Seven months in, the quality of hip hop in 2024 cannot be understated. This year, talents in the underground have graced the genre with some of the sharpest releases to drop this decade. In this list, find 10 essentials in rap music this year which may have missed your radar, from grimy New York projects to soulful ‘90s throwbacks.
BVNGS – MARY MACK
Few artists in the underground are as evocative and raw as BVNGS. The Rochester-based MC has outdone herself on MARY MACK, an eclectic project where each track showcases a different strength of the New York rapper. On “91 VARSITY”, she asserts her status and power as an MC, delivering menacing bars with a cutthroat flow that hooks the listener in from the very first minute. Things take an immediate turn on “JESTER”, where BVNGS masters a woozy instrumental with plodding drums and a hypnotic sample swirling in the background. Above all else, MARY MACK is a testament to the versatility of BVNGS. Each song is a musical challenge where the rapper adapts her lyrical skills and technical prowess to a new sound, mastering a variety of styles across the project’s swift 21-minute runtime. From the ominous grime of its opener to the drumless ethereality of its closer, no two tracks sound remotely alike, but every moment is packed with clever bars and ferocious flows.
Unruly – BLACK BELOVED
Over a year and a half after Unruly’s underground smash Don’t Go Outside, the Virginia rapper is back with an even more impactful LP. BLACK BELOVED sees the MC dive into deeply conceptual territory, dissecting his own psyche over a range of instrumentals soulful and explosive. The album is framed around three figures who influence him – Michael Jordan, Michael Corleone, and Michael the Archangel. Rather than being divided into three distinct parts, the album defies chronology, with songs about each Michael scattered throughout the project for listeners to decipher and piece together themselves. As always, Unruly brings a raging performance, with bombastic energy, an acute ability to rhyme, and a natural talent for flowing over any beat. BLACK BELOVED is the complete package for a hip hop album: compelling verses, stellar performances, slick production, and a rich concept demanding repeated listens. A powerful political statement and a thoughtful journey of introspection, there are myriad ways to interpret BLACK BELOVED, and as a result, myriad reasons to adore it.
Willyynova – Pardon My Sleeze
Representing Chicago, Pardon My Sleeze is the latest in a catalogue of unapologetically grimy rap albums form Willyynova. The album sees the rapper dominate a series of gritty instrumentals, spitting witty and braggadocious bars over cinematic string samples and roughly chopped vocals. On some tunes, the rapper dedicates his pen to bragging, flexing his lyrical muscle with a series of clever one-liners and interwoven wordplay. On others, the MC reflects on his success, using the music as the soundtrack to his life, rhyming about his rise in the industry and his ever-expanding abilities as an artist. Combining the lush soul of the Midwest with the head-bopping grime of the East Coast, Pardon My Sleeze embodies everything that makes underground hip hop so special.
Thought Provokah – We’ll Be Right Back After These Messages
For the old-heads who can’t stop reminiscing about the ‘90s and the lyrical detectives who live to decipher complex rhymes, Thought Provokah might just be your new favourite rapper. The New York MC has the laidback presence of Gang Starr’s Guru but the narrative fortitude of MF DOOM, making every project a tightly woven concept to explore his lyrical prowess in fresh and exciting ways. On We’ll Be Right Back, Provokah uses the narrative device of the Arsenio Hall Show, covering a variety of topics by dedicating each song to a different figure the rapper wanted to see guest on the show. Although the concept may sound convoluted on paper, in execution, Provokah makes it work perfectly, bringing together a cast of slick beatmakers to craft the smooth and soulful soundscape while he delivers a slew of precise, poetic verses.
Kheyzine – Finest Diamonds I
Many producers will pick one rapper to collaborate with for an album, but whenever Kheyzine makes a project, he recruits an entire army. Like any other project from the French beatmaker, Finest Diamonds I is a hard-hitting highlight reel of some of the underground’s sharpest talents, with Kheyzine bringing on a new MC for every track. Each talent brings their own distinct flavour to the music, whether it be the melancholy introspection from KNOWITALL on “Asylum Journal” or the endless barrage of wordplay from LUNAR. on “Pitch Black”. Most tracks are entirely drumless, challenging each respective MC to maintain the rhythm of their song with rhymes alone. The end-result is one of the rawest rap albums of the year, and a perfect introduction to every rapper featured.
Jizzy Blanco – Lord of the Sleaze
You would be hard pressed to find a rapper with a sound like Jizzy Blanco. Lord of the Sleaze is the latest album from the Memphis rapper – a summery amalgamation of sounds new and old, glued together by Sleaze’s nasally rhymes and subtle sense of humour. “Jimmy” sees the rapper explore the ominous atmosphere of Memphis rap; on “Village Idiot”, he embraces the otherworldly flair of electronic music. Aside from his sharp pen game, Lord of the Sleaze shows off the rapper’s ear for pristine production, curating a tight track-list of gorgeous instrumentals that provide him with a rich and enveloping atmosphere. Hopping from Southern bangers to soulful, Midwest throwbacks, there is a song for everyone on this eclectic 2024 essential.
Patty Honcho – The Black Madonna Piece
Keeping the sound of jazz rap alive, The Black Madonna Piece is a dark twist on Patty Honcho’s style. Unlike the summery funk of his last LP, The Blaxploitation, Honcho’s latest album is relentlessly hard-hitting, striking a fine balance between the instrumental nuance of classic jazz rap and the head-bopping grit of modern New York hip hop. Proving his worth as an MC, the album sees Honcho tear apart a plethora of intricate instrumentals with an arsenal of dynamic flows and quotable bars. The rapper evokes ferocity in his presence but maturity in his rhymes, hooking listeners in with his high-energy delivery and bringing them back for more with his wordplay-laden lyrics. Challenging each producer to add to the jazzy soundscape, The Black Madonna Piece is equal parts cohesive and eclectic, encapsulating the creativity and consistency that Patty Honcho has made his brand.
J.Arrr & Greeneryy – Forgotten Chvpter
If you aren’t a J.Arrr fan yet, you’re falling behind. Forgotten Chvpter is a bitesize taste of the rapper’s sound: a four-track summary of the MC’s style where he outlines all his hopes, woes, and worries over a batch of lush Greeneryy beats. In terms of raw rapping ability, J.Arrr is the complete package – a ruthless rhymer who laces insight and introspection into every bar while making sure each lyric hits hard. His fast-paced, emotive flows adapt well to the smooth instrumentals supplied by Greeneryy. Equal parts elegant and grimy, the artists effortlessly complement one another, with the beatmaker’s precise drum patterns and hypnotic sample chops injecting the rapper’s verses with an added punch. With thoughtful lyrics, immaculate production, and numerous standout verses, Forgotten Chvpter is too short to have an excuse not to listen.
twogeebs & Davila – Twin Towers
The chemistry between rappers twogeebs and Davila is enough to run back Twin Towers a dozen times. The rappers bounce off each other with electric chemistry, trading bars and feeding on each other’s energy as their flows get faster and their rhymes more intricate. Fully produced by Davila, the beatmaker offers a selection of bombastic instrumentals perfect for the rappers to unleash their braggadocious personas, insulting the competition and hyping themselves up in the same breath. On “SHOOTER SAIYANS”, the rappers go back and forth over a splatter of otherworldly synths; on “TWIST OF FATE”, they compete for the best verse over an elegant patchwork of orchestral samples. Despite its brevity, the duo prove their versatility with Twin Towers, a multicoloured lightning strike of brutal rhymes and explosive beats.
ACT-1 – Shit That Keeps Me Up At Night
Weaving together soul, drill, trap, and boom bap, Shit That Keeps Me Up At Night is an ever-changing love letter to hip hop drawing inspiration from all corners of the genre. The album brings the listener on a journey from the East Coast to the South to the Midwest and back, guided by ACT-1 whose sharp, articulate rhymes provide a vivid insight into his psyche. Touching on everything from broken relationships to everlasting aspirations, the rapper brings charisma and care to every topic, with a ferocious presence that gives every bar a satisfying punch. In stark contrast to the gritty grime of his New York contemporaries, ACT-1’s sound is crisp and clean, combining the explosive core of the underground with the smooth flourish of the mainstream.
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