The streets were FED this year. Tradition stands. We compiled our personal lists for the top albums of 2024. Check out our favorite projects after the jump!
Ed R
Top 5 Rap Albums (no order)
Schoolboy Q- Blue Lips
Kendrick Lamar- GNX
Future x Metro Boomin- We Don’t Trust You
NxWorries- Why Lawd?
Vince Staples- Dark Times
Honorable Mention:
Common x Pete Rock- The Auditorium Vol. 1
Thee Sacred Souls- Got a Story To Tell
Brittany Howard- What Now
Kali Uchis- Orquídeas
5) Schoolboy Q - Blue Lips
Was a great comeback from his last album. I thought Q didn't have it anymore, but he shocked me with this one.
4) Future & Metro Boomin - We Don't Trust You
It's only right this album makes the list 'cause of a particular song right, lol? Outside of that, the album had a lot of bangers. Future & Boomin together are unstoppable. We Still Don't Trust You could've made the list as well, but nowhere near as good as this album.
3) Future - Mixtape Pluto
This was the old Future we were missing!!! We haven't heard this Pluto since 2017. Banger after banger! This would've been album of the year had the other 2 albums not dropped.
2) Tyler, the Creator - Chromakopia
Was extremely tough to put this at number 2!! Had to debate with myself on why, but once again Tyler did not let me down! The rollout for this album was TOP TIER!! Had me highly anticipating the album & it was great! If he had left a few tracks off, this would've easily been number 1.
1) Kendrick Lamar - GNX
Again it was extremely tough to put this at Number 1! This album was neck & neck with Tyler, but when I went back for further review I realized I listened to this album a lot more than I did Tyler's & only skipped 1 song on the entire album. Almost didn't put this on the list since the album droppped so late in the year, but there was no way I couldn't, especially with the impact. I love this Kendrick album cause of how different it was from his others. This album didn't really have a theme like his priors, just straight heat! Gave you club bangers, deep thought records, sensitive etc. Checked every box.
Honorable Mentions:
Glorilla - Glorious
Ab-Soul - Soul Burger
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Chochina
@ChochinaZoet
Top 5
5. Vince Staples - Dark Times
Vince is so slept on and I can appreciate his progression with this project. His lyrical progress has strengthened and he can go toe to toe with some of the best.
4. Kali Uchis- Orquídeas
Put her melodic voice on the alphabet and it will sound Grammy worthy. She’s my present day Erykah Badu.
3. Shenseea - Never Gets Late Here
2. Doechii - Alligator Bites Never Heal
I can’t find one bad thing to say about this project. This was her year to shine and that’s exactly what she did. This project shows her versatility and lyrical ability to switch flows with ease. Only big things from here.
1. Kendrick Lamar - GNX
I’m just gonna drop the mic. The album speaks for itself.
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Chop
Top Albums (no order)
Common x Pete Rock- The Auditorium Vol. 1
Rapsody- Please Don't Cry
Tyler, the Creator- Chromakopia
Kendrick Lamar- GNX
Lupe Fiasco- Samurai
LL Cool J- The Force
Logic- Ultra 85
Schoolboy Q- Blue Lips
Che Noir- The Lotus Child
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Dolcezza
Whew... I reallllly wanted to make some a 'tie', but I've sorted and stuck with it. Here we go...
Top 6 Projects
6. Mach-Hommy - Richaxxhaitian
what you on??
that's depending on the inquiry....
This was a really solid project. I could often just let it ride from start to finish and allow it to be the soundtrack to whatever was going on.
Same 24 was special.
5. Stove God Cooks- Stop Callin' Me, I'm Cooking (Side A)
I was gettin money places that they can't be around...
Stove has always been dumb nice with the word play, but he took it up a notch on here. The lyrics, the beats. All A1. I wanted to put this further up but...
4. Blue Lips
Bring the money bags in...
...the amount of times I looped Funny Guy back to back is producer like. I couldn't get enough of it. One of my tattoos this year (another rib one).. I just had it on loop the entire time. Zoned out. When the album dropped, I was getting ready for work. 6am shower.. press play and so forth. I was completely caught off guard. It just kept getting better and better as it progressed AND with each listen. THIS is the Q I'd been missing!
3. Freddie Gibbs- You Only Die 1nce
I Bs'd getting around to this listen. I forgot what else dropped that day, but I never got around to it and a couple weeks passed. When I finally listened, I was blown away. Alfredo is his Magnus Opus to me and I didn't think that was one that could be topped. HA! You Only Die 1nce was great! I nearly lost my mind hearing the One Way sample (one of my favorite songs ever). A quality piece of work by Gibbs in every way.
2. Tyler, the Creator- Chromakopia
You ain't like that shit? I'd do it again...
For over a decade, I've always referenced a specific sound by this man that I couldn't quite explain. Chromakopia had THAT and more. Intricate and detailed sounds in the production, T talking his shit... to Childish Gambino's faint adlibs in the background. It's SO many things within. Just typing about it brings the Je ne sais quoi feeling of excitement. The pizzaz! Let's not even get into the roll out. It's bold. It's personal. It's direct.. with a few double/triple entendres flawlessly sprinkled. It's sonically perfect to me in every way possible. But wait! There's a reason why it's not number one (which was a really hard decision to make)...
1. Kendrick Lamar- GNX
I'm yelling, 'Father, Did I finally get it right? everything I did was selfless...
...gaht damn Kenny dropped an remarkable body of work. A surprise one at that. Use Your Heart sample? Yahtzee! Reincarnated, the third verse specifically, touched the back of my soul in a personal way that I'm not sure I'd publicly delve into. I'll circle back.
Who tf I feel like? I feel like Joker... word to Dody6. Aside from a clearly one sided battle of demolition with single drops, Kenny had to remind ya'll WHY he is mentioned with the greats. Time after time this year. Stop playing with the Fu. His lyricism and way he conveys a message in a mental visual with just words is not a category that many people can fall in. GNX is so fxcking good man. It's something for everybody.
Back to Reincarnated though... and the Made Nxggaz sample, which is my favorite Pac song by the way. I aspire to be as vulnerable one day, but today ain't the day. I literally can't even explain. Every single word man. The type of shit I'm on, you wouldn't understand...
Don't get me started on Wacced Out Murals. That's on my body.
Needless to say, for all the reasons above... GNX is THAT. 4th quarter drop and all. It surpasses... and deserves to be number ONE.
Honorable Mentions (no order):
Lucky Daye- Algorithm
This album would've been mentioned in my top 6, but it was a completely different genre and made it difficult to place. Daye did his damn thing. The concert? Made any blemish even being considered, be non-existent.
Westside Gunn- Free Sly... for Big Dump
Westside Gunn- Still Praying
Boldy James & Harry Fraud- The Brictionary
In the field in real life, this ain't no Pop Warner...
Doechii- Alligator Bites Never Heal
This is another album I wanted to put in my top, but had difficulty placing it in rank. It's fire and impressive! Doechii has EARNED every single accolade and recognition she received this year.
Ab-Soul- Soul Burger
Glorilla- Glorious
Let's get back to this text.
Thee Sacred Souls- Got a Story To Tell
Chief Keef- Almighty So 2
One foot in and one foot out.
Laila!- Gap Year!
NxWorries- Why Lawd?
Leon Thomas- Mutt
The first time I heard 'I Do' feels like the first time every time. Like did the LOML write this to me??
As a whole, this is undoubtedly an applaudable body of work.
Always keep it P, but ya'll don't see the T S and the D
Michael Kiwanuka- Small Changes
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