2024 brought a cavalcade of great releases from prolific artists like Chief Keef and Mach-Hommy, veterans like Lupe Fiasco and Mozzy reaffirmed their prowess, while 2023 breakouts like Sexyy Red and That Mexican OT proved their staying power with hit-filled 2024 releases. New stars like BossMan Dlow announced their arrivals with aplomb. Fuerza Regida changed Mexican music with a genre-bending new album; Oxlade delved into the rich music history of his home continent of Africa; Jae Stephens brought flirtatious fun back to R&B and many more!
Since changing the rap game as a teenager in 2012, Chief Keef has established himself as one of the most creative and influential rappers in the game. Over a decade into his incredible career–and still only 29-years-old–Sosa set out to prove his bonafides as a raw spitter and veritable one-man-band, dropping Almighty So 2, his entirely self-produced album.
Released to high anticipation after an extended period of dotting i’s and crossing t’s, Almighty So 2 followed up the rapper’s beloved 2013 mixtape Almighty So. The young auteur mostly eschews melody on the album–instead he resolves to showcase his rapping, sharpening his pen and emptying out his arsenal of flows. Sosa throws his entire body into his vocal performances, whether he’s building in intensity until he reaches a thunderous crescendo, or delivering his smirking punchlines with an audible disrespect. As a producer, Sosa expands his palette, incorporating samples of soul and classical music to give his music an imposing grandeur, and adding footwork drum patterns that show how much he still owes to his hometown of Chicago. Though he produced the album himself, he welcomes kindred spirits like Sexyy Red and G Herbo into the fold as guest rappers, and coaxes a career-best verse from Tierra Whack on “Banded Up.”
Several of the album’s songs have already established themselves as career highlights: “1,2,3” finds Sosa duetting with a Wilson Pickett sample as he hammers each syllable with precision; the dreamy “Drifting Away” takes cues from a fellow Chicago rapper-producer with a hazy soundscape and dreamlike lyrics; mission statement “Believe” boasts one of Keef’s most memorable, off-color boasts: “I could live in the jungle and come out with a hyena hat.”
The crown jewel of a year that also included the DIRTY NACHOS collaborative tape with Mike Will Made-It and Sosa’s first performance in Chicago in over a decade, Almighty So 2 was a true landmark of the year in hip-hop, debuting at #10 on Billboard’s Top Hip-Hop/R&B Albums chart. More than a high-water mark in a great career, the album signifies a new chapter for Sosa: he knows now that there is nothing he cannot accomplish.
Enigmatic rapper Mach-Hommy keeps his government name unpublished, maintains no social media presence, and covers his face with a bandana of the Haitian flag. The way he sees it: why should he reveal any personal information if he puts all of himself into his music?
Mach’s 2024 album, #RICHAXXHAITIAN, is possibly the prolific artist’s most personal yet. The Newark-via-Port Au Prince rapper’s latest is the fourth and final entrant in a Tetralogy about his homeland of Haiti, providing a wide-ranging account of how the issues affecting the island nation intersect with problems facing the world at large. Drawing inspiration from influences across the musical spectrum, #RICHAXXHAITIAN is intended to be a small musical panacea for his troubled homeland, amidst poverty and political strife, combating the public’s negative images of Haiti by focusing on the greatness and prosperity of the country’s diaspora. Over the course of the album, Mach-Hommy emphasizes the country’s potential, strategizing ways that his troubled homeland could become an exemplar of Black cultural and economic excellence.
The album features production from heavy-hitters, including his frequent collaborators, GRAMMY-nominee Conductor Williams and acclaimed producer Sadhu Gold, who Mach inspires to provide their most inventive beats to date. Fellow Haitian diaspora member KAYTRANADA serves up a danceable heater that became lead single “#RICHAXXHAITIAN,” also featuring 03 Greedo, while GRAMMY-nominated producer Quelle Chris and Afro-futurist artist HEPHZIBAH also do their thing. Mach rolls out the red carpet for peers like Black Thought, long a big fan of Mach’s music, and fellow underground legend Roc Marciano, and connects with regular sparring partners like Your Old Droog, Tha God Fahim, and Big Cheeko, providing a familiar anchor for longtime fans and ice cold bars for anyone who might not be familiar with their chemistry.
Attempting to transform our modern dystopia into a utopia using only his rhymes and force of will, Mach-Hommy invites us all, from his most loyal investors to his freshest fans, to imagine a brand new world. With #RICHAXXHAITIAN, named by Pitchfork, Vulture, Complex, Okayplayer, and many more as one of the best albums of the year so far, that seemingly impossible dream creeps ever closer.
Hailing from Port Salerno, Florida, BossMan Dlow saw a void in the rap game–one crying out for an outrageously confident, eminently quotable, and unapologetically flex-heavy rapper who can back up what he says in his rhymes. On Mr Beat The Road, the 26-year-old artist proved that he was exactly what the game needed.
Delivering on his promise to mess up the game, Mr Beat The Road is packed to the gills with hits, including the PLATINUM-selling, Billboard Hot 100 Top 50-charting breakout “Get In With Me,” viral, GOLD-certified follow-up “Mr Pot Scraper,” and TikTok-trending banger “Talk My Sh*t” (also certified GOLD). Dlow is the master of the unexpected flex, using his slippery flow to set up punchlines that stick in your head after only one listen. Over the course of the tape’s 17 tracks, Dlow paints himself as a larger than life figure, each song colorfully illustrating new details of his whip-swerving, hard-trapping, rack-stacking lifestyle.
Riding the momentum of his viral hits, Mr Beat The Road was an immediate success, debuting at #20 on the Billboard 200 with 24k sold. The album has still not left the chart, spending 29 weeks and counting, and in the process catapulted Dlow to a spot on 2024’s XXL Freshman list. The young rapper continues to race his Bentley Bentayga to the top of the game…hop in, or get out of the way.
Lupe Fiasco has firmly established himself as one of rap music’s most accomplished and talented writers, but even two decades into his career, he still has something to prove. His ninth studio album, Samurai, is short, but ambitious, inspired by Amy Winehouse and imagining if she used her considerable artistic talents to become a battle rapper. While the concept seems to come out of left field, Lupe makes it feel natural. Soundtrakk, Lupe’s longtime collaborator who produced the album in full, is a major reason why, serving up lived-in, soulful instrumentals that inspire some of the most intricate and introspective bars in Lupe’s storied career. Lupe uses the far-flung concept as a vehicle to examine the triumphs and tragedy of an artistic life, examining the grueling process and dogged determination required to maintain a career and master a craft. As someone who has successfully walked the line between commercial success and following his muse, and a virtuosic wordsmith to boot, there are few artists more qualified to speak on the topic than Lupe Fiasco.
The album became one of the most critically acclaimed of Lupe’s career, earning great reviews from Pitchfork and The Needle Drop and a comprehensive interview in Rolling Stone.
“I sometimes get tagged by my fans as not doing personal records,” Lupe says, “but I always tell people there’s me in there if you listen closely enough. This album is one of my more personal records to date. It’s not a full biography, but my personal experiences are tied up in all of my music. A lot of the records are me. Some are from the POV of a character. and some are me. The album weaves things from my life as an artist, touching on things other artists go through.”
Sexyy Red is hip-hop’s most reliable party-starter, delivering chant-along bangers that put a bad girl spin on classic trap music. Embracing her status as a rising icon, Sexyy’s project In Sexyy We Trust kept the train rolling, bringing a bevy of X-rated hits, including Billboard Hot 100 Top 20-charting smash “Get It Sexyy,” and an array of “vulgar-ass quotables required to be shouted anytime you have a drop of alcohol in your system” (Pitchfork). The album was executive-produced by Tay Keith, who collaborates with Sexyy on highlights like the titanic banger “Ova Bad,” “Awesome Jawsome,” an explicit ode to dreadheads, and the chant-able anthem “TTG (Go).” The album reflects Sexyy’s deep knowledge of and abiding love for Southern and Midwestern trap sounds, dabbling with Miami bass, Chicago drill, Memphis trap, and more, all marked with the signature Sexyy stamp. The mixtape also boasted “U My Everything,” a collaboration with Sexyy’s #1 fan, Drake, scoring yet another Hot 100 hit for the rising star.
Defying doubters who thought that the success of Sexyy’s iconic 2023 tape Hood Hottest Princess was unrepeatable, In Sexyy We Trust was an immediate success, debuting at #17 on the Billboard 200 and peaking at #5 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The 12-song set earned a nomination for “Album Of The Year” at the 2024 BET Hip-Hop Awards, and was named one of the Best Albums of 2024 So Far by Rolling Stone, the Associated Press, among others. In Sexyy We Trust, along with her star-studded “Sexyy 4 President Tour,” continued to establish Sexyy as one of the most promising stars in the game. And she did it entirely on her terms.
Ascendant stars in the world of Mexican music, Fuerza Regida have never been afraid to experiment with their sound. Their most recent album, Pero No Te Enamores, was a drastic departure for the 5-man group, incorporating elements of EDM, Jersey club, and Hip-Hop, creating a unique mixture that the band calls, “Jersey corridos.”
To create the album, with a title that translates to “but don’t fall in love,” frontman Jesus Ortiz Paz (JOP) gathered an enviable collection of collaborators to help craft the sound, including EDM heavy-hitters Major Lazer, Alok, and Gordo, Colombian pop superstar Maluma, and Mexico City rapper Bellakath. The album bounces from style to style, but remains grounded by JOP’s gravelly singing voice and relatable lyrics, keeping the same devil-may-care energy that Fuerza fans have always loved.
The fans rewarded the band’s ambitions by making the album a success. propelling it to #2 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums Chart and at #23 on the Billboard 200. The album landed 8 new songs on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, led by focus track “NEL,” which also placed at #91 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and has since peaked at #70). Three songs from the album landed on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart: “SOFIA” ft. Major Lazer & Alok (#20), “KYLIE” (#23) and “FVCK” ft. Afrojack (#30). The album was one of the biggest Latin albums of the year, reaching #1 on Apple Music’s All-Genre albums chart, making the band only the third-ever Latin artist to reach #1 on the All-Genre Albums chart for two consecutive albums, following Bad Bunny and Karol G.
A natural spitter and a student of the game, That Mexican OT is the heir apparent to the Texas rap throne. His 2024 album, Texas Technician, is a thrilling exploration of his state’s rich hip-hop history, surveying Lone Star State styles from Geto Boys-esque horrorcore, to Screwed Up slow bangers, to the hard-stomping, tippin’ on 44s trill era. Throughout, OT is the consummate host, welcoming Texas legends like Slim Thug, Paul Wall, and Z-Ro, among many others, and proving that he’s one of the best young rappers working. He doesn’t flow as much as he purrs, rolling his letters with aplomb, dipping into country-fried melodies, and spitting like he was born to do it. Deepening the world OT introduced with last year’s Lonestar Luchador, the tape is home to highlights like the GOLD-certified, Billboard-charting “02.02.99,” and the popular Moneybagg Yo-featuring “Twistin’ Fingaz.”
Debuting at #64 on the Billboard 200, Texas Technician earned critical acclaim, reaching #14 on Stereogum’s list of Best Albums of 2024 So Far.
Oxlade emerged as one of Nigeria’s most promising acts on the back of songs like “KU LO SA” and “AWAY,” his honeyed vocals transforming him into a global rising star. As he continues to grow, Oxlade is determined to become an ambassador for the continent of Africa, using his deep knowledge of the continent’s musical diversity and historical styles to move hearts and minds, and prove that there is much more to African music than just Afrobeats.
Oxlade’s first step in that direction was Oxlade From Africa, his highly-anticipated debut album, a 16-track musical journey that takes the sounds of Africa to the world. Home to “KU LO SA,” which has over 575 million streams, the album combines African genres like Fela Kuti-style Afrobeat, Nigerian high life, Coupé-décalé, Congolese rumba, and international sounds like R&B, hip-hop, and dancehall. On standout singles like “OVAMI” and “IFA,” the celebratory and romantic mood is palpable, as Oxlade and his guests serenade their lovoers and stand up for what they believe in. Also home to highlights like “Intoxycated” ft. Dave and “Asunasa (Hold Your Waist)” ft. Wande Coal, each praised by The New York Times.
Annihilating artificial creative boundaries with her music, Bktherula always does whatever she wants. On her 2024 album LVL5 P2, Bk ascends to another plane, seesawing between high-octane aggression and ethereal ballads, illustrating the contradictory emotions that come with being a 22-year-old rising rap star.
Deepening a style she explored with her acclaimed 2023 album LVL5 P1, the new album deposits the listener directly into Bk’s sonic realm, crafted by Bk with assistance from producers like azure, Simmyauto, among others. Songs like “THE WAY” and new highlight “RACKS UP” add dollops of clean electric guitar to her room-enveloping sound, while songs like “WISHUWASDACREW” and “INSANE” borrow elements from chiptune and her beloved video game soundtracks. Bktherula always sounds perfectly at home, whether she’s yearning for her love on a ballad like “JUST MAKE SURE,” or tearing through chaotic rage beats on songs like “CODE” or the ferocious single “TATTI.”
Other highlights from LVL5 P2 include “SHAKIN IT,” tinged with sexy drill, and the wistful, yet hedonistic “CRAYON.” With the world in the palm of her hand and limitless ambition, there’s no telling where Bk will go next.
Inglewoood 18-year-old 310babii made history and headlines when he earned a PLATINUM plaque and a high school diploma on the same day this summer. Freed from his studies and ready to become a full-fledged rap star, 310babii turned up the heat with his new project 310degrees.
With help from L.A. sound architects including Bankroll Got It, Pilgrim, Diego Ave, TRGC, and more, 310babii keeps the temperature high across the album’s 13 tracks, offering high-tempo heaters purpose-built to rock the club. Money, cars, clothes, girls–all of these things come easily to him, but 310babii never loses his cool, navigating the high life with a wisdom beyond his years.
The young Inglewood native’s second album of the year, 310degrees is home to multiple viral singles, including both versions of “rock your hips,”: one featuring Saweetie, and another with fellow L.A. heavy-hitters OhGeesy and BlueBucksClan. “rock your hips” went viral on TikTok, reaching #6 on Billboard’s TikTok Top 50 and racking up over 100k video creations (along with 2.5 million combined YouTube views), and is currently #16 on the Rhythmic radio airplay chart. “rock your hips” was the Inglewood native’s second viral hit of the summer, following the dancefloor-filling “pink whitney,” which peaked at #26 on the TikTok x Billboard chart. Also on the tracklist is “forward back,” a bass-heavy, Bankroll Got It-produced banger that earned a spot on the soundtrack for NBA2k25.
A proven hitmaker already, 310degrees shows that 310babii is more than just a rap prodigy: he’s on track to become the West Coast’s next megastar.
A veteran who has seen it all and is dedicated to giving back, Mozzy is the lifeblood of his Oak Park, Sacramento community. His 2024 album, Children of the Slums, is dedicated to those members of the community who have not been able to escape rough circumstances, and turn to Mozzy when in need of hope, inspiration, and a helping hand.
A deeply felt and emotional album, Children Of The Slums chronicles the hardships of those born into poverty–many of whom appear in photos on the album’s cover–and details their daily trials and tribulations: “FREE JUJU” salutes a young man who lost his way, even after Mozzy took him under his wing, “MISS YOU BLOOD” mourns a close friend who grew up with Mozzy in the trenches, while opening track “DAMN” relates the story of a young dealer betrayed by a man he thought was his brother. These stories coexist alongside Mozzy’s perspective as an individual who made it out, but still feels the pull of his old community and is determined to do whatever he can to help.
“Growing up in the slums, we all thought that our way of life was the only one out there,” says Mozzy. “We didn’t have a choice. Most people think gangbanging and being captivated by the streets is a choice, but we don’t have that choice. We’re either a victim or become victimized. Even though I was fortunate enough to escape, I still take my role as a leader in that community very seriously. Somebody dies or goes to jail, I’m the first person they reach out to. Even though my life has turned out well, I am still deeply rooted and deeply connected to the slums. It’s impossible for me to fully break away.”
Fresh off being named a coveted Apple Up Next artist, a 2024 XXL Freshman, and Billboard Rookie of the Month, Cash Cobain shared his highly-anticipated sophomore album Play Cash Cobain via Giant Music with an accompanying music video for his long-awaited Pop Smoke tribute, “Act Like”.
Yeat has kicked off a new era with the release of latest highly anticipated album LYFESTYLE — out now via Lyfestyle Corporation / Field Trip / Capitol Records. Earlier this year, Yeat catapulted the world into the future with the release of blockbuster project 2093. Now, he travels back to present day to deliver LYFESTYLE, a thrilling rap album highlighting the dynamic and experimental style that’s become synonymous of Yeat’s growing discography while also paying homage to the young artist’s early career. Today’s release of LYFESTYLE cements Yeat as one of hip hop’s most established and respected new artists, being embraced by peers with superstar collaborations across the album including Don Toliver, Lil Durk, and Kodak Black. The new album also arrives alongside new merch in collaboration with designer Heron Person and Cactus Plant Flea Market. The 21-track project showcases Yeat continuing his fruitful creative relationships with some of his original collaborators including Summrs and producer Synthetic.
ATL GRAMMY-nominated and Billboard chart-topping rap duo, EARTHGANG, shared their new album Perfect Fantasy via UnitedMasters. The LP arrives alongside an accompanying music video for the Pharrell Williams-produced record “U Gotta”. Shot in Tokyo, the Hideyuki Ishii-directed video finds EARTHGANG embracing Japanese culture by exploring the colorful city, mingling with fans, go-karting, and capping it all off with a dance party at an undisclosed location. In addition to Pharrell, Perfect Fantasy includes features from Snoop Dogg, Little Dragon, Cochise, Damon Albarn, and T-Pain, who guested on lead single “Love You More”. Bucking industry trends alongside the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Perfect Fantasy is EARTHGANG’s first independently-released album, allowing them to drop it on a Tuesday instead of Friday, which gives fans the chance to live with the music throughout the week. A conceptual project that explores the effects of AI on society, Perfect Fantasy is the final chapter in their EARTHGANG VS. The Algorithm series and finds the duo questioning the ways advanced technologies are consuming our lives while dreaming of an alternate universe where humans could live more freely.
2024 XXL Freshman Rich Amiri dropped his long-anticipated sophomore album WAR READY. The 18-track project boasts features from OsamaSon on “AMIRI TRENDSETTER” and “IM WITH IT” and follows singles “COUNT MY BANDZ” (8M+ Streams) and “KEEP IT COOL” (45M+ Streams), released earlier this year. WAR READY finds the Los Angeles rapper expanding on the carefully-crafted sonic universe he cultivated on his 2023 breakthrough album Ghetto Fabulous, which featured RIAA Platinum-certified smash hit “ONE CALL” (900M+ Streams). Known for his unmistakable baritone and genre-bending trap sound, Rich Amiri draws from a wide array of influences on his latest full-length outing, whether it’s the visionary production of Kanye West, the melodic flows of Future, or the otherworldly psychedelia of Tame Impala.
Following a breakthrough 2023 year, Memphis rap cornerstone YTB Fatt shared his new mixtape On Zai via 10K Projects. The long-awaited follow-up to the rapper’s acclaimed 2023 mixtape Foxes Only, which peaked at #5 on the Apple Music Album Charts, On Zai is dedicated to Fatt’s fallen brother, Zai, and explores themes of love, heartbreak, and street politics across the project’s 19 tracks. The tape boasts contributions from Lil Baby, Rylo Rodriguez, Blac Youngsta, GloRilla, NoCap, and Fatt Macc and follows singles “Score”, “Get Up On It”, and the Beanie Sigel-sampling “In The Air” (feat. Rylo Rodriguez). On Zai arrives on the heels of a strong year for the Memphis emcee, who signed to Moneybagg Yo’s storied Loaf Boyz label in January 2023.
This is just the top of the list of a banner year for Hip Hop, Rap, and R&B music. Stay tuned to HipHopSince1987.com for the best new music in 2025 and beyond!
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