With “FNF,” GloRilla achieved the holy grail: a universally loved song that is also an authentic window into her personality. It’s clear that the 23-year-old rapper is just being herself, flapping her arms around a vast parking lot with a squad of girlfriends, one of which flashes a 42-ounce bottle of malt liquor, all of which shout the infectious chorus at the top of their lungs. But it’s GloRilla’s husky, snarling delivery that makes “FNF” best-of-year material. Nevertheless, the CMG signee came, saw and conquered thanks to her hair-swinging hit record, “FNF.” The Hitkidd-produced beat is immediately enjoyable, inciting mischievous excitement by way of its simple dark piano melody and a drum pattern to get even the most reluctant partygoer out of their seat and onto the dance floor. Memphis newcomer GloRilla dropping one of the biggest hits of the year was probably not on most music fans’ bingo cards. Can 2023 carry the same momentum and “big energy”? Only time will tell until then, check out Billboard’s Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2022 below. No genre is more comforting to listen to than R&B, and 2023. The quality of hip-hop records in 2022 came from all walks of life and different sectors of the map, keeping us engaged, intrigued and hungry for more. W ith absolute madness occurring in the world on what seems like a daily basis, fans are most likely needing some comfort music. Kendrick Lamar’s precision and innate ability to connect with listeners remains second to none, as proven on “Rich Spirit” and “N95,” while Jay-Z’s agile wordplay continues to be at a hall-of-fame level after rattling off an impressive 80-bar melee on DJ Khaled’s Grammy-nominated “God Did.” Vince Staples - who delivered a top-five effort on Billboard’s Best 20 Hip-Hop Albums of 2022 - doled out quality records as well, whether it was the DJ Mustard-anchored single “Magic” or the criminally underappreciated gem “When Sparks Fly.” Also, no one expected the Memphis rookie GloRilla to cause tremors in the genre with her earthshaking anthems “FNF” and “Tomorrow 2.” Her surplus of hits allowed men and women to get loud and rowdy together as they chanted her lyrics with gusto.Īnd when we weren’t in a partying mood, we received doses of high-octane lyricism and thoughtfulness from our most well-spoken MCs. Once the ball dropped, Gunna ignited the flame with his club-ready single “Pushin P’,” which made the 16th letter in the alphabet top-tier on social media. Hip-hop experienced twists and turns throughout 2022.

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