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.