The Finest New Hip-Hop This Week consists of albums, movies, and songs from Bossman Dlow, Snoop Dogg, and Will Smith.
Seeing this week’s lineup would possibly immediate some confusion about simply what decade it’s, however I guarantee you, we’re nonetheless (sadly) just a few weeks away from 2025. Snoop and Will’s contributions to this week’s releases simply continues a development this 12 months of Golden Period pioneers dusting off their notebooks to show they nonetheless have the chops to hold with at this time’s crop of recent MCs. Will did so by teaming up with Joyner Lucas once more for “Tantrum“:
However talking of at this time’s rap stars, we nonetheless acquired loads of contributions from them within the type of GloRilla’s festive vacation single with Kehlani, “Xmas Time“:
Offset subtly referenced his break up from Cardi B within the swaggering new single, “Swing My Wa“:
And Polo G shared some “Thug Memorials“:
Right here is the very best of hip-hop this week ending December 13, 2024.
ninth Marvel — Zion X
A pleasant shock in time for Christmas. The North Carolina beatmaker drops off a 32-track assortment of soulful instrumentals. I normally don’t cowl instrumental hip-hop within the column (as a result of every week would take a month to write down in that case), but it surely’s at all times good to listen to from the veteran producer, whose credit embody a number of generations of top-tier lyricists, from Jay-Z to Rapsody.
Bossman Dlow — Dlow Curry
The Florida star has had a stellar, breakout 12 months, opening up 2024 with the runaway success of “Get In With Me,” and now, closing issues out with a stunner of a mixtape. Whereas he’s solo for many of the 20 tracks, songs that includes Babyface Ray, GloRilla, Ice Spice, and Lil Child are properly price trying out.
Connie Diiamond — Underdog SZN: BRB
Y’know, for all of the chatter about “woman rap” being performed… it positive looks like the girlies are doing simply high quality. To not be missed in a 12 months stacked with releases from expertise starting from standouts like Doechii to established hitmakers like Megan Thee Stallion, the New York drill insurgent will get one in beneath the wire. The Money Cobain-assisted “Jodeci” is the standout monitor, however don’t sleep on the delightfully bizarre “Messy.”
Fats Joe — The World Modified On Me
After slighting the youthful technology as soon as once more — I nearly banned him from this week’s record for the Likelihood slander — the Bronx vet returns with a well timed lament that many 2000s children can undoubtedly relate to as they sit up for one other flip of the calendar that guarantees loads of disasters forward.
Kota The Good friend & Statik Selektah — As soon as In A Blue Moon
I’m sorry to say that the most recent team-up between the Brooklyn rapper and his frequent, Boston-based collaborator snuck up on me. I blame Kota’s antagonistic relationship with social media, but it surely definitely was a pleasing shock to discover a new launch from one in every of my favourite artists on the “New Albums” tab on Tidal. If you happen to like increase bap, you possibly can’t do any higher than a Kota/Statik collab.
Paul Wall — As soon as Upon A Grind
Paul Wall’s longevity needs to be studied. The Houston native has persistently and quietly saved his legacy of crowd-pleasing, block-beating Texas rap alive independently. On “All Cash Good,” he raps, “I’m on the grind from Austin to Australia / I’m what you name the antithesis of a failure.” He actually deserves all of the love he’s acquired in his hometown and extra.
Roc Marciano & Alchemist — The Skeleton Key
Alchemist produced a full album for Roc Marciano. If I’ve to promote you on this, we shouldn’t be having this dialog. Both go pay attention and be taught, or follow no matter style/tradition ain’t hip-hop.
Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre — Missionary
I used to wish for instances like this. Compton and Lengthy Seashore are again collectively (now we have been in hassle, however at the very least the soundtrack to the upcoming dumpster fireplace will ease our collective burdens considerably). Unc returns with one in every of his most lavish-sounding releases in 20 years (2004’s R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta) might need been the final time you heard Snoop over manufacturing this lush). The visitor record is wide-ranging and eyebrow-raising, Snoop’s raps are as sharp as they’ve been in at the very least half a decade, and the manufacturing is every little thing you’d anticipate from the person who put gangsta rap on the map.
DMX — “Bear With Me” Feat. Lecrae
Y’know, it’s sort of becoming that one of many final instances we’ll ever get to listen to Earl Simmons ship one in every of his signature gravel-voiced prayers on a report, it’s on a posthumous EP with a really, very gospel rap bent. I imply, Lecrae’s on this track, however nearly each visitor rapper on Let Us Pray, which dropped at this time, has had some aspect of religiosity to their output in recent times.
Hen P — “1:45 In Milwaukee” Feat. YTB Fatt
I’ve been making an attempt to work Hen P into this column for MONTHS. With that title, how may I not? However nothing he dropped up till now actually moved me the way in which this does. Perhaps he simply wants different voices round his to interrupt up his admittedly monotone flows. I’m nonetheless in search of him to have himself a breakout in 2025, but it surely’ll positively come from a swap in manufacturing. He deserves it.
Luh Tyler — “Bandz Up”
Tyler has graduated from hijacking Kodak Black’s movement to straight-up stealing his coiffure. I really like this child. “Bandz Up” isn’t an excessive amount of of a attain for the previous “coolest teenager in rap,” but it surely’s a stable bridge from his well-received assortment of freestyle-ish debut raps to no matter the brand new 12 months will deliver.
Sugarhill Ddot — “Like This” Feat. Bay Swag & Wolfacejoeyy
You’re by no means gonna imagine me, however I used to be simply questioning what occurred to Sugarhill Ddot. He had some movement early final 12 months, and he launched his debut album 2 Sides of the Story in August, but it surely appeared prefer it acquired misplaced within the rush of recent music that month, which included Doechii’s star-making debut. Thankfully, with Bay Swag alongside for the journey, he will get to remind followers of the place he’s been — and to maintain monitor of him sooner or later.
