There are those few artists we find that have a fully stocked discography chock-full of music that you can’t get enough of, with projects upon projects of works that were all just top-quality work, in 2022 for me, that was Vic Spencer. Over the last 7 years, Vic Spencer has risen to be one of the most well-respected figures in the Chicago underground rap scene through a stream of consistent releases, with 2022 having him drop 4 albums across the year. It is hard to choose just a single record from 2022 to showcase why he is so unique, but the track Only Ignorance Wins off his record Psychological Cheat Sheet 3.

What makes Spencer stand out so much to me as an MC is how distinctive he is. There is a lot to say about what exactly makes him distinct as an artist, he’s someone who can do so much, but this track is a prime example of him firing on all cylinders. Produced by August Fanon, Spencer, from the first second, effortlessly hits the ground running with an unrelenting flow across 5 different beat switches and does stop at all, pushing along with an unbridled flow that easily drives through each beat switches seamlessly. The idea of having 5 beat switches may seem gimmicky on paper, but it feels so incredibly natural, and for every beat switch, Spencer almost commands a new personality. This is also helped by some masterful sample choices and production work. 

Lyrically, Spencer keeps you on your feet; his bars are bursting to the brim with charisma and character, with a commanding voice that doesn’t make me doubt for a second anything he says on a track. From talking about cleaning his studio apartment to meeting someone in state and beating the hell out of them, no bar feels unbelievable.

This track was such a standout record for me in 2022, and honestly, the whole record is a gem, so for anyone looking for some phenomenal underground Hip-Hop, please give it a listen because Vic Spencer is one of the best in the game, and he is on my list for artist to look out for in 2023.