Dec 12, 20222 min read

HERE ARE THE TOP CONTENDERS FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR

With just one month left in 2022, debates of album of the year are just beginning. This year had some awesome releases from Freddie Gibbs, Glorilla, Lizzo, Kanye West, Beyonce and more. New Music Friday was filled will new music from a lot of entertainment's brightest stars heavyweights with many doing great numbers for first week sales. This list isn't just about number though as Hip Hip is so much more than that. Check out the list of top albums of the year.

Last Ones Left : EST Gee, 42 Dugg

CMG signees EST Gee and 42 Dugg had the streets in a chokehold with the release of their joint album "Last Ones Left." Dropping in April 2022, the project was well recieved by music listeners with songs like "Thump Sh*t" and "Free the Shiners" being named fan favorites. At no point throughout the project does it feel like 42 Dugg and EST Gee weren’t in the same recording booth, going verse for a verse while sharing mics. Although it’s unclear if this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership or a one-time arrangement, Hip Hop fans can agree that this project was definitely on their playlist at some point in 2022.

DS4Ever : Gunna

Gunna had the first quarter on smash upon the release of his project DS4ever on January 7th 2022. The 19-track album was packed with features from G Herbo, Kodak Black, Chloe Bailey and more. The album even debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with 150,000 album-equivalent units comprising 193.5 million on-demand streams and 4,000 pure sales, making it Gunna's second number-one album. With songs like Pushin P and P Power going viral, it's no question why this album is on the list for album of the year.

Her Loss : Drake, 21 Savage

At this point, it's safe to say 21 Savage and Drake are one of Hip Hop's best dynamic duos. The two create remarkable energy on each of their collab records including "Mr. Right Now", "Sneakin'," "Jimmy Crooks" and this album just sealed the deal. Released on November 4th 2022, the project is beautiful blend of Drake and 21's classic styles. Although the date was moved due to the untimely death of Migos member Takeoff, 'Her Loss' still managed to do extremely well, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 404,000 album-equivalent units, including 12,000 pure album sales, replacing Taylor Swift's Midnights (2022) from the top spot.