With a constant stream of exciting releases, there was never a dull moment all year. As long as you know where to look, that is. Artists from all over the country had drop incredible albums, from California to Atlanta to Virginia. Some pushing hip hop’s many subgenres forward, while some keep to its most true format. So many different movements going on simultaneously, but only a few can be the best of the year. While these may be my picks, let us know your picks as well!
#10: 03 Greedo & Helluva – Hella Greedy
California rapper 03 Greedo’s return was long awaited by many, but releases like Halfway There felt under-baked compared to what we have seen him be capable of. Everything that felt missing on that one however, the true hits, unique flows, speaking on personal topics, are delivered in spades on Hella Greedy.
Linking with Detroit producer Helluva, the album has an incredible unique bounce in its production, with Greedo delivering all kinds of melodies & sounds over them. We finally get to hear him hit deeper on serious topics like the loss of Ketchy the Great on the dedicated track “Ketchup.” As well as getting equally a good balance of hits with songs like “Sumn Pretty.” If anything, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better intro track delivered with such passion as “Still in Shocc.” While this is just one of his many releases for the year, this one feels the full package.
Listen to Hella Greedy
#9: Apollo Brown & Crimeapple – This, Is Not That
NJ MC Crimeapple’s output seemingly never stops, making it easy to get lost in his own release cycle, but Apollo Brown always seems to pull something unique out of his collaborators. While the typical drug dealing bars can be found on This, Is Not That from Crime, on this one he taps into many tracks of self-reflection, viewing his own flaws & personal growth. This, in part, could be attributed to Apollo’s production; which is of one of his cleanest sounding works to date. Both the mature-sounding production paired with these topics make for top tier releases in both artists’ catalogues.
Listen to This, Is Not That
#8: Bear1Boss – Bubbles
Atlanta artist Bear1Boss is another artist with a ridiculous output, but every now & then he has a release that just feels a cut above the rest. In this case, we got this in the release of Bubbles. An album that feels like the most carefree world, a world that’s filled nothing but bright eccentric sounds & Polo Ralph Lauren, Bear1 playfully glides through this colorful world.
Its a world that’s still ultimately rooted in Atlanta’s history though, one with a particular angle on Futuristic Swag, which comes clear on tracks like “Theme Song,” as well as when he taps into features such as KEY! & Bermuda Yae. Its an album that feels like its building its own world, but still smartly pulling from his own city’s history, becoming one of the most forward-thinking albums you can find today.
Listen to Bubbles
#7: Beatking – Never Leave Houston on a Sunday
Its easy to dismiss Houston, Texas artist Beatking’s music as nothing but vulgar club hits, but he felt like he starting to put together real albums (not just mixtapes) with She Won’t Leave Houston & Never Leave Houston on a Sunday.
This one in particular feels the release that his truly his own, while it still occasionally uses women for hooks, Never Leave Houston is by & large a product of his own. No big record label backing, mostly his own hooks, his own raps, his own production & no features, and somehow every track feels like a hit on the edge of blowing up. Its hard to think of any artist that was doing it like this, and his passing will be a loss that leaves a hole in the industry.
Listen to Never Leave Houston on a Sunday
#6: DJ Fresh & Curren$y – The Tonite Show: The Sequel
New Orleans native Curren$y typically has a large output in any given year, but 2024 was a slower one for him. This absolutely paid off though in the form of The Tonite Show: The Sequel. Reconnecting with California-based producer DJ.Fresh since their 2020 release, the ante feels upped on this one. Fresh’s production is more layered than ever before, with Curren$y rapping with an energy that hasn’t been felt like this in years, the two create one of the smoothest releases you can find this year.
There’s a perfect balance of funky sounds, paired with some notable features from the likes of Paul Wall & Payroll Giovanni to name a few. Nothing feels more classic than the outro as well, a four beat track roulette that feels invokes memories of finding that one hidden track on an album sitting through everything just to hear it all over again.
Listen to The Tonite Show: The Sequel
#5: Sideshow – F.U.N. T.O.Y.
When “RIP TY RIP RICCO (T PAIN)” released, I had a feeling that the album would be a wild ride. F.U.N. T.O.Y. is album that looks directly in the face of vices in a God-fearing world, wondering how to deal with all the pain & how to keep persevering. For how bleak it may be described, it sounds anything but that. Tracks like “HOLY GHOST” have the most wildly inventive beats, with so many tracks feeling like they’re constantly building with a never-ending release. A blend of some Cali-flavored bass-lines, but ultimately a plugg focused sound, there’s quite the mix that can be heard on here.
Listen to F.U.N. T.O.Y.
#4: Phiik & Lungs – Carrot Season
The NY duo of Phiik & Lungs typically pulls out the most abrasive production imaginable, but this time around, Carrot Season feels like they have tapped into the roots of NY. Instead of sounding like they’re making outright noise rap, the production of on this one feels cleaner, which might deter those looking for the more out-there sound but makes for possibly their most accessible release yet.
This sound also seemingly lets their NY-focused bars hit even harder, sounding not like a reaction to the city but a product of the city. The flows are as relentless as ever, so there still will be a barrier of entry for some, but its worth the chance if you never have heard them before.
Listen to Carrot Season
#3: Boldy James & Nicholas Craven – Penalty of Leadership
Some of the best art comes from pain, and Boldy James apparently made it a priority to deliver some of his best after a car accident. Linking up with Nicholas Craven once again after their victory lap of an album Fair Exchange No Robbery, Penalty of Leadership serves as a reminder that it can all go away at the drop of a hat. Craven laces Boldy with some incredibly vibrant production, as Boldy reclaims why he does all these raps in the first place.
Listen to Penalty of Leadership
#2: Glokk40Spaz – Da Real Oso
Atlanta rapper Glokk40Spaz has been one of the more influential figures in his own scene, with a flow that has found its way into quite a few other rapper’s styles. Cutting out all the fat that was found on Took the Biggest Risk, Da Real Oso gives a pure Glokk40 release. Few singing autotuned cuts, with focus being primarily raw aggression with the help of (mostly) producer F1LTHY. Out of any artist that might fall under that Dark Plugg label, Glokk40 easily sounds the most advanced out of all his contemporaries.
Listen to Da Real Oso
#1: Bless Picasso – Rillest in the Room
While I may love all the new generation of hip hop boundary pushers out there today, every now & then there’ll be a pure hip hop that floors you. In this case, we got Bless Picasso’s Rillest in the Room. Packed with some of the most elegant beats you can find, combined with plenty of complex schemes yet delivered in such a raw down-to-earth way. The Virginia MC taps in plenty of heavy hitters as well if he’s not enough to hook you, from the likes of Kool G Rap to Conway the Machine to Elzhi. Every track on here, Bless carries himself with a particular braggadocio that’s nothing less than captivating.