2024 has been one of the most entertaining years in recent memory in the hip-hop world. Fans saw albums from some of the top artists in the game, including Kanye West, J. Cole, Future, Don Toliver, Lil Uzi Vert, Kid Cudi, and so many more. Also worth mentioning is one of the wildest feuds that took place between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, which provoked a lot of excitement and great music for fans. Let’s get into the top five albums of the year.
5. American Dream (21 Savage) – 21 has quickly emerged as one of the most popular artists of this generation. This was Savage’s first solo album release since 2020, and it came as sort of a surprise to fans as the album only began to be teased the week it dropped. American Dream was released on Jan. 12 and included superstar features including Doja Cat, Young Thug, Travis Scott, Lil Durk, Brent Faiyaz, and more. Highlight tracks such as “redrum,” “née-nah,” featuring Travis Scott, “prove it,” featuring Summer Walker, and “should’ve wore a bonnet,” featuring Brent Faiyaz earn this project a spot on the list, as they all have great replay value and remain top charts to this date.
4. Vultures 1 (Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign) – As always with Kanye West, this album was highly anticipated. Ye and Ty Dolla $ign have collaborated in the past on tracks such as “Fade,” and “All Mine,” but joined forces to complement each other for a full-length album. The two artists kept fans waiting, but it was well worth the wait. As an official duo, the rollout began in Nov. 2023 with the title single “VULTURES” featuring Lil Durk and Bump J and served as a great preview to the album. Finally, on Feb. 9, the album was released on streaming platforms in the middle of the night. In contrast to Kanye and Ty’s previous discography, this was a pure, fun hip-hop album. Smash hit “CARNIVAL,” featuring Playboi Carti and Rich The Kid went viral on social media and topped the charts. The main reason why this album was considered so successful was because Kanye did phenomenal numbers as an independent artist with no label backing him.
3. Chromakopia (Tyler, The Creator) – Tyler is always known for having a bit of a different style compared to other artists mentioned on this list, and Chromakopia absolutely showcases his versatility. The album was very successful among music fans, even from people who do not consider themselves fans of Tyler. The most amazing aspect of this album is the production, as every track brings a different instrumental style. Tyler does a phenomenal job adjusting his vocals to each track as well. The standout track of this project is “Sticky,” featuring Sexyy Red, Glorilla, and Lil Wayne, one of the most unique sounding tracks of the decade. Another possible reason for the album’s success was the way it was marketed, as Tyler traveled the country putting on shows for just $5, where fans got to watch him perform the album entirely.
2. GNX (Kendrick Lamar) – Kendrick shocked the world with the release of this album, mostly because it was released on a Friday at noon without warning. Following the feud with Drake, fans were desperate to hear a new Kendrick album before his performance at the Super Bowl. This album has something for everybody, as Kendrick channels all of his different skill sets. The more popular tracks among fans, such as “hey now,” “squabble up,” and “tv off,” utilize the West Coast style that was presented on the hit track “Not Like Us” from earlier in the year. This project also produced another collaboration between Lamar and SZA on the chart-topping track “luther,” The success of this duo led to their announcement of a stadium tour that is set to begin making stops around North America in April of 2025. Fans and insiders are still speculating that Kendrick has another album on the way very soon.
1. We Don’t Trust You (Future & Metro Boomin) – One of the best producer-rapper duos in the industry came together to make another collaboration project. Metro has produced many hit tracks for Future in the past decade, including “Mask Off,” “Low Life,” “Jumpman,” and “Superhero.” This album takes a similar approach to the trap sound that the duo has perfected. Songs like “Young Metro,” featuring The Weeknd, “Fried,” “Slimed In,” and “Everyday Hustle,” featuring Rick Ross serve as highlight tracks, and perfectly encapsulate Future’s signature style. A main reason why this album was so influential was the track “Like That,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, which was the main spark that began the feud between Kendrick and Drake. Future and Metro later went on to release another album in April, and Future put out his own project in September.
