The best hip hop and R&B from the Bay Area in 2022
The best hip hop and R&B from the Bay Area in 2022
In celebration of all the great music released by Bay Area artists over the past year, we’re sharing daily wraps of our favorite releases of 2022. Every day we’re publishing a new list highlighting the best music from the Bay Area across a wide variety of genres, including dance, downtempo, folk, hip hop, metal, and rock.
Read on for the best hip hop and R&B from the Bay in 2022. Plus check the playlists:
Bay Area R&B, Soul & Indie Pop
SYSTEMADDICT - ASTU
This year ASTU—an Oakland-based singer, songwriter, and artistic visionary—released a catchy, dreamy, and uplifting three-track EP entitled SYSTEMADDICT. Produced and co-written with her ongoing musical partner Isaiah Mostafa, the EP opens with two jams highlighting Mostafa’s midtempo dance grooves paired perfectly with ASTU’s infectious hooks and heavenly vocal improvisations. The final track slows down to an almost darkwave-like trance, while maintaining the formula. It’s a formula that works without becoming predictable. Instead it shows off a relationship and musical space allowing the two to experiment, explore their powers, and channel the subsconscious. Also important to check out “Wasting Time” by ASTU’s arts collective Boyish and her earlier single “Potion.”
— Ronny Kerr
Growth Mindset - Baghead
“It's only a moment in your growth.” One of the best SF-based beatmakers, Baghead is back with Growth Mindset, a 22-track collection of precisely plucked samples, fuzzy stuttering drum kits, and soul-infused instrumental hip hop. Entirely produced and mixed by Baghead and released by Audio Vandals, the album is the follow up to 2021’s Dedicated to Those Who. While the last album explores the relationship between artistry and community, this one shifts to self-consciousness: Many artists know the happiness and highs that come with major breakthroughs and accomplishments, but maybe more universal are the feelings of struggle, insecurities, and low self-esteem. So Baghead offers us Growth Mindset: Don’t let any challenge let you change how you view your self-worth. Just rock to the beat, learn the lesson, and get on to the next.
— Ronny Kerr
Can’t Stay Perched All the Time - Equipto & Brycon
Corner Booth - Professa Gabel & Brycon
“A modern re-imagining of the classic Bay Area underground tape tradition, perfected in the late 90s by revered groups such as Hieroglyphics, Living Legends and Bored Stiff.” SF producer Brycon had a busy 2021, releasing two full-length albums, a few beat tapes, and several singles. And none of it can possibly be called filler. The smoothed out, jazzy boom bap productions were a big part of the reason Don’t Forget You’re Welcome by the Watershed was one of our favorite hip hop albums of of 2021.
On Can't Stay Perched All the Time, Brycon and storied SF rapper Equipto deliver a wavy ode to spliffs, washed out soul pop, and track after track of laidback truth-telling. Not even a month later, he returned with Corner Booth, a collaboration with Professa Gabel: “There are a million recordings about love, lust and loss, but everyone relates to a song about good food.” MF DOOM knew. Across the two albums, Brycon and crew team up with a host of guests, including Phesto Dee (of Souls of Mischief and Hieroglyphics), MC Pauze, Monk HTS, Ozer, Equipto, and Cyph4.
— Ronny Kerr
JUBILEE II - Jada Imani
This year Oakland artist Jada Imani dropped JUBILEE II, a sequel EP to 2021’s JUBILEE. Once again produced by Will Randolph V, the newer EP features four bite-size tracks of feel-good summertime hip hop and soul. “Rosa Parks” has been out for a minute and, in pure Jada fashion, has an undeniably great hook—given the theme of the song, you could say it makes the revolution irresistible.
— Ronny Kerr
Letters from the Other Side - Raaginder
Growing up in the diverse neighborhoods of Union City, East Bay violinist and hip hop composer Raaginder was as influenced by rap and hip hop as he was by his parents’ more traditional Indian music. Trained since the age of 11 by respected violinist Sisirkana Dhar Choudhury, Raaginder’s album Letters from the Other Side takes Hindustani classical and blends it with smooth, radio-ready pop R&B.
— Elliot Engel
Deep Blue - Satya
“Deep Blue is about the love and pain I experienced this past year. These lyrics are real personal and fresh from my journal. The EP tells a story of falling in love, losing myself in that love and becoming blind to the harm that was being done to me.”
Oakland School of the Arts alum Satya’s album Deep Blue is a nostalgic and vulnerable reminder that “true beauty is not something to be contained, it is something to be expressed.” The highlight of the record is the last song “Checker Print Kitchen,” a soulful celebration of the joy and spontaneity that overflows during childhood, that we all need to tap into more.
— Elliot Engel
FLIPS V1: Triple Lindy - sndtrak
Far from being too cool to sample the biggest radio hits from our collective nostalgia—including “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen, “Super Freak” by Rick James, “Genius of Love” by Tom Tom Club, and even perennial earworm “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes—FLIPS V1: Triple Lindy is a new beat tape by Oakland producer sndtrak that takes the sounds we know so well, dissolves them into the machine, and then chops them up into something entirely fresh. 15 fresh hip hop beats, around two minutes a piece, all fire.
— Ronny Kerr
Checkpoint - Shy’an G
“Don’t worry about me, I’ll figure it out from here.” Oakland MC, producer, and poet Shy’an G released Checkpoint, produced by OaktownSoul and featuring fellow Bay artist Dominé Brishawn on guest vocals. Clean beats. Liquid poetry. Breath after breath full of pain, imperfection, and power. They’re all highlights, but my personal favorite on repeat is “Fools in April.”
— Ronny Kerr
Among Other Things, - Stanley Ipkuss
Effortlessly turning, drifting, and veering from one bar to the next, Oakland artist Stanley Ipkuss has spun up another essential hip hop album from the Bay Area underground on Among Other Things,. With beats and verses all written by Ipkuss—plus features from Jada Imani, Lucy Camp, Stoney Creation, Charis Amber, and Chris Keys—the album seamlessly blends slurred hi hats, jazzy piano, and personal, peaceful, contemplative musings.
— Ronny Kerr
STUNNA - P-Lo
“Stunna is a frequency. Stunna is having confidence in everything you do. Stunna is unwavering faith and belief. Stunna is moving with intention. Stunna is expressing yourself. Stunna is your inner light shining through. Stunna is Me. Stunna is You.”
The Bay Area native’s newest album STUNNA is a trim half hour of hyphy-inspired beats, effervescent verses, and breezy hooks—like a bottle of champagne getting popped and poured in the club track after track after track. Better yet, the album features some of the biggest and best in homegrown hip hop, including Larry June, Michael Sneed, Too $hort, Lucky, Kamaiyah, ALLBLACK, 22nd Jim, and LaRussell. Top it off with those poetical opening proceedings delivered by E-40, and you’ve got yourself an instant Bay Area classic.
— Ronny Kerr
Sucka Repellent - Dregs One
Deeply, intensely, proudly, unapologetically Frisco. That’s Sucka Repellent by Dregs One. Released on their own label Audio Vandals and featuring guest appearances by Husalah, DJ.Fresh, Cellski, DinaRo, Spice 1, and Frisco Baby, the fog mode maestro’s newest album ruminates on living as a rap cat in the SF city life, from walking through the Tenderloin and getting geeked up to what it means to live as a true player and win in the rap game. As usual, it sounds like classic Bay underground hip hop, bumped and boosted for a new era. And there’s no mistaking that: Rooted in the classics that came before, a new era of SF hip hop has arrived.
— Ronny Kerr
Communion: Book 02 - Mani Draper
Emerging East Bay hip hop star and member of music collective Grand Nationxl, Mani Draper is back with a second EP in what will become the Communion Book concept LP. This chapter follows a time traveling trip to Europe affirming the idea that in times of uncertainty, God is everywhere. Mani Draper describes his sound as soul-driven “Neo-Mobb Music” that is danceable, palatable, and futuristic. I can’t disagree, it sounds like someone took the Neptunes to church.
— Ronny Kerr
Flowers - Passwurdz
Passwurdz, an Oakland artist part of the music collective Grand Nationxl, dropped his first solo album this year: Flowers. Blooming in sync with the season, the springtime work is mostly low to midtempo, soulful, groovy, tongue-twisted, and endlessly introspective. It’s a solo, personal work, but features an all-star list of guest appearances from across the 510 and beyond, including JANE HANDCOCK, Ian Kelly, D.Bledsoe, Kate Lamont, Roux Shankle, ZHARMILA, Kevin Allen, Mani Draper, and Brookfield Deuce.
— Ronny Kerr
Thirst - Pallaví aka Fijiana
“Lust, longing, desire in all its different forms.” Even if you missed her irresistible poledancing video before Instagram took it down, there’s no denying the sexual energy on Thirst, an EP by Richmond rapper Pallaví aka Fijiana exploring the many aspects of thirstiness, from the straight up nastiness on “Sanskari Hoe” to the passion and pain of “Moonlight Beauty.”
— Ronny Kerr
My Cheese Budget is Growing - Quintessential & Eddou XL
“Hip-hop used to be fun. I try to put a pinch of that in everything I cook up.” Look, with a release titled My Cheese Budget is Growing, (hilariously shortened to MCBIG) by Quintessential & Eddou XL, we could spend this entire space cutting the stinkiest, cheesiest puns. But this record deserves way better than that. Quintessential’s deep baritone and “percussive cadence” keeps it lighthearted with humorous lyrics (he must have a thing for powerful redheads, given the bizarre love letter to former White House press secretary Jen Psaki). Eddou XL’s jazzy, sample heavy boom bap production keeps it old school in the best way. All of this brings to mind some of the best combos of years past - Doom & madlib, Marley Marl & Biz Markie, and locally - Dan the Automator & Kool Keith as Dr. Octagon. This is certainly one of the most entertaining hip hop records of the year, and I’m not going to “fold” in a cheese pun to finish off this review, whatever that means.
— Elliot Engel
The Blue Hour - Rexx Life Raj
“I wrote this album tryna work through all the shit that happened
A lot of it written in the same room my Mama passed in”
These are the opening bars of The Blue Hour by East Bay rap heavyweight Rexx Life Raj. It’s been a tough two years for him: He lost his parents and moved out of his hometown, among other challenges. A distinctly somber mood anchors this album, which focuses on facing grief, moving forward, and hopefully helping others who are going through similar situations find strength. Features include appearances by Wale, Russ, Fireboy DML, and fellow Bay Area native Larry June.
— Elliot Engel
Big Deal - Richie Cunning
It’s been over a decade since San Francisco native Richie Cunning put out an LP, so if you’re new around here you might be forgiven for sleeping on him. But his new record Big Deal is an alarm clock going off, and you’re late to the party, and what a party it is. Put your suit & tie on, the classy production on this record is straight out of the 50s Rat Pack big band era under the lights of a Las Vegas ballroom. A multi-hyphenate, Richie raps and croons over his own production, making this an all encompassing record that feels like stepping into a completely formed world. So grab a glass of champagne and get your Foxtrot on, it’s a hella good party.
— Elliot Engel
It’s Big - Stunnaman02 and Drew Banga
When I interviewed Professa Gabel as part of his performance with Brycon on Lower Grand Radio, I asked him who some of his favorite local artists were. “Stunnaman02,” he said, no pause, no stutter. Released by Still Winnin and EMPIRE, IT’S BIG is the newest album by Stunnaman02 and Drew Banga, all high-rolling, walloping party music. With just two guest appearances—Bay Area rappers Lil Kayla and Su’Lan—it’s the number one party soundtrack for your weekend around the Bay.
— Ronny Kerr
Grand Prix - Grand-O
The Bay Area is a well known culinary destination, so it should come as no surprise that our rappers eat well. Most famously E-40, the “Goon with the Spoon,” has a line of tasty treats from burritos to ice cream to malt liquor, wine, and tequila. This past February saw Professa Gabel and Brycon’s latest album Corner Booth, an ode to stoic extravagance through eating well, name dropping duck confit, and setting their tracks in diners and mom and pops. And now self-proclaimed “The Peoples Palette” Grand-O dropped Grand Prix, an album chock-full of A-1 food references. From Quiznos to Pozole to the Gabel-assisted Nabisco, this is a 13-course meal of Michelin starred rap. Make sure you also check out Grand-O’s side project @thesnacksensei to keep up with what’s smack or wack in Bay Area snacks.
— Elliot Engel
HONORABLE MENTIONS
2 P’z in a Pod — Jay Worthy, Larry June
Spaceships on the Blade - Larry June
Qamp ft. Pallaví aka Fijiana, Stoni, Stoney Creation, Clear Mortifee, and Zharmila
WATER FOR THE TOWN v.4 - SMARTBOMB ft. Chris Keys, Jada Imani, Stanley Ipkuss, Sndtrak, Shy’an G, Salami Rose Joe Louis
Tales of the Town ft. Mani Draper, Rexx Life Raj, ALLBLACK, Kevin Allen, Pallaví aka Fijiana, 22nd Jim, JANE HANDCOCK, G-Eazy, P-Lo, LaRussell, Guapdad 4000, Shy’an G, Ian Kelly