change Up. Perfect. |
| #8 – Qtna | Defcee & Boathouse | From the best album of 2022, you would expect a Top 10 song. |
| #9 – Highly Favored (ft. Bub Styles & Mickey Diamond) | Ty Farris & Slim One | It’s raw hip hop with a fantastic producer and three consummate emcees. |
| #10 – Linchpins (ft. Prince Po) | Guilty Simpson | The strings are glorious and the rhymes abound. |
| #11 – Everywhere I Go (ft. Muja Messiah, Guilty Simpson, and Copywrite) | Dub Sonata | The connections and cohesion on this joint are unparalleled. So clever! |
| #12 – Paint Pictures (J.Rocc Remix) | XP The Marxman | Hip-Hop holds true to it’s purest form on this joint. |
| #13 – The Most Exalted | IAMGAWD | Pen game is strong with this one. Glorious. |
| #14 – 3x | Madhattan & NV | Pied Piper type smooth. Follow the flute and dope flow. |
| #15 – Sal’s Pizza | 38 Spesh & Harry Fraud | Spesh and Fraud are an elite combination, and you can hear it here. |
| #16 – Why Bitch | Starvin B & DustyVibes | Starvin B is a regular on these lists and this year is no different. |
| #17 – No Time To Waste (ft. Jadakiss) | Apathy & Stu Bangas | If you love sick lyricism this is the joint for you. |
| #18 – Cancel Myself | Ren Thomas & Brutal Caesar | You make a mockery of hip hop so Thomas and Caesar make a mockery of you. |
| #19 – Immortals (ft. Casual) | Lunar Heights | Great track and the Casual cameo is spot on. |
| #20 – Keeper Of The Flame | Mooch & Oh Jay | Smooth track and crisp flow. |
| #21 – Gunsmithz (ft. Phat Kat, Asun Eastwood, Recognize Ali) | Ol’ Man 80zzz | Another track in 2022 that knocks harder than most. |
| #22 – Stuck In Our Ways (ft. Rigz, MAV, Mooch) | Real Bad Man | It’s Da Cloth!!! Flames! |
| #23 – Carlito & Kleinfeld | Jay Royale & Kool G Rap | It’s that certified street shit featuring a legend with one of today’s strongest. |
| #24 – Bone Tomahawk | Spit Gemz | This is an intro to Gemz project and packs a lot of heat in a minute’s time. |
| #25 – Fire Slingers (ft. Snak The Ripper) | N.B.S. | Yeah. This track stays true to the namesake. They are spitting flames on here. |
| #26 – Scud Missle | Planet Asia & Snowgoons | Legends unite to give you this heat rock. These guys are at the pinnacle of their craft. |
| #27 – Roar Of The Lions | El Gant | Another track that just “feels” like hip hop. It gets you hype to be a fan. |
| #28 – Slay | Johaz & Nottz | Nottz does it again this time taking you to church with Johaz. |
| #29 – Dis Could Be Bad | MAV | It could be bad, but MAV is oh so good. |
| #30 – Raekwon’s Table | Ullnevano & God Sense Beats | Not all are worthy to sit at Raekwon’s Table. But these artists show and prove. |
| #31 – Lo Pan | Teek Hall | Teek Hall is name you should know and when this song gets caught in your head, you’ll remember. |
| #32 – Hans Gruber (ft. Lil Fame) | Wais P & Pete Twist | Bruce Willis may not approve but the hip hop community agrees this is a banger. |
| #33 – Diamond Backs (ft. Daniel Son) | Maze Overlay | Northside and AZ link up over some Farma heat. |
| #34 – Compromised | Ransom | Ransom is too talented to not make this list twice. |
| #35 – Guerrero (ft. Westside Gunn) | Benny the Butcher | The power and talent of Griselda is undeniable. This joint feels like it was actually made in a lab. |
| #36 – Triple Threat (ft. RIM & Frankky Smaccz) | Eddie Kaine | Flamethrower bars over some production from the talented Hobgoblin. |
| #37 – Both Sides | The Tangiers | Every time this cut comes on, my head nods instantly. Drops heavy. |
| #38 – One Bridge (ft. Fashawn & K-Prez) | Snowgoons | The organ that drives this track is the perfect set up. And the emcees give such great energy! |
| #39 – Bars After Bars | Fatt Father & DJ Jewels Baby | The Wu-Tang flip is insane and the bars and flow speak for themselves. |
| #40 – Museum Piece (ft. Torae) | Napoleon Da Legend & Just Music Beats | This song has the necessary hype and talent equivalent to make the list. Lyricism for days. |
| #41 – Hamster Wheel | Locksmith | One of the most authentic artists in hip hop delivers a virtuoso performance. |
| #42 – Tyrant | Shabaam Sahdeeq & John Jigg$ | Two of my favorites link up for some lyrical gold here. |
| #43 – Dudesovadere (ft. Dro Pesci) | Mic Handz | This project is full of bangers and needs to be heard. This is just one of those harbody tracks. |
| #44 – Too Convinced | Nelson Dialect & BigBob | This joint is just so melodic. It honestly should be higher on this list but what’s done is done. Incredible track. |
| #45 – Queens Gambit | Shaz Illyork & Buon Anni | So good to hear Illyork over these banging beats from Buon Anni. |
| #46 – Big Coffins (ft. Mickey Diamond and Pro Dillinger) | Snotty | It’s The Umbrella posse cut that bodies the competition. |
| #47 – Bill and Fame (ft. Tone Spliff) | The Bad Seed | A tribute of sorts to M.O.P. and no one is more set to do it properly than Seed! |
| #48 – Riot | Daniel Son x Futurewave x 36 Cypher | Yes. This joint could easily cause a riot. Everything is intense on this cut. |
| #49 – It’s Like That (ft. DJ Grazzhoppa) | Supreme Cerebral | Supreme Cerebral slays tracks and he takes this rock infused beat and wreaks havoc. |
| #50 – Gawds Wrath Massacre (ft. Don Streat x Rico Blox x J Fliz x Jae Hussle x Street Da Villain) | Slik Jack & Kng Bondalero) | I needed to set off the list with this ill posse cut because this beat by Bondalero is an anthem. |
El Gant – Roar the Lions (Video)
El Gant’s new project, O.S.L.O., drops on this coming Friday and has all the trappings of being a tremendous listen. You have razor sharp lyricism and complete control of his bars. He is able to change cadences and pace effortlessly, all the while launching salvo after salvo of dopeness. It’s on full display here on Roar the Lions, in which producer Motif Alumni takes you to church and DJ Grazzhoppa chops up a new religion!
I’m a one man fight song….
And that sounds about right!
Single You Out: El Gant – Pageants (ft. Ras Kass) (prod. by Marco Polo)
New single out from lyrical powerhouse, El Gant, called Pageants. The cut features other acclaimed talent in the legendary Ras Kass and Marco Polo on the boards. There is a lot of weight on this track so to speak.
The production endeavers to be a little soulful as the emcees forsake the “pageantry” of today’s game for the roots of that made them want to be artists and emcees in the first place.
This single will be found on the upcoming El Gant album, O.S.L.O., which will be out in September!
Single You Out: Jamo Gang – Belushi & Akroyd
Holy shit! This is super dope! I am highly anticipating this album from Jamo Gang, Walk With Lions, even more so now! The combination of El Gant, Ras Kass, and J57 seems like an unstoppable force and you and this cut is a prime example. This track defines ferocity. J57 puts together a head nodder that infuses a rock rhythm into some boom bap and Gant and Ras Kass put on a verbal demolition for all of us to hear.
Album drops on April 10th!
2018: Best EPs
So here is a list of my favorite EPs from 2018. I easily could have extended this list to 25 projects and been really comfortable about that. However, I really wanted to showcase what I consider to be the best projects in a year where there was so much greatness to consider. In the end, there were no votes, judges, or etcetera. This was simply a matter of personal preference. I hope you enjoy these projects as much as I did.
Weekly Recommendation: Astro Vandalist – Astroduction (2018)
Artist: Astro Vandalist
Album: Astroduction
Tracklisting:
1. DV alias Khryst – Astroduction
2. D-Strong – The reaper
3. Declaime feat Georgia Muldrow – Helicopters
4. Rasco – Live & learn
5. Blaq Poet feat Born Unique – In the danger zone
6. Ruste Juxx – Viking verses
7. Dro Pesci – Keep it street
8. Sadat X feat Nine – Nomical
9. Dirt Platoon – Bellyache
10. Born Unique – Dirt naps
11. El Gant feat Shabaam Shadeeq – Vandetta
12. FT feat Godsunz – Astro beast
13. Akbar – Off the grid (OTG)
14. Beneficence – Up in ya era
15. El Da Sensei – Bars & boastin’
16. John Robinson – Music never ends
17. Maylay Sparks feat DJ Too Tuff – Tally up
Notes:
I am going to start featuring one album from the previous week every Monday because there is so much good music that I believe is going unheard. And this album from French producer, Astro Vandalist, is something that you guys need to be made aware of. It’s 17 tracks of unadulterated and potent hip hop. The beats really hit hard and you can see by this lineup of emcees that there are some heavy hitters on here.
Check out and cop the whole thing as it is worth every penny, but here are my favorite tracks if you want a sampling!
Jamo Gang – Go Away (Video)
Are Jamo Gang (Ras Kass x El Gant x J57) responsible for the best EP of 2018? I am going to say yes. These guys are monsters in their profession. Their self-titled EP is nothing but bangers and this track is just a piece of the pie. Plus you get visuals from Skrewtape. This is a win for hip hop fans of all ilks.
Hip Hop Dependency 