Top 5 album releases - October 2022
By Philippe Martin 04/11/2022
Fall 2022 is off to a strong start for music releases, with new projects from Westside Gunn, Smino, Armani Caesar, G Herbo, and many other talented artists. Unfortunately, the rap world lost a talented artist at the end of the month with Takeoff’s death adding to a bloody year of murders within the artistic community. He released “Only Built For Infinity Links” with Quavo in the middle of the month, marking his final release before his tragic shooting on Halloween night.
Here are the best albums of October 2022. This list contains many independent placements from artists who dropped great albums and some mainstream releases that deserve the attention they have been getting. Let us know in the comments what you think about these and if any other albums deserved to make this list.
- Westside Gunn - 10
- Armani Caesar - THE LIZ 2
- Che Noir - The Last Remnants
- Smino - Luv 4 Rent
- Smoke DZA - 10,000 HRS
- Honorable Mentions
Westside Gunn - 10
Finishing on a grandiose note for the 10th mixtape in the “HWH” series that he started ten years ago, Westside Gunn does what he knows best: curating incredible music. Shorter than 2021’s double album format, this project uses the same formula as the Buffalo artist recruits exceptional talent and then brings the best out of them. Stove God Cooks has many features and his presence is fundamental to the core of “10”. Just like the “Peace Fly God” project from July, the production is grimy, but celebratory at the same time. Including his son FlyGod Jr. on the same-titled song, the production team is composed of The Alchemist, Pete Rock, Denny Leflare, Conductor Williams, and Montreal’s own Mike Shabb.
After a spoken intro by AA Rashad, the album beings with a trap production, which is a rare thing in the Griselda universe. It also includes DJ Drama talking his regular shit, adding to the cultural appeal of such a creative change in direction for Westside Gunn. That’s the only moment that feels tuned out because the rest is all about the raw talent of the veteran and young rappers that all perform at the top of their game. The complete list is long, but the best guest features come from Run the Jewels, A$AP Rocky, Black Star, and Conway the Machine. The two solo songs of the album are also great, showing that the Griselda founder can handle the show on his own too.
Released 28/10/2022
Armani Caesar - THE LIZ 2
Getting the same Westside Gunn treatment as Rome Streez received back in September, Armani Caesar releases the sequel to her 2020 project “THE LIZ”. With this second instalment in the series, she doubles down on the good elements of the previous one. She still has great production from the Griselda team of beatmakers, with the Daringer and Camoflauge Monk having many credits on the project. She still has amazing features with verses from Benny, Conway, Stove God Cooks, Queendom Come, and Kodak Black. Finally, she creates the same raw street vibe throughout the LP while adding more melodic songs to the mix, resulting in a diverse and enjoyable project.
Released as a single to promote the LP, “Hunnit Dolla Hiccup” with Benny and Stove God is the perfect example of what this current rap Renaissance trend is all about. The lyrics are aggressive, the flows are menacing, and the production is violent as spacy synths and boom-bap drums create the perfect soundtrack for skilled rappers. On the other hand, tracks like “Meth & Mary” and “First Wives Club” create a nice complimentary sound, full of melodies and beautiful samples. Armani may not be an amazing singer, but she does it when needed and the results are great, showing that she can be a versatile artist.
Released 21/10/2022
Che Noir - The Last Remnants
With her new album “The Last Remnants”, the Buffalo emcee keeps on reminding us why she should be included in the top underground talent to follow. Her choice of words, topics, beats, and collaborations shows that the young artist is a masterful student of the rap game. Running for 24 minutes over 9 songs, including the excellent single “Wash The Dishes”, Che Noir is able to be concise without sacrificing the overall quality of the project. Like her past January release “Food For Thought”, she shows incredible vulnerability while staying confident about who she is and the message she wants to deliver in her music.
“Handicap” and “Therapy Session” sound like Che Noir wants the listener to know right off the start that she is serious about her personal growth and life ambitions. Whether it’s on those first songs or on other great tracks like “Promised Land”, her lyrics are descriptive, direct, and clever. The hook on “Lately” is particularly catchy and the production on “Summertime” is sublime. There is plenty of features, with Ransom, Elcamino, Benny, Jynx 716, and Klass Murda all bringing in their finest bars to elevate the album to become an underground gem.
Released 26/10/2022
Smino - Luv 4 Rent
Smino is back with a new album, his first in four years since the release of 2018’s “NOIR”. The St-Louis native creates a project that is meant to be listened to from start to finish. With the intro “4rm Da Source”, he sets the tone for a cool and thoughtful ride into his mind that will cover subjects like the insecurities of finding love and coping with pain. With a runtime of 51 minutes, Smino is able to easily confirm why he is one of the up-and-coming artists that needs to be acknowledged more.
Featuring J. Cole, “90 Proof” is a very fun and original single, making it one of the best songs of the album with “Modennaminute” and “Curtains” tailing not far behind. On the feature side, the presence of Lucky Daye, Lil Uzi Vert, and Doechii is a welcomed addition to the flows and melodies that they all bring to the table. The production is diverse, with Childish Major, Monte Booker, and Groove all contributing to a well-curated album.
Released 28/10/2022
Smoke DZA - 10,000 HRS
Following “Mood Swings”, “Driplomatic Immunity”, and “Full Court Press”, Smoke DZA drops another great project this year. The RFC leader releases a small number of songs that flow perfectly for 23 minutes, not overdoing things with too many fillers and useless features. Everybody shines, from the amazing Ransom feature to the cool collaboration with Curren$y. The production is diverse enough to let DZA flex his range of flows while lyrically staying focused on his classic topics. Fortunately, he also gives more personal details about his issues and everyday struggles, making for a nice touch of humility in all the financial brags.
“North Face Bombers” with The Game is minimalistic but feels like the two veterans are having a lot of fun on a beat looping saxophones and electric guitars. Propelled by some beautiful strings, the vocal performances on “Top of the Morning” are simply incredible. Ransom keeps on being great and Smoke DZA has no problem matching his peer’s rhythm. The outro “I Wish Heaven Had Facetime” is a perfect closer as the Harlem native pays homage and reminisces about his late father.
Released 14/10/2022
Honorable Mentions
Quavo & Takeoff – Only Built For Infinity Links
This new album by the Migos members, Quavo and Takeoff, is good, especially for anyone who liked their work in recent years because it shows that they know their formula well, and they apply it consistently for 18 songs straight.
Released 07/10/2022
G Herbo – Survivor’s Remorse Side A & B
The Chicago rapper drops a huge amount of songs with the lengthy double album “Survivor’s Remorse”, where he collaborates with a wide range of artists from Benny the Butcher, Future, Offset, Kodak Black, and many more.
Released 07/10/2022
Flee Lord – Ladies & Gentlemen
The Lord Mobb General is back with another great project that keeps on proving that he is capable of creating a wide range of sounds within the hip-hop genre. He shines as a good curator when he recruits outside talent like Vic Spencer, G4 Jag, and 7xvethegenius.
Released 07/10/2022
Xavier Wulf – Blood Shore Season 3
It has been two years since Xavier Wulf released a project, so “Blood Shore Season 3” marks a nice return to source with a quick and easy selection of bangers. “Nightshift” and “Still Will” are great examples of songs that create a moody atmosphere for the Tennessee rapper to spit his rapid flows and aggressive lyrics.
Released 18/10/2022