Press play: The best hip-hop songs of 2024

British rapper Jordan Adetunji came onto the scene with his breakout single “Kehlani,” which was named after the singer. The song became a fan favorite on TikTok with dance challeges, and the rapper eventually added Kehlani to the remix. On the track, Adetunji is describing how enamored he is with a woman’s beauty, that reminds him of Kehlani. 

2024 was the year of GloRilla’s star continuing to rise and it started with her smash hit “Yeah Glo!” On the track, GloRilla highlights different aspects of her journey to fame, such as signing her record deal and living a more luxurious life. 

In the midst of his rap beef with Drake, Kendrick Lamar stopped the world when he dropped his diss track “Not Like Us.” On the track, Lamar doesn’t hold anything back such as accusing Drake of misconduct and cultural appropriation. The song saw massive success across multiple Billboard charts and earned several Grammy Award nominations including Song of the Year. 

Cordae and Anderson .Paak have collaborated a few times in their careers and they decided to team up again on their single “Summer Drop.” Co-produced by J. Cole and Kelsey Gonzalez, the track finds Cordae and .Paak reminiscing about past summers. 

TDE’s latest signee Doechii is making her presence in the rap game known with the release of her mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal. She teamed up with producer Childish Major on the lead single “Nissan Altima,” a track that shows off her confidence, wittiness, and flow while paying nods to figures like Madonna and Grace Jones. 

If a dance challenge catches the attention of the masses, it’s a good chance that you have a hit song on your hands. That was the case for Cash Cobain and Bay Swag on their smooth drill single “Fisherrr,” a track that went viral on TikTok due to a popular dance. About two months after the release, Cobain released a remix that featured fellow New York native Ice Spice. 

Fans of Megan Thee Stallion are well aware of how much she is a fan of Japanese culture. So it was only right that she teamed up with Japanese artist Yuki Chiba on her single “Mamushi.” The song title fits the theme of Megan’s third album which references snakes and skin shedding, similar to previous single titles like “Cobra” and “Boa.” “Mamushi” saw a lot of popularity on TikTok due to a viral dance challenge, which Megan has participated in as well. 

Following the success of his previous album Love Sick, Don Toliver released his fourth album Hardstone Psycho. His lead single “Bandit” was produced by ReidMD, and the rapper uses the track to describe his rockstar lifestyle. “Bandit” peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Although it wasn’t released as an official single, “Look What You Did,” became a favorite among Latto fans. The rapper teams up with singer Mariah the Scientist to reflect on how a new man is making her feel things that she’s never felt for past partners. As Mariah sings on the hook, “And I'm feeling something new, I can't explain it / Heart racin' / And it only beats for you, I can't resist / Oh, look what you did.”

In 2023, Flo Milli’s single “Never Lose Me” was already gaining traction as a fan favorite. However, she turned it up a notch the following year as a women's anthem when she recruited SZA and Cardi B for the remix. On the track, they highlight just how much they can lock down their partners as they chant, “Tell you don’t ever wanna lose me.” 

After a five-year hiatus since his previous album Crash Talk, ScHoolboy Q returned with his sixth album Blue Lips. Although it hasn’t been released as a single, “THank God 4 Me” became an instant standout among fans. 

Saweetie is all about living a life of luxury in her single “Richtivities.” The rapper is well aware how she’s high maintenance and lives an expensive life which is evident in the second verse, “Big amounts, never have to go without / Money talk, bank account word to mouth / Private jets, first class, not a flex / Post a pic, shut down the entire net.”

NLE Choppa is highly confident in his attractiveness and sensuality on his hit single “Slut Me Out 2.” The song reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. 

It’s been six years since Cardi B released her debut album Invasion of Privacy, and fans are still eagerly waiting for the rapper to drop a follow-up. In the meantime, Cardi continues to collaborate on other artists songs, and drop sporadic singles of her own. This year, she released her single “Enough (Miami)” which she uses to call out her haters. 

Following the success of his previous album Pink Tape, Lil Uzi Vert returns with his fourth album Eternal Atake 2. One of the standout singles is “Chill Bae,” a track that finds Uzi showing his insecurity and vulnerability while in a relationship.

Sexyy Red highlights her confidence and beauty in her single “Get It Sexyy.” Produced by Tay Keith, the track finds Red highlighting how she doesn’t need reassurance from anyone else. As she says in the first verse, “Feeling myself 'cause I know that I'm that / Ridin' through St. Louis in a Scat / Bust down middle part, and I got it black / Walkin' through the club lookin' like a snack.”

Throughout Future’s career, he’s teamed up with other artists on collaborative projects. However, on his latest album We Don’t Trust You, it’s the first joint project between him and producer Metro Boomin. They teamed up with Kendrick Lamar on the single “Like That,” whose verse ended up sparking the most talked about rap feud of the year.

Five years after releasing her previous album Eve, Rapsody returned with her fourth album Please Don’t Cry. She teamed up with producer Hit-Boy on the track “Asteroids,” in which she reflects on her rapping skills, career, and how she’s treated in the industry. Her stance is evident throughout the song as she says, “They don't pay me at the level that I rap at, crazy / If they can't benefit off you then they act shady / I thought most the love would come back from my ladies / 'Bout sixty-forty—I'm just makin' observation.”

Two years after releasing his previous album Ramona Park Broke My Heart, Vince Staples returned with his sixth album Dark Times. Although it was released as a single, “Little Homies” became an instant standout as it finds Staples advising the younger generation to better themselves. As he says on the hook, “Life hard but I go harder Streets cold but the road taught us / Concrete where the rose blossom / Life hard but I go harder / Hey, don't crash out.”

Tyler, The Creator earned his biggest first week of sales of his career when he released his latest album Chromakopia. The rapper teams up with several artists on the album, but one collaboration that stood out was “Sticky” alongside GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne. In addition to each artist owning their verse without overpowering one another, the production on the track is lush for each artist to float effortlessly. 

J. Cole has been on quite the insane feature run as fans await his next album. He continued his place as a dominant feature artist when he joined Tee Grizzley on the single “Blow for Blow.” On the track, Cole reflects on his career and his belief that he’s one of the best rappers in the game. As he says in his verse, “Blow for blow, Cole flow just prestigious / Sweats and tees, no unnecessary accessories / The GOAT just from features / Proceed with throat-cut procedures.”

Six years after releasing his previous solo album I Am > I Was, 21 Savage returned with his third album American Dream. He worked with producer London On Da Track for the lead single “Redrum,” which includes a sample of Elza Laranjeira's "Serenata do Adeus.” “Redrum” saw massive success across several Billboard charts including reaching the top five on the Hot 100. 

Following the release of their 2022 album Ghetto Gods, hip-hop duo EARTHGANG returned with their latest album Perfect Fantasy. They teamed up with Pharrell Williams on their single “U Gotta,” who also produced the track. In the song, the duo is attracted to a woman’s voluptuous body and expresses their desires for her. 

British rapper Central Cee and Atlanta native Lil Baby have no problem flexing their lifestyles and wealth on their hit single “BAND4BAND.” It’s evident from Cee’s first verse as he says, “I'm not in the mood cause my flight delayed / So I jumped on a private jet and I'm askin' the pilot the ETA / Lambo' parked on the landin' strip, everyone in my gang and my DJ paid.”

“Precision” seems like the perfect song title for Big Sean who is well known for possessing sharp flows in his raps. It was the lead single of his sixth album Better Me Than You, and he uses the track to highlight how he always aims for his targets.