Top 10 song releases - October 2022
By Philippe Martin 03/11/2022
October has brought a nice batch of singles from established artists like Killer Mike, Hit-Boy, and Robert Glasper. Underground rappers like Night Lovell and Snow Tha Product created some bangers while TDE’s Ab-Soul is still teasing a new project with an excellent third single this year.
With that being said, here are the best songs of October 2022. This list contains many independent placements from artists that either dropped great albums during the month or that are preparing to do so in a near future. Let us know in the comments what you think about these and if any other singles deserved to make this list.
- Robert Glasper - Therapy pt. 2 (feat. Mac Miller)
- Killer Mike - TALK’N THAT SHIT!
- Hit-Boy - Tony Montana III (feat. Curren$y)
- Night Lovell - Eye Spy
- Russ - BET
- Ty Dolla $ign & Mustard - My Friends (feat. Lil Durk)
- Erick the Architect & AKTHESAVIOR - No Ice
- Ab-Soul & Zacari - Do Better
- Snow Tha Product & Juicy J - Not Today
- Pivot Gang - Aang
Robert Glasper - Therapy pt. 2 (feat. Mac Miller)
Part of the side B of his new album “Black Radio III”, the talented artist from Houston, Robert Glasper, releases an excellent posthumous collaboration with Mac Miller. As a spiritual successor to the 2014 track “Therapy”, which was released as part of the “Faces” project by Mac, this song works well because it showcases clever and complex bars from the Pittsburg artist on a smooth jazzy production by Glasper. This mix is a pure nostalgic dose of music that recalls the very prolific artistic run Mac had with “Watching Movie With The Sound Off” and “Faces”.
Released 10/10/2022
Killer Mike - TALK’N THAT SHIT!
The Atlanta native is swinging hard with this new song “TALK’N THAT SHIT!”. With the help of DJ Paul, he puts forward the sound of the southern rap scene with a bass-heavy production. The use of distinctive snares and vocal loops puts everything in line for a menacing delivery from the Run The Jewels member. The instrumental switches halfway through the track to provide a minimalistic setting for Killer Mike to talk his shit more clearly.
Released 27/10/2022
Hit-Boy - Tony Montana III (feat. Curren$y)
With his new song “Tony Montana III”, Hit-Boy proves he is equally skilled behind the microphone as he is behind the production boards. He sounds cool and confident on this soft track featuring the New Orleans native Curren$y. The latter is doing his thing, making rap look easy after more than 13 years of working in the industry. The beat features vocal samples that give the song a nostalgic atmosphere.
Released 20/10/2022
Night Lovell - Eye Spy
With only two new singles, the Canadian horrorcore artist has been fairly quiet in 2022. Nonetheless, “Eye Spy” might be one of the most aggressive songs to come out this year. Rapping over a dark and distorted instrumental, Night Lovell has no pity for his haters as he wishes them to burn during the hook and warns them about his extended arsenal of weapons during the verses.
Released 28/10/2022
Russ - BET
Releasing music is second nature to Russ, so a new single is not much news, but “BET” deserves the mention as the Atlanta native creates an efficient rap banger that addresses his recent abrupt pause from his professional life. The hook is repetitive, making it simple to vibe along and bounce with the loud 808. The horns at the start of the track will surely hype the crowd at his next live show, as it creates a nice momentum before the beat kicks in.
Released 14/10/2022
Ty Dolla $ign & Mustard - My Friends (feat. Lil Durk)
With production from Mustard and a catchy hook from Ty Dolla $ign, “My Friends” doesn’t do anything original, but it uses the established formula well to deliver a radio-friendly song that will surely be pushed by the streaming algorithms. Lil Durk brings up the energy a notch with an easy verse about loyalty and trust from his entourage.
Released 05/10/2022
Erick the Architect & AKTHESAVIOR - No Ice
The respected New York based artists Erick the Architect and AKTHESAVIOR join forces for an excellent new single. “No Ice” sees the Beast Coast collaborators deliver some simple rhymes over a trap beat that uses an organ loop and a mean kick in order to hype the listener. The quality of their respective flows is on par with their previous work, sounding like masters at work using the microphone.
Released 28/10/2022
Ab-Soul & Zacari - Do Better
2022 is officially the return of Ab-Soul in the public view, as “Do Better” is his third single of the year. Collaborating with his label mate Zacari, the song feels very personal for Ab-Soul. His lyrics are introspective and vulnerable, giving the listeners insights into his mind and insecurities. Zacari sings softly for the hooks and delivers back vocals during the verses, resulting in a melodic song that succeeds at helping sad and lonely individuals cope with their problems.
Released 21/10/2022
Snow Tha Product & Juicy J - Not Today
With the release of her new album “To Anywhere”, the talented rapper Snow Tha Product collaborates with the Memphis veteran Juicy J for the banger “Not Today”. The San Jose native wastes no time before delivering rapid bars about her ex-boyfriend and the difficulties of hanging around drugged-out people. Juicy J comes into play for the second verse, rapping comfortably over the bass-heavy production.
Released 21/10/2022
Pivot Gang - Aang
Coming out of Chicago and led by the prolific independent artist Saba, Pivot Gang assembles a bunch of lyrical experts with varied flows that can result in amazing music like their 2019 debut album “You Can’t Sit With Us”. Back with a new single called “Aang”, the crew does what they do best, which is spitting classic bars over quality boom-bap production.
Released 20/10/2022