Generic list post: December 2022

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when Harry Kane's penalty joined Bobby Shmurda's hat in space. Also the month when Terry Hall's data expired. As the lead vocalist of The Specials and Fun Boy Three, Terry was music's best sardonic curmudgeon of the late 70s/early 80s, and I'm genuinely bummed that we're never gonna get a FB3 reunion tour now.

Gucci Crew II - Why's It Always Got To Run (1988)
Luh Tyler - Law & Order (2022)
Luh Tyler - Back Flippin' (2022)
Kookei - Incredible (2022)
Kookei - Toknight (2022)
Steve Da Stoner ft. Rubberband Bootsy - King (2022)
Jack Harlow - First Class (instrumental with hook) (2022)
Sylvia - Pillow Talk (1973)
SZA - Nobody Gets Me (2022)

Other notables: someone in my comment section recommended me Texas by BigXthaPlug; Lil' Ricefield dropped my fave Christmas song of 2022; Ezale dropped a a new teaser snippet that's got me fiending like it's 2016 again; keep it between me & you, but I'm kinda feelin' a new Stalley song called Dilla Bap.

Further reading: my 2022 best songs list, my 2022 late pass best discoveries list, and my 2022 best TV & movies list. Party Sparty repped for Smut Peddlers' One By One in his top 100 Rap songs of the 1990s list.

Best TV and movies 2022 awards

I'm not Mr. Netflix, I'm not watching Friends reruns on a Firestick. I'm more like Mr. BBC, but SAS Rogue Heroes could not tempt me, and I just do not got the patience to catch-up on HBO shows about cocky Caucasians.

Welcome to the Martorialist 2022 best TV and movie awards post, hosted by ya intrepid correspondent Marrty Bushell AKA Roger Qbert. My favourite soap opera got cancelled this year, but legends never die and it's coming back from the dead like Chief Keef in 2023. The BBC had a couple of major missteps in 2022 by losing the rights to What We Do In The Shadows and for the toadying fortnight it turned into Mournhub after the Queen carked it. Fortunately the BBC also delivered most of the best TV shows of 2022 so its all mashed potatoes, apple sauce and buttery biscuits. To paraphrase Chris Packham, it's what I pay my licence fee for!

Best TV shows of 2022 IMHO:
Neighbours (2022 episodes)
What We Do In The Shadows (season 4)
Ghosts (season 4)
This Is Going To Hurt (season 1)
The Capture (season 2)
The Responder (series 1)
Cunk On Earth (season 1)
Peacock (season 1)
Snowfall (season 5)
The Love Box In Your Living Room
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (series 5)
Frozen Planet II
The Green Planet (season 1)
Only Connect (2022 episodes)
Match Of The Day 1 and 2 (2022 episodes)
The Phenomenon: Ronaldo (documentary)
How To Win The World Cup (documentary)

Honourary late pass shout out goes to the BBC's When Nirvana Came To Britain documentary which completely bypassed me when it first aired in autumn 2021. Basically, it breaks down how and why the U.K adopted Nirvana before they blew up back in the U.S. Granted, there's a few too many talking-head plebs trotting out the usual "it was punk rock" cliches, but as a Nirvana documentary it makes a great prequel to Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!.

I didn't watch a single new Hollywood movie last year and I wish I'd stuck to my gunz in 2022 because White Noise, Nope, and Everything Everywhere All At Once were absolute slogs to sit through at the cinema. Roger Corman's motto as a film producer was to tell directors "no, your movie can't be that long" and the Hollywood studio system could REALLY do with some new Corman type producers nowadays. Red Rocket and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery were the only American movies of 2022 I enjoyed, but both of them could have done with losing 15 minutes or so. Luckily, there were a handful of movies from the U.K and Europe which came through big time in 2022, with The Banshees Of Inisherin actually justifying its 154 minute running time.

Best movies of 2022 IMHO:
Brian & Charles
Boiling Point
The Banshees Of Inisherin
Funny Pages
The Innocents

There were other 2022 movies I wanted to see like Hatching, X, Crimes Of The Future, and Deadstream. Unfortunately they didn't made it to my local cinemas, they're only available on subscription streaming services I don't wanna pay for, and I can't be arsed finding them illegally on dodgy torrent sites. Can it be that it was all so simpler in the days of local video shops?

3650 Days Later

"My flow like 50 Cals, I got like 50 styles"

Young Giftz & TREE - Nino
(From TREE Featuring The City compilation; 2012)


Can't let this year pass without celebrating that 2022 is the 10th anniversary of Nino. How very generous of TREE to give such a great song to a young'n like Giftz. As far as TREE songs go, Nino is number one in my top two, and it's been that way since it dropped too. TREE as the ol' dirty bastard son of Howlin' Wolf and Tammi Terrell, Giftz as the plucky sidekick, moonshine songwriting, champagne chorus - it's the song which best defines TREE's Soul-Trap sound innit?

Great Chicago Rap video moment at 1:11 where the windy city lives up to its nickname and blows Giftz m8's hat right off his head.

Mighty Mike Thai Son

New Ezale snippet video featuring Nump and... Mike Tyson!? Can't wait until he drops this song, probably 3 years from now. Riddle me this, Blapman - how come it's the Bay Area's AZN rappers like Ezale, P-Lo and Seiji Oda who are putting the most fun into Function Music™ nowadays?

I Luh Huh

Luh Tyler - Law & Order
(From YouTube; 2022)


Hat tip to the artist/blogger formerly known as Juiceboxxx for hippin' me to Luh Tyler's Law & Order. That shit is a fine introduction on the lyrical exercise tip, and Tyler's new shit Back Flippin' is even better because it's a proper song of sorts. Killer gas drawl on this kid or wot? File both these shits under 'Yungstar's motormouth zoomer nephew from Tallahasse, Florida.'

Luh Tyler - Back Flippin'
(From YouTube; 2022)


Hopefully Back Flippin' is an indication that Tyler is gonna develop his songwriting in future. Be a pity if the kid ends up being just another trendy glorified freestyle rapper hacking out content for the sake of content.

The obligatory best rap songs of 2022 post

I share like Sonny Bono, black & white colour scheme like a piano, lay posts about the best songs of 2022.

I'm not ready to become a misery guts who only likes five new songs + one unearthed old Godfather Don demo track per annum, but my year end lists are getting shorter as I get older. And that's fine - year end lists are supposed to be a record of your favourite songs, not a résumé of every new song you've listened to four times in the last twelve months. So, while there's other 2022 songs I've enjoyed here and there, it'd be disingenuous of me to call 'em favourites. Enough babble, usual rules apply: one song per artist, no particular order of preference, features a handful of songs which dropped late December 2021, and no Drake ever.

Special shout out goes to Mr. 2-17's Still Spaz'n for being the only instrumental Rap song of 2022 which really doesn't need any rapping. He tried to make a Yeat Type Beat and accidentally created a Jean-Michel Jarre Swag-symphony.

Best Rap songs of 2022 IMHO:
Monaleo - We Not Humping
Mouse On Tha Track - Big Blossom
Level ft. Mouse On Tha Track - I Don't Miss
Homeboy Sandman - Satellite
2Rare - Oochie Coochie
Ezale - Ironic
Eatem - Lil' Phat Flow
Seiji Oda - Wake Up
Hitkidd & GloRilla - FNF (Let's Go)
Slimeroni, Aleza, Gloss Up & K Carbon - Shabooya
Tony Shhnow - Sometimes
Wavy Bagels - Slice
Young Jr - Bird Walk
Deviosy ft. Young Jr - GlockLover
Asian Doll ft. Bandmanrill - Get Jumped
AD - All I Do
Yuno Miles - Road To Riches
Duke Deuce ft. GloRilla - Just Say That
Consequence - Blood Stain
Nef The Pharoah - Old Enough
Young Bleed - Dat' Water
Boosie - Big Unc
P-Lo ft. Larry June - Good
Spitta - Power Ranger
D4M $loan - Swiper
A-Wax - Streets Callin'
Westside Boogie ft. DRAM - Aight
Texas Boyz - Awready
Kenzo B - Bump It
Stunnaman02 ft. Lil' Kayla - Roll Wit It
Phat Baby - Proper Play (FWS)
Marlowe - Past Life
Sha Ek - Too Oppy
Cash Cobain & Chow Lee - Just Blick It
Kendrick Lamar ft. Kodak Black - Silent Hill
Kookei - Incredible
Luh Tyler - Back Flippin'

Best U.K Rap songs of 2022 IMHO:
Benzz - Je M'appelle
Knucks ft. SL - Nice & Smooth
Lady Ice - Up North
Hazey - Packs and Potions

Best Other Genres™ songs of 2021 IMHO:
The Chats - 6L GTR
Paramore - This Is Why
Beabadoobee - The Perfect Pair
Mr. Fingers - Coastline Paradox
Cookiee Kawaii - Fly Away
Kia Bhn - Jersey Anniversary
SZA - Nobody Gets Me
Burna Boy ft. J Hus - Cloak & Dagger
Real Lies - Dream On
Disasterpeace - Dork

On one hand, it's probably too soon to include SZA's Nobody Gets Me since it only dropped this past friday. On the other hand, I've had it on repeat all weekend and it's already become my favourite R&B single of 2022. Never expected to hear a SZA song possessed by the holy ghosts of Mazzy Star's Fade Into You and Natalie Imbruglia's Torn.

Bonus beats: non-2022 songs which became favourites in 2022.

Bonus bonus beats: a round-up post of all the Audiomack playlists I've made in 2022.

The obligatory 2022 late pass list post

Annual list of non-2022 songs which became favourites in 2022. Raise a toast to the year I finally found CDQ MP3s of Heavy Rain by The Jacka and TCK by Y@k Ballz. As ever, the motto is All Ears For All Eras™.

Favourite old Rap songs of 2022:
Reggie Griffin & Technofunk - Mirda Rock (7" edit) (1982)
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - The Reverend (1989)
Stezo ft. Dooley-O - Piece Of The Pie (1990/2004)
C-Funk - OG Schwang (1995/2008)
Playa G - Drink A Yak (12" version) (1996)
Whodini ft. Peter Gunz & Lord Tariq - Can't Get Enough (1998)
Prodigy - White Lines (1999)
Problem Child - When She Hears This Tape (1999)
Edan - Dope Rhymes For Sure (2001)
6 Shot - Jockamo (2001)
Big Scoob - U Got It (2002)
Timbaland & Magoo ft. Attitude - Leavin' (2003)
Yung Joc - A Couple Grand (2006)
Mac Dre & Zion I - Roll On Out (2007)
Pastor Troy - Just Me (2007)
Traxamillion - Spaceship (2008)
Homeboy Sandman - The Carpenter (2010)
Jamie Jupitor - Future Computer (2016)
Lil' Ricefield ft. Seiji Oda - Trapanese (2019)
Seiji Oda - Like This (2020)
Stunnaman02 - Gut Check (2020)
Eatem - Cup Of Tea (2021)
Yuno Miles - Find My Legs (2021)
Bruiser Wolf ft. Apropos - Momma Was A Dopefiend (2021)
YRB NY - Replace Me (2021)

Alas, ya host didn't come across too many old non-Rap songs which became new favourites this year. Searching for music has never been easier, but finding songs you love remains the hard part. Oh well, plz believe I've had a blast soundtracking my daily operations with these songs.

Favourite old Other Genres™ songs of 2022:
The Jynx - How (1964)
Martin Slavin - Space Adventures Part 2 (1966)
Blondie - Shayla (1979)
George Clinton - Man's Best Friend (instrumental) (1983)
Yuma Nakamura - Dang Dang (1989)
Endangered Species - Endangered Species (1991)
Ashaye - Dreaming (Jungle mix) (1994)
The Chats - Bus Money (2017)
Ari Lennox - Pressure (2021)

Kookei Crank Thatii

"If it ain't about no money I don't see it in my schedule
Turn his brains into Chicken Noodle Soup, that n*gga dead, he ain't a vegetable"

Kookei - Incredible
(From Mr. Incredible album; 2022)


A cheat code song for those of us who've been hankering after some 2022 steel-drum Rap. No offence to the Michigan fanboys but Incredible is what I wish Veeze's music sounded like. File this shit alongside Phat Baby's Proper Play (FWS) in the 2022 canon of 'good bad-energy Rap songs which make me feel like I need to restore my moralbiotic balance afterwards.'

Incredible was all good just a week ago, and now Toknight is my jam too. Relentless Kool G. Rap type multis and an opera sample which elevates this one above the deluge of boring interchangeable 2022 Michigan Rap.

"Police askin' questions, I don't know, I popped a bar that night
I can't live with no bitch that like to fart at night"

Kookei - Toknight
(From Mr. Incredible album; 2022)

My Mind Spray 5.5

Just listened to Rio Da Yung OG's Speak Da Truth and was reminded that he has a tendency to ruin perfectly good songs with one awful line about sex. It's time to acknowledge that Rio's sex rhymes are as nauseating as J. Cole's sex rhymes.

People always talk about Craig Mack jinxing himself when he said "you won't be around next year" on the Flava In Ya Ear remix. But real #MackHive headz know that he'd been jinxing himself ever since he first debuted as MC EZ in 1988 with the "yo, lemme make another hype single and then I'ma tear it up on the album" line from Just Rhymin'.

Every Bay Area Rap fan has a specific track they most associate with DJ Fresh's production tag. Mine isn't the first song I heard with Fresh's tag or even my favourite Fresh production ever. For some reason it's Keak Da Sneak's Maxi Pads.

People say you can separate the art from the artist and still appreciate KanYe Pest's music. I say KanYe Pest is the only producer in Rap history who has ever made a Slick Rick sample sound unlistenable.

Haven't encountered anyone IRL or URL talking about Ka's 2 latest albums, so I presume everybody's grown politely tired of his no-bap sound? More cowbell or go home.

I don't even like Jack, but I fux with that beat right there

Jack Harlow - First Class (instrumental with hook)
(From YouTube; 2022)


On one hand, I wish Max B would go jackin' for Jack Harlow's First Class beat because it really is some grown and gorgeous shit. On the other hand, I'm happier than a pig in the proverbial with this instrumental because that beat could be some Mr. Fingers shit. Music that's as evocative as a coastline streaky bacon sunset. Life's a beach and then you fly, pelican, fly.

Run-D Jewels

Vincent Gallo's third greatest contribution to popular culture after Buffalo '66 and Palookaville: introducing Run-D.M.C's live performance of Sucker M.C's on Michael Holman's 1984 TV show Graffiti Rock. Davy DMX famously "cut the record down to the bone" and Run-D.M.C & Jam Master Jay followed suit by cutting a live performance every bit as sharp as the record itself. Sucker M.C's is one of those iconic 10/10 classic 80s Rap songs which doesn't have a video, so this clip is the next best thing innit?

A game-changing song for sure, but its impact is much misunderstood by lazy 'Hip-Hop historians' who like a neatly-packaged narrative. I've harped on about this before, but you can't tell the story of pre-golden era 1980's rap by using simple generational shifts and grand Slay Thy Father gestures. Far from wiping Rap's O.G generation out of existence, Sucker M.C's inspired Spoonie Gee, Love Bug Starski and The Fearless Four to hit up Davy DMX & Larry Smith for some Oberheim DMX drum pattern production on their respective comeback singles, and provoked The Furious Five, Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde and The Cold Crush Brothers into recording their greatest songs as groups.