Photos of: Willow by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic, Tyler the Creator by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images, Doechii by Michael Buckner/Variety. Photo illustration by Kaushik Kalidindi for Okayplayer.
One day, we’ll look back on 2024 as one of the best years for music of the early 21st century. Whether you’re a hip-hop head, R&B lover, jazz aficionado, a pop fan, or you prefer your sounds experimental and far out, you ate good this year.
This was an especially banner year for hip-hop, whose chart dominance and cultural relevance were oddly in question at the top of 2024. Now, as the year closes, we can recall 2024’s music headlines without an Uncle Murda rap-up to remind us: “Kendrick Wins (and Wins Again and Again … )!,” “Doechii Does Her Big One!,” and “Tyler's All Grown Up!” But between these tentpole major-label moments, there have also been future classic releases from independent artists like Nappy Nina and Swarvy; Roc Marciano and Alchemist; and the late, great Ka (RIP) that can’t be overlooked. This year, legacy artists like Common and Pete Rock and LL Cool J sounded reinvigorated and reminded us why they’re held in such high esteem and relatively new artists like Vayda and Semiratruth showed us that hip-hop’s next wave is a tsunami of creativity from previously underrepresented perspectives.
We got all of this great music during a time defined by its calamities and tragedies, tensions and technology. Music has been a respite that’s given us escape and entertainment; a soundtrack to our dystopia and theme music for the resistance to it. Artists like Nimsins and ELUCID gave us projects that matched the intensity and urgency of the present while artists like Laila!, Tyla, and Tinashe reminded us that we could still dance and fall in love in a burning world.
Whether all of this good music is because of — or despite — the times remains to be seen but what’s for certain is that it’s here for us to enjoy right now. The list below is a compass for the curious listener, the person who wants to know what other fans of good music are not only listening to but coming back to over and over again. You’ll see artists you recognize as well as some who are new to you. We invite you to read and then listen with an open heart and mind. We promise it’ll be worth your while. — Timmhotep Aku
1010benja - 'Ten Total'
For an artist who barely does shows, Kansas City-based singer and guitar player 1010benja’s tenor voice is a show-stopper. It’s smooth and then raw, in the way that Rich Kidz-era Skooly’s was, or, K-Ci’s is. The way he lofts it over, around and through big keyboard chords and ecstatic electric guitar on Ten Total, his proper debut LP, is inspired. The album is varied in its sounds and sincere in its sentiment — a little rapid-fire rap, a decent amount of pop-leaning R&B/rock, all rounded out with random tracks of emphatic grunts and guffaws. Lyrically, Benja is absurd (“The bitch gotta give me head while she drive the car”), vulnerable, and honest about feeling misunderstood: “I’m in a vision / and I can’t feel people / everyone around me / is so damn simple.” Such is the life of a musical genius. —Andrew Matson
‘89 The Brainchild - ‘Night Lives’
Surreal times call for surreal sounds. Enter ‘89 The Brainchild’s fun and subtly deep Night Lives. The Jersey rapper soundtracks nightlife in our dystopia with humor, hedonism, and humanity on beats rooted in Jersey club, house, and drum‘n’bass. On the tongue-in-cheek “Get A Bag” each recital of a misfortune like “niggas ain’t got jobs” and “hella people died“ is met with a deadpanned “get a bag” — mocking the capitalist logics we’re forced to live by. “All My Opps Want This Dick” starts out irreverent and takes a turn for the political when a radical Saul Williams poem comes out nowhere to close it and bridge the next track. This tape is as random and real as life was in 2024. —Timmhotep Aku
Ab-Soul - ‘Soul Burger’
The ode to the dead homies is one of hip-hop’s most revered traditions. Rather than make a single mournful song, Ab-Soul chooses to eulogize his slain longtime friend Armon “DoeBurger” Stringer with an album that’s largely confident and brimming with gratitude. He pays homage to GOATs like Eminem (“9 Mile”), Jay-Z (“Squeeze 1st 2”), Biggie (“The Sky Is Limitless”), and Kendrick Lamar (“Righteous Man”) with songs sampling them, and spars with J.I.D. over West African drums and eerie, echoing synths on “Crazier.” DoeBurger’s specter shows his approval: snippets of his voice transition songs, and an AI version of him raps alongside Soul, Lupe Fiasco and Punch on “Peace” to inspire Soul to keep pushing on without him. —William Ketchum III
AKAI SOLO - ‘DREAMDROPDRAGON’
When it comes to unorthodox flows, Brooklyn rapper AKAI SOLO is one of hip-hop’s premier stylists. And when it comes to subject matter, his stream-of-consciousness topics are as unpredictable as his rhymes' couplets. Only an artist as idiosyncratic as AKAI could alchemize the ramblings of faux intellectual Jordan Peterson into the narrative throughline of an album about dreams and dragons archetypes like he does on DREADROPDRAGON. Heady stuff for sure, but it's tempered with the levity in lines like “Pullin’ up to my city just to have a deli your video” on “SOLOLEVELING”. On “Bleeding Black” he quips, “I’m not perfect, but I’m on to something …” and he’s absolutely right. —Timmhotep Aku
25 years later and Soulquarians are still going strong. Check out Questlove and Common on Bilal’s ‘Live at Glasshaus’ and then Bilal on Common and Pete Rock’s ‘Auditorium: Vol. 1’
Photos of: Common by Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images, Bilal by Greg Doherty/Getty Images.
Bilal - ‘Adjust Brightness' / 'Live at Glasshaus’
As one of the greatest living soul singers, Bilal Sayeed Oliver is both a keeper and an extension of R&B tradition. As a restless, relentless experimenter, he is also a violator of old norms. Adjust Brightness and Live at Glasshaus both showcase the many sides and attributes of Bilal’s musical mind. Standout songs like “Adjust Brightness” and “Micro Macro”’ are forward-thinking bits of psychedelic soul. Live at Glasshaus finds Bilal backed by an all-star band made up of Questlove, Robert Glasper and Burniss Travis for an intimate and live retrospective of his career. Featuring classics like “Soul Sista”, “Sometimes” and “All Matter”, Live at Glasshaus makes a strong case for Bilal’s place in R&B’s pantheon. —John Morrison
Blu - ‘Los Angeles’ (w/ Evidence), ‘Love (the) Ominous World’ (w/ Exile), ‘Out of the Blue’ (w/ Shafiq Husayn)
He may not be the first name to come to mind when you think “L.A. hip-hop in 2024,” but without a major label machine behind him, Blu repped his hometown exceptionally well this year. His Evidence-produced album, Los Angeles, is a series of vignettes about life in the city from different perspectives. Bangers, jackers, marks, rappers, squares, and civilians all have their stories told over cinematic production that pays homage to moody Muggs-style, sample-based beats. We get another shade of Blu on the Shafiq Husayn-producedOut The Blue. Here, Blu throws up the dub on futuristic funk and boom bap with electro accents courtesy of the Sa-Ra beatmaker. If that wasn’t enough, Blu reunites with his longtime producer/partner Exile on Love (the) Ominous World. The duo gives us a potent dose of the MC/producer chemistry that made us look at them as the West Coast underground’s answer to Gang Starr back in the blog era. Prolific and consistently dope, Blu has solidified his legacy among L.A.'s elite rappers. —Timmhotep Aku
Brittany Howard - ‘What Now?’
A haze of astral soul ("I Don't"), surrealistic funk ("What Now?"), and frenetic jazz ("Prove It to You"), Brittany Howard's What Now? is as sonically diverse as it is cohesive. Here, the Alabama Shakes frontwoman lays bare her varied existential dilemmas as a troubled woman, rendering all areas of her psyche with nuance and expressive vocals. For the title track, she grafts fluttering yelps onto a psychedelic bassline for an exploration of romantic exasperation. Meanwhile, for "I Don't Know," she bathes in the cosmos, letting her falsetto soak in a disembodied soul soundscape as she ponders existence on an LP that’s at once elegant, raw, and meticulously executed. —Peter A. Berry
Bruiser Wolf - ‘My Stories Got Stories’
Bruiser Wolf’s voice is unique. High-pitched, pimpish, and perfect for delivering puns as punchlines. On My Stories Got Stories he mostly uses his unusual voice to describe the dope game in hilarious detail. The witty similes come at every turn, adding levity to his descriptions of street life without going so far as to trivialize it. “I made fettucini / with the fentanyl / Fetty Wap, eyeballin’ an 8-ball,” he rhymes on “Dope Ain’t Good” with enough flair to make a well-tread subject sound new again. —Timmhotep Aku
Cash Cobain - ‘Play Cash Cobain’
It’s easy for sex rap to veer into the territory of artless caricature, but Cash Cobain’s sample drill beats and playfully crude lyrics give Play Cash Cobain its charm. For “Cantsleep/drunkinlove,” he samples H-Town’s classic “Knockin Da Boots” and interpolates the chorus of Ludacris’ “What’s Your Fantasy?" Meanwhile, his viral hit “Fisherrr” is a sleazy lifestyle affirmation for playboys. While he mostly operates in the realm of the fuckboys, he emits convincing warmth on "Luv It," a track that hits like the most romantic of love songs. Sure, his subject matter is almost always the same, but his array of sounds and cadences make the music distinct and memorable so you’ll definitely want to play Cash Cobain again and again. —Peter A. Berry
Cavalier - ‘Different Type Time' / 'CINE’ (w/ Child Actor)
As part of an impressive run of releases, Brooklyn-born/New Orleans-based rapper Cavalier came with two of the best rap albums in 2024. In the spring, his solo record Different Type Time stood out with its hazy production, winding, serpentine rhyme patterns and slick lines. In November, he followed up with CINE, a collaborative tape with the producer, Child Actor. On the latter’s “Knight Of The East,” “Sword Lilies” and “Sacrifice” Cavalier’s delivery, wordplay and world-building alternate between playful and deadly serious. An impressive one-two combo, Different Type Time and CINE further solidify Cavalier as one of underground rap’s most significant figures. —John Morrison
Chelsea Reject and T’Nah - ‘Rogue’
After years of collaborating on individual songs, rapper Chelsea Reject and singer T’Nah finally joined forces for the brief but potent joint project, Rogue. Over Lush, neo-soul-inflected production we get dulcet melodies and sharp rhymes about personal evolution and resisting the ways of a cruel world. Without labeling it such, T’Nah and Chelsea have equipped us with survival anthems like “Focus,” “Protection” and “War Outside” when we need them most. —Timmhotep Aku
Common and Pete Rock - ‘The Auditorium Vol. 1’
There’s something special that happens when a talented wordsmith gets familiar with the sonic nuances of an adept beatmaker. On The Auditorium Vol. 1, Pete Rock’s soulful backdrops and stirring horns meld perfectly with Common’s measured delivery and lyrical dexterity. Highlights include the allegorical triumph “So Many People” featuring Bilal, the upbeat “Wize Up” and the scratch-propelled “All Kinds of Ideas,” on which Pete Rock steps from behind the boards to get off a few producer-on-the-mic bars. Hopefully, there are many more collabs from this mighty Golden Era duo on the way. —Geo Hagan
Cruza - ‘Cruzafied’
Cruza’s sound defies convention. The aural experimentalism of the most lo-fi indie rock melded with the glossy textures of post-2010s R&B; but in terms of the band’s approach, there's still a lot more happening between those sonic tentpoles. On their latest album, the songwriting is tighter than on their promising early EPs and frontman Adam Kain sounds especially assured, as the Orlando-by-way-of-San Diego outfit lays into impeccably funky trap-lite grooves (“Supa Anxious”) and atmospheric chillwave (“First Time”) with equal enthusiasm. Their “dreamsoul” vibes are still intact even with the more focused approach; there’s a confident breeziness to the proceedings here. Genre-bending (and genre-blending) rarely sounds so organic or looks so effortless. —Stereo Williams
Doechii - ‘Alligator Bites Never Heal’
Remember “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake”? Back in 2020 that was the colorful and quirky song that put Doechii on my radar. Here was this new rapper from Florida describing her life, passions, and proclivities with the skill and theatrical flair of super emcees like Nicki Minaj and Eminem. She released some heat in the years following and made some missteps too— “What It Is” feat. Kodak Black was not for me — but I’ve been patiently waiting for her to drop something that would confirm that she was indeed Top Dawg Entertainment’s next mega-star. Alligator Bites is that project. Ostensibly a mixtape, this collection of songs is a masterful demonstration of all that Doechii does well: the razor-sharp battle raps (“BULLFROG”), confessional lyrics (“STANKA POOH”), soul-stirring choruses (“WAIT”) all delivered with theatrical flair. Though Kendrick v. Drake took up a lot of our attention this year, Doechii’s ascent — culminating in a Grammy nod — was THE hip-hop story of 2024 and a promise kept. —Timmhotep Aku
ELUCID - ‘REVELATOR’
In a biblical context, the term “revelator” is used to describe soothsayers like John “The Revelator” of Patmos, writer of the Book of Revelation. On his 2024 full-length, New York-born rapper/producer, ELUCID is a revelator of a different kind. With lyrics that touch on everything from family to mortality to Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, REVELATOR speaks to the urgency of the times on a personal and global level. Pitting heavy beats against sharp blasts of industrial noise, and waves of dark psychedelia, REVELATOR’s production provides a fitting soundscape for ELUCID’s musings on life’s persistence despite a bitter and violent world. —John Morrison
Artists like Foushee and Brittany Howard blended and blurred genres reminding us that Black music is boundless.
Photos of: Brittany Howard by Noemad/Rolling Stone, Foushee by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images for Coachella.
Foushee - ‘Pointy Heights’
Following the release of her debut album, 2022’s softCORE, it was obvious that Foushee was going to express herself musically however she saw fit — and that display of fearless exploration continues on Pointy Heights. There’s sprinkles of smooth disco (“birds, bees”), new wave (“loversland”) and alternative rock (“Flowers”) peppered throughout, with Foushee molding her voice to fit each sonic template. Sometimes, this even results in some compelling vocal deliveries, as is the case with “Closer,” where you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking Foushee is some guest feature, only to realize that low timbre in the first verse is coming from her. —Charles Elliott
Future and Metro Boomin - ‘WE DON’T TRUST YOU’ / ‘WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU’ / ‘MIXTAPE PLUTO’
Years ago, Future's spontaneous utterance, "If Young Metro don't trust you, I'ma shoot you" became both an indelible catchphrase and a mark of excellence: if Future Hndrxx and Metro were linking up, you knew you were getting some heat. Unfortunately for Future, the midpacks started stacking up after his two-peat 2017 releases Future and HNDRXX. So we should consider Future's three-project run this year an apology. Beginning with his Metro joint project, We Don't Trust You, Hndrxx flaunted apex-level hit-making while creating some of the biggest moments of the year ("Like That" with Kendrick Lamar) before doubling back with a nearly-as-dope sequel, We Still Don't Trust You. He punctuated his year with MIXTAPE PLUTO, a project that proved he still has all the warped creative impulses that made him a legend (seriously, just check out "Plutoski"). Through the three releases, Future proved he can be as dominant as ever — with or without Metro. —Peter A. Berry
GloRilla - ‘GLORIOUS’
GloRilla’s debut LP reaffirms her status as rap's reigning anthem queen. On "Hollon," she samples Unk’s "Hold on Ho" for a ‘bow-throwing banger. It's similar to the OG, except she brings an authoritative presence to the mic that surpasses the original. She channels that ferocity again on tracks like "TGIF," but that bulletproof confidence recedes into disarming vulnerability on tracks like, "Glo's Prayer," which brims with all the sincerity of a 25-year-old finding grace amid a tumultuous love life. Her ability to channel these multitudes gives her dimensionality. Whether in prayer, war, or in love GloRilla can be glorious. —Peter A. Berry
J.U.S. and Squadda B - ‘3rd Shift’
J.U.S. may not be as animated as his Bruiser Brigade brethren Danny Brown and Zelooperz, but he’s just as compelling. 3rd Shift finds him deadpanning rhymes and recounting the everyday struggles of a low-level drug dealer with sardonic wit and far-out references to everything from GigaPets to Ava Duvernay. For this album, J.U.S. links up with a kindred spirit in Oakland’s Squadda B. The producer and former Main Attrakionz member supplies J.U.S. with an array of beats that range from sinister (“NASCAR”) to silly (“Don’t Do Drugs”). If you like hood tales with a twist of irreverence then this is the off-kilter combo for you. —Timmhotep Aku
Ka - ‘The Thief Next to Jesus’
Born under the unfathomably cruel condition of chattel slavery, Black American Christianity has always held redemption as a core aspiration of the faithful. By evoking the biblical thieves who were crucified alongside Christ — one was absolved of his sins, the other, condemned — Ka offers up a question about the power and possibility of redemption. Backed by minimal Gospel samples, the music adds an air of sanctity and spiritual weight to Ka’s words. The ruminations on faith and morality on songs like “Bread Wine Body Blood,” “Broken Rose Window,” and “Borrowed Time” offer no easy answers and remind us that there are no clear pathways to salvation. —John Morrison
Kenny Mason - ‘Angel Eyes’
West Atlanta’s Kenny Mason’s hybridized music leans heavily on melancholy — the common denominator of street rap and indie rock. Since he made his debut pre-pandemic, Mason has positioned himself as the emo kid who also happens to be from the trenches. His experiments with blending genres and sounds have never been as seamless as they are on Angel Eyes. His vivid storytelling makes him a world builder (“HOW TO SURVIVE”) and the ease with which he goes from vise tight raps to evocative singing (”BEEN HAVIN”) make him a shapeshifter. Making more music like thiswill make him a star. —Timmhotep Aku
Kendrick Lamar - ‘GNX’
Seven months after telling the world he was, "Like That," Kendrick Lamar popped out and showed us. Harnessing years of pent-up aggression and the kineticism of the West Coast, K Dot serves up everything from L.A./Bay Area-inflected street raps ("Peekaboo" with AzChike) to playful lover’s anthems (SZA duet "Luther"), threading them all with visceral stanzas and masterful phonetic control. His stylistic shape-shifting foregrounds the feelings he wants to emphasize; climactic orchestral strings underscore searing indignation ("Wacced Out Murals") and a clever Debbie Deb sample frames hyphy-induced euphoria ("Squabble Up"). Meticulous, yet raw — homegrown, but sonically diverse — GNX is an instant California classic. —Peter A. Berry
Artists who do it all — from songwriting to production — had a huge year. Vets like Tyler, The Creator and Brittany as well as newbies like Laila! Shoed us what creative control looks like.
Photos of: Willow by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic, Laila by Dylan DeJong Dougherty, Orion Sun by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images.
Laila! - ‘Gap Year!’
A singer-songwriter, producer and sometimes rapper, Laila!’s music is a deeply inhaled and exhaled breath of fresh air. Her viral hits “Not My Problem” and “Like That!” dominated TikTok in the first half of 2024 and Gap Year! confirms that they weren’t flukes. Lyrics that convey tenderness, a quiet confidence, and the depth of feeling are accompanied by sparse, dreamy beats grounded by drums that knock. Songs like “Want 2” and “Coup Deville” are bops that show her range vocally and stylistically, signalling that the “Baby Genius” who also happens to be Yasiin Bey’s daughter is here to stay. —Timmhotep Aku
Lava La Rue - ‘STARFACE’
West London’s Lava La Rue has drawn comparisons to a diverse range of artists – from A Tribe Called Quest, Janet Jackson, and Kelis, to Little Simz, Princess Nokia, and Stefflon Don. They have experimented with various sonic modalities throughout their career, refining their touch with the release of each single and EP. On their debut album, STARFACE, they lean in on spaced-out, psychedelic themes, with a genre-fluid approach to blending pop, hip-hop, shoegaze and beyond. While this album doesn’t quite defy genre, it does encourage listeners to suspend their expectations and enjoy the ride. —Anthony Scott
Leon Thomas - ‘MUTT’
Come for Leon Thomas’ soulful vocals, stay for his provocative songwriting. On his sophomore album, the actor/singer-songwriter and producer wrestles with the ever-present materialism of life in LA, examines what love means for the Instagram generation, and generally takes a critical look at romantic relationships in the digital era. His focus on the present is tempered by his reverence for the R&B music of eras past. He channels the pain and passion of Donny Hathaway on “SAFE PLACE” and the smoky soul of “VIBES DON’T LIE” feels beamed in from 1973. MUTT is a potent mix of sexiness, sentimentality, and self-reflection. —Stereo Williams
Liv.e - ‘Past Futur.e’
One constant truth about Liv.e is that her albums sound nothing alike. Case in point, Past Futur.e, an abrasive and exciting release that revels in dark, synth punk soundscapes. If you enjoyed moments like “HowTheyLikeMe!” from 2023’s Girl in the Half Pearl, Past Futur.e is essentially a continuation of that. From the pounding electronic drums of opener “Bad Girl!” to the hypnotizing glitched-out melody that drives “Haunted Disco,” the album is the soundtrack to a party that somehow toes the line between enthralling and terrifying. —Charles Elliott
Mavi, Lupe, Ka (RIP), ELUCID, and Vince Staples gave Genius users fodder for research and all of us food for thought with their deep and lyrically dense albums.
Photos of: Lupe Fiasco by Steve Jennings/WireImage, Mavi by Jeff Hahne/Getty Images, Vince Staples by Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images.
Lupe Fiasco - ‘Samurai’
Considering Lupe Fiasco’s history of executing dense, thoughtful concepts with resurrection as a motif, using a clip from a 2015 documentary to imagine the late Amy Winehouse as a supernatural battle rapper isn’t as far-fetched as it seems. But this isn’t the sort of linear tale woven on albums like The Cool or Drogas Wave — it’s a vehicle to meditate on the euphoric joys and debilitating challenges of pursuing rap as a career. Lupe’s as acrobatic as ever in terms of schemes, flows, and IYK,YK references, and his chemistry with longtime producer Soundtrakk is still synergistic. But the flow-state confidence of “Cake” and the vulnerability of songs like “Palaces” and “Bigfoot” tap into emotions that are resonant for anyone who puts their all into creativity. —William Ketchum III
LL Cool J - ‘The Force’
LL Cool J made a triumphant return to music in 2024 with The Force, the 14th studio album in his illustrious music career. The veteran Queens rapper made an extremely wise choice by bringing Q-Tip along as the album’s producer and Kamaal The Abstract dug deep into his Ummah bag on this one. “Black Code Suite” featuring Gambian virtuosa Sonia Jobarteh is an ode to Black love with its entrancing kora outro. Elsewhere he connects with another Queens legend, Nas, for the celebratory, percussion-driven “Praise Him.” No skips on this one — just press play and hear two hip-hop legends get busy. — Geo Hagan
Mach-Hommy - ‘#RICHAXXHAITIAN’
The title #RICHAXXHAITIAN is a fitting one. The album is a confident display of not just Mach-Hommy’s rapping abilities but his musicality, with the artist unafraid to pepper a song with some singing (“POLITickle”) or Haitian Kreyol rapping. Sure, when the production is as good as it is on here — from the cinematically smooth “Sur Le Pont d’Avignon (Reparation #1)” produced by Griselda go-to Conductor Williams, to the psychedelic and soulful “Guggenheim Jeune” courtesy of SadhuGold — that makes things easier. But there’s no denying how Mach coolly makes these songs his own. “I’m not your token ni**er boy rapping / I’m a charming-ass composer,” he declares on “Lon Lon.” Damn right. —Charles Elliott
Mavi - ‘shadowbox’
“So how you kill him?” This question — of how one defeats their demon(s) — that punctuates “Drown the Snake” is essentially the core of Mavi’s brilliantly self-exploratory shadowbox. Following his success thanks to previous albums Laughing So Hard, It Hurts and Let the Sun Talk, shadowbox is about reckoning with who Mavi is now, and what he’s experienced as both an artist and a person since then. It’s an existential journey, where the gifted lyricist unravels the more shadowy aspects of himself. The contemplative and meditative album is grounded by the rich sonic textures of Psymun, LILCHICK, TwoTone and more. —Charles Elliott
Mustafa - ‘Dunya’
Who could have predicted that one of the most poignant and profound folk albums of 2024 would come from a Muslim Torontonian singer of Sudanese heritage? If Shaboozey and Beyonce reminded us of country’s “race music” roots then Mustafa has reminded us that folk music isn’t exclusively white either. Mustafa’s tender, mournful songs are inspired by the wounds that come from being racialized, marginalized and colonized. He sings for Sudan, he sings for Palestine, he sings his own Regent Park neighborhood and for his deceased loved ones. Yes, this is folk music, but Mustafa certainly knows a thing or two about the blues. —Timmhotep Aku
Nappy Nina and Swarvy - ‘Nothing Is My Favorite Thing’
On Nothing is My Favorite Thing Nappy Nina grieves for an Oakland that’s disappearing due to gentrification while fantasizing about a world where she and her community are safe and secure. Nina’s freedom dreams are soundtracked by dreamy beats by Swarvy providing the perfect backdrop for her musings on life and the ups-and-downs of her blossoming rap career. In the standout two-part “Come Up,” she asks what people will say and do as they see her star rise — will they say how proud they are or will they mention their true thoughts on her music? The future is unwritten but this project, a document of Nina’s wins, losses and resilience, makes it clear that she will prevail. —Nia Coats
Nia Archives - ‘Silence is Loud’
Nostalgia need not be rehashed or retread. One can be reverent of the past without being mired in it. Nia Archives’ debut full-length album, Silence Is Loud is evidence of this. Firmly rooted in the tradition of jungle and U.K. rave music, she applies sped-up drum breaks to pop songs making them as high energy and frenetic as they are catchy and emotive. The emotive part of that is key; through her songwriting and production with partner Ethan P. Flynn, Nia seeks to make the listener feel as much as she wants to make them move. That approach yields standouts like “So Tell Me” and “Out of Options” where her vocals recall a pleading Amy Winehouse. Proof that you can nod to the past while you walk into the future — Timmhotep Aku
Nimsins - ‘Bury My Heart In East Oakland’
Nimsins gives us a tour of his hometown on Bury My Heart in East Oakland that begins and ends at the intersection of International Blvd. and 71st Ave. The album begins with a montage of news clips that depict Oakland, as a hell on earth plagued by gun violence. Rather than confirm or deny this depiction, Nimsins gives us context for life in the East Bay, letting us see his home in all ways — good, bad, beautiful and ugly. Throughout the brief but heartfelt album, he struggles with internal and external factors of life in Oakland. His desire to make it and frustration with his less ambitious peers is apparent, “We dyin’ for a shot, we don't even shoot.” On songs like “Can’t Drown,” he goes into detail about continuing to work even if people around him wish him to stop. Bury My Heart is the perfect encapsulation of the push and pull that comes with being a native of “The Town.” —Nia Coats
NxWorries - ‘Why Lawd?’
When NxWorries — the duo of producer Knxwledge and singer-songwriter/rapper Anderson .Paak — released their debut album Yes Lawd in 2016, their fusion of ‘70s soul with lo-fi hip-hop production was revelatory. 2024's follow-up, Why Lawd? finds .Paak and Knxwledge mostly expanding on and refining that formula. Standouts like “86Sentra” and “FallThru” are based around a woozy instrumental with Paak’s sing-songy delivery acting as less of a bridge between rapping and singing and more of a third pathway born of both. Funny, nasty, bitter and sweet, Why Lawd? Is cutting-edge soul music for the modern era. —John Morrison
Orion Sun - ‘Orion’
Orion is part of a grand tradition of R&B music that explores the nuances of heartbreak and loss. The softness of the instrumentation and Orion Sun’s delivery characterize songs like “These Days” and “Rather Be”. This softness is contrasted with sharp lyrics on songs like “If I Never See You Again” where she indicts a former lover with the question: “Do you know that your heart is not a weapon?” “From the album’s opener “When I was in Love” to its lullaby-like closer and ode to her grandmother, “Gannie,” Orion beautifully posits love-whether romantic or familial as central to the human experience. —John Morrison
Quadry - ‘Ask a Magnolia’
With the disarming high-pitched tone of Devin The Dude and a gift for profundity like 3 Stacks and Scarface before him, Baton Rouge’s Quadry is steeped in quintessential Southern rap tradition. And that means he knows how to tell a story. On Ask a Magnolia, he takes us from his hometown where his world is becoming increasingly dangerous and tragic to a big break in L.A. that isn’t what it was cracked up to be. I can’t think of a truer encapsulation of the highs and lows of the rap game circa 2020s. —Timmhotep Aku
Ravyn Lenae - ‘Bird’s Eye’
Ravyn Lenae is two-for-two, following up her great 2022 debut, Hypnos, with the explorative Bird’s Eye. Here, anything is fodder for Lenae’s malleable vocals. She sounds comfortable throughout it all, even as she grieves for past loves and selves, sometimes with a wry cheekiness. “That was a bad idea,” she sings on “Bad Idea,” punctuating the regret of letting a former lover stay the night after learning that they’ve been playing behind her back, the emotional whiplash of it all perfectly paired with a beat that would fit right at home on a post-Drunk Thundercat album. —Charles Elliott
Roc Marciano - ‘Marciology’
Roc Marciano made sure his solo return was worth it with Marciology. Released four years after 2020’s Mt. Marci, Marciology gives fans what they’ve come to expect from the beloved lyricist, with bars of opulent living and coolly delivered boasts and threats riding waves of sonic smoothness primarily from Marciano’s own batch of beats (“Floxxx” may very well be one of the best instrumentals of the year thanks to its looped hi-hat pattern). —Charles Elliott
Sahbabii - ‘Saaheem’
Saaheem is a constellation of chirpy, melodic bars, and urgent street raps designed to bump on the interstate or with your friends at a kickback. There's a ton of florid adjectives we could use here, but more than anything, it's all just cool. His viral hit, "Viking" is a propulsive thrill ride with twangy flows and bass that makes you want to hit the gas, and "Roll Wit Me" is a loyalty anthem that's nearly as dope. It's all quirky as it is stylish, two descriptors that come with every Sahbabii release. —Peter A. Berry
The label that Top Dawg and Black Hippy built had a banner year with high-profile releases from Doechii, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q, SiR, and TDE alumnus Kendrick Lamar.
Photos of: Doechii by Michael Buckner/Variety, Schoolboy Q by Kevork S. Djansezian/Getty Images, Kendrick Lamar by Christopher Polk/Billboard.
ScHoolboy Q - ‘Blue Lips’
TDE had the best year of any label in Black music. Doechii and loyal TDE alum Kendrick Lamar dominated rap conversations while SiR held it down on the R&B front and Ab-Soul reminded us of his elite spitter status. But what’s been overlooked is ScHoolboy Q’s contribution. He was first up to bat and hit a home run with Blue Lips, his first full-length in five years. Vocally, Q is at his most comfortable and dexterous than ever. On standouts like ”Yearn” where his flow matches the blistering energy of the percussive beat and “Blue Slides” where he glides across the track’s elegant piano and muted trumpet to call out the hypocrisy of canceling mentally ill artists and prays his incarcerated homies see freedom. And with production running the gamut, from jazzy, to electronic, to moody prog rock, to crunk invocations of Three 6 Mafia, Blue Lips is the closest a major rap album can get to being experimental. —Timmhotep Aku
Semiratruth - ‘The Star of The Story’
Part poet and part producer, Semiratruth’s album begins without words, just the spectrum of synthesizer tones that comprise “Fallingin.” It evokes Sun Ra and similar to him, the Chicago rapper aspires to the cosmos although they’re earthbound and concerned with earthly things like paying their rent. With bars like, “My opposition get smoked / I need a blunt, who gon’ roll? / Never needed the light / I’m sweaty, stinky, might fight” on “The Star,” theirs is a visual and visceral approach to songwriting that’s as “as above, so below” as it gets. –Timmhotep Aku
Tinashe - ‘Quantum Baby’
As the second part of a planned trilogy, Quantum Baby follows through with the same ambitious and forward-thinking songwriting that Tinashe fans received from last year’s BB/Ang3l. Quantum Baby clocks in at 22 minutes but despite its brevity, the albumstill provides a captivating listening experience. The pattering and slightly off-kilter drums of “Getting No Sleep” are a fitting accompaniment to Tinashe’s staccato delivery, while “Cross That Line” plays around with the dance-friendly rhythms of New York drill and Jersey club without feeling like it’s just jumping on the trend. And then the dance party rightfully ends with Tinashe’s inescapable hit this year, “Nasty.” —Charles Elliott
Tyla - ‘TYLA’
Tyla’s 2023 breakout hit, “Water,” set the table for her to have a big 2024 and the South African pop star did not disappoint. With amapiano sounds becoming the rage on dancefloors around the world, Tyla was primed to be huge and her debut album is a set of polished perfection. And the singer’s versatility is on full display: “Back 2 You” is the kind of sultry R&B ballad that evokes early ‘00s Aaliyah; while the groovy “Truth Or Dare” and the pulsing, Tems-assisted “No.1” prove that she has mastered the art of making mid-tempo dancefloor anthems. —Stereo Williams
Tyler, The Creator - ‘CHROMAKOPIA’
There’s no one in rap who has perfected the theatrical album rollout as masterfully as Tyler, The Creator. The promotional lead-up to Tyler’s eighth studio album generated tons of excitement and anticipation, and when it finally dropped, it certainly delivered. But even with all of Chromakopia’s bold visual overtures, this might just be one of Tyler’s most personal albums to date. He wrestles with aging and wanting to start his own family and even gets super vulnerable on “Hey Jane,” sharing a pregnancy scare experience with an older woman. Personal revelations aside, this album is still Tyler to the core — superior musicality, cinematic storytelling and full-throated lyrical braggadocio. The album’s features are on point too: Doechii, Schoolboy Q, Santigold, Daniel Ceasar and more. This is surely one of the best listens of the year. —Geo Hagan
Vayda - ‘VAYTRIX’
After meeting Vayda on her viral song “Ten” in 2023, fans gravitated to her soft voice and bubbly beats. In October, she took us to the metaphorical place where she found her voice, the VAYTRIX. Over 30 minutes and 15 tracks, she becomes Neo from The Matrix, going through time and space to save her listeners from an army of lames. On “skyy,” for example, the song’s Rapahel Saadiq sample pulls you in, but then, as you hear Vayda rap about being a twenty-something and having her way, you fall in love with the music and her attitude. Just like Neo, Vayda is The One but unlike the movie character, it seems she’s never doubted that. —Nia Coats
Vince Staples - ‘Dark Times’
In an era of narcotized melody and swashbuckling street rap romanticism, Vince Staples specializes in sobering reality. For Dark Times, his customary wry wit and a stage actor’s vocal control, he distills life’s complexities with rarefied nuance, sifting through existential confusion and weary resolve like a dusty vinyl collection. For the dream-like “Justin,” a hopeful Vince recalls a casual date that crescendos with an unnerving revelation, and his steely gaze melts into the timidity of hopeless loverboy; it’s a convincing aboutface for a rapper who once said, “fuck your dead homies.” With its guarded buoyancy, “Little Homies” helps swirl all the emotions together for an artist who’s familiar with darkness, but isn’t too stubborn to search for light — yet. — Peter A. Berry
WILLOW - ‘empathogen’
With most of her music this decade leaning toward guitar-driven, alternative rock-esque projects, Willow fans expected empathogen to fall in line with 2022’s Coping Mechanism and 2021’s Lately I Feel Everything. Instead, the multi-talented artist went in another direction: something more jazz-leaning and a little more musically complex and intricate. Lyrically, everything is easy to digest, a nice contrast to the undeniable musicality shown throughout. But even then, there are moments where Willow aligns so perfectly with the music accompanying her, as is the case with “I Know That Face,” where she treats her voice like an instrument, offering a staccato delivery that fills the funked-out space of the track. —Charles Elliott
YATTA - ‘Palm Wine’
Sonically daring and emotionally rich and intimate, YATTA’s latest album, Palm Wine, is one of the best and most unique full-length releases of 2024. Written and recorded in cities across the U.S. and Europe, Palm Wine melds Western pop and avant-garde textures with West African sensibilities. These dynamics play together beautifully on the tender, experimental piano ballad, “Disappear” and the booming dance cut, “Enya at the Market.” Full of heart, rage, and boundless imagination, Palm Wine offers a proposition of what a truly global avant-garde pop artist should sound like. —John Morrison
Yaya Bey - ‘Ten Fold’
In the past few years Yaya Bey has emerged as one of the most exciting new voices in R&B. There’s a gravitas about her — a realness — that separates her from the pack. Whether she’s offering words of encouragement to her people on “me and all my niggas” or describing the dissonance of struggling to pay too-high NYC rent while still trying to enjoy a night out (“eric adams in the club”) her songs always hit home. “I’ve been holdin’ out for something better / I’ve been changing under all this pressure / into somethin’ that shines…” She sings on “the evidence.” May we all become diamonds when it’s all said and done. —Timmhotep Aku
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