Unlike every other year in hip-hop, 2024 has managed to be the gift that keeps giving. One could say the bright moments were nearly outshined by the dark but on the other hand, long-running issues came to a close so it’s safe to say, it feels like a revolving door. As soon as one element leaves, another set ventures through the same doors opening new cans and fermenting some form of miasma, if you will.

I am not the type to wear a tin foil hat but jokingly, I’d say it all started right at the beginning of the year when comedian Katt Williams sat down with Shannon Sharpe on his podcast, Club Shay Shay. Not only did we get a mix of edgy, reflective and emotional Williams, but we also got a rather scathing view of several celebrities and the state of the entertainment industry in general. This alone set off an avalanche of opinions, counter-opinions, accusations, allegations and eventually arrests and lawsuits. In the same month, Snoop Dogg filed for the dismissal of his infamous 1993 murder case and was acquitted on all charges in February and given a clean record. That alone is good news and the Dogg Father’s innocence is now fully vindicated.

All this while, Diddy was recovering from the November 2023 lawsuit filed by former girlfriend/Bad Boy artist Cassie, only to be hit by several other lawsuits from individuals making shocking allegations against him. This culminated in Diddy’s houses in Miami and California being raided by Homeland Security on the 25th of March. That was only the beginning of more trouble for Diddy after surveillance footage was released by CNN on May 17 showing Combs chasing Cassie down a hallway, grabbing her by the back of the neck, shoving her to the ground and kicking her as she lay on the ground. This was the turning point and the death knell for any form of public sympathy for Diddy (he had earlier apologized a week before) and he was apprehended in Manhattan for sex trafficking and racketeering charges in September. This incident was yet another grand opening of allegations that eventually led to Jay-Z being named a defendant in an amended lawsuit alongside Diddy. To be honest, that whole debacle was a horrorshow featuring a confident attorney Tony Buzbee, who is behind the litany of lawsuits filed against Diddy squaring off online with Jay-Z, who promptly reminded him that he, Buzbee will be dealt with according to the law.

In other rap news, the subtle beef between the new big 3, Kendrick Lamar, Drake and J. Cole reached a fever pitch with back-to-back disses, a reflective Cole backing out and apologizing to focus on making music. The story has been told a million times but let us give it a quick gander. Drake dropped “Family Matters” in May, accusing Kendrick of domestic violence and many other allegations. Kendrick responded within the hour with “Meet The Grahams,” addressing Drake’s son directly and leaving fans in shambles. Less than 24 hours later, Kendrick put the final nail in the coffin by releasing “Not Like Us.” In it, he alleges that Drake and his OVO crew are sexual predators. This quickly became a massive hit, which Kendrick later performed at his LA “Pop Out” show surrounded by peers. The fallout of this became evident on November 25 when Drake filed a petition against Universal Music Group (UMG) alleging they violated the RICO Act by using illegal tactics to boost streams for Kendrick Lamar‘s diss track “Not Like Us.” This move by Drake was unprecedented and unexpected for everyone including this writer. From an artist’s perspective, it could lead to better pay but the question begs itself, didn’t Drake benefit from the same tactics? Well, we will just have to wait and see how this plays out.

Other interesting events include the release of Young Thug from prison after 2 years with a plea deal. In my opinion, he might as well make Gospel music or take a long break from rap to avoid going back in. Papoose and Remy MA are officially over and started trading words online. To say it’s messy is an understatement and to God who made me, I wished this wasn’t broadcasted all over my timeline. My last word on that issue is, Remy MA please leave Clarissa Shields alone. Also, it seems Kendrick Lamar keeps rubbing certain people the wrong way and he seems not to be able to catch a break. On “Wacced out Murals” which is the intro to his new album, GNX, Kendrick airs out his grievances surrounding white comedians who make disparaging remarks towards Black women. “Don’t let no white comedian talk about no Black woman, that’s law,” and also namedrops Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg. This caused a stir and while K Dot has made amends with Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg, comedian Andrew Schulz assumed that the bar was targeting him and decided to address it. Again, it was another horror show with Schulz making a cringe joke about making love to Kendrick. I will just leave it at that and add that it was just not a good joke.

Hiphop Deaths

On a sombre note, we lost a lot of legends this year and to name everyone we might need an entire article for that alone. We won’t dwell on the issue for too long as a sign of respect for the families they left behind but rather use it as a time marker and a reminder for us to give our OGs their flowers before they leave.

In 2024, alone we lost 3 legendary DJs DJ Clark Kent, DJ Mister Cee and DJ Polo. Three DJs who have helped reshape hip-hop in different eras, through the 80s, 90s and 2000s. Westcoast OG rapper Bo$$ succumbed to Kidney failure in March while Brother Marquis of 2 Live Crew passed away at the age of 58 from a heart attack. West Coast rapper/actor Saafir would also leave us suddenly. The legendary lyricist Chino XL left us on the 28th of July at the young age of 50. The circumstances of his death are quite touching and the aftermath of his unreleased project was also a cause for controversy and hopefully, the parties involved have resolved the issue. We do appreciate his contributions to hip-hop with his multi-syllabic and complex rhyme patterns. The Brooklyn emcee Ka , a former member of Natural Elements in the 90s who repositioned himself to be a force to reckon with sadly passed away on the twelfth of October. His passing was sudden, and unexpected and shortly after the release of his last album  The Thief Next To Jesus. Another sad loss is Rico Wade, the legendary Hip-Hop producer known for his work on Outkast’s early albums and as a part of Organized Noize, who died in April from heart failure.

Rappers who died due to gun violence include Julio Foolio, Chris King, Lil Scoom89,Tan DaGod. Rest in peace to them all.

Albums

There has been a plethora of solid hip-hop albums released in 2024 and we definitely can’t cover them all.  We will however list some albums that we found to be extra worthy to be on your playlist.

It’s only right to start with the ladies, Rapsody blessed us with her magnum opus Please Don’t Cry, a 22-track body of work that explores femininity, sexuality, self-healing and her maturity as a rap artist and a black woman. In a similar vein, TDE’s Doechii unveils her true form with Alligator Bites Never Heal, which displays her off-kilter, animated and no-holds-barred raps over a wide variety of sounds. One must also acknowledge the impeccable and unprecedented versatility Tyler The Creator displays on- Chromakopia and the mastery Lupe Fiasco brings with the multi-conceptual Amy Winehouse/Battle rap-inspired project Samurai. Blu & Exile return with Love (the) Ominous World which continues what they started on their classic debut, Below The Heavens. On the gangsta tip, we have Freddie Gibbs with  You Only Die 1nce, which I dare say is another notch on his belt. The beats here are dope and the overarching concept of good and evil and the existential issues he tackles add a layer of vulnerability and humanity to his boastful raps. West Coast luminary Kendrick Lamar surprised everyone when he unceremoniously released his sixth album GNX and left the whole world screaming Mustaaaaaaard!!. As a lover of conceptual projects, Lin Manuel Miranda’s  Warriors takes the cake for me as it recreates the classic dystopian action film into a musical masterpiece featuring players from the 5 boroughs of New York. From Nas, Ghostface Killah, Busta Rhymes, RZA, Aneesa Folds, Kenita Miller and Lauryn Hill as the tragic leader Cyrus, Lin-Manuel Miranda once again delivered a masterpiece. On a sad note, we are gifted to be blessed by the late rapper Ka whose final project The Thief Next To Jesus came like a thief in the night. The 14-track project seals his legacy as one of the most thoughtful and insightful writers of the last decade. Veteran rapper/producer Oddisee also gifts listeners with a 20-track project entitled Odd Sketches Vol. 1, a collection of songs he recorded over the years that never made it to any project. The idea came from something he said as follows, “Letting go of music I consider undone or not album worthy is an exercise in relieving the pressure I put on myself as a creative.”

The second part of this section is a dedication to the OGs who are still in the game.

Common & Pete Rock- The Auditorium Vol. 1

The combination of Common and Pete Rock is like heaven on Earth and the duo didn’t disappoint. Common is still sharp as a tack and flows seamlessly over Pete Rock’s soulful soundscapes as the duo capture the essence of the 90s with a modern twist.

Masta Ace & Marco polo- Richmond Hill

The USA and Canada connect once more with Masta Ace and producer Marco Polo as they return with the new project Richmond Hill. This serves as the follow-up to their previous collaborative project Breukelen Story which was about Marco moving from Toronto to Brooklyn, On Richmond Hill the focus is on Marco’s childhood in Toronto with different stories that are interweaved with a cohesive soundscape and theme.

Snoop Dogg – Missionary

After teasing with a trailer and numerous audio clips on Drink Champs and Cam‘s podcast, the Dogg Father finally put out his twentieth full-length album titled Missionary. Supposedly the album will be a return to the sound of the rapper’s first albums, released in the early-mid 1990s but I beg to differ. The album is not close to what Snoop and Dre did in the 90s but rather a grown version of the duo. With Dre handling the entire production, we expect nothing less than gems and I will say I wasn’t entirely disappointed with the beats. They sound crisp and fit the current era of music. Dre brought his A-game on this project and provided Snoop with more than a handful of hard-hitting cuts, some anthemic, others soulful and cinematic

Redman- Muddy Waters Too

The anticipated sequel to his 1996 critically acclaimed album touched down on the 24th of December right before Christmas. To say I was pleased is an understatement and from first listen, it sounds brilliant. The beats are bouncy, and hard-hitting and while some are reworking familiar samples and beats, the results are refreshing and Redman’s raps sound like they just came out of the oven. From the previously released “Don’t Wanna C Me Rich” to the city anthem “Jersey” to the uber posse cut “Lite Up” featuring Artifacts, Channel Live, Heather B., Lady Luck, Lords of the Underground, Naughty By Nature, Nikki D, Queen Latifah, Rah Digga & Shaquille O’Neal  and his classic superhero series “Soopaman luva 7”, there is more than enough for hardcore Redman fans to digest.