It has been a long, beautiful journey for Rap/Hip Hop. What was once described as “not real music” has become a dominant figure in pop culture and produced some of the most innovative musical minds the world has ever seen. In 2024, a cornucopia of phenomenally entertaining Hip-hop washed up on shore in a tidal wave of boom-bap, modern flair, and soulful undertones. The long list of Hip-hop releases emphasizes the sentiment that Rap & Hip Hop is far from dead, and one could argue that it is the most vibrant it has been in years. We saw releases from the genre’s significant stars break through the radio airwaves while the burgeoning underground delivered spectacular and innovative projects. If you think there is no good Hip-hop, you’re just not looking hard enough.
Glide is proud to present our selections for the ten best Rap/Hip Hop albums of 2024. Arranged in alphabetical order, we dug deep to give you what we feel is the best possible summary of the genre’s busy year. You can check out our complete list of picks below.
Blu & Evidence – Los Angeles
Blu has had an incredibly busy 2024. With the release of five albums and a book of poetry, the crown jewel of the West Coast artist’s prolific year comes as a love letter to his hometown. Los Angeles is entirely produced by fellow West Coast icon Evidence, as the producer’s hazy instrumentals act as a vibrant canvas for Blu’s face-melting songwriting. These 13 songs do more than salute the city’s storied Hip-hop history; they bridge the gap between the current burgeoning scene and the similarly-thriving landscapes of the city’s scene. With features ranging from legends like Kokane to more modern lane-pavers like MED, Blu and Evidence successfully craft an album that is undeniably their own while keeping an eye on their influences. The combination of Blu’s vivid storytelling and Evidence’s hard-hitting instrumentals places the listener right in the middle of Los Angeles as they guide you through a history lesson on their hometown while delivering colorful commentary.
Common & Pete Rock – The Auditorium, Vol. 1
In the summer, two Hip-hop legends breathed new life into their styles as Common sounds as refreshing as ever over Pete Rock’s ever-evolving production stylings. The Auditorium, Vol. 1, has the two titans of the genre crafting soulful examples of their prowess. Common’s bellowing voice delivers uplifting lyrics, and Rock lays down jazzy undertones that elevate the album’s sentiment. On paper, this album was destined to be a smash hit, but no one could’ve predicted The Auditorium would sound as fantastically nostalgic yet undeniably modern as it turned out. Rock’s nuanced sample techniques and Common’s relaxed flows harken back to their earlier output, but miraculously, those same elements make the album sound stubbornly present. Common and Rock achieved a delicate balance that has been awarded Grammy nods and multiple year-end list placements; the project’s longevity doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon.
Chuck Strangers – A Forsaken Lover’s Plea
After spending years bubbling in the underground and honing his vast array of talents, producer/rapper Chuck Strangers emerged with a statement piece in 2024. A Forsaken Lover’s Plea solidifies Strangers’s style as his own with his dark baritones juxtaposing jazzy keys, staggering sample flips, and moving drum patterns. Strangers achieved the sought-after balance of employing his influences without sounding anything like them, a lesson a lot of modern Hip-hop could learn from. For Strangers, it’s just another day. The quick yet potent 18-song album has Strangers sounding lively and more confident than on his previous releases, marking a turning point in his artistry. The shift is nuanced but made a world of difference for Strangers. A Forsaken Lover’s Plea is a poetic love letter to Stranger’s long journey and finds the artist at the mountain top waving a flag no one can take from him.
Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal
One of 2024’s MVPs and break-out stars, Florida’s Doechii, took over the year with an unpredictable style that the world’s greatest impressionist would struggle to copy. After grabbing the internet’s attention with two impressive mixtapes, Alligator Bites Never Heals cements the rising star as one of the brightest and most promising voices to come out of the South in a very long time. The artist’s acrobatic vocals are almost cartoonish in how they flip from one style to the next in seconds, but keeping you on your toes is exactly how Doechii likes it. As the artist exclaimed on the stand-out track, “Boom Bap,” narrowing down her style to one word is doing a disservice to her nuanced artistry. Whether she’s telling tales of past relationships, praising her Southern roots, or simply rapping until she’s out of breath, a refreshing charisma shines through. Alligator Bites Never Heal is the first sun ray to peek over the horizon. Doechii is an undeniably eccentric star who seems hellbent on taking over Hip-hop, and her first outing achieved this with flying colors.
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
After butting heads and emerging victorious with fellow Hip-hop powerhouse Drake, Kendrick Lamar puts a bow on his MVP year with an album that beautifully balances vulnerability and homage. GNX seamlessly transitions from energetic nods to West Coast tropes to confessional storytelling as Lamar continues to explore new territories without losing focus of his goals. The 12-song album came in a buzzer-beater moment at the end of November, releasing in the middle of a Friday with almost no promotion behind it. With features ranging from SZA to up-and-comers like AzChike and Dody6, Lamar capitalizes on the media frenzy he stirred up with an album that proves the artist is far from reaching his final artistic form.
Mach-Hommy – #RICHAXXHAITIAN
Don’t let the over-the-top album title fool you. Mach-Hommy is crafting some of the purest and most innovative Hip-hop in modern times. The prolific and ground-breaking artist took 2024 to release an opus of sorts with #RICHAXXHAITIAN, a journey through the warping rap stylings of the mysterious figure. With his signature bandana perched right on his nose, Hommy navigates off-kilter instrumentals to deliver his incomparable rhyme schemes as he shifts through his past to emerge with something entirely new. Hommy makes creating such an awe-inspiring LP look easy, but underneath the surface, a colorful complexity instantly captures your attention. With features ranging from KAYTRANADA to Black Thought, #RICHAXXHAITIAN only further proves what we long-time fans of Hommy knew: He is a pure Hip-hop artist unafraid to venture into uncharted waters and is seemingly unbothered by how criminally underrated he is. If there is one album every Hip-hop head should give a spin before the year ends, it is Mach-Hommy’s #RICHAAXXHAITIAN.
Rapsody – Please Don’t Cry
After what felt like a long wait, Rapsody returned in 2024 with Please Don’t Cry. The idea of an “underrated artist” gets thrown around a lot in this busy internet-driven atmosphere. Still, if there is anyone who deserves your undivided attention and praise, it’s Rapsody. For far too long, she has been releasing impressive LP after impressive LP, but there is something clearly different about Please Don’t Cry. There is a poetic vulnerability that drives these 22 songs. Even on the rhyme-heavy, up-tempo moments like “Raw” or “Back In My Bag,” Rapsody finds herself as hungry as ever. Even with plenty of assists from mainstream legends like Lil Wayne and Erykah Badu, you eagerly await to hear how Rapsody will approach each instrumental. In an era of short attention spans, Please Don’t Cry stands at a whopping 22 songs that somehow feel like they go back far too quickly. Rapsody never loses your attention as the artist balances melodic hooks and venomous verses on what is sure to be considered a modern-day classic.
Roc Marciano – Marciology
It is time to give Roc Marciano his flowers. After building one of the most impressive discographies in modern Hip-hop, ranging from albums fully produced by legends like The Alchemist to entirely self-produced outings, the rapper/producer released some of the most honed and eccentric music of his career on Marciology. Marciano’s diabolical vocal cadence can be heard at home over any type of instrumental, and that strength is on full display in this 14-song album. “Tapeworm” employs subtle psychedelia that elevates the luxurious storytelling elements, while “Higher Self” is a moody and intimidating stand-out with Marciano’s smooth flows soaring over silky strings. Whatever arena you throw him in, Marciano will out-rap just about anyone you put him up against. Marciology feels like a retrospective of all the transformations Roc Marciano’s style has undergone in his decades-long career, and it’s clear the artist’s pen is nowhere near tired.
ScHoolboy Q – Blue Lips
ScHoolboy Q releases his most daring and rewarding album in a shocking left-turn lined with staggering experimentation. Blue Lips is the result of fearless artistry blending with a veteran studio dweller as Q solidifies himself as an innovative voice whose prowess has caught up with his lofty visions. The album transitions from punk-influenced bangers to vulnerable jazz to West Coast Hip-hop nostalgia as the unassuming mastermind filters his influences through his kaleidoscope-like visions. These risks are anchored to earth via Q’s acrobatic vocal stylings. All over Blue Lips, the artist stretches his flows from soaring falsettos to deep, intimidating baritones. The writing is blunt, but that’s because Q explores a lifetime of emotions and whittles them down to 18 mind-bending examples of pure artistry. It is finally time for Q to get his flowers, and after Blue Lips, his position in Hip-hop reaches undeniable heights.
Your Old Droog – Movie
“And y’all got no choice; you have to mention me as the premier counter-culture artist of the century,” raps Droog on “Mercury Thermometers.” Of all the head-spinning bars delivered on Your Old Droog’s Movie, this one summarizes the artist’s headspace the most. Droog has long proven himself as one of the most prolific and hard-hitting writers in modern Hip-hop, and a cinematic album like his 2024 release cements him as such. For 18 spellbinding tracks lined with nostalgic nods to Hip-hop and contemporary references, Droog seamlessly navigates neck-breaking drums to deliver his ever-refreshing perspective. Tracks like the aforementioned “Mercury Thermometers” and “Crescent Moon” are hook-less examples of Droog’s dominance over the English language. At the same time, “I Think I Love Her” and “Yodi Dodi” prove the artist’s ability to craft catchy hooks. Movie is a sprawling yet honed effort from a young veteran as Droog bullies his way into the top five conversations with nothing but pure Hip-hop.
One Response
The Hip Hop albums of 2024 are truly iconic, proving that the genre is still heavy and creative!