It’s safe to say it’s been another chaotic year, both in and out of the music world.
There have been moments of reckoning and some contentious debates surrounding misogyny (and misogynoir), drill’s public image, and the age-old question of whether you can or should separate the artist from the music (no prizes for guessing who was at the centre of that one). We also lost some greats (R.I.P Coolio, Takeoff...).
But it wasn’t all bad. Here in the UK, Central Cee continued to smash up chart records and took the good word of British rap farther and wider than ever. Stormzy made a return (he never really went anywhere, but we got a lot of new music) with a new album in This Is What I Mean, and a stunning 10-minute visual for “Mel Made Me Do It”, which championed Black Brits from multiple generations and multiple fields. We also got a pretty decent Brit Awards this year—thanks to live performances from Little Simz, Dave, Giggs, Ghetts, Fredo and Meekz, not to mention some big wins for our homegrown rap scene.
In short, there was a lot to discuss this year and a fairly decent amount of it was good, at least in the music world. With that in mind, here’s the best of what the Complex UK team (and extended family) have been reading and rating in 2022.
Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson, EIC
Grime Transformed British Music. A New Exhibition Traces How.
By Desiree Ibekwe, The New York Times
July 8, 2022
The “Is UK R&B Dead?” Debate Has Got To Stop.
By Yemi Abiade, TRENCH Magazine
Aug. 1, 2022
What Is The Sound Of Drill? Brrrrrrrrrrap. Bang! Bam! Pow!
By Wayne Marshall, Vulture
Aug. 17, 2022
The Exploitation Of New York Drill Hits A Disturbing New Low
By Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork
Oct. 21, 2022
By Too $hort & E-40, The Atlantic
Nov. 15, 2022
James Keith, Contributing Editor
Review: Caspa & Rusko, Fabriclive.37
By Will Pritchard, Pitchfork
Jan. 9, 2022
The Assassination Of Drakeo The Ruler
By Jeff Weiss, LA Mag
Jan. 13, 2022
By Julian Kimble, The Ringer
Mar. 9, 2022
The Films That Made Us: Skinnyman On ‘Made In Britain’
By Sam Davies, Complex UK
May 5, 2022
By Shamira Ibrahim, Defector
Nov. 18, 2022
Claudia Valentina Cagna, Social Media Manager
Dréya Mac, The Rising West London Musician Approved By Rihanna
By Thandie Sibanda, Dazed & Confused
May 19, 2022
Amid A Rash Of Cheesy Samples, Is UK Rap Running Out Of Ideas?
By Will Pritchard, The Guardian
May 31, 2022
By Ray Sang, gal-dem
July 27, 2022
Giggs: The Godfather Of Road Rap
By Naz Hamdi, The Culture Crypt
Aug. 24, 2022
Why Stormzy’s “Mel Made Me Do It” Is An Instant Rap Classic
By Yemi Abiade, TRENCH Magazine
Sept. 26, 2022
Chantelle Fiddy, Contributor
By Tomas Fraser, Polymer
Jan. 17, 2022
Jamal Edwards, UK Music’s Beacon Of Light, Shines On Through Us All
By Joseph ‘JP’ Patterson, Complex UK
Feb. 23, 2022
MC Skibadee Tribute – This Style Was Identical To None
By Chris Kelly, UD Music
March 9, 2022
How Benga’s ‘Diary Of An Afro Warrior’ Shifted The Perception Of Dubstep
By Son Raw, TRENCH Magazine
May 31, 2022
How The #BrokenRecord Campaign Is Fighting To Fix The Music Industry
By Tom Gray, Mixmag
Sept. 16, 2022
Yemi Abiade, Contributor
By Rahel Aklilu, DJ Mag
June 15, 2022
Loyle Carner: ‘There’s A Whole Other Side To Me That’s Darker’
By Alex Mistlin, The Guardian
July 19, 2022
The Line Between Hip-Hop Journalist & Personality Is Only Getting More Blurry
By Elijah C. Watson, Okayplayer
Oct. 16, 2022
The Best UK Rap Albums Of All Time: Every Classic
By Hamza. R, Miccheque
Nov. 1, 2022
Uncut Tems: The Rise And Reign Of The Queen Of Alté R&B
By Natty Kasambala, Dazed & Confused
Nov. 29, 2022
Robert Kazandjian, Contributor
