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2022 Year In Review – Music Edition

February 21, 2023

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Top 10 Albums of 2022 (in alphabetical order)

1. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (Rap)
2. JID – The Forever Story (Rap)
3. Saba – Few Good Things (Rap)
4. Conway the Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes (Rap)
5. Black Thought & Danger Mouse – Cheat Codes (Rap)
6. Don Michael Jr – This is not music (Rap)
7. Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry (Rap)
8. Nas – King’s Disease III (Rap)
9. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future (Rap)
10. SZA – SOS (R&B / Pop / Soul)

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

38 Spesh – Beyond Belief (Rap)
Big K.R.I.T. – Digital Roses Don’t Die (Rap)
Cal Scruby – CASINO (Rap)
Che Noir – Food For Thought (Rap)
Cormega – The Realness II (Rap)
Freddie Gibbs – $oul $old $eparately (Rap)
Joey Bada$$ – 2000 (Rap)
Little Simz – NO THANK YOU (Rap)
Lupe Fiasco – Drill Music in Zion (Rap)
Metro Boomin – HEROES & VILLAINS (Rap)
Ransom – No Rest For The Wicked (Rap)
Vince Staples – RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART (Rap)
Taylor Swift – Midnights (3am Edition) (Pop)
Toby Ganger – Free Machine (Rap / Pop)
The Weeknd – Dawn FM (Pop)
Westside Boogie – MORE BLACK SUPERHEROES (Rap)

Top 25 Most Played Albums of 2022

  1. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
  2. Saba – Few Good Things
  3. JID – The Forever Story
  4. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future
  5. Big K.R.I.T. – Digital Roses Don’t Die
  6. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
  7. Taylor Swift – Midnights (3am Edition)
  8. Vince Staples – RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART
  9. SZA – SOS
  10. EARTHGANG – GHETTO GODS
  11. Westside Boogie – MORE BLACK SUPERHEROES
  12. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
  13. Nas – King’s Disease III
  14. Sir – Chasing Summer
  15. Che Noir – Food For Thought
  16. Joey Bada$$ – 2000
  17. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
  18. Don Michael Jr – This is not music.
  19. Benny the Butcher – Tana Talk 4
  20. Conway the Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes
  21. FKA twigs – CAPRISONGS
  22. Cordae – From a Birds Eye View
  23. Ransom – No Rest For The Wicked
  24. Logic – Vinyl Days
  25. Future – I NEVER LIKED YOU

The 50 Most Played Artists of 2022

  1. Kendrick Lamar
  2. Mariah Carey
  3. Nas
  4. Kanye West
  5. Che Noir
  6. Saba
  7. Denzel Curry
  8. The Weeknd
  9. JID
  10. Big K.R.I.T.
  11. Conway the Machine
  12. Ransom
  13. Taylor Swift
  14. SZA
  15. Vince Staples
  16. The Roots
  17. Sir
  18. Westside Boogie
  19. EARTHGANG
  20. Joey Bada$$
  21. Lil Wayne
  22. Little Simz
  23. Benny the Butcher
  24. Cordae
  25. Don Michael Jr
  26. Dvsn
  27. James Blake
  28. Pusha T
  29. FKA twigs
  30. Adele
  31. Frank Ocean
  32. Logic
  33. Ludacris
  34. Brent Faiyaz
  35. Future
  36. Eminem
  37. Black Thought
  38. Marian Hill
  39. 38 Spesh
  40. Westside Gunn
  41. Elzhi
  42. KXNG Crooked & Joel Ortiz
  43. Musiq Soulchild
  44. Boldy James
  45. Cormega
  46. Rome Streetz
  47. Russ
  48. Freddie Gibbs
  49. Frankie Cosmos
  50. Lupe Fiasco

Top 50 Most Played Artists of All-Time (since like late summer 2020) [last year’s ranking in brackets]

  1. Nas [3]
  2. Kendrick Lamar [44]
  3. Kanye West [7]
  4. Benny the Bucher [2]
  5. Eminem [1]
  6. Mariah Carey [unranked]
  7. Conway the Machine [5]
  8. Black Thought / The Roots [12]
  9. JID / Spillage Village [unranked]
  10. Che Noir [14]
  11. J. Cole [4]
  12. Lil Wayne [6]
  13. Earthgang / Spillage Village [27]
  14. The Weeknd [42]
  15. Big K.R.I.T. [36]
  16. Mc Eiht [8]
  17. Ransom [32]
  18. Boldy James [15]
  19. Westside Gunn [18]
  20. Vince Staples [40]
  21. Toby Ganger [17]
  22. 38 Spesh [26]
  23. Scarface [9]
  24. SZA [unranked]
  25. Outkast / Big Boi [22]
  26. Isaiah Rashad [10]
  27. Denzel Curry [unranked]
  28. Saba [unranked]
  29. DMX [11]
  30. Drake [43]
  31. Elzhi [38]
  32. Taylor Swift [unranked]
  33. Logic [unranked]
  34. Sa-Roc [13]
  35. Lana Del Rey [16]
  36. Kool G Rap [20]
  37. Little Simz [unranked]
  38. Adele [unranked]
  39. Amine [21]
  40. Freddie Gibbs [49]
  41. Dave [19]
  42. Cordae [unranked]
  43. Westside Boogie [unranked]
  44. Mac Miller [28]
  45. Jadakiss / The Lox [23]
  46. Jessie Ware [37]
  47. MF Doom [25]
  48. Dua Lipa [24]
  49. Future [unranked]
  50. Joey Bada$$ [unranked]

Dropped Out: Dueling Experts / Recognize Ali [29], Ty Dolla $ign [30], The Notorious B.I.G. [31], Tyrone’s Jacket [33], KOTA the Friend [34], Berner [35], Busta Rhymes [39], Kid Cudi [41], Pop Smoke [45], Blu [46], Flip Huston [47], Mach-Hommy [48], and Brother Ali [50]

Bangerz Playlist Additions – Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020 Bangers Playlist
2021 Bangers Playlist





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September 2022 – Music Edition

October 9, 2022

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

JID – The Forever Story

Top 20 Most Played Albums of August 2022 (bold indicates new album in August)

  1. JID – The Forever Story (2022)
  2. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021)
  3. Toby Ganger – Free Machine (Unreleased)
  4. Meechy Darko – Gothic Luxury (2022)
  5. Black Thought – Cheat Codes (2022)
  6. Ari Lennox – age/sex/location (2022)
  7. GZA – Liquid Swords (1995)
  8. Westside Boogie – More Black Superheroes (2022)
  9. Joey Bada$$ – 2000 (2022)
  10. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022)
  11. Roc Marciano – The Elephant Man’s Bones (2022)
  12. Fleetwood Mac – Tusk (1979)
  13. Grynch – Born in ‘86 (2022)
  14. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977)
  15. Sade – The Ultimate Collection (2011)
  16. Nas – Magic (2021)
  17. 38 Spesh – 7 Shots (2022)
  18. DJ Khaled – GOD DID (2022)
  19. Freddie Gibbs – $oul $old $eparately (2022)
  20. OutKast – Aquemini (1998)

Comments: JID dropped an album of the year contender in August – easily one of the most enjoyable albums of 2022. In light of a weak new release schedule in September, I’m going to keep it as my album of the month. I spent a lot more time with Little Simz’ album from last year. When 2021 closed, I marked it as one of my honorable mentions, but now I’d put it squarely in my top 5 of 2021. It’s an amazing album. I spent some time with some older albums, most notably with Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. I should probably do more easy listening when I’m playing poker. Rap music tends to steal my focus more than other genres do. Ari Lennox and 38 Spesh were the only notable artists I listen to that dropped new music last month and honestly both of those projects underwhelmed me. Freddie Gibbs dropped on the last day of the month, so I didn’t get to listen to much of it before typing this list out.

Finally, I added a page for 2022 Albums that I’ve ranked in my rating system and have a pretty good feel for, so check that out.

The 25 Most Played Artists of 2022

  1. Kendrick Lamar
  2. Mariah Carey
  3. Kanye West
  4. Black Thought / The Roots
  5. Saba
  6. The Weeknd
  7. Big K.R.I.T.
  8. Che Noir
  9. Conway the Machine
  10. Denzel Curry
  11. Vince Staples
  12. Sir
  13. EARTHGANG
  14. Lil Wayne
  15. Benny The Butcher
  16. Nas
  17. Ransom
  18. Don Michael Jr
  19. Cordae
  20. Little Simz
  21. JID
  22. James Blake
  23. Pusha T
  24. Adele
  25. Frank Ocean

Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020s Bangers Playlist
September 2022 Additions:

Logic (feat. Russ), “Therapy Music”
Meechy Darko (feat. Denzel Curry & Busta Rhymes), “Lost Souls”
WESTSIDE BOOGIE (feat. Smino & Teezo Touchdown), “CAN’T GET OVER YOU”





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May – July 2022 – Music Edition

August 2, 2022

ALBUM OF THE PERIOD

Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Top 40 Most Played Albums of May/June/July 2022 (bold indicates new album in May or June or July)

  1. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers (2022)
  2. Ransom – No Rest For The Wicked (2022)
  3. Future – I Never Liked You (2022)
  4. Big K.R.I.T. – Digital Roses Don’t Die (2022)
  5. Apollo Brown – This Must Be The Place (2022)
  6. Westside Boogie – More Black Superheroes (2022)
  7. Logic – Vinyl Days (2022)
  8. D’Angelo – Brown Sugar (1995)
  9. Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry (2022)
  10. Marian Hill – why can’t we just pretend? (2022)
  11. Don Michael Jr. – This Is Not Music. (2022)
  12. Vince Staples – Ramona Park Broke My Heart (2022)
  13. Benny the Butcher – Tana Talk 4 (2022)
  14. Brent Faiyaz – Wasteland (2022)
  15. Lupe Fiasco – DRILL MUSIC IN ZION (2022)
  16. The Weeknd – Dawn FM (2022)
  17. EARTHGANG – Ghetto Gods (2022)
  18. Harry Styles – Harry’s House (2022)
  19. Saba – Few Good Things (2022)
  20. Russ – CHOMP 2 (2021)
  21. Elzhi – Zhigeist (2022)
  22. IDK – Simple. (2022)
  23. Conway the Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes (2022)
  24. Grynch – Anthology (2022)
  25. Big Boi & Sleepy Brown – Big Sleepover (2022)
  26. Buddy – Superghetto (2022)
  27. Cordae – From a Birds Eye View (2022)
  28. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future (2022)
  29. Joey Badass – 2000 (2022)
  30. Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache (2022)

Comments: Been a while since I’ve done a music update. I didn’t listen to a ton of music while I was in Vegas for the World Series of Poker and I’ve listened to almost no older music in the past three months. It’s worth noting that I listened to Kendrick’s new album more than three times as much as Ransom’s album over this time period – that’s how far in first place Kendrick is. He’s just a different breed and my fandom for his music is really levels above any other artist. I think a lot of people were initially let down by Mr. Morale after having to wait for five years, but I think it’s nothing short of sensational and it has grown on me a ton since those first few listens. If you just gave it a couple spins and set it aside, you made a mistake. As for other new albums, Westside Boogie is just a great songwriter. He doesn’t really wow me in any way but he consistently makes songs that I like a lot. Lupe dropped another good album and continues to show that lyrically and vocally he’s just on a different level than 99% of rappers. Joey Badass also returned after a long absence and dropped another very good album that I’m still settling into.

Finally, I added a page for 2022 Albums that I’ve ranked in my rating system and have a pretty good feel for, so check that out.

The 30 Most Played Artists of 2022

  1. Mariah Carey
  2. Kendrick Lamar
  3. Kanye West
  4. Saba
  5. The Weeknd
  6. Che Noir
  7. Big K.R.I.T.
  8. Denzel Curry
  9. Sir
  10. The Roots
  11. Lil Wayne
  12. Conway the Machine
  13. Benny the Butcher
  14. EARTHGANG
  15. Vince Staples
  16. Nas
  17. James Blake
  18. FKA twigs
  19. Frank Ocean
  20. Ransom
  21. Adele
  22. Cordae
  23. Don Michael Jr
  24. Ludacris
  25. Pusha T
  26. Musiq Soulchild
  27. Future
  28. Marian Hill
  29. Elzhi
  30. Russ

Top 25 Most Played Songs of 2022

  1. Sir, “John Redcorn”
  2. Frank Ocean, “Thinkin Bout You”
  3. FKA twigs (feat. Daniel Caesar), “careless”
  4. Adele, “Easy on Me”
  5. Denzel Curry, “The Last”
  6. Kanye West (feat. Young Jeezy), “Amazing”
  7. Jacob Latimore, “Love Drug”
  8. Musiq Soulchild, “Future”
  9. dvsn, “Claim”
  10. Frankie Cosmos, “Fool”
  11. Kendrick Lamar (feat. Blxst & Amanda Reifer), “Die Hard”
  12. Future, “LOVE YOU BETTER”
  13. KXNG Crooked & Joell Ortiz, “Look Mama”
  14. Kendrick Lamar, “Rich Spirit”
  15. Emeli Sande, “Honest”
  16. Benny the Butcher (feat. J. Cole), “Johnny P’s Caddy”
  17. Pusha T, “Diet Coke”
  18. RZA, “Kaiju”
  19. Saba (feat. Pivot Gang), “Soldier”
  20. Nas, “40-16 Building”
  21. Saba (feat. Benjamin Earl Turner), “If I Had A Dollar”
  22. The Roots, “How I Got Over”
  23. Kendrick Lamar (feat. Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah), “Purple Hearts”
  24. Kendrick Lamar (feat. Sampha), “Father Time”
  25. Spillage Village (feat. Jurdan Bryant), “Oshun”
  26. Saba, “Stop That”

Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020s Bangers Playlist
May/June 2022 Additions:

Big K.R.I.T., “It’s Over Now”
Big K.R.I.T., “Wet Lashes & Shot Glasses”
Future, “LOVE YOU BETTER”
Kendrick Lamar (feat. Blxst), “Die Hard”
Kendrick Lamar (feat. Sampha), “Father Time”
Kendrick Lamar, “Mother I Sober”
Kendrick Lamar, “Rich Spirit”
Pusha T, “Diet Coke”
Pusha T (feat. Kanye West), “Dreamin Of The Past”
Ransom, “Compromised”
Ransom (feat. 38 Spesh), “Rituals”
Russ, “Never Again”

Comments: Mariah dominated my listening in April and I’m still getting used to the newer hip-hop releases.





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April 2022 – Music Edition

May 3, 2022

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry

Top 25 Most Played Albums of April 2022 (* indicates new album in April)

  1. *Vince Staples – Ramona Park Broke My Heart
  2. Mariah Carey – Daydream (1995)
  3. Mariah Carey – Music Box (1993)
  4. Big K.R.I.T. – Digital Roses Don’t Die
  5. Don Michael Jr. – This Is Not Music.
  6. *Marian Hill – why can’t we just pretend?
  7. Mariah Carey – Charmbracelet (2002)
  8. Mariah Carey – Butterfly (1997)
  9. *Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry
  10. Saba – Few Good Things
  11. Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey (1990)
  12. Mariah Carey – Rainbow (1999)
  13. EARTHGANG – Ghetto Gods
  14. J. Cole – Friday Night Lights (2010)
  15. Mariah Carey – The Emancipation of Mimi (2004)
  16. The 1975 – I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it (2016)
  17. Placebo – Never Let Me Go
  18. The Weeknd – Dawn FM
  19. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future
  20. Mariah Carey – Glitter (2001)
  21. Benny the Butcher – Tana Talk 4
  22. Emeli Sande – Real Life (2019)
  23. Conway the Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes
  24. Cordae – From a Birds Eye View
  25. *Fivio Foreign – B.I.B.L.E.

Comments: Uhm. Confession: I met someone and she loves Mariah Carey so here I am listening to her whole discography and guess what? I really like it. It’s not like I was unaware of Mariah or unfamiliar with her biggest hits, but I’ve never dug through any of her albums before. She was (maybe still is?) legit. Her first five albums are all really good with basically zero misses. I’ve been less enamored with her post-Butterfly projects as her sound feels more and more top 100 poppy to me. I prefer Mariah when she’s singing singing. But still, some of the later projects are still growing on me. I’m a hip-hop guy but I appreciate good music from any genre and I been sleeping on Mariah. She’s fire. Plus, connecting with someone musically is a vibe. I like tapping into what she listens to and seeing if I like it also, even though it may not be something I’d listen to on my own (see also: The 1975). As far as new hip-hop releases, the two big ones were new albums from Vince Staples and Pusha T – and I really liked both of them. Fivio Foreign had some sick guest verses over the last year and I was intrigued by what his album would be like, but I listened to it once through and don’t plan to give it another full listen. I also feel like it’s worth noting that the Conway, Cordae, and Big K.R.I.T. albums have grown on me. Lastly, I’m on my 4th listen to the new Marian Hill album and it’s gotten better every time. 🔥

One last and very important note: THE KING IS BACK. Kendrick Lamar drops high long awaited and mega anticipated album Mr. Morale and the Big Steppas (wut) on May 13th at 9 PM PST. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND SET YOUR ALARMS AND SIT DOWN. BE HUMBLE.

The 25 Most Played Artists of 2022

  1. Mariah Carey
  2. Kanye West
  3. Saba
  4. The Weeknd
  5. Che Noir
  6. The Roots
  7. Lil Wayne
  8. Sir
  9. Denzel Curry
  10. James Blake
  11. Frank Ocean
  12. Adele
  13. Ludacris
  14. Nas
  15. FKA twigs
  16. Musiq Soulchild
  17. Big K.R.I.T.
  18. Conway the Machine
  19. Cordae
  20. EARTHGANG
  21. Benny the Butcher
  22. Vince Staples
  23. Frankie Cosmos
  24. Don Michael Jr.
  25. J Dilla

Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020s Bangers Playlist
April 2022 Additions:

Big K.R.I.T., “Show U Right”
Don Michael Jr., “Championship Rings.”
Don Michael Jr., “New Energy.”
EARTHGANG, “ALL EYES ON ME”
Little Simz, “Protect My Energy”
Russ, “Get It” (feat. Cyhi the Prynce & Lloyd Banks)
Vince Staples, “WHEN SPARKS FLY”

Comments: Mariah dominated my listening in April and I’m still getting used to the newer hip-hop releases.





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March 2022 – Music Edition

April 7, 2022

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future

Top 25 Most Played Albums of March 2022 (* indicates new album in March)

  1. Sir – Chasing Summer (2019)
  2. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak (2008)
  3. Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE (2012)
  4. *Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future
  5. Musiq Soulchild – Juslisen (2002)
  6. James Blake – Friends That Break Your Heart
  7. Frankie Cosmos – Next Thing (2016)
  8. Adele – 30
  9. FKA twigs – CAPRISONGS
  10. *KXNG Crooked & Joell Ortiz – Rise & Fall of Slaughterhouse
  11. Jacob Latimore – C3 (2020)
  12. *Benny the Butcher – Tana Talk 4
  13. EARTHGANG – Ghetto Gods
  14. Conway the Machine – God Don’t Make Mistakes
  15. dvsn – Morning After (2017)
  16. Spillage Village – Spilligion (2020)
  17. *RZA – Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater
  18. Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure? (2020)
  19. *Onyx – 1993
  20. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (2017)
  21. Brother Ali – The Undisputed Truth (2007)
  22. Don Michael Jr. – This Is Not Music.
  23. 6LACK – East Atlanta Love Letter (2018)
  24. Baby B – Text at 2 AM
  25. The Weeknd – Dawn FM

Comments: I haven’t been public about this at all, but I feel like the cat is out of the bag now: I am no longer married. I feel like the huge life change is reflected in the kind of music I wanted to listen to last month because I was definitely in my feelings – mourning the end of an important long term relationship but also excited about what the future holds. Needless to say, new music was put on the back burner in March. I was way too distracted for all that. Denzel Curry’s new album was the only new project I gave a good listen to and it was pretty good. I was super excited for Benny the Butcher’s Tana Talk 4 but if I’m being honest, it hasn’t really grabbed me. Maybe I finally have Benny fatigue? The track with J. Cole is possibly the best song of 2022 though. I’ve been using Last.FM to track my music stats for almost two years now and the most I’d ever listened to a single song was about 30 times. Last month alone, there were nine songs I listened to over 30 times! Like I said, in my feelings.

The 25 Most Played Artists of 2022

  1. Kanye West
  2. Saba
  3. The Roots
  4. Che Noir
  5. Lil Wayne
  6. Sir
  7. James Blake
  8. Frank Ocean
  9. Ludacris
  10. The Weeknd
  11. Adele
  12. Denzel Curry
  13. Musiq Soulchild
  14. FKA twigs
  15. Nas
  16. Frankie Cosmos
  17. Conway the Machine
  18. Cordae
  19. J Dilla
  20. Benny the Butcher
  21. EARTHGANG
  22. KXNG Crooked & Joell Ortiz
  23. Snoop Dogg
  24. Big K.R.I.T.
  25. Roddy Ricch

Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020s Bangers Playlist
March 2022 Additions:

Benny the Butcher, “Johnny P’s Caddy” (feat. J. Cole)
Denzel Curry, “The Last”
KXNG Crooked & Joell Ortiz, “Look Mama”
Nas, “40-16 Building”

Comments: Super distracted last month so didn’t add much here.





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February 2022 – Music Edition

March 8, 2022

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Saba – Few Good Things

Top 25 Most Played Albums of February 2022 (* indicates new album in February)

  1. *Saba – Few Good Things
  2. Cordae – From a Birds Eye View
  3. *Big K.R.I.T. – Digital Roses Don’t Die
  4. The Roots – How I Got Over
  5. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
  6. *Snoop Dogg – BODR
  7. Kanye West – Late Registration
  8. Macklemore – The Language of My World
  9. Ludacris – Release Therapy
  10. Kanye West – The College Dropout
  11. Ludacris – Chicken-N-Beer
  12. Ludacris – Word of Mowf
  13. Fabolous – Real Talk
  14. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak
  15. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
  16. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne
  17. Ludacris – Back For The First Time
  18. A$AP Rocky – TESTING
  19. *EARTHGANG – Ghetto Gods
  20. Shady Records – SHADYXV
  21. Ludacris – The Red Light District
  22. Kanye West – Graduation
  23. Styles P & Havoc – Wreckage Manner
  24. Kanye West – Yeezus
  25. KIDS SEE GHOSTS (Kanye West & Kid Cudi) – KIDS SEE GHOSTS

Comments: Not hard to see what happened here. That new Kanye West documentary on Netflix sent me down memory lane, revisiting Kanye’s entire discography. I’d actually never really spent much time with the 808s album and I can’t believe I’ve slept on it all this time. It is truly great. Truly innovative for the time. I already have some personal anthems from it. I also spent some time with Luda’s discog. I had been thinking about my top 100 or so rappers of all-time and I realized I didn’t know much about Luda. I made it through his first five albums and thought they were all good. I hit a snag on album #6 though and haven’t finished my project as my life has been kind of turned upside down recently and my focus has shifted. As far as new albums go, Saba’s album is really, really good; I’ve listened to K.R.I.T.’s album a few times and it’s different but enjoyable; Snoop’s album was completely forgettable; and EARTHGANG’s new project is brand new and a clear step down from their last one, but I’ve heard some dope songs on it.

The 25 Most Played Artists of 2022

  1. Kanye West
  2. Saba
  3. Che Noir
  4. Lil Wayne
  5. The Roots
  6. Ludacris
  7. The Weeknd
  8. Cordae
  9. J Dilla
  10. Nas
  11. Little Simz
  12. Ghostface Killah
  13. Big K.R.I.T.
  14. Snoop Dogg
  15. Roddy Ricch
  16. AZ
  17. Conway the Machine
  18. Gunna
  19. Baby Keem
  20. Jazmine Sullivan
  21. Macklemore
  22. Mos Def
  23. Eminem
  24. Roc Marciano
  25. FKA twigs

Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020s Bangers Playlist
February 2022 Additions:

Cordae, “Sinister” (feat. Lil Wayne)
Dr. Dre, “ETA” (feat. Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, & Anderson .Paak)
Saba, “Stop That”
Saba, “If I Had A Dollar” (feat. Benjamin Earl Turner)

Comments: I was listening to a lot of older stuff in February so I didn’t add too many tracks to my Bangers of the Decade playlist.





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Che Noir – Food For Thought (2022)

February 24, 2022

Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap

Release Date: January 21st, 2022

Song Rating Scale

  1. Eat To Live (Intro) – N/A
  2. Split the Bread – 3.5
  3. Eat or Starve (feat. Jynx716) – 3.5
  4. Daily Bread (Skit) – N/A
  5. Bless the Food – 3.75
  6. Ladies Brunch (feat. 7xvethegenius & Armani Caesar) – 3.75
  7. Praises – 3.5
  8. Table For 3 (feat. 38 Spesh & Ransom) – 4.5
  9. Gold Cutlery (feat. Rome Streetz) – 3.5
  10. Brains For Dinner – 4
  11. Water To Wine (Skit) – N/A
  12. Communion – 4.5

Spin Rate: 15+
Average Song Rating: 3.83/5
Skip Percentage: 0%
Certified Bangers: 3

Thoughts: Che Noir did it again. This is the fourth well above average project she’s released since the beginning of 2020. I don’t know if there’s any other rapper that can make that same claim. I feel like this two year run is already enough to put her ahead of the likes of notable femcees like Foxy Brown and Lil Kim on the all-time list. That might seem like too much praise too soon, but I’d honestly have to give it some serious thought to come up with another female rapper I like four projects from. If I know one thing about Che though, it’s that she would absolutely hate my last few sentences. She wants to be mentioned with the best rappers in the world and she doesn’t want gender to be part of that conversation. I think that’s fair and I do think she’s earned a pretty secure spot as one of the ten best rappers or so of the last few years.

Food For Thought is a pretty short album and the biggest difference between this projects and past ones is that Che handled most of the production herself. If I’m being honest, her sound had to grow on me. Of course any new producer is going to sound a little rough following up an album full of Apollo Brown’s wizardry on the boards, but I think Che ends up holding her own. It’s hard to make a banger without really good production and I think she has at least three songs on this album worthy of that threshold and I don’t think there’s a weak song at all. As always, Che absolutely brings it lyrically. For the most part, she’s just bodying verses on this project but “Communion” is one of Che’s most personal songs to date as she touches on the recent passing of her brother over the most soulful beat on the album. “Table For 3” finds Che, Ransom and 38 Spesh all spitting fire over another absolute banger of a beat. It’s absolutely ridiculous. I still think Che lacks versatility in her vocal delivery and I don’t see too much improvement on this album, but it’s not something that bothers me much and she brings enough content and lyrical ability to more than make up for it. Che Noir has quickly become one of my current favorite rappers and this album is another really solid effort in one of the most impressive runs of the last few years.

Verdict: 7/10 (Highly Enjoyable)

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January 2022 – Music Edition

February 2, 2022

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Che Noir – Food For Thought

Top 25 Most Played Albums of January 2022 (* indicates new album in January)

  1. *Che Noir – Food For Thought
  2. *The Weeknd – Dawn FM
  3. J Dilla – Donuts (2005)
  4. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
  5. Roddy Ricch – Live Life Fast
  6. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter II (2005)
  7. *Gunna – DS4EVER
  8. Baby Keem – The Melodic Blue
  9. Mos Def – Black On Both Sides (1999)
  10. Nas – Magic
  11. Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele (2000)
  12. *Cordae – From a Birds Eye View
  13. Roc Marciano – Reloaded
  14. *FKA twigs – CAPRISONGS
  15. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III (2008)
  16. Nas – King’s Disease II
  17. Ghostface Killah – Ironman (1996)
  18. Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales
  19. Lil Wayne – SQ4 (2004?)
  20. Adele – 30
  21. Big Boi & Sleepy Brown – The Sleepover
  22. Lil Wayne – Sorry 4 the Wait (2011)
  23. Labrinth – Euphoria Soundtrack (2019)
  24. The Roots – Undun (2011)
  25. Mac Miller – Circles (2020)

The 25 Most Played Artists of January

  1. Che Noir
  2. Lil Wayne
  3. The Weeknd
  4. The Roots
  5. J Dilla
  6. Nas
  7. Little Simz
  8. Ghostface Killah
  9. Roddy Ricch
  10. AZ
  11. Gunna
  12. Baby Keem
  13. Mos Def
  14. Cordae
  15. Roc Marciano
  16. FKA twigs
  17. Mach-Hommy
  18. Westside Gunn
  19. Jazmine Sullivan
  20. Adele
  21. Big Boi
  22. Conway the Machine
  23. Labrinth
  24. Mac Miller
  25. Ransom

Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020s Bangers Playlist
January 2022 Additions:

AZ, “Jewels for Life”
Baby Keem, “trademark usa”
Big Boi & Sleepy Brown, “The Big Sleep”
Che Noir, “Brains For Dinner”
Che Noir, “Communion”
Che Noir, “Table For 3” (feat. Ransom & 38 Spesh)
Dr. Dre, “Eta” (feat. Anderson .Paak, Busta Rhymes, & Snoop Dogg)
Dr. Dre, “Gospel” (feat. Eminem)
FKA twigs, “careless” (feat. daniel caesar)
FKA twigs, “tears in the club” (feat. The Weeknd)
Lute, “Birdsong” (feat. JID & Saba)
Lute, “Overnight”
Nas, “Speechless”
Nas, “Meet Joe Black”
Nas, “Wave Gods” (feat. A$AP Rocky)
Nas, “40-16 Building”
Ransom & Rome Streetz, “Claudine” (feat. Che Noir)
Roddy Ricch, “rollercoastin”
Roddy Ricch, “don’t i” (feat. Gunna)
Wale, “Poke It Out” (feat. J. Cole)
The Weeknd, “Take My Breath”
The Weeknd, “Sacrifice”
The Weeknd, “Out of Time”





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2021 Year In Review – Music Edition

January 2, 2022

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Dave – We’re All Alone In This Together

Top Albums of 2021 (in alphabetical order)

Adele – 30 (Pop)
Benny the Butcher – The Plugs I Met 2 (Rap)
Dave – We’re All Alone In This Together (Rap)
Isaiah Rashad – The House Is Burning (Rap)
J.Cole – The Off-Season (Rap)
Kanye West – Donda (Rap)
Nas – King’s Disease II (Rap)
Nas – Magic (Rap)
Olivia Rodrigo – SOUR (Pop)
Silk Sonic – An Evening with Silk Sonic (Pop)
Tyler, the Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST (Rap)

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

AZ – Doe or Die II (Rap)
Boldy James & The Alchemist – Bo Jackson (Rap)
Conway the Machine – La Maquina (Rap)
Grip – I Died For This!? (Rap)
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (Rap)
Lute – Gold Mouf (Rap)
Mach-Hommy – Pray For Haiti (Rap)
Skyzoo – All the Brilliant Things (Rap)
Tash Sultana – Terra Firma (Alternative Rock)
Westside Gunn – Hitler Wears Hermes 8: sides A & B (Rap)

Top 25 Most Played Albums of 2021

  1. J. Cole – The Off-Season
  2. Isaiah Rashad – The House is Burning
  3. Dave – We’re All Alone In This Together
  4. Kanye West – Donda
  5. Nas – King’s Disease II
  6. Mach-Hommy – Pray For Haiti
  7. Benny the Butcher – The Plugs I Met 2
  8. DMX – Exodus
  9. MC Eiht – LESSONS (2020)
  10. The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death (1997)
  11. Sa-Roc – The Sharecropper’s Daughter (2020)
  12. Tash Sultana – Terra Firma
  13. Conway the Machine – La Maquina
  14. Tyrone’s Jacket – Tyrone’s Jacket (2020)
  15. Tyler, The Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST
  16. Grip – I Died for This!?
  17. Toby Ganger – Free Machine (unreleased)
  18. Pink Sweat$ – Pink Planet
  19. Drake – Certified Lover Boy
  20. Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over the Country
  21. Ghetts – Conflict of Interest
  22. Eminem – Music To Be Murdered By – Side B
  23. Nyck Caution – Anywhere But Here
  24. Vince Staples – Vince Staples
  25. Courtney Bell – Poverty Stricken (2020)

The 50 Most Played Artists of 2021

  1. J. Cole
  2. Benny the Butcher
  3. Isaiah Rashad
  4. Nas
  5. Eminem
  6. Kanye West
  7. DMX
  8. Scarface
  9. Dave
  10. Kool G Rap
  11. Lana Del Rey
  12. The Notorious B.I.G.
  13. Big K.R.I.T.
  14. Boldy James
  15. Vince Staples
  16. Sa-Roc
  17. Conway the Machine
  18. MF DOOM
  19. Mach-Hommy
  20. KOTA the Friend
  21. Westside Gunn
  22. Drake
  23. MC Eiht
  24. Outkast
  25. Yelawolf
  26. Dua Lipa
  27. Kendrick Lamar
  28. Mac Miller
  29. Tyler, the Creator
  30. Tash Sultana
  31. Jessie Ware
  32. Lil Wayne
  33. Tyrone’s Jacket
  34. Grip
  35. Pink Sweat$
  36. Toby Ganger
  37. Adele
  38. Freddie Gibbs
  39. Ghetts
  40. Nyck Caution
  41. Snoop Dogg
  42. Elzhi
  43. Jadakiss
  44. AZ
  45. BROCKHAMPTON
  46. Courtney Bell
  47. Devin the Dude
  48. Emotional Oranges
  49. Evidence
  50. Kali Uchis

Top 25 Most Played Artist of December (* indicates released new album last month)

  1. Nas *
  2. Elzhi
  3. The Beatles
  4. Lil Wayne
  5. DJ Quik
  6. Adele
  7. Roddy Ricch *
  8. Big Boi *
  9. Dave
  10. Brother Ali
  11. Kanye West
  12. Russ *
  13. Westside Gunn
  14. Benny the Butcher
  15. Boldy James *
  16. Silk Sonic
  17. Porter Robinson
  18. Khalid *
  19. Big K.R.I.T.
  20. Cozz *
  21. LE$ *
  22. Young Thug
  23. Ghostface Killah
  24. Isaiah Rashad
  25. J. Cole

Top 50 Most Played Artists of All-Time (since like late summer 2020) [last year’s ranking in brackets]

  1. Eminem [1]
  2. Benny the Butcher [2]
  3. Nas [10]
  4. J. Cole [unranked]
  5. Conway the Machine [4]
  6. Lil Wayne [3]
  7. Kanye West [unranked]
  8. MC Eiht [6]
  9. Scarface [unranked]
  10. Isaiah Rashad [unranked]
  11. DMX [unranked]
  12. Black Thought / The Roots [5]
  13. Sa-Roc [24]
  14. Che Noir [7]
  15. Boldy James [29]
  16. Lana Del Rey [unranked]
  17. Toby Ganger [16]
  18. Westside Gunn [26]
  19. Dave [unranked]
  20. Kool G Rap [unranked]
  21. Amine [9]
  22. Outkast / Big Boi [unranked]
  23. The Lox / Jadakiss [37]
  24. Dua Lipa [30]
  25. MF DOOM [unranked]
  26. 38 Spesh [14]
  27. Spillage Village / Earthgang [8]
  28. Mac Miller [48]
  29. Dueling Experts / Recognize Ali [15]
  30. Ty Dolla $ign [12]
  31. The Notorious B.I.G. [unranked]
  32. Ransom [31]
  33. Tyrone’s Jacket [44]
  34. KOTA the Friend [unranked]
  35. Berner [11]
  36. Big K.R.I.T. [unranked]
  37. Jessie Ware [unranked]
  38. Elzhi [49]
  39. Busta Rhymes [13]
  40. Vince Staples [unranked]
  41. Kid Cudi [46]
  42. The Weeknd [17]
  43. Drake [unranked]
  44. Kendrick Lamar [unranked]
  45. Pop Smoke [28]
  46. Blu [22]
  47. Flip Huston [19]
  48. Mach-Hommy [unranked]
  49. Freddie Gibbs [unranked]
  50. Brother Ali [42]

Dropped Out: R.A. the Rugged Man [18], Big Sean [20], 21 Savage & Metro Boomin [23], Felt [25], T.I. [27], Goodie Mob [34], Ariana Grande [35], CunninLynguists [36], Jaden Smith [38], Dinner Party [39], Future [40], Kaash Paige [41], Deante Hitchcock [43], Rich Brian [45], Dave East [47], Ice Cube [50]

Bangerz Playlist Additions – Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020 Bangers Playlist
2021 Bangers Playlist





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August to November 2021 Music Ratings

December 10, 2021

ALBUM OF THE PERIOD

Adele – 30

Ratings:

10 – Masterpiece
9 – Amazing
8 – Great
7 – Highly Enjoyable
6 – Recommended
5 – Decent
4 – Lackluster
3 – Bad
2 – Horrible
1 – Trash

Top 25 Albums from August 1st to November 29th

Note: These albums are NOT ranked in order of preference; they are ranked in order of number of songs listened to (scrobbles) over the past month. Previous ranking in brackets. Year of release in parentheses if it’s not 2020 or 2021.

**indicates November release

  1. Isaiah Rashad – The House is Burning – 7+
  2. Kanye West – Donda – 7
  3. Nas – King’s Disease II – 8
  4. Dave – We’re All Alone In This Together – 9
  5. Grip – I Died for This!? – 7
  6. Drake – Certified Lover Boy – 5+
  7. Mach-Hommy – Pray For Haiti – 6+
  8. Travis Thompson – BVLD BOY – 6+
  9. Big K.R.I.T. – It’s Better This Way
  10. Boldy James & The Alchemist – Bo Jackson – 6+
  11. AZ – Doe or Die II – 7+
  12. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert – 7+
  13. Olivia Rodrigo – SOUR – 7
  14. **Adele – 30 – 8+
  15. DMX – Exodus – 6
  16. Baby Keem – The Melodic Blue – 5+
  17. Benny the Butcher – Pyrex Picasso – 6+
  18. Big K.R.I.T. – A Style Not Quite Free
  19. *Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak) – An Evening With Silk Sonic – 8+
  20. Westside Gunn – Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B – 6+
  21. D Smoke – War & Wonders – 6
  22. Skyzoo – All the Brilliant Things – 7+
  23. Lute – Gold Mouf – 7+
  24. Tyler, The Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST – 7
  25. Westside Gunn – Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Sincerely Adolf – 6+

The 25 Artists I Listened To the Most last three months

  1. Kanye West
  2. Isaiah Rashad
  3. Nas
  4. Dave
  5. Big K.R.I.T.
  6. Eminem
  7. Grip
  8. Outkast
  9. Westside Gunn
  10. Drake
  11. Benny the Butcher
  12. Travis Thompson
  13. AZ
  14. Mach-Hommy
  15. Boldy James
  16. Lana Del Rey
  17. Little Simz
  18. Adele
  19. Olivio Rodrigo
  20. DMX
  21. Halsey
  22. Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak)
  23. Baby Keem
  24. D Smoke
  25. Skyzoo

Bangerz Playlist Additions – Follow me on Apple Music @DarkKnight1717 to add my playlists
2020 Bangers Playlist
2021 Bangers Playlist





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