Lamont's Lists: My Favorite Hip Hop Songs Of 2024

Well 2024 is a wrap, and I'm so happy to report that the rumors of hip hop's so-called demise were once again greatly exaggerated. For all of you who, just a year ago, were gleefully citing hip hop's declining streams and airplay as evidence of everything from a lack of creativity, to rampant commercialism, to too much mumble rap, and all manner of other "it ain't what it used to be" nonsense, let me be the first to say "STFU". 

As I knew it would, the culture has once again proven to be resilient. There was so much great music released in 2024 that it was hard to keep pace with. From ratchet to righteous, boom bap to trap, and party starters to thought starters...the sheer breadth and diversity of the tunes offered something for every eardrum. 

Yes, shots were fired and beefed settled, but there were also calls for peace, perseverance and power moves. Above all else, the music compelled us to put on our headphones or hit the dance floor or rap along word for word in our cars - giving us a chance to escape the IRL madness of 2024 - one boomin' beat at a time. 

Below are my favorite hip hong songs of 2024. Listen, like, smile, dance...enjoy.

Listen to the full playlist on Apple Music HERE

Listen to the full playlist on Spotify HERE

Click on the song title to watch the music video

The Top 25 (In Alpha Order)

Blow For Blow - Tee Grizzley (Ft. J. Cole) "the goat just from features". I agree wholeheartedly.

Blueslides - ScHoolboy Q - If you forgot that Q is also an elite L.A. talent. Let this serve as your reminder.

CoMPRess - Nasty C - Straight outta South Africa. Money. Power. Respect. For Nasty C...nothing less.

DeNiM - IDK & Joey Bada$$ - Words to live by: "If they ain't laughing at your dreams then you gotta dream bigger".

Denial Is A River - Doechii - Indeed it is Doechii. Indeed it is.

Dreamin’ - Common & Pete Rock - "From the steller regions of the soul". That ancient manifested hip hop straight off the block.

either on or off the drugs - JPEGMAFIA - The "Turn On The Lights" sample here is lovely.

Etouffee - Vince Staples - "In the ghetto I'm martian, crash landed..."Shout out to Nola and to all those who feel both at home and like an outsider at the same time.

Godly - Earthgang, Spillage Village & Damon Albarn - If Damon Albarn is on board you know it's gonna slap.

Hot One - Denzel Curry, TiaCorine & A$AP Ferg - As per usual, Denzel Curry brings the heat.

Jumpin In - Kenny Mason - Representing a fresh voice and sound from Atlanta. I'm here for it.

Like That - Future & Metro Boomin (Ft. Kendrick Lamar) - And so begins the greatest rap beef of all time. If only we knew then the ass whuppin' that kendrick was about to unleash.

Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar - "Wop wop wop wop wop Dot F* him up!" Is it weird that I'm still not really sick of this song?

Peaches and Herb - Che Noir & Ransom - If you're vibing out to Che Noir on a regular basis, what are you even doing with your life.

Praise Him - LL Cool J - LL and Nas sounding as youthful and vibrant as ever. And how could they not while rapping over this beat from Q-Tip. The Abstract one is a musical genius.

Precision - Big Sean - Don't @ me but here's an undeniable truth: Big Sean is one of the best rappers walking the planet earth. These bars are ridiculous.

Samurai - Lupe Fiasco - Things change. Trends come and go. Lupe Fiaso is oblivious to it all. He just keeps putting in the work. Making thoughtful, robust records that are uniformly excellent.

Saturday Mornings - Cordae (Ft. Lil Wayne) - This is a nice return to form for Cordae, who had been phoning it in for a few years now.

Sinner - Samara Cyn - Yet another fresh female voice to emerge in 2024. Samara really packs a punch. "Can you believe they pay me all this money just to talk Sh*t? Yes Samara. Actually, I can.

Squabble Up - Kendrick Lamar - If you can listen to Squabble Up without getting a strong urge to poke out your elbows and attempt to C-Walk around your living room then you might have too much self control for your own good.

Squeeze 1st 2 | A Colors Show - Ab-Soul - Those horns mixed with Ab-Soul's clever punchlines. That's a winning formula.

Sticky - Tyler, The Creator (Ft. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne) - Tyler threw about 20 different ideas into this song and somehow it still works.

TGIF - GloRilla - It's Friday. It's hot. And GloRilla is turnt up. Got it? Good. Now watch her do her thing.

TIFFANY (B) - IDK & Gunna - A standout cut from a standout album. IDK rarely misses.

Trae The Truth In Ibiza - J. Cole - The complexity, nuance and wisdom of Cole's rhymes here are on another level.

75 Others To Round Out The Top 100

Barry White - Revival Season

Bat Phone - Mez, SAINt JHN & MAVI

Beautiful - Ka

BeBe's Kids - Roc Marciano

Best For Me - Joyner Lucas & Jelly Roll

Big Dawgs - Humankind & Kalmi

Bill It! - Darrell Cole & DNDBiggie

Black & Blue - Vince Staples

Bless - Lil Wayne, Wheezy & Young Thug

BOA - Megan Thee Stallion

Can't Get Enough - Culture Jam (Ft. Bia, Falu'jae & Lakeyah)

Chrome - Samara Cyn

Clever Captions - Curren$y, DJ Fresh & Smoke DZA

Come Overnight - Kur

Community Service - Skyzoo & JRose

Copy Cold - Mach-Hommy & Black Thought

Couple Months In LA - Rexx Life Raj

Crazier - Ab-Soul & JID

DBZ - Your Old Droog, Method Man & Denzel Curry

Diary Of A Mad Bitch - Rapsody (Ft. Bibi Bourelly)

Die For The Party - Lecrae

Droppin Buckets - Nyck Caution

Everyday Hustle - Future, Metro Boomin’ & Rick Ross

Family Matters - Drake

Feelings - Mickey Factz & Robes

Free Ghost - Icewear Vezzo

Fuel - Eminem & JID

Give & Give - Conway The Machine & Cool & Dre

Gold - Blu & Exile (Ft. Nana & Ahmad Anwar)

Greek Scholar - Che Noir & ICECOLDBISHOP

Had To Improve - Oddisee

Him All Along - Gunna

Ice Storm - Sango & Smino

It Is What It Is - Big Sean & Gunna

Last Dance With Mary Jane - Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre

Let Me Calm Down - Nicki Minaj (Ft. J. Cole)

Let’s Go (Remix) - Key Glock & Young Dolph

Light Up The City - Miri Ben-Ari, Kalan.FrFr & BantaBeatz

Like This - Buddy

Luminous - Kenny Mason

Malibu - YG (Ft. Tee Grizzley & G Herbo)

Mamushi - Megan Thee Stallion (Ft. Yuki Chiba)

Million Dollar Baby - Tommy Richman

Money At - Flyana Boss

The Motions - Quincy White

My Year - Da Beatminerz, De La Soul & Pharoahe Monch

Native Sons - Talib Kweli & J. Rawls

Neue Muse - Erik The Architect

A New Day - Ransom, Conway The Machine & V Don

Oh Shhh - Ice Spice & Travis Scott

On The Set - Freddie Gibbs

one of wun - Gunna

Out The Park - Nappy Nina & Swarvy

Pardon Us - Wale

Plant Based - Masta Ace & Marco Polo

Pressin’ My Bunk - Boldly James & Harry Fraud

Problem - Cash Cobain & Laila!

Sell Me Sickness, Sell Me Health - Sideshow

Sip Slow - Toine Houston

Slide - SadBoi

Summer ‘24 - Benny The Butcher

Sunday Service - Latto

Tell Me - Termanology & NasteeLuvzYou

Tequan - Smino & Ravyn Lenae

They Don't Know - BigXthePlug

This My Life - Lyrical Lemonade, Lil Tecca, et.al.

Timeless - The Weekend & Playboi Carti

Time Waits For No Man - Awon & Phoniks

Too Fast - Future

Torch - Little Simz

TV Off - Kendrick Lamar

U My Everything - Sexyy Red & Drake

Wanna Be - GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion & Cardi B

Whatever She Wants - Bryson Tiler

Yoshinoya - Childish Gambino