VIBE highlighted the 25 best Hip-Hop Albums of 2022 that will serve as a cultural time capsule for years to come. While there’s no formulaic approach to the process that will ensure universal reception or acclaim for any body of work, when lightning is struck in a bottle, the result is a long player that either entertains us, informs us, or influences the way we feel, think and look at life.Ģ022 produced a murderers’ row of releases that served as the soundtrack to our year and delivered an amalgam of what Hip-Hop looked and sounded like while giving us clues on where it might be going next. If it garnered historic accolades or broke ground through its originality and experimentation. The stage an artist was in, professionally or emotionally, at the time of its release. Being ubiquitous in a particular setting. Yet, beyond the music are intangibles regarding the impact an album had on the landscape of music. On the surface level, there’s the quality of the beats, rhymes, hooks, and at times, even collaborations. Many factors go into the making of a great album. This reflects the importance and value that creating a strong body of work holds for an artist looking to separate themselves from the pack and reach the pinnacle of their craft. When listing the most respected emcees of all time, their most esteemed albums are synonymous with their names, trumping most other metrics associated with their success. While rap began as a singles game and has largely shifted back to that playing field, the album format continues to hold the most weight in determining which artists are considered among the greatest of their respective generations and how their reputation as creatives will be perceived in the now. However, the overarching topic that dominates said conversations on an annual basis is which artist or group will be responsible for the album that will reign supreme over the rest and go down with previous defining works in the genre’s history. Debates surrounding the homogenous sound of today’s top artists, ageism, style versus substance, and the like are hashed out on timelines, in barbershops, and on various multimedia platforms. Questions concerning whether your favorite rap artist will return after a long hiatus if the culture’s latest critical darling will build on the momentum set in the previous year, and which superstar will finish the year with the most hits and accolades are asked. The beginning of every calendar year comes with predictions and expectations about what Hip-Hop fans can look forward to over the course of the next twelve months.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |