Between Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s scathing feud and the many joint albums we received across the span of some months, Hip Hop has had no shortage of stellar moments in 2024. Releases like 21 Savage’s american dream, and VULTURES 1 by Ye and Ty Dolla Sign set the tone early on, with Don Toliver, Vince Staples and Ice Spice giving fans something to talk about throughout the summer and early fall.
2024 was also undeniably the year for women in rap. Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla, both of whom had meteoric runs that occasionally intertwined, each dropped two projects. Meanwhile, Flo Milli, Tierra Whack and Sexyy Red also delivered their respective well-rounded projects; though, they weren’t as universally praised and quickly faded from the conversation.
The pressures of being an artist — success, failure and everything in between — are as pressing as ever, especially with how quickly Hip Hop fans consume music and move on to the next thing. With that spirit, we’ve rounded up our 11 favorite rap albums from 2024 that might just stand the test of time. Check them out below!
11. Tyler, The Creator — CHROMOKOPIA
Tyler, The Creator originally told fans not to expect an album in 2024. However, an apparent change of heart led to CHROMAKOPIA, the Los Angeles rapper’s eighth studio effort and arguably one of his most compelling projects yet. He ushered in the era with singles like “St. Chroma,” “Noid” and “Thought I Was Dead,” each offering a glimpse into the person he’s become.
That sense of fun that comes with adulthood isn’t entirely absent, though. Tracks like “Sticky” featuring Sexyy Red and GloRilla, and “Balloon” with Doechii bottle energy, emotion and blockbuster-level production into every beat — each of which was crafted by the IGOR artist himself. As a whole, the 14-song collection proves that while Tyler seemingly moved away from the person whom he introduced fans to on Bastard and Goblin, that’s not entirely a bad thing. In fact, the more mature version of himself makes deeper records such as “Take Your Mask Off” all the more enjoyable.
10. GloRilla — GLORIOUS
GloRilla had something to prove this year, especially with social media critics claiming she’d fallen off and constantly pitting her against other women in Hip Hop. Luckily her female peers appeared in abundance on GLORIOUS, the Memphis rapper’s debut album. Despite having a stacked feature list — Latto, Megan, Muni Long, Sexyy Red and the gospel posse cut that culminated into “RAIN DOWN ON ME” — the “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” artist surprisingly holds her own.
From the get-go, “INTRO” opens with GloRilla walking listeners through all of her hardships, whereas records like “HOLLON” and “PROCEDURE” offer snapshots of her life today. The next song, “TGIF,” was 2024’s Rihanna-approved summer anthem, with the Collective Music Group artist declaring, “Got a million and one haters, and they all can kiss my a**.” Across the rest of the 15-song project, fans received “HOW I LOOK,” “I LUV HER” featuring T-Pain and “QUEEN OF MEMPHIS,” a triumphant closing track for arguably one of GloRilla’s most cohesive works to date.
9. ScHoolboy Q — BLUE LIPS
Top Dawg Entertainment’s roster drops an album in what feels like every blue moon. However, the releases that fans receive are often drastically different from the last. Case in point: ScHoolboy Q’s BLUE LIPS. Though frequently preoccupied with trivial topics like success and lingering pain from his past, the West Coast MC also delivers aggressively charged tracks like “Movie” and “oHio,” the latter of which saw him team up with Freddie Gibbs. Even in the album’s feature-free stretches, the California-based talent frequently finds himself dismantling the person he used to be in order to embrace the man he is now.
8. Don Toliver — HARDSTONE PYSCHO
Toliver is easily one of the best artists to come out of Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack Records imprint. HARDSTONE PSYCHO served as further proof. “BROTHER STONE,” “ATTITUDE” and “BANDIT” bring rock-inspired elements to the Hip Hop album, while “5 TO 10” serves as a tribute to the Texas native’s mentor. Elsewhere, “DEEP IN THE WATER” celebrates intimacy, fittingly marking the birth of his and Kali Uchis’ first child. As a follow-up to 2023’s Love Sick — the effort that helped cement Toliver’s place in the genre — HARDSTONE PSYCHO feels like the perfect successor to that career-defining moment.
7. Big Sean — Better Me Than You
Big Sean’s Better Me Than You rollout found itself in the shadow of one of 2024’s most talked-about rap beefs. “Precision” dropped the same day as Lamar’s explosive guest verse on “Like That,” and the former G.O.O.D. Music signee could only keep so much momentum alive with subsequent singles “Yes” and “On Up.” However, the 21-song collection offers plenty to appreciate, from the braggadocious bars heard across “Iconic” and the Gunna-assisted “It Is What It Is” to the reflective nature of cuts like “Break The Cycle” and “Boundaries.” Like many of 2024's other Album Of The Year contenders, Better Me Than You also benefits from a vast array of collaborations. Big Sean recruited Bryson Tiller, Cash Cobain, rising star NASAAN, Kodak Black and Larry June, to name a few.
Simply put, the Detroit-based rapper's latest effort isn’t a bad album, but it doesn’t quite stack up against some of his stronger projects, such as 2017’s I Decided. or 2020’s Detroit 2. The skits feel a bit unnecessary, and the leaks, coupled with a seemingly rushed rollout, didn’t do him any favors. Still, it’s refreshing to hear him open up about fatherhood, his spiritual growth and the rewards of prioritizing mental health — topics that feel way too rare in the genre.
6. Latto — Sugar Honey Iced Tea
On her third studio album, Latto showed she’s not to be lumped in with the rest of the girls. Her pursuit of being the best out there is especially noticeable in “Big Mama,” “Blick Sum,” “There She Go” and “S/O to Me.” The self-coined Queen of Da Souf also dishes out another “Big Energy” worthy follow-up with “Brokey,” which saw Rubi Rose, Alabama Barker and Desi Banks starring in its accompanying visual effort.
The Georgia-raised talent also steps up to the plate alongside her male peers on “Shrimp & Grits,” which features fellow Atlanta star Young Nudy, the Hunxho-assisted “Copper Cove,” and “Prized Possessions” with the ever-experimental Teezo Touchdown. And of course, 2023’s massively popular “Put It On Da Floor Again” with Cardi B made an appearance on the project. There's also the “Sunday Service” remix with Megan and Flo Milli, which, unfortunately, came months too late to ride the wave of the original’s success.
5. Future — MIXTAPE PLUTO
Despite being his third project of the year, Future’s MIXTAPE PLUTO surprisingly steers clear of any creative fatigue. Much of that can be attributed to its 17 tracks arriving completely feature-free, a stark contrast to what we saw on previous efforts like WE DON’T TRUST YOU — which was largely overshadowed by the momentum of Lamar’s “Like That” verse — or 2022’s I NEVER LIKED YOU. Across the September release, listeners get to hear Future at his peak on “PLUTOSKI” and “TEFLON DON,” while “MJ” and “LOST MY DOG” evoke a somewhat nostalgic callback to the sound that made many fans fall in love with him in the first place.
4. 21 Savage — american dream
In 2019, 21 Savage was detained by ICE due to an expired visa. While he eventually secured his career card years later, the London-born rapper spent the interim touring with Drake and crafting their joint album, Her Loss. Fast forward to January 2024, he returned with american dream, his first solo album in over five years. Across 15 sprawling tracks, 21 Savage unleashes the menacing “redrum” and “née-nah,” taps into his love for R&B with collaborations featuring Brent Faiyaz, Summer Walker and Mariah the Scientist, and reflects deeply on cuts like “letter to my brudda.” Production wasn’t lacking either, with Metro Boomin, Kid Hazel, OG Parker and more helping him craft a great start to the year.
3. Ye and Ty Dolla Sign — VULTURES 1
Ye and Ty Dolla Sign are no strangers to working together, as evidenced by “Fade” and “Real Friends.” Leaning on that foundation, the pair translated their chemistry into a full-length album, VULTURES 1, in February. Most fans were expecting a classic from the start, especially with “BACK TO ME” and “BEG FORGIVENESS,” which were among the many records teased during the duo’s listening experiences in Miami and Las Vegas.
Adding to its star power, Ye tackled quite a few personal and controversial topics, such as his divorce from Kim Kardashian on “KEYS TO MY LIFE,” his previous anti-Semitic remarks on “VULTURES,” and severing ties with major brands like Adidas and GAP on “BURN.” Meanwhile, Ty Dolla Sign proves to be just as essential to the LP, offering up personal moments of his own like seeing his only daughter grow older on "TALKING."
Unfortunately, VULTURES 1 is where the magic of Ye and Ty Dolla Sign’s collaborative genius seems to end. The album’s second installment, VULTURES 2, fell short on much of the execution that made its predecessor stand out, with tracks like “530” and “FRIED” feeling like they would have fit better on either artist’s earlier albums. Whether VULTURES 3 will make up for some of the previous mistakes is uncertain, though delays are inevitable while Ye works on his next solo effort, BULLY.
2. Megan Thee Stallion — MEGAN
Taking into consideration her prolonged legal battle with 1501 Certified Entertainment, an album that showcased Megan’s full artistic range felt long overdue. Fortunately, she more than delivered with her self-titled MEGAN. We got our first taste of the project with "Cobra," in which the Grammy Award-winning artist addresses depression and her struggles with alcoholism head-on. Then, the chart-topping "HISS" saw her silencing critics, detractors and Tory Lanez supporters — the last-mentioned group had been harassing her since 2020 — in one breath.
Among the album’s many highlights are the TikTok-viral “Mamushi,” a reunion with GloRilla on “Accent” and two solo standouts, “BOA” and “Otaku Hot Girl.” MEGAN is practically everything fans love about the Houston native wrapped into 45 minutes: Anime references, unapologetic confidence, resilience in the face of loss and plenty of Instagram-worthy captions for the girlies.
1. Kendrick Lamar — GNX
Lamar must have caught wind of the backlash against him being crowned Hip Hop’s Artist of the Year based solely on “Not Like Us” and responded by dropping a surprise album. GNX opens with “wacced out murals,” where the Grammy Award-winning rapper wrestles with the realization that some of his idols and peers weren’t who he thought they were. The track takes on the Super Bowl LIX controversy involving Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg reposting Drake's "Taylor Made Freestyle" — spoiler alert: neither pastime legend goes without being name-checked.
The project continues with the previously teased “squabble up,” also Lamar’s third No. 1 of the year, “luther,” which boasts ethereal vocals from SZA, and the Mustard-produced “tv off.” Unlike some of Lamar’s previous albums, which often demand multiple listens or lean so deep into introspection they sacrifice replay-ability, GNX finds the Compton MC at his most confident. Cuts like "dodger blue" and "gnx" welcome fellow California contemporaries, and there are more than enough songs that don’t require much to unpack.