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CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again for 2025! Now that we’re nearing the end of the year, we’re trimming down the CRT FRSH playlist and updating the concept with our latest drop which we hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler
Happy New Year, Hip-Hop Wired Nation! I’m glad to be back to curating what’s about to be your new favorite Hip-Hop music playlist! Since the year is new, we’ll be featuring quite a bit of music we missed over the past year.
Opening the playlist this weekend is Lil Baby’s “Outfit” from the Atlanta rapper’s new WHAM album, and he invited 21 Savage along for the ride with a verse that some believe was in support of frequent collaborator, Drake. We follow that up with Redman’s “Dynomite” from his fantastic new album, Muddy Waters Too with Sheek Looch of The Lox on the feature.
Offset’s “Swing My Way” sees the Migos artist back in top form. Smoke DZA, one of our favorite rappers, delivered a couple of projects in 2024 and his You’re All Welcome deluxe drop with DJ RELLYRELL had several standouts, including “Another Full Tank In The Bronco” featuring Westside Gunn and Stove God Cooks.
We’re still enjoying CHROMAKOPIA, one of our top albums of 2024, and the track “Thought I Was Dead” featuring ScHoolboy Q and Santigold. That’s followed by Mike Shabb’s “Free Jesus” from the Montreal artist’s Sewaside III album featuring the talented Navy Blue. We slept on that one, our fault.
We want to salute all of the entrants on this week’s playlist and thank you for your contributions to the art.
We’ll be updating this playlist in two weeks, so live with these songs a bit and stay tuned.
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Photo: Getty
Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner‘s daughter, Stormi Webster, joined her father to lend a helping hand at his foundation’s annual holiday charity event.
On Saturday (Dec. 21), the superstar rapper’s Cactus Jack Foundation hosted the fifth annual Winter Wonderland Park toy and food drive in Houston, where Scott grew up.
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Held at Texas Southern University, a historically Black institution, the event saw Scott, 33, and his 6-year-old daughter, Stormi — who wore an adorable red Santa hat and cozy white coat — handing out presents to families ahead of Christmas. Scott also brought along his siblings and parents to support the cause.
Stormi made a special appearance in a video montage shared by the Cactus Jack Foundation on Instagram on Monday (Dec. 23). “The Cactus Jack Foundation’s 5th Annual Winter Wonderland Toy & Food Drive served over 1,000 Houston residents on the Texas Southern University campus for the first time in honor of the Cactus Jack Waymon Webster HBCU Scholarship Program, launched in 2019,” the caption read.
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Scott teamed up with the Houston Food Bank to distribute more than 2,000 toys and bikes, People reports. The giveaway also included 200 pairs of Nike Cactus Jack sneakers, along with merchandise from the Houston Astros, Fanatics, Space Village, and more. Additionally, 1,000 bags of food were provided to local families in need.
The event, which featured a winter wonderland-themed park, also included a surprise appearance by Santa Claus, as well rapper Don Toliver and Love Island USA star Serena Page.
Earlier this year, Scott’s Cactus Jack Foundation organized an emergency relief drive in Missouri City, Texas, to support those affected by the devastation of Hurricane Beryl. In partnership with the Houston Food Bank, the foundation provided water, ice, food and other essential supplies to residents in Texas communities hit hard by the storm. The deadly storm caused severe flooding and widespread power outages, impacting more than three million Texans.
Snoop Dogg’s Missionary album debuts in the top 10 across multiple Billboard charts, as the set opens in the top 10 on Top Album Sales (No. 7), Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (No. 7) and Top Rap Albums (No. 3) — all charts dated Dec. 28. It also launches at No. 20 on the overall Billboard 200 chart. On Top Album Sales, Missionary marks Snoop’s highest-charting effort in over 15 years.
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Missionary is the first album from Snoop Dogg produced by Dr. Dre since their successful teaming on Snoop’s debut effort Doggystyle in 1993.
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Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units.
Missionary debuts with 38,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 19, according to Luminate. Of that sum, album sales comprise 20,500, SEA units comprise 16,500 and TEA units comprise the remaining sum.
On Top Album Sales, Missionary is Snoop’s 13th top 10-charting effort and highest charting effort set Ego Trippin debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the March, 29, 2008-dated list.
As for the rest of the top 10 on Top Album Sales, Stray Kids’ HOP opens at No. 1 with 180,000 sold (it’s the sixth leader for the group); Taylor Swift’s chart-topping The Tortured Poets Department falls 1-2 with 50,000 (down 75%); the Wicked film soundtrack rises 6-3 with 29,000 (down 5%); Chappell Roan’s former leader The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess jumps 8-4 with 28,000 (up 34%); and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet goes 7-5 with 26,000 (down 8%).
Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft scales 9-6 with 23,000 (up 26%); TWICE’s STRATEGY falls 2-8 with 19,000 in its second week (down 76%); Vince Guaraldi Trio’s A Charlie Brown Christmas TV soundtrack bumps 10-9 with 16,000 (up 20%); and Taylor Swift’s former No. 1, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) climbs 12-10 with 14,000 (up 29%).
Just in time for the last chart cycle of 2024, GloRilla adds to her already strong results this year with a first No. 1 on Billboard’s Rhythmic Airplay chart thanks to “Whatchu Kno About Me,” her collaboration with Sexyy Red. The pair’s co-billed single rises from No. 3 to rule the chart dated Dec. 28. As GloRilla achieves her first leader, Sexyy Red banks her second No. 1 on the radio ranking, but first in a lead or co-lead capacity.
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“Whatchu Kno About Me” advances to the Rhythmic Airplay summit after a 10% boost in plays that made it the most-played song on the U.S. monitored rhythmic radio panel in the tracking week ending Dec. 19, according to Luminate. The collaboration unseats Future’s “Too Fast,” which slides to No. 2 after one week in charge.
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The new champ also borrows from a previous Rhythmic Airplay hit. It samples Lil Boosie’s “Wipe Me Down,” featuring Foxx and Webbie, which reached No. 23 in 2007 and spent 16 weeks on the list.
As mentioned, GloRilla achieves her first No. 1 on Rhythmic Airplay. Before the coronation, her previous two singles both put her in touching distance of the top spot. A collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B, “Wanna Be,” peaked at No. 3 in August, while the Memphis rapper’s solo single “TGIF” peaked in the runner-up spot last month.
For Sexyy Red, “Whatchu Kno About Me” secures the rapper a second Rhythmic Airplay No. 1, after she and SZA featured on Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy,” a two-week leader in December 2023. The reigning champ is the rapper’s first time in charge through a lead or co-lead billing; her prior best in that category was with her “Get It Sexyyy” single, which peaked at No. 8 in July.
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Adding to the triumphs, “Whatchu Kno About Me” rules Rap Airplay following an identical 3-1 climb. It jumps into the top slot after a 10% surge in audience in the tracking week, and likewise replaces Future’s “Too Fast,” which backtracks to No. 2 (down 11% in audience). There, GloRilla nabs her third No. 1, after “Tomorrow 2,” with Cardi B ruled for six weeks in 2022-23 and “TGIF” reigned for eight weeks earlier this year. Sexyy Red, meanwhile, picks up her second Rap Airplay No. 1, after a four-week run for “Rich Baby Daddy” in December 2023.
In addition to their current radio hit, GloRilla and Sexyy Red are together on another budding hit. The pair, alongside Lil Wayne, features on Tyler, The Creator’s “Sticky,” which pushes 10-8 on Rhythmic Airplay (up 17% in plays) and holds at its No. 11 high on Rap Airplay (up 11% in audience).
Well, 2024 is quickly drawing to a close. And what an eventful year it was in R&B/hip-hop and African music.
No doubt still uppermost in the minds of many is the epic feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar that exploded in March. Captivating the music industry and fans alike, the beef laid bare a rocky relationship dating back to 2013. However, it simultaneously injected a needed jolt of creative energy into a genre whose mainstream success had rendered it formulaic and uninspiring in the minds of fans and cultural pundits alike. With Lamar set to headline the global stage, which is the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, hip-hop’s impactful presence can’t be denied.
Also in March, Beyoncé sparked a different debate with the release of the No. 1-debuting Cowboy Carter. Her full-length foray into country drew critical praise — and also its share of negative dismissals. But the album shined a deserving spotlight on Black country pioneers like Linda Martell (the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry) and newcomers working to wedge their boots in the door, such as Shaboozey. The latter is up for a best new artist Grammy after a historic 19-week run at No. 1 on the Hot 100 with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” tying Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. Not to mention, Cowboy Carter scored 11 Grammy nominations for Queen Bey herself.
On both the chart and touring fronts, the women of hip-hop — Nicki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla and Doechii, among them — made major breakthroughs this year. As did female African music artists like Tyla and Tems. And in the R&B realm, current three-time Grammy nominee Chris Brown added several more career milestones to his account, including tying with Lil Wayne for the second-most No. 1 on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and first RIAA diamond certification for “No Guidance” featuring Drake. Meanwhile, Muni Long notched back-to-back No. 1s on the Adult R&B Airplay chart with “Make Me Forget” and “Ruined Me” from her Grammy-nominated album, Revenge.
It’s also been a year marked by several high-profile legal cases involving hip-hop artists. Those include Young Thug’s recently settled YSL RICO trial, Drake’s surprise legal petition filed against Universal Music Group and Spotify, Sean “Diddy” Combs set to go on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering and, most recently, Lil Durk’s indictment — along with several members of his Only the Family crew — on a federal murder-for-hire charge for allegedly trying to kill rapper Quando Rondo.
All the while, the music industry continued to shrink — kicking off the year with Universal Music Group’s restructuring into East Coast and West Coast operations and Warner Music Group’s reorganization of Atlantic Music Group. The ensuing layoffs included the departures of 300 Entertainment chairman/CEO Kevin Liles and Atlantic Records’ president of Black music Michael Kyser; layoffs at iHeartMedia and other radio chains plus SiriusXM and other companies further stoked talk about the industry’s growing lack of diversity and equity in the wake of George Floyd and #TheShowMustBePaused.
And speaking of losses, R&B/hip-hop paid homage to the legacies of Quincy Jones, Frankie Beverly and other revered members of the Black music community who passed away this year. Now, before R&B/hip-hop and African music close the door on 2024, here’s a look at this year’s top 10 stories.
Kendrick Lamar: Man of the Hour
Actively Black, a Black-owned global sportswear brand, has partnered with the Shakur Estate to introduce a new collection: Tupac X Actively Black. Inspired by the late rapper’s enduring legacy as a music icon and poet, the first drop in the new line will be available for purchase on Christmas Day (Dec. 25), exclusively at activelyblack.com.
In a statement announcing Tupac X Actively Black, the Shakur Estate commented, “With this collaboration, Actively Black celebrates Tupac’s enduring impact on culture, creativity and artistry. Actively Black’s commitment to empowering the Black community perfectly aligns with Tupac’s mission to inspire and spark meaningful change. Inspired by [the poem] “The Rose That Grew from Concrete,” this collection honors Tupac’s voice and message, ensuring it resonates with a new generation.”
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The first drop features a collection of unisex hoodies and T-shirts illustrated with custom co-branded artwork and imagery from Tupac’s archives. The standout piece in the new collection is a relaxed hoodie in washed grey with a graphic rendering of the poem in the late rapper’s own handwriting.
“I grew up listening to Tupac, and even before I fully understood the content of his music, there was something moving about his delivery that resonated with me and so many others still, to this day,” said Lanny Smith, founder of Actively Black. “In early interviews of Tupac, you can see his passion to breathe new life into the Black pride movement. His awareness about the truths of society and determination to improve the lives of his people was awe-inspiring.”
Tupac X Actively Black is the latest collaboration from Actively Black. The company recently introduced a new apparel collaboration with Disney in celebration of the latter’s Mufasa: The Lion King. Earlier this year, Actively Black partnered with the Nigerian Olympic delegation, serving as the official outfitter and apparel sponsor for team Nigeria at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The company’s additional partnerships and collaborations include the estates of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson and Bob Marley as well as sports franchises the Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets.
A former NBA player for the Sacramento Kings, Smith launched Actively Black in 2020. Of the upcoming debut of Tupac X Actively Black, Smith singled out a favorite Shakur quote in the announcement release. “One of his quotes has always stayed with me: ‘I may not change the world, but I guarantee I will spark the brain of someone who will.’ I am one of the minds Tupac sparked; and Actively Black is an extension of our shared mission to uplift and empower our people. Tupac X Actively Black is an ode to the genius of Tupac Shakur. He represented us: the Black community, boldly and unapologetically; his legacy embodies what it means to be ACTIVELY Black.”
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Year-end album lists are a gift and a curse for a Hip-Hop and music journalist because we’re never going to hear all of the hundreds of projects that dropped over the past 365 days. However, Hip-Hop Wired is attempting the impossible to deliver our favorite Hip-Hop projects of 2024.
Breaking the wall here, I want it known that I might be a man of a certain age but I never turned my back on the music and culture that, quite frankly, has given me so much as a writer and participant. Just like some people grew out of loving Hip-Hop, that has never happened with me. Each year, I’m discovering more and more acts that release music that speaks to me and I enjoy the hunt of digging in the crates, even if it’s digitally.
For this list, I only listed albums or mixtapes (whatever that means in 2024) that have 10 songs or more. This means that a lot of the nine-song releases that are listed as albums on DSPs are not mentioned here but that doesn’t mean they weren’t dope. I just believe wholeheartedly that there should be at least 10 songs on a project before we call it a full-length release. Further, if I added EPs to this list, it’d be even longer than it already is.
As I’ve done with past lists, the Hip-Hop albums and mixtapes listed below are in alphabetical order by artist name, not rank or preference. I don’t believe in segregating the music because it doesn’t fit some mysterious aesthetic. What I’ve listed below are albums I routinely played, reviewed, and believe stood out among all I’ve heard. If I missed something, don’t flame me. You will see a lot of West Coast artists on this list along with acts from the South, East Coast, and all points in between.
For now, enjoy this massive listing of Hip-Hop Wired’s top projects of 2024 below.
Top Hip-Hop LPs/Mixtapes of 2024
Ab-Soul – Soul Burger
Although not immediately introspective as his previous album HERBERT, Ab-Soul shows and proves his formidable ability as a lyricist while paying homage to his dear brother, Doeburger.
Action Bronson – Johann Sebastian Bachlava the Doctor
Action Bronson is at his best when he’s delivering one of his usual one-take verses that take the shape of whenever he’s feeling in the moment. Another reliable drop from Queens native.
Apollo Brown & Crimeapple – This, Is Not That
Crimeapple, a rapper out of New Jersey by way of Colombia, raps with bone-chilling precision and conviction. This pairing with Apollo Brown is a standout among his other releases this year.
Benny The Butcher – Everybody Can’t Go
Benny The Butcher’s debut album with Def Jam Records doesn’t mute or clean up the grit and grime he’s known to deliver. The Black Soprano boss gets production from Hit-Boy and The Alchemist while running the operation expertly.
BigXthaPlug – Take Care
Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug had a busy 2024 but the cherry on top was his second studio album, Take Care. Yes, the album dives into BigX’s time in the street but also the importance of leveling up.
Boldy James & Conductor Williams – Across The Tracks
Boldy James dropped four albums this year and we could’ve gone with any of them. We decided on his collaboration with Conductor Willams and their potent Across The Tracks drop.
Blu & Exile – Love (the) Ominous World
Among the four studio albums, Blu dropped this year, his project with Exile, Love (the) Ominous World, is the one we couldn’t stop rocking.
Common & Pete Rock – The Auditorium Vol. 1
Age ain’t nothing but a number and the pairing of Common and Pete Rock proved that concept all across their enjoyable album, The Auditorium Vol. 1.
Conway The Machine – Slant Face Killah
Conway The Machine doesn’t get the recognition he deserves as a rapper and his versatility is unmatched. Slant Face Killah is a proper showcase for the Drumwork Music Group honcho.
Cordae – The Crossroads
Cordae came into the game with plenty of promise and his latest studio album takes all of his strongest points while adding that major label sheen.
Chuck Strangers – A Forsaken Lover’s Plea
Chuck Strangers got his first look as a producer as part of the sprawling Pro Era collective but has since emerged as his own man. His second studio album, A Forsaken Lover’s Plea, stamps Chuck Strangers as a standout voice among the producer-rapper set.
Curren$y & DJ Fresh – The Tonite Show The Sequel
Curren$y drops so much consistent heat that we had a hard time picking an album but his past work with DJ Fresh drew us to The Tonite Show The Sequel and we’re better for it.
Denzel Curry – King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2
Denzel Curry is an enigma of an artist who is capable of dropping brilliant bars but also can turn up. King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2, billed as a mixtape, feels just like that but in the best of ways.
Dizzy Wright, Demrick & Mike & Keys – Blaze With Us 3
Dizzy Wright was active in 2024 along with maintaining his various business interests. Reconnecting with Demrick, also an entrepreneur, the pair’s Blaze With Us 3 boasts fantastic production from Mike & Keys and yes, it’s perfect to pair with your favorite strains. (Also, Demrick’s “Watch This” is still dope.)
Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal
Doechii’s breakout year was capped by the soulful Tiny Desk concert that recently dropped. Much of that performance featured songs from her latest mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, which makes us wonder what the album will sound like.
EARTHGANG – PERFECT FANTASY
EARTHGANG keeps our attention every time they drop new music and the duo of Olu and WowGr8 are still adept at finding new flows, sounds, and themes. There is a tendency to compare them to another duo out of Georgia but they own their unique sound solely.
El Costeau – Merci, Non Merci
El Costeau first appeared on our radar by way of MIKE’s excellent Burning Desire album. The Washington, D.C. rapper’s loose, heady verses showcase the varying creativity and interests of the Northeast native.
Erick the Architect – I’ve Never Been Here Before
As a member of the Flatbush Zombies, Erick the Architect proved he is a rapper worth noting. With his solo album, I’ve Never Been Here Before, Arc delivers a varied and personal project that rewards the listener several times over.
Flo Milli – Fine Ho, Stay
Flo Milli’s second studio project continues the “Ho” theme from her previous drops and is the strongest of the three. The 24-year-old starlet and expecting Mom is no slouch and we’re ready to hear what’s next.
Freddie Gibbs – You Only Die 1nce
Freddie Gibbs is growing up, or at least that’s the message we’re getting from You Only Die 1nce. The Gary, Ind. rapper sounds remarkable on an album that fans didn’t see coming.
Freeway & Jake One – The Stimulus Package 2
Philadelphia rapper Freeway and Seattle producer Jake One made magic in 2010 with The Stimulus Package. 14 years later, The Stimulus Package 2 is just as strong as its predecessor and maybe better in some aspects.
Future & Metro Boomin – We Don’t Trust You
Yes, we know that “Like That” is the highlight for many but Future and Metro Boomin showed their chemistry all across We Don’t Trust You.
Gangrene (Oh No & The Alchemist) – Heads I Win, Tails You Lose
Gangrene, the duo of Oh No and The Alchemist may very well be the best producers on the mic. Heads I Win, Tails You Lose is the duo’s fourth studio album and it’s all bars, beats, and boasts, just as it should be.
GloRilla – Glorious
Memphis rapper GloRilla came into the game with plenty of motion, culminating in her crowd-pleasing debut studio album, Glorious. Big Glo covers all the bases on the release, and we know it’s only up from here.
Gunna – One of Wun
Gunna kept his head down and continued to work despite all the smut people attempted to throw on his name and delivered a stellar album in One of Wun.
Heems & Lapgam – LAFANDAR
Heems, who some might remember from Das Racist, dropped two albums this year, the first of which, LAFANDAR, was done with Lapgam, a fellow Indian-American.
J. Cole – Might Delete Later
J. Cole got a lot of heat for deleting his Kendrick Lamar diss, “7 Minute Drill” from his fourth mixtape, Might Delete Later, but it’s a touch unfair. The rest of the project is one of the strongest sets of bars we’ve heard from the North Carolina MC and producer.
JasonMartin & DJ Quik – Chupacabra
JasonMartin, formerly known as Problem, connected with the legendary DJ Quik for the funky, sun-soaked Chupacabra. Even if you’re not from the West Coast, it still goes.
Jay Worthy & DāM-FunK – Magic Hour
Jay Worthy is always dropping new music and this year was no different. Nailing down our favorite record was difficult. However, Magic Hour, made alongside DāM-FunK, was the one that kept cropping up.
JPEGMAFIA – I Lay Down My Life for You
JPEGMAFIA is a difficult artist to explain to the unfamiliar but what we can say is that if you’re able to capture anything about Peggy is that he’s all over the map and that’s fine with us.
Ka – The Thief Next To Jesus
Ka unfortunately passed away this year and his loss is still sending waves of shock among his devoted fans. Music lives on and the Brownsville lyricist’s album, The Thief Next To Jesus, is another in a long list of projects that should be studied in colleges.
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Read our review here
Let The Dirt Say Amen – I Love You, I’m Not Sorry
Let The Dirt Say Amen, a rapper, and producer out of Washington, D.C., dropped one of our favorite albums in 2021, God Hates Gucci. I Love You, I’m Not Sorry is more of Dirt’s strong production, relentless verses, and some of the best sh*t-talking we’ve heard all year.
LL COOL J – The FORCE
LL COOL J shocked a lot of fans with The FORCE, a departure in sound for the Queens veteran. Produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest fame, there are some interesting curveballs within the project but that’s why we enjoyed it so much.
Logic – Ultra 85
Logic is polarizing among Hip-Hop fans for reasons beyond the music, which has generally been good to great. Ultra 85 definitely leans to the great side of the Maryland rapper’s discography and despite its length, Bobby Tarantino is the reason to tune in.
Mach-Hommy – #RichAxxHaitian
Mach-Hommy doesn’t reveal much about himself despite several dozen releases acclaimed by critics and listeners alike. The Haitian-American New Jersey native shakes up things on #RichAxxHaitian with interesting features but the main character remains Mach-Hommy.
Marv Won – I’m Fine, Thanks For Asking
Marv Won is one of the most gifted rappers out of Detroit, a city that seems to produce rappers who can flow over anything. I’m Fine, Thanks For Asking gets into Marv Won’s thoughts in a way that almost feels intrusive but we appreciate him for letting us in.
MAVI – shadowbox
MAVI burst onto the scene with his debut album Let The Sun Talk in 2019. The Charlotte, N.C. rapper’s third album, shadowbox, is an emotional, soul-stirring collection of thoughts that finds the 25-year-old rapper wrestling with the weight of the world.
MIKE & Tony Seltzer – Pinball
Despite his mature sound and thematic aims, MIKE is still very much a young man in his 20s. Instead of taking over the beats, Big MIKE connects with producer Tony Seltzer for the youthful and frenetic Pinball. Don’t get it twisted, MIKE is still going in but it’s a lot lighter than his usual fare.
Nappy Nina & Swarvy – Nothing Is My Favorite Thing
https://open.spotify.com/track/7LzCHlDZnG3AfrqJo7paob?si=745795dd6746450e
Nappy Nina’s 2023 album Mourning Due was one of our favorites and instead of coasting on that excellent body of work, the Oakland. rapper’s Nothing Is My Favorite Thing with producer Swarvy took us on a marvelous audio journey.
Navy Blue – Memoirs In Armour
Navy Blue’s 2023 Def Jam Records debut, Ways Of Knowing, gripped us by the ears from the first second. Now fully independent once more, Memoirs In Armour finds Navy Blue once more centering spirituality and his connection to his family, all of which is delivered in an almost melancholic but reflective tone.
Nickelus F – MMCHT
Nickelus F is another example of an artist with immense ability who seems content with rapping for those who get it and unbothered with chasing fame. The Richmond, Va. MC and producer’s MMCHT is one of his most personal releases and one where he doesn’t rap in character.
NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxledge) – Why Lawd?
NxWorries, the duo of singer, rapper, and drummer Anderson .Paak and producer knxledge, return with their second full-length, Why Lawd? With his sing-rap style, .Paak is in top form and Knxledge has been a beast on the boards for years.
Planet Asia & Local Astronauts – No Retirement
Planet Asia will always have a fresh platter of heat for his legion of fans and among the drops from this year, No Retirement with production team Local Astronauts was our top choice.
Previous Industries (Open Mike Eagle, Still Rift & Video Dave) – Service Merchandise
Previous Industries finds Open Mike Eagle, STILL RIFT, and Video Dave collectively working out the realities of aging along with still having a lot more to say. The longtime Chicago associates’ fantastic Service Merchandise album is full of moments of clarity along with comical revelations. It’s sharp work.
Rapsody – Please Don’t Cry
Rapsody should be mentioned among the greats and it is no fault of her own that she is often misunderstood. On Please Don’t Cry, Rap is more plainspoken than ever and there isn’t a wasted bar on the project.
Raz Fresco & DJ Muggs – The Eternal Now
Raz Fresco, an incredibly prolific Canadian producer and MC, dropped joints this year that could be in place of our pick, The Eternal Now. That said, Raz and his “marvelous right wrist” style and Five Percent Nation teachings work well with DJ Muggs’ production.
Roc Marciano – Marciology
It could be argued whether or not Marciology is the best album in Roc Marciano’s catalog but instead of needlessly pitting the Long Island rapper-producer’s music against each other, we’d rather state the fact that Roc Marci’s vision was fully realized on this release.
Roc Marciano & The Alchemist – The Skeleton Key
Yes, we know Roc Marci is on this list twice and this 11th-hour drop from Roc and The Alchemist shows and proves the pair know how to bring the best qualities out of each other. This is definitely an album for the wintertime grind.
ScHoolboy Q – Blue Lips
Read our review here.
Sideshow – F.U.N.T.O.Y.
Sideshow, a Washington, D.C. rapper who now resides in Los Angeles, doesn’t grant interviews so much of what we know about him is in his music. The Ethiopian-American rapper’s music is replete with street tales and hazy production best suited for a smoke session or running a mission.
Slum Village – F.U.N.
Slum Village, now a duo with original member T3 and producer-rapper Young RJ, has kept the SV flag flying over the years. F.U.N. continues the tradition and finds them both having a lot of fun on the microphone per the album’s title.
Smoke DZA – THC3 (Kushedgod Bitch)
Smoke DZA is severely underrated and it’s kind of frustrating for us who are fans of The Kushedgod. On THC3 (KushedGod Bitch), George Kush aka Smoke DZA shows off his effortless cool once again.
Tha Dogg Pound – W.A.W.G.
With the West Coast sound fully rocking the radio nationwide, it was a perfect time for Tha Dogg Pound to reintroduce themselves with W.AW.G. aka We All We Got, which features stellar production from Mike & Keys.
Thurz – Yannick Koffi: In Time
Fans of the rap group U-N-I should be familiar with Thurz, formerly Thurzday. His latest album, Yannick Koffi: In Time gets into the story of the Inglewood native as we’ve never heard before before.
Tierra Whack – WORLD WIDE WHACK
It’s hard to believe that Tierra Whack’s WORLD WIDE WHACK is her debut studio album, but it does serve as a great introduction to those who haven’t heard the dynamic Philadelphia star.
Tyler, The Creator – Chromakopia
Tyler, The Creator is now a legitimate superstar, and the interest surrounding his latest album, Chromakopia, proves that fact. The album dives into themes of fame and the pressure that comes along with it but there are also classic moments of T talking his talk.
Vince Staples – Dark Times
Vince Staples’ sixth album, Dark Times, is his final album on Def Jam Records but, as is his penchant, the Long Beach rapper doesn’t dial it in. This is another excellent collection of Vince Staples’ thoughts.
Westside Gunn – Still Praying
Westside Gunn is possibly Hip-Hop’s greatest self-promoter but thankfully, he backs up his boasts more times than not. Still Praying finds the Griselda mastermind rapping about a lifestyle few can afford and proving that the lane he occupies is firmly his own.
Your Old Droog – Movie
While we wait for the long-teased collaboration with Madlib, Your Old Droog’s Movie is more than a mere holdover. Droog’s ear for beats and his humorous reflections keep the album a light but raucous listen.
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Photo: Getty
Sexyy Red and GloRilla have some interesting things to say about the conversations surrounding today’s female rappers. As part of XXL‘s new cover story, Glo and Sexyy asked each other questions, including about the subject matter of their music. “So, a lot of people give female rappers a hard time, saying we’re too sexual or […]
Coldplay crowns Billboard’s year-end Top Tours chart. Not far removed, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, The Rolling Stones, U2 and Metallica follow in the top 10. Half of the ranking’s upper tier is made up of rock acts, allowing the long-dominant genre to have the biggest piece of the Boxscore pie. Among all dollars earned by 2024’s top 100 touring acts, rock is responsible for 36%, more than any other genre.
Rock’s rule is easily explained by its five acts in the top 10. But among artists between Nos. 11-20 on Top Tours, there is just one more name to add: Eagles at No. 19. Dominated by classic rock acts with chart-topping albums from the 1960s and ‘70s, the genre’s towering lead on stage has shrunk considerably over the course of the 21st century.
For every year but one between 2000-2010, rock acts represented more than 50% of Top Tours revenue, peaking at 68% in 2003. It’s only managed that once in the years since, when U2, Guns N’ Roses and Coldplay lined up at Nos. 1, 2, and 3, respectively, in 2017. Throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s, rock’s share bumped up and down year-to-year, but generally shifted from the majority to the mid-40% range, and now to the mid-30% range.
Watch the clip below to see how the genre makeup of Billboard’s top 100 tours has evolved over the course of the 21st century.
Rock’s share of the top 100 tours is actually up from last year, bumping from 32.4% to 36%. Still, it’s been below 40% for four of the last five years (excluding 2020 and 2021 because of venue closures due to COVID-19), off from an average of 57% throughout the 2000s decade. The genre’s reliance on legendary bands has left a gap as younger acts from other styles elevate to stadium status.
Pop is next in line, with 16.4% of 2024’s top 100 grosses. P!nk, Madonna and Olivia Rodrigo lead the charge, ticking up from last year’s 15.8%. One major caveat is the absence of Taylor Swift and the gargantuan grosses of The Eras Tour. While overall tour figures were published by The New York Times, data was not submitted to Billboard Boxscore for chart eligibility, which means that its earnings are excluded from this equation. It’s estimated that if this year’s grosses were reported, pop would reign supreme with 27-28%, sending rock into the 20%s in both 2023 and 2024.
Pop and rock have been the top two touring genres for every year this century, with the lone exception of 2003, when country music narrowly out-paced pop, 13% to 12.2%. But while they remain on top, the spread has become significantly more even in the post-pandemic years.
Latin music and rap both posted record highs this year, up to 15.8% and 5.7%, respectively. The former hit a new peak in 2022, when Bad Bunny had the year’s biggest tour, becoming the first artist who doesn’t primarily perform in English to earn top year-end honors. While no Latin act has reached those heights since, his stadium success is no longer an anomaly. Luis Miguel grossed $290.4 million this year, and four other Spanish-speaking artists crossed the $100 million threshold. At 5.3% in 2019, Latin artists returned from the pandemic at 12.1% in 2022, then 11.5% in 2023, and now approaching 16% in 2024.
Rap artists have yet to scale their touring business to the extent of their streaming prowess, but this year made quite a dent. The genre’s top-100 share shot from 2.7% to 5.7%, more than doubling its representation and eclipsing its prior peak from 2019. Four women helped push hip-hop’s boundaries, with Doja Cat, Missy Elliott, Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj outnumbering male rappers on the Top Tours chart for the first time. Plus, Travis Scott scores the genre’s biggest year-end gross ever, at $168 million.
The oscillations of each genre’s performance from one year to the next often comes down to scheduling. Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour was impactful enough to shift R&B artists from 5.3% in 2022 to 15.2% in 2023 and back to 5.9% in 2024. But the progression from pop and rock owning a combined 78.5% in 2000 to 52% in 2024 is indicative of gradual growth from a wide variety of diverse artists harnessing the power of their global audiences.
For the first time in Boxscore history, four female rappers land among the year’s top 100 touring artists. Further, women rappers outnumber male rappers for the first time on the all-genre list. Nicki Minaj (No. 30), Doja Cat (No. 61), Missy Elliott (No. 70), and Megan Thee Stallion (No. 76) finish on the year-end Top Tours chart, while closing at Nos. 2, 5, 6, and 7, respectively, on Top Rap Tours.
This year marks the first year with more than one female rapper among the top 100, let alone four. In fact, there had only been four instances of women in hip-hop ever making the all-genre list, dating back to the first year-end roundup in 1991.
Salt-N-Pepa did it first, at No. 53 in 1994 with a gross of $3.9 million, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.
Five years later, fresh off five Grammy wins for her R&B-rap-hybrid The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the titular rapper was No. 43 with $7.1 million.
Then, two of this year’s group made their debuts: Missy Elliott in 2004, as a co-headliner alongside Beyoncé and Alicia Keys on the Verizon Ladies First Tour ($21.8 million), and Nicki Minaj in 2015 on The Pinkprint Tour ($15.5 million).
That means that representation for female rappers across 34 year-end editions has doubled with just this year’s tally. This count excludes year-end appearances by pop and R&B acts who occasionally rap, such as Beyoncé, Lizzo or SZA.
2024 goes down as a banner year for the touring industry overall, with record grosses surpassing $9 billion among the top 100 artists. And amid that enormous success, rap makes up a bigger piece of the pie than ever before, responsible for 5.7% of those dollars, up from 2.7% last year. The genre’s seven tours in the top 100 matches 2019’s high and improves upon last year’s count of three. Nicki, Doja, Missy and Megan made that possible, not only disrupting hip-hop’s gender monopoly — it’s been nine years since a woman was among rap’s top-100 finalists — but taking over and pushing hip-hop over the edge, outnumbering male rappers for the first time on the all-genre list. Travis Scott (No. 15), $uicideboy$ (No. 48) and 50 Cent (No. 49) round out rap’s representation on the chart.
Minaj is No. 30 on Top Tours with $99.8 million and 712,000 tickets, marking all-time highs for year-end rank, gross and attendance among female rappers, barely outdoing the No. 31 finish for Elliott’s Verizon co-headline 20 years ago. Notably, the Pink Friday 2 World Tour continued beyond the confines of the 2024 tracking period (Oct. 1, 2023 – Sept. 30, 2024), finishing in mid-October with a final gross of $108.9 million from 788,000 tickets, making it the first tour by a female rapper to cross the nine-figure milestone.
Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion each made their mark on their debut arena tours. Both acts experienced major breakthroughs in 2020 while concert venues were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They scored their first No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 just two weeks apart, as “Say So,” hot off a remix with fellow arena titan Nicki Minaj, topped the chart dated May 16, 2020, and “Savage,” boosted by a re-up with rare rap verses by Beyoncé, hit the summit on May 30.
Doja and Megan’s tours reported earnings of $46 million and $40.2 million, respectively, both primarily in the U.S. and Canada, with a sprinkle of European headline shows.
This year also marked the first solo headline tour for Missy Elliott, though it comes nearly 30 years after her debut studio album. Though she wasn’t a road warrior, she amassed major chart success, with six top 20 albums on the Billboard 200 and 10 top 10s on the Hot 100 from 1997-2005.
Beyond hip-hop’s year-end elite, a small handful of female rappers provide promise for the years to come. Ice Spice sold thousands of tickets in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, D.C., while Sexyy Red graduated from clubs last fall (972 tickets in Boston; 1,580 in Richmond, Va.) to arenas, approaching 10,000 tickets in Fort Worth, Texas (9,703 at Dickies Arena on Aug. 30), and Brooklyn (9,631 at Barclays Center on Sept. 17). GloRilla, with eight Hot 100 hits this year, spent hot girl summer as direct support on Megan Thee Stallion’s sold-out trek.
Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Missy Elliott and Megan Thee Stallion grossed a combined $227.8 million from 1.7 million tickets across 148 shows in the 2024 tracking window.