I got inspired to write this after seeing all of the 2024 AOTY lists published by a variety of blogs, talking heads, publications, etc. I still to this day haven’t seen one good AOTY list from anyone, EVER.

I’m going to kick things off by saying I think my list is as close to perfect as you’re going to get. Yeah I said it. I spent about 10 hours on this, as I re-listened to each album to ensure I got the categories correctly. Why spend 10 hours on a stupid AOTY list? I felt the hip-hop Gods gave us an amazing year this year. 2024 was a hip-hop renaissance in my eyes.

I didn’t include GNX or Chromokopia because only two songs off of each made it to the playlist, and probably only one of the two from each will survive. I expected more from Kendrick and Tyler, as their previous albums set a high bar. Particularly Kendrick’s, as he’s delivered some of the best hip-hop albums of my lifetime. I included a lot of albums here because this year was poppin’ off.

Let me define the categories I’m introducing here. Classics are albums that absolutely blew my mind, and brought a sound that I just didn’t expect, and are essential purchases for one’s vinyl catalog. No Skips means that the album could be considered a classic, but I wasn’t surprised by much on the album, and of course that it’s an excellent album featuring not one song that I’d need to skip. It’s not easy to provide quality all the way through an entire album. Great albums are one’s that have about half skips or less. Good would be majority skip, but some standout tracks and a solid effort at making a cohesive album with maybe less than perfect execution. I say all of this to suggest that the number of skips on an album determines the quality for the most part. Not the be all end all, as you’ll see below, because if you give me something amazing and innovative even briefly, I might elevate you on my monumentally important list.

You’ll discover something new if you scroll down. Also please share anything you think I missed in the comment section, and I might agree with you or debate you, both of which would be fun 🙂 also within each category there is really no order as far as what was my favorite, though the album just below this text is obviously my #1 AOTY.

Also my writing got a bit lazy towards the end. This was painful to write, but in my stupid head it was important.

Classics:

NxWorries 2 – Why Lawd?

It was easy to put this album at the top of the list for 2024. This is my clear-cut album of the year, and might be my favorite album of the last decade. Yeah you read that right. If you don’t know NxWorries, you might know either of its components, as Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge are both monstrous musicians in their own right. It’s one of the rare collaborations where you get two artists who are best of class in their respective lanes. One could argue that the mind warming track “Daydreaming” single-handedly resuscitated Mark Zuckerberg’s image, as the video of him wakeboarding with Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski made him look insanely cool. That song makes me want to take Molly and rub my penis against the furry wall in Get Him From The Greek. There’s 19 songs on here, and not one skip. 19 songs. Zero skips. That is truly unheard of. This album will likely forever be in my top 10 album, the type of album I would take on an island if I only had to pick a few. Knxwledge, who is arguably a top 5 producer all-time in hip-hop, delivers an absolute masterclass in beat making. A lot of the production here is magical. Anderson .Paak pretty much always delivers. I used to get annoyed at the backpacker nerds online who always say NxWorries > Silk Sonic, but after this, I think it’s safe to say that is the case. Unless Bruno Mars and .Paak link up one more time. Fingers crossed! Thank youuuuu to NxWorries 2 for providing the soundtrack of the summer. Now come on and tour the damn thang!!

Freddie Gibbs – You Only Die 1nce

I’ve been a fan of Freddie Gibbs since like 2010, no lie. I remember blazing to his music hotboxing in front of the college dorm. Now you can guess my age, eek! He’s made a lot of great projects, and I’m of course obsessed with his albums made with Madlib, who is arguably the best producer ever. Yet somehow Freddie delivered a more consistent album here without Madlib. I think this was the most impressive and surprising album of the year, since Freddie delivered a cohesive and replayable album with no-name producers. The production is really good too despite the lack of pedigreed beatmakers. Nothing crazy or next-level sounding, which I tend to want in my Classics section, but Freddie really knocked this album out of the park with what appears to be a very small budget.

Jay Worthy & DāM FunK – Magic Hour

I discovered DāM FunK through the avenue I imagine most people did. Dude did an album with Snoop Dogg, that’s right, Snoop D-O-double g. They formed a group called 7 Days of Funk. Check that out, it’s a great Snoop album. Anyways, Mr. Funk is an excellent purveyor of the West Coast G-Funk that Dr. Dre pioneered, so it made sense for him and Snoop to link. Ok back to Jay Worthy. Jay Worthy is Grimes stepbrother. You heard it right. Simultaneously, he might also be the most hood rapper ever, as dude has posted more dead homies posts on Instagram than anyone I’ve seen by far. I think that’s the ultimate measurement. Whoever has the most dead homies is the hardest. Anyways, Jay Worthy is a super dope West Coast artist. Think Larry June, but better. Both him and Larry June are clear descendants of Curren$y and Dom Kennedy, but it’s a genre worth continuing. Smooth stoner music that can be enjoyed by all. DāM FunK and Jay had been talking about this album for a very long time, and it lived up to the hype. I would say best West Coast album of the year, but that title goes to NxWorries 2 of course. Magic Hour is excellent though. If you like West Coast rap, you’ll absolutely love this.

Raury – Blue Shell Theory

Taking a left turn from the albums above, Raury delivered an extremely introspective album called Blue Shell Theory. The concept being that the blue shell in Mario Cart is what people use to kill the person who’s winning the race. Raury was winning the race believe it or not. He was blowing up something huge in 2012-2015. Then he decided to ditch the industry entirely and started playing free shows in the Atlanta forest area. Dude’s a legend for that. This is his most hip-hop focused album from my perspective and the production is handled solely by his friend Hirsh. Hirsh came with the perfect soundscape, as the production sounds tailor made for Raury. Raury spits knowledge as always, dude is supremely underrated. If you like personal lyrics and almost ambient hip-hop production then this album will make your day. This is one you’ll want to play front to back on a rainy day in winter. Let the warmth of Hirsh’s production surround you like a blanket as Raury gives you the ultimate depth via pure and seemingly unfiltered yet carefully chosen lyrics.

Heems & Lapgan – LAFANDAR

I missed Heems, one half of the very fun group Das Racist that died out a long time ago. Heems did some decent solo stuff after Das Racist, and then disappeared for like 7 years. Then he came back with three records in 2024. This is the first one. I don’t know who Lapgan is and can tell he’s the producer as Heems is the only rapper on here. I should tap in to Lapgan, as he absolutely laced this album. Heems for those who don’t know is an Indian dude, and this album definitely has some India vibes on it, and is the perfect record for Heems to return with. I originally had this in the No Skips section, but it’s a super unique record that also has no skips. Excellent album.

Big Hit, Hit Boy & The Alchemist – Black & Whites

This album has a few skips. That said, the quality on the majority of this album is next-level, which is undoubtedly due to the two legendary producers (Hit Boy & Alc) that are helming this project. Big Hit is Hit Boy’s dad, who escaped jail after nearly 20 years and quickly started making music with his son and his son’s friends. Getting both Hit Boy and The Alchemist to produce your tape is just a guaranteed success. Hit Boy and Alc have been lately bringing out the best in each other (see my favorite music video of 2023 and maybe ever). Some of the beats here are truly amazing, and Big Hit sounds as hungry as one can be. Sadly he recently went back to jail for what I believe was a parole violation. Free Big Hit! And check out this dope ass album.

Joey Valence & Brae – No Hands

I heard about these dudes from Danny Brown as he featured on a very dope track here. I feel like these guys are the Beastie Boys of Gen Z. This will make sense when you listen. The production on here sounds familiar and new at the same time. This is a really fun album that is well produced, and both Joey & Brae come with heat on every track. The best tracks on this album are some of the best of the year of any artist. There were a few skips on here, but most tracks are either really strong or next-level. Flames!

No Skips:

Huey Briss – Better In Person

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TAP INTO HUEY BRISS. This would go in the Classic section if it wasn’t exactly what I expected from Huey Briss. I must mention that the third track “She’s A Dancer” on is not what I expected out of Mr. Briss here, as it’s a radio-friendly single that still sounds organically Briss. Huey Briss is literally the main reason I decided to write anything about hip-hop. I guess also for Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire as well. They’re the two most underrated artists on the West Coast and East Coast. Briss being the king of the west. This album is a great introduction to Huey Briss. His ultimate classic album imo is Grace Park Legend, which is also a great way to tap into one of the best lyricists today who also happens to have an amazing ear for beats. Briss can’t miss!!

Drakeo The Ruler – The Undisputed Truth

Like Huey’s album above, this would also go in the classics section if it wasn’t what I already expected from Drakeo. The unexpected part is that Ralfy The Plug (Drakeo’s brother) is handling his posthumous career so well. The Undisputed Truth is another record that sounds like Drakeo is still alive. I think all of Drakeo’s albums fit the no skip bill except for maybe some of his early ones. If you don’t know Drakeo and you love West Coast gangster rap, you’re missing out. He’s maybe the best in that genre, ever. He reinvented West Coast rap with his one-of-a-kind flow that’s been mimicked by every LA rapper on the rise and even Kendrick. Long live the Ruler!!

Vince Staples – Dark Times

I discovered Sir Staples in his Shyne Coldchain days because I’m both old and hip. Vince is someone I’ve always had mixed feelings about, especially when he came out and dissed arguably the greatest era of hip-hop (the 90’s). At the time I thought it was bold to levy a diss, as his recent releases had been awful imo. He’d have maybe 1-2 solid singles on a long album, which to me gave him nothing to stand on whilst dissing an entire era. Anyways, what I’m trying to say is I’m so open-minded that Vince made it to my No Skips section. A lot of this is because he linked up with his old go-to producer Michael Uzowuru. This is another one where you can just press play and let it run. Good to see Vince make a consistent album. I didn’t know he still had it in him!

Buddy – Don’t Forget To Breathe

After his excellent debut album Harlan & Alondra, I assumed that Buddy was going to take over the best coast. Then he lagged on his follow up, taking 4 years to release the extremely underwhelming Superghetto. If you’re planning to take over a coast, you can’t make any missteps, and I think Buddy probably noticed that his second album had a very different reception to his first. With his 2024 album I’m writing about, he took less time to cook, and delivered a much better album that totally sounds like him. Really strong record here, and a very easy listen on the ears. Buddy seems like a cool ass dude, and one you should get behind. This is a mature and smooth record that you could play in most settings. Come take a gander.

Premo Rice & Harry Fraud – P Got Game

Premo Rice is a descendant of Dom Kennedy and Curren$y. In other words he exclusively makes smooth stoner music where he flexes constantly about his own swagger or related cool things. It makes for really good music, especially when Harry Fraud is on the boards. A good amount of the songs on this short record made it to my most esteemed playlist, but every track on here works and is listenable, therefore no skips! Really strong record. Nothing super creative or risky here. My favorite Premo Rice track that isn’t on this album is on his Spotify top 5 played songs.

Cookin Soul & The Musalini – MacKaroni

If Mu$ took all of his best tracks from the 5 albums he released this year, he would’ve dropped one of the best hip-hop albums ever. Instead we got 5 really good albums, and imo MacKaroni is the standout. It’s fully produced by Cookin Soul who is one of the most well-known producers to the general public, but also one that a lot of heads may not know. Who knows what people know? All I know is Mu$ was the most consistent artist of 2024. His music has a similar vibe to Premo Rice above. So like I said above, if ou’re into Curren$y or Dom Kennedy, Mu$ will be your best discovery this year.

Great Albums:

Roc Marciano – Marciology

If you know me, which you don’t, you know I love Roc Marciano. Roc Marci is the most consistent hip-hop artist of the last 15 years. Bold claim huh? Nah son, nah. Roc has strayed further and further away from traditional hip-hop over the years, which is fine, but I’ll be the first to admit that on some tracks he gets a bit too experimental with the production. That said, sometimes it absolutely clicks and works. What I’m getting at is that Marciology isn’t a classic like many of his records, as there are several tracks that have just weird production that almost sounds good, but doesn’t. When everything clicks though, you get tracks like “Tapeworm”, is one of my top 10 favorite tracks from 2024. Maybe my overall favorite. I have to think more about this.

Nacho Picasso – Jesse’s Revenge

Nacho Picasso is an artist I hadn’t paid attention to in maybe a decade, but he hadn’t done a solo record in some time, and came back with producer TELEVANGEL (1/2 of the producer duo that worked with Nacho a ton back in the day called Blue Sky Black Death). The production here seems as tailor made as the BSBD production he initially rapped over when he came onto the scene in the early 2010’s. I can’t lie, I thought of him because I saw Andrew Callaghan mention him, of All Gas No Brakes and Channel 5 News fame. I have a small beef with him after paying to see a screening of his first film, and it turned out to be an absolute waste of my hard-earned cash (long story). Him posting a comment about Nacho Picasso in turn made me gain respect and reminded me about Nacho who I hadn’t listened to since like 2012 or something. This album is pretty damn wonderful. The production is all extremely well-done and varied, and Nacho comes with personal lyrics, funny ones, and in general just entertaining lyricism. Excellent album.

Masta Ace & Marco Polo – Richmond Hill

If you haven’t ever listened to Masta Ace you’re in for a treat. Go check out Long Hot Summer before this album. Too lazy to give a background right now, but dude’s been a top-tier lyricist for over 30 years now. For him to make a record this strong after 30 years in the game is a testament to his artistry. This would’ve made the No Skips section if there was a bit of editing, as this album has a few cuts that I would’ve left on the cutting room floor. My only complaint is that this is a few songs too long. That said, it’s got a lot of great music, so who am I to complain? Masta Ace has delivered so many records over the years, and is absolutely worth a deep dive.

Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg – Missionary

There have been mixed reviews for this album. I mean the expectations for this duo will be impossibly high no matter what. Dr. Dre and his production team delivered some very polished (perhaps too polished) beats for Snoop to attack. You read that right, I said attack. Snoop sounds hungrier than the D-O-double g who first came into the game in ’93. Every song on here works for the most part, outside of the song where Sting appears, but nothing on here will make the playlist. It’s still worth a listen from front to end, but not a lot of replay value here. Also the feature K.A.A.N. sounds just like Pharrell on here. Had to mention that for some reason. If you like Snoop or Dre, you have to at least listen to it once. When I was super stoned on first listen it sounded amazing, so light up before your first listen for sure.

Doja Cat – Scarlet 2 Claude

Doja Cat’s Scarlet in 2023 was a great album blending hip-hop and pop. Her track “Balut” could’ve brought bars back on a pop level imo. I love her! She came out with the deluxe version that she named CLAUDE right before Coachella. I wish I got to see her live there. CLAUDE has some phenomenal tracks on it for a deluxe. Clocking in at a very short seven tracks, this is a quick listen, but also a great one. You’ll definitely see some tracks here on my singles of the year list. Doja is the best pop artist out right now by far. Not straight hip-hop, but whatever, it’s close enough.

Kurious – Majician

Kurious is an older hip-hop artist that I totally slept on, until I decided in the last few years that “?” is my favorite MF DOOM track, and a large reason is Kurious’ verse on it. Kurious has many connections to DOOM, and his new album this year Majician came out via DOOM’s label, and a lot of the production sounds DOOM-esque, which is a nice tough. If you miss DOOM, you’ll love this record. It’s the closest thing we’ll get to his sound maybe ever. Really nice record. It has its missteps, but overall very strong. I don’t think I can pay a higher compliment than a DOOM comparison, so I’m done writing here.

Ka – Thief Next To Jesus

Rest in peace to Ka! Nothing in hip-hop this year hit me harder than Ka’s unexpected passing. I really can’t believe he is dead. For those who don’t know, Ka is one of the best lyricists in hip-hop history. That said, his music isn’t for everyone, as he raps over solemn loops for the most part. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes the production choices he makes have me hitting the skip button, which is sad, as his lyrics should NEVER be skipped. The tough part in hip-hop is you need both dope beats and dope rhymes. This record is a typical Ka record, through and through. The fact that he was so consistent throughout his life could be considered a knock, but I think it’s ideal for a true fan. I’m of course a fan, but I’m not a Stan, and he’s got some great instrumentals on here, while also offering several grating ones. This wouldn’t be the first Ka record I’d check out, but it’s a strong one, and a helluva sendoff. Long live Ka.

Juicy J – Ravenite Social Club

I didn’t expect to listen to a Juicy J record this year, let alone write about one. I love Juicy J though, don’t get me wrong. I grew up on Three Six Mafia. Juicy announced this as a jazz-inspired album, which caught my eye. Then I saw JR Swiftz was helming most of the production on here, and that’s when I was hooked. JR Swiftz is one of the best producers in the underground right now, delivering big records for underground legends such as Westside Gunn, eLZhi, etc. The production here clearly inspired Juicy J as he sounds like an elder statesman who is speaking to an entire nation on a podium. Like a wise sage version of Juicy J, versus the syrup sipping drug taking one we all know so well. I love this record. Listening to the Deluxe version right now and it’s also great. If you want to hear a refreshing mature album from a true legend, tap in.

Curren$y & DJ Fresh – The Tonite Show The Sequel

I’ve been a fan of Curren$y forever, but it’s impossible to stay on top of his music as he is the most productive rapper possibly ever. I managed to tap into this album with DJ Fresh, and it’s a really strong effort that makes me want to catch up on Curren$y’s other music. I’m like 95% sure I saw DJ Fresh spin at Hiero Day festival in Oakland. Dude makes some dope west coast beats that fit Curren$y’s aesthetic perfectly. Smoke one to this and you’ll have a good time.

Apollo Brown & CRIMEAPPLE – This, Is Not That

CRIMEAPPLE is one of the many descendants of the Roc Marciano created East Coast Resurgence. He’s good, but I’ve never paid much attention, but when I saw Apollo Brown did a full-length with him, I had no choice but to tap in. Apollo Brown’s production has evolved a lot over the years and I appreciate the growth. This is a really strong album, with a few missteps. Overall though, more songs made it onto the playlist than not. Pure hip-hop here. CRIMEAPPLE surprisingly came with some personal rhymes, which I found refreshing, as he’s usually a typical bragadocious rapper. You’ll like this one if you love hip-hop.

Nickelus F – MMCHT

Nickelus F like Willie The Kid below was once shouted out by Drake as one of the hardest rappers out. Well deserved too. This is the first release under his new record label Trick Dice Records, which is named after his fantastic collaboration album Trick Dice with Lil Ugly Mane. There’s a lot of good music here, and some great music. Nickelus F is worth a deep dive for sure, but this is a great place to start. Peep each track on here and you’ll find at least something you enjoy.

Tony Shhnow – Out The Woods

Tony is one of my favorite finds in the last 5 years or so. His flow is super unique, and he always comes with dope modern production. Lots of boom bap on my list, but Tony is not that. He raps on really well-done trap beats with flair. You’ll see quite a few tracks off this album on my favorite singles of the year list. Tony’s one of the most consistent artists out right now, and its been fun to watch his stock rise. I also randomly ran into him at a Mike Will party. Don’t ask how I got in!

Bruiser Wolf – My Stories Got Stories

Bruiser Wolf dropped a very exciting debut Dope Game Stupid that made a lot of waves due to a lot of strong promotion from Danny Brown’s Bruiser Brigade, and also because it’s a fantastic album. I wasn’t sure if/how he could top it, and I don’t think it’s possible to top his magnum opus “Momma Was A Dope Fiend”, but this album is imo better overall than Dope Game Stupid, which is an absolute accomplishment. Bruiser Wolf is an absurdly talented lyricist, with a voice/flow that is extremely unique. My first thought hearing him was that he reminds me of Suga Free, but he’s still rather unique (hip-hop pun intended). Dude has punchlines for days. Bar for bar I think he could hang with damn near anyone. I believe this album is more consistent than his last, but let me know if you agree! If he had cut a few tracks off of here I think he would’ve had a classic too.

Redman – Muddy Waters Too

Sequel albums are always dangerous, for the same reasons they are for movies. Expectations and whatnot. Well Redman absolutely delivers here. Tons of listenable tracks on what basically amounts to a double disc, as there’s 32 total tracks on here. Redman isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here, but if you like Redman, you’ll love this. There’s a ton of good tracks on here, and many great ones. Even though it’s somewhat common knowledge, Eminem has cited Redman as his favorite rapper, so if you don’t know Redman, trust me that he’s a legend for a reason.

Chris Crack – Online Shoplifting

Chris Crack has funny album titles, song titles, and also sometimes lyrics, but he’s no joke as a rapper. Dude can absolutely spit, and he also has a great ear for beats. This is really dope and has some excellent tracks that will make it on my EOY singles list for sure. I got lazy here as this was one of the last albums I wrote about, but peep this!!

Good Albums:

A$ap Ferg – Darold

Ferg took a long time to deliver this record, four years to be exact. Was it worth the wait? Yeah I could say so. It’s got a lot of strong tracks, also some mediocre ones, but he clearly had something to say on this album. He even tells a story about him being molested as a child. Talk about personal! The music on here is kind of schizophrenic, but it makes for an entertaining listen. Almost half the songs here made it onto the playlist, so that’s a great sign. If you’re a fan of Ferg, you’ll find something on here to love (I guarantee it!). He seems really hungry on this album. Fun listen.

Benny The Butcher – Summertime Butch

I can’t lie like this is like any of Benny’s classic albums of the past, but this is the best album I’ve heard from him in a while. I love Benny, and found him long before he blew up. Before you say he hasn’t blown up, trust me he has. Is he a pop star? Nah, but most people know Benny. Even heard some kids playing him on the basketball court where the typical musical palette is Future and Lil’ Baby. This is a strong Benny record with some good production, but none of the production is incredible. Benny was just too blessed in the early-going with some phenomenal Alc and Daringer beats. He still spits just as hard, but the production doesn’t always match. This is the best effort from him since 2019 imo.

Budgie – Loose Ends

Budgie is one of the better producers to emerge in the last decade. Loose Ends is a project of unreleased and some released songs that he decided to release for fans, but it’s also a nice listen. I believe it’s only available on Bandcamp. Some nice west coast smooth music found on here. Worth a look if you liked the Huey Briss or Buddy albums I listed above, as both are featured on this. Solid album for an unofficial release.

Ab-Soul – Soul Burger

Ab-Soul of TDE fame has been dropping mediocre album after mediocre album for a long time. You can tell he really tried here, but it’s just ok. Still, there’s a good amount of tracks here worth listening to, and you can tell that he wanted to make a true album. I don’t think he’s dropped a great album since These Days, which came out a decade ago. If he had edited this one down it’d probably be a lot better. Anyways, some really good tracks on here, and worth a listen if you’re an Ab-Soul fan.

Maxo Kream – Personification

If you love Maxo Kream, you’ll love this album, but he doesn’t stray from his formula much, except for on “Bang The Bus”, which is maybe the best track on here, due to the trippy EDM-style production. If you haven’t peeped Maxo, this wouldn’t be the first album I’d play, as Weight of the World and Brandon Banks are more impressive efforts. This album is really good though and has many classic Maxo Kream type tracks featuring his sing-songy flow, detailed storytelling, and strong beats.

DJ Muggs & Raz Fresco – The Eternal Now

If I have to tell you who DJ Muggs is, that’s ok I guess. He was the resident producer in Cypress Hill. Like The Alchemist, he started doing multiple collab albums per year with damn near every dope underground rapper, which led to a few great tracks, and lots of filler. This album also has lots of filler, but a few excellent tracks. If you love 90’s hip-hop, this will be your cup of tea.

U.G.L.Y. Boy Modeling – and even more

U.G.L.Y. Boy Modeling is best known as a collaborator of Quelle Chris and Chris Crack. I discovered him through Quelle. He releases albums at a rapid pace that range from comedic to downright serious. THe track I just linked made me forever a fan. This was my favorite album of his in 2024. Has some silly tracks, some wavy tracks, and some bangers. “Nipple rings are titty barrettes” is probably my favorite, as his chorus about Jesus having a big dick is probably true, which is what I’d guess is the main reason he was killed so brutally. Men are jealous creatures, particularly about penis size. Also, the beat on this track sounds like a dope ass intro to a 70’s blaxploitation film or something.

Willie The Kid & V Don- Deutsche Marks 4

Another day, another Willie The Kid & V Don album. This is a middling effort for them, but if you like the formula they present, you’ll probably love this album. It just sounds kind of tired to me at this point. Still a quality album nonetheless that sticks to formula and sounds consistent. Willie The Kid is an excellent rapper, and V Don is a great producer. When V Don puts up a top tier instrumental, Willie kills it. Willie kills everything. At one point Drake said Willie is the best rapper out, just like he did Nickelus F above. That is/was a solid shout out and why I still respect Drake to this day.

Blu & Exile – Love (the) Ominous World

Blu & Exile have made magic before, see Below The Heavens, which many consider to be a masterpiece. I wouldn’t say this is close to a classic, but it’s a solid release and has several excellent songs on here. Also some misses. It happens though. It’s really hard to deliver an entire album’s worth of music, which is why I created these categories!

¥$ – Vultures

I thought Vultures was trash when it dropped. It’s still not a great album by any means, but it had like 5 songs make it onto the playlist, so that’s solid for any album, right? Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign make a great duo, but sometimes the production on here is either boring or just plain trash. When the production is good or great, of course Kanye and Ty will kill it. Oddly enough, the least played track on Spotify, “King”, is the clear standout on here. I played a few tracks on here a lot. The second album they did was absolute garbage, but this one is solid.

Cordae – The Crossroads

I saw Cordae live before he blew up as I thought he had potential. I don’t think he that much looking back on it, though he might’ve reached his potential here, offering a strong mainstream release. A pumpkin spice basic hip-hop fan would absolutely love this album. It’s certainly a polished album, but Cordae isn’t an amazing rapper by any means. A few tracks I really enjoyed here, and this album is easy to breeze through, just not one I’d come back to.

Eto – Long Way Home

I love Eto, and I’ll be the first to admit that this album wasn’t great, but still has a few standouts that made it to the playlist. Eto’s dope and worth a listen, though this album isn’t where I’d start.

Kooley High & Tuamie – All Infinite

I don’t know much about Kooley High, but am pretty sure it’s a white dude. He’s a good rapper. Tuamie is a buzzing producer who people seem to be hyped on, and he definitely has potential. They aim for a very traditional hip-hop sound here, and it will appeal to people who keep their backpacks strapped tight. Worthy of being on a list, so I included it, but I can’t say it’s my favorite. A lil’ too backpack for me personally.

JasonMartin & DJ Quik – Chupacabra

JasonMartin fka as Problem released an excellent album Rosecrans with the legendary DJ Quik a while back, and that had me hyped for Chupacabra. Chupacabra has some of my FAVORITE tracks of the entire year, but also some absolute duds. Still a really good album if you love West Coast raps. DJ Quik helped pioneer the West Coast G Funk sound alongside Dr. Dre, and is a true legend and original in the genre, so there’s no way this thing could’ve been all bad. Just wish it had been better personally!

Wiz Khalifa – Wiz Owens

I was surprised that Wiz came with a strong effort. Largely produced by Sledgren who used to make magic with Wiz back in the day, this album is a solid addition to the Wiz catalog. Some good tracks on here, and one great one.

Bronze Nazareth & Wuzee – Bulletproof Carties

I can’t lie, I don’t know who Wuzee is, but he’s a dope rapper. Bronze Nazareth is a Wu-Tang affiliate who is my favorite producer connected to the Wu outside of RZA. Bronze brings some great beats here, and Wuzee sounds inspired and hungry. There are some really strong tracks alongside some mediocre ones. If you like Wu Tang, you should enjoy this album.

Action Bronson – Johann Sebasiten Baklava The Doctor

Action Bronson is consistent, and consistency can be a good or bad thing sometimes. It’s hard to make great art frequently. Bronson’s personality seems to have eclipsed his music for the most part. Recently he’s gone big into drumless hip-hop, which is the wave that Roc Marci and Ka started. Action goes with more psychedelic rock type instrumentals that do bear a connection to some of his past music. This album is really only for hardcore Bronson fans, but it’s still a solid effort. If you want to hear him in his prime go listen to his Blue Chips mixtape.

MIKE & Tony Seltzer – Pinball

Anyone who knows me knows I fuckin’ hate MIKE!!! Can’t stand him, but linking with the very talented producer Tony Seltzer gave him a totally and tonally different sound, and makes for a surprisingly entertaining listen. Tony did the impossible, he made me like a MIKE album. That just goes to show that production comes first, a philosophy I hold near and dear to my heart. I still feel like these beats should’ve been given to a different rapper, but oh well. Hearing MIKE rap over uptempo beats is interesting I guess.

Schoolboy Q – Blue Lips

When I first heard Blue Lips I thought it was really good, then I never listened to it again. Listening to it again for this review, I still think the same thing. It’s a good album, but has no singles. Worth a front to back listen, but I don’t think you’ll be coming back to this. It’s bad when Az Chike’s verse is the most fun part of your album. Az Chike was an enemy of Drakeo’s, so he’s an enemy to all. And nowhere near the rapper that Drakeo is.

JPEGMAFIA – I Lay Down My Life For You

JPEGMAFIA or Peggy as we call him gets mad when you compare him to Death Grips, when he constantly makes Death Grips type music, but that’s ok. This album underwhelmed me on first listen as his collab Scaring The Hoes with Danny Brown gave me impossibly high expectations. He uses more guitar work here than usual, as it worked pretty well on Scaring The Hoes. He also included some more mellow tracks here too. Pretty good album, but I just want to see him work with Danny again.

Denzel Curry – King of the Mischievous South

Denzel Curry used to be super hard, but I feel he’s chased mainstream success a bit too much for my liking. But hey, he’s making money, great for him! This album is like Cordae’s, as it has a lot of mainstream appeal with many pop sounding beats that bear no resemblance to his early music. That said, the second track Ultra Shxt sounds like something he would’ve made 10 years ago, super dope track. There’s also several tracks on the tail end of the album that I enjoyed. Fans of his newer sound will love this, and fans of his older sound will find some stuff to enjoy as well. Solid album.

LL Cool J – The Force

With LL on this list, you probably think I’m a boomer or have a hard-on for the past. The latter is true, I’m the king of nostalgia, but this LL album is mostly impressive due to the producer Q-Tip who produced almost the entire album outside of one track. Q-Tip produced everything Tribe did before The Ummah came together, so he’s obviously a beast on the boards. On first listen I was somewhat disappointed as I hold Tip in such high regard as a producer (therefore my expectations were impossibly high), but this is very well-produced. I kinda slept on it even though I heard it the day it came out. Dope album.

Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal

I debated between putting this album on the list. It’s definitely overrated and overhyped by every other EOY list/blog/site. Doechii is dope though, don’t get me wrong. I used to follow every TDE signee, but tbh I stopped caring after Isaiah Rashad, so I ignored Doechii entirely even though I saw she had joined. Saw her open up for Doja Cat live in 2023 and she was great, so I knew I’d be seeing her name again. I appreciate the effort on this album, as you can feel the love of labor and she takes a lot of risks. She also shows off tons of swag. There are very few songs I’ll come back to here, but I still think it’s a commendable album. NISSAN ALTIMA is the centerpiece of the album and an extremely inspired track. Excited to see what she does next.

THE END. Thank you for reading. Hopefully 2025 is a great year. Would love to see A$AP and Kanye drop soon.