WES FLEXNERANONROCKNROLL’s NACC Chart 2022 Top Ten

Everything in my list finds influence from where I live, Columbus, Ohio.

I don’t know if that’s wrong or right.

I know we survived a plague, an attempt at fascism in the midst of inflation, and intense psyops.

Within our societies’ construct, Black Starr, and Kendrick Lamar provide gps for my local context for the sake of comprehension. Black Starr said ‘May I have a Black Starr sequel said Black Caucus.’ during a song off of their latest release from Dave Chappelle.

This line foreshadowed the last thing I attended before I wrote my NAAC 2022 list: Congressional Black Caucus’ Chairperson Joyce Beatty invited moi into Ohio State Universities’ annual Rosa Park’s Celebration 12- 7th, 2022.. Since the Congressional Black Caucus’ establishment in 1971,

The Congressional Black Caucus uses Constitutional power, statutory authority, and financial resources of the federal government to ensure that African Americans and other communities in the United Stares find opportunities to achieve..

Joyce Beatty represents District 3, in Columbus, Ohio.

I live and make my radio shows in 3.

We watched a movie about Rosa Parks. Joyce Beatty led a conversation about Rosa Parks as an example of an individual’s good trouble can change the world. I felt an 2022 importance within Park’s history as conveyed by one of the most important women in our country, Joyce Beatty.

We were reminded of Rosa Park’s stand, motivation and results.

Joyce talked about current attempts at voting suppression and the need for everyone’s understanding of their importance in improving our society. I’ve interacted with Joyce Beatty before but I hadn’t heard Joyce Beatty speak.

Joyce Beatty provided an eloquent and compelling conversation about the relevance of Rosa Park’s in 2022.

I almost cried at the fact in at the end of 2022, we are still fighting oppressions which should’ve been eliminated in the 60’s. Beatty’s presentation commenced at 6:15pm.

I produce BSA Hip Hop, Thursdays at 7pm.

I left for BSA radio show after an intermission.

During BSA Hip Hop, I played several songs from Black Star’s No Fear of Time release which exists from recording sessions of Kweli, and Yaesiin rapping backstage at Ohio Native Dave Chappelle’s shows over Madlib production.

After almost crying, I found myself listening with Kweli’s reference of Beatty in a verse which discussed our nation’s racial context with a 2022 lense within an hour ten minutes from where Congressional Black Caucus’ Chairwomen talked..

Beatty’s celebration close location within walking distance from where I live.

Earlier in the year I saw Kendrick rap, 5 minutes from where Beatty presented Rosa Parks.

Kendrick’s show combined Pac with contemporary artist Kara Walker.

I realized Kendrick winning a Pulitzer Prize, and releasing the last album of Lamar’s TDE contract allowed an ambitious artistic release which wasn’t reliant of commercial success.

Kendrick knew his artistic portfolio would build equity for his next release.

While writing this, I’m undecided if I liked Kendrick or the Black Thought/ Danger Mouse album, Cheat Codes better.. Danger Mouse’s presence in Ohio is tangible because of his hip hop work during El-P/Atmosphere’s epoch , and Danger Mouse’s production of the Black Keys.

Cheat Codes felt like Black Thought/Danger Mouse made a Def Jux album in 2022 which didn’t occur with the Roots.

French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard died while I played Cheat Codes from a technic 1200 from my home within a 10 minute walk from where I later saw Beatty’s Rosa Park’s Tribute.

While perusing Cheat Codes, I watched a Godard movie with Dangermouse rap song from the Jux era.

I didn’t know our Hip Hop communities’ proximity from Godard.

After finding out Dangermouse worked with Godard, I realized this album coincided with a radio performance piece I did where I played the French New Wave director’s audio clips in a manner which collaged extremism in American Politics with NACC music.

This made contemplate Black Thought and Dangermouse as Banksy-Hop.

Black Thought and Danger Mouse are considered important in music.

I didn’t forget his feeling in a week.

Later, I attended Pusha T’s Columbus show within a bus ride of my building during the week Godard died from the number 1 line.

I thought Godard filmmaking’s of politics, beautiful women and style in a collage form found a kindred spirit in rap aesthetics. Pusha T’s verbal skills provided an interesting layer in light of his proximities.

While all these shows were tremendous, this wasn’t the conclusion of an intense live music year.

Turnstile sold out the Express Live. Franz Lyons from Turnstile exists in part because of Columbus’ punk rock, skateboard, and rap scene. I thought it was fitting Turnstile, and Dangermouse have overlapping Ohio hip hop, and rock communities. The biggest show of the year in Columbus featured one of these overlaps….

The Black Keys…

The Black Keys, Nine Inch Nails, the Breeders, Dave Grohl and The James Gang enthralled a Vet’s Benefit concert at Nationwide Arena, in Columbus.

The Black Keys entered with GZA’s Liquid Swords then sequenced hits with new songs from The Black Key’s newest album, Drop Out Boogie.

While the Key’s played a Gangstarr influenced song, Ex Girl, and Dropout Boogie’s hit song: Wild Child….

…..I pondered Dropout Boogie from its Captain Beefheart title and a study of classic rock within rap spray process perspective.

I find a similar understanding of Godard’s influence on Danger Mouse, and Pusha T.

The Black Key’s Dropout Boogie which found the bridge between Captain Beefheart, and ZZ Top in a creative release. From a hip hop writer standpoint,

I am trained that rap spray songs are something you feel in, and utilize as a learning tool.

I can’t confirm of deny the song Wild Child is informed by the high of the movie Wild Style’s portrait of youth as an artist.

I can say the Black Keys show with rock legends James Gang in Columbus made a sound argument for the culture Rock N Roll which I internalized as someone whose Hip Hop writer lifestyle’s identity contingency built from the imperative Krs-One once said “Rap is something you do, Hip Hop is something you live.”

Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Black Starr, KRS-1 and others spent 2022 coming out of covid isolation with statements for Hip Hop as a genre.

Black Keys advocated RockNRoll as a cultural continuum with Dropout Boogie.

While the Keys weren’t political, The Black Keys showed an informed understanding of Rock N Roll….The healing of our country will need people who make valid forms of music which find understanding within the genre, and make people respond with physics.

2022 Music reinstated Music’s histories significance in contemporary culture after a plague.

Radio connected communities during a plague, and radio allows an instant experiential vibrance as we develop our future.