The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Armani Caesar, Jeezy, Roddy Ricch, and more.
A wild week of hip-hop releases the releases of videos for Lil Baby’s “Stand On It.” JID’s “Crack Sandwich,” and Future’s “Massaging Me.” New Music Friday was equally busy, as Pivot Gang returned with “Aang,” Nav dropped his “Ball In Peace” video, Roddy Ricch kicked off his next rollout with “Aston Martin Truck,” and Mount Westmore announced their new album with the video for “Too Big.”
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending October 21, 2022.
Armani Caesar — The Liz 2
The core Griselda trio might be experiencing some friction at the moment but that won’t stop the label’s first lady from going hard. All three Griselda guys appear (albeit on different songs), as well as outsiders Beatking, Kodak Black, and Queendom Come. Another late Griselda addition, Stove God Cooks, also spits a mean verse on “Hunnit Dolla Hiccup,” but for the most part, Armani is the star attraction, providing a feminine alternative to the gritty voices in rap’s underground and a grimy counterpart to the flashier women currently running rap.
Gucci Mane — So Icy Boyz 22
Gucci collects a slew of new songs to go along with the original So Icy Boyz compilation, continuing to highlight the young talent he’s assembled on 1017 Global. Enchanting is a standout, as is Big Scarr, but the absence of Gucci’s star players, Foogiano and Pooh Shiesty, is hard to miss.
Jeezy — Snofall With DJ Drama
Look, as funny as it is to see Jeezy dusting off his old Snowman persona in the wake of his marriage to Jeannie Mai, it’s hard to argue with the results. Snofall is one of Jeezy’s hardest projects in a long time; he sounds hungry, his crack tales sound fresh despite his chronological distance from them, and with the more polished flow he’s displayed over the last decade, they sound sharper than ever.
Loyle Carner — Hugo
Carner’s been a personal favorite for some time; the UK-bred rapper’s deeply personal tales and his deft, painterly way of conveying them in his raps makes him an engaging listen (although, let’s face it, his beat choices might well get him consigned to the same lane as J. Cole for many stateside fans while his accent will certainly put off a bunch). Once again, he comes through with a soulfully consistent record of his trials, tribulations, and growth since his last project. Also, there’s a sample of the T.L. Barrett version of “Nobody Knows,” which… yes.
RJmrLA — Rodney Brown Jr.
It has been a truly stellar year for blog era rap stars from Los Angeles. Following up The Game and YG, among others, RJmrLA comes back with 20 tracks of finger-twisting, neighborhood-walking, house party anthems. O.T. Genasis, Roddy Ricch, Ty Dolla Sign, and more offer contributions; the standout here is “Fruits Of My Labor” with Jayson Cash and Symba, two of California’s sharpest up-and-coming lyricists, against whom RJ’s style clashes in the best way.
Snow Tha Product — To Anywhere
San Diego native Snow has quietly carried the torch for women in rap for over a decade, even before the recent boom in female rappers, and has been branching out creatively in recent years — which really shows on her latest. She incorporates even more Latin sounds and collaborators, shining more light on the variety and breadth of Spanish-language musical styles (kinda like Becky G, who also grew in acclaim by embracing her roots). It’s paid off too — last year, she was nominated for her first Latin Grammy, and it looks like she’ll be doubling down to keep that momentum going.
Boldy James — “Flag On The Play”
The stuffy-voiced Detroit documentarian has maintained an astonishing production pace over the past few years and he shows no signs of stopping; his latest single is the first from yet another announced project, Mr. Ten08, which is produced entirely by Futurewave.
D Smoke — “Switch Up” Feat. Davion Farris
The Inglewood native’s latest single features his brother Davion (yes, there’s another one. That’s one talented family) and signals that he might be nearing the release of his third album. He really does switch up here, employing a woozier, more laid-back production style than the more combative stuff on his last album.
Hit-Boy — “Tony Fontana III” Feat. Curren$y
I don’t know how Hit-Boy is finding the time to record his own rap records after producing four full-length projects for Nas and contributing to many others. The only logical conclusion is that he just doesn’t sleep. And while that’s probably bad for him, it’s great for us listeners, who get yet another groovy meditation on the benefits of hard work and persistence.
Icewear Vezzo — “God Bless The 6” Feat. Babyface Ray
Representing the other burgeoning sound of Detroit rap, Icewear Vezzo has been garnering a fair bit of attention in the past year or so alongside frequent collaborators like Babyface Ray, Babytron, Rio Da Yung OG, and Sada Baby. He and Ray team up again here, and their chemistry remains as strong as ever as they pass the mic back and forth.
Yungeen Ace — “Industry Invasion”
Yungeen Ace, hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, is another member of the growing contingent of wounded-sounding street crooners in the vein of Fredo Bang, YoungBoy NBA, Rod Wave, and the like. While he could use a bit more guidance as a songwriter, he really does convey the sense of trauma and loss that fuels him toward rap success. He’s probably a year or two out from his breakout but until then, he sounds good enough to warrant giving his most recent project, All On Me, a spin.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.