Ambrosia For Heads’ 15 Best Rap Albums Of 2024
2024 witnessed some great music. There were some excellent albums throughout the year, but these are the 15 Rap albums that AFH considers the best.
This crop includes collaborations between revered MCs and producers, surprise mixtapes, and lofty concept albums. In some cases, veteran artists became more personal and vulnerable. In other events, Rap legends returned to form—and rediscovered their best channels of creativity. These 15 projects cover multiple generations, continents, and distinct points of view. These selections span different pockets of the Rap landscape, all in the name of greatness—with some inclusions newly released, others from the first weeks of the year, and one from a talented voice we lost in 2024.
We compile these album lists yearly for the last decade (and change) to share great music and celebrate those pushing the culture and genre forward. Thank you to everybody who made music in 2024.
The 15 Best Rap Albums Of 2024:
(listed chronologically)
Masta Ace & Marco Polo – Richmond Hill
Five years and change after Masta Ace & Marco Polo made a thematic pilgrimage to Breuklen (the MC’s homeland), they follow-up with a journey to the producer’s. Richmond Hill maintains the quality of Masta Ace solo album-making that has decorated the last quarter-century. Marco proves to be a perfect sonic complement yet again—with an array of tempos, vibes, and moods—all created with an expert on the sampling-drum machine.
“Life Music” reworks a classic club record for sharp commentary on the fickleness and fragility of life. Ace speaks positively, reminding the listener that he wants them to have a happy, long existence. Arrested Development stalwart Speech contributes, as does The eMC’s Stricklin with a feature revealing he nearly passed. “Below The Clouds,” with Blu, sounds like it could have been a Below The Heavens holdover featuring Ace—with two MCs kicking wisdom to Hip-Hop hopefuls. “Certified” enlists the talented quartet of Coast Contra for an upbeat, syncopated display of rhyming that would make the early ’90s proud. Ace and Polo are skilled architects of audio universes—from BK to Richmond Hill. In these settings, these creators know how to thread an album with narrative, character, story—and no shortage of substance.
Key Tracks:
“Life Music”
“Certified”
“Below The Clouds”
“Plant Based”
Released: January 26, 2024
Label: Fat Beats Records
Guests: Inspectah Deck, Speech, Blu, Coast Contra, Wordsworth, Che Noir, Stricklin, Pav Bundy, E-Smitty, C-Red
Producers: self
Ol’ Burger Beats – 74: Out Of Time
Ol’ Burger Beats took the producer compilation to lofty levels of concept. 74: Out Of Time finds the Oslo, Norway beat creator making 17 songs in the same beats-per-minute pocket while also paying light homage to 1974. This international collection brings some of the most introspective and original voices in the Stateside indie Hip-Hop scene together for something cohesive in its soulful commentary on life experiences, with O.B.B. expertly concocting mellow Jazz, gentle percussion, and thoughtful accents.
West Coast mainstay Ill Camille thrives on two songs: the opener “Free Form” (alongside Philly’s lojii) and the smoky poetry of the title track. Armand Hammer’s billy woods and Tha God Fahim drop top-tier verses on “Black Sabbath.” woods raps from his vantage point: “I used to think the means justified the ends / I had it backwards, I made amends / N___as is men / Maryland terrapin windbreaker, zip it to my chin / Brothers out here howlin’ in pain with fentanyl patches on e’ry patch of skin / I decline even acetaminophen, rather bare it and grin / Bury my face in her quim / Sad like old-timers cuffed in boot-cuts and Timbs.” Each vocalist seems to treat the opportunity with care—packed with wisdom, observation, and self-reflection. 74: Out Of Time lives up to its title. When music can often seem like fast food, this feels anachronistic—something from the pre-email days of collaboration, with ’70s afternoon Jazz sounds complemented by laid-back raps aimed at your synapse.
Key Tracks:
“How I Live”
“Free Form”
“Out Of Time”
“Black Sabbath”
Released: February 16, 2024
Label: Coalmine Records
Guests: billy woods, Fly Anakin, Kooley High, Pink Siifu, Lil B, Quelle Chris, lojii, Ill Camille, Vic Spencer, Awon, Tha God Fahim, MoRuf, Yungmorpheus, Gabe ‘Nandez, Oliver the 2nd, DJ Chali, J’von, Vuyo
Producers: self
J. Cole – Might Delete Later
On April 5, 2024, J. Cole dropped an amazing body of work. After a series of cryptic video releases, Cole’s Might Delete Later felt more like a mixtape than an album, with Cole laser-focused on razor-sharp bars. This was Cole at peak rhyming powers, as he prepped the world for his reported final album, The Fall Off.
The original version of Might Delete Later contained “7-Minute Drill,” Cole’s attempt at a diss record in response to Kendrick Lamar’s verse on “Like That.” Two days after the song’s release, Cole issued a public apology to Kendrick for the song, in the middle of his Dreamville Fest set. That apology, and the subsequent mega battle between Kendrick and Drake, seemed to delete the rest of Cole’s album project in the minds of many fans.
Irrespective of the apology and Cole’s role, or lack thereof, in Kendrick and Drake’s feud, Might Delete Later stands tall in J. Cole’s body of work. If anything, it burnishes his legacy as one of Hip-Hop’s most elite lyricists. In reality, the weakest link on the album was “7-Minute Drill,” which Cole did in fact delete later.
“Crocodile Tearz”
“Pricey”
“Stickz N Stonez”
“Pi”
Released: April 5, 2024
Label: Cole World Inc./Interscope
Guests: Ab-Soul, Daylyt, Cam’ron, Bas, Gucci Mane, Young Dro, Central Cee
Producers: self, Alchemist, T-Minus, Conductor Williams, Daylyt, Al Hug, ATL Jacob, AzizTheShake, Cedric Brown, Charlie Heat, Daoud, DZL, Elyas, Ibrahim Hamad, Kujibeats, Pluss, Steve Bilodeau, WU10
Termanology & NasteeLuvzYou – Time Is Currency
Long before the turnkey resources of the streaming era, Termanology cemented himself as one of Rap’s most prolific artists. The Lawrence, Massachusetts native has an onslaught of solo works, along with cherished full-length collaborations with Statik Selektah, Lil Fame, Slaine, and Paul Wall. April’s Time Is Currency boasts as Term’ Brady’s 50th release—which happened to be with onetime Pro Era/Cinematic producer and engineer NasteeLuvzYou.
The 1982 MC lines up nicely with two influences (and frequent collaborators) Kool G Rap and M.O.P’s Fame on “Get ‘Em.” “L’s To A W” with Ras Kass shows that underdogs survive because of the size of the fight—a message Term’ has had in his music for over 20 years. “Time Is Currency” is another potent reminder that no matter the pursuit, we all must strive to cash in to the fullest on this life. At a time when ‘Ology is always promoting what’s new and what’s next, Time Is Currency is a step-back reminder that one of Rap’s busiest voices is also in stride, creating some of his best work.
Key Tracks:
“Heavy”
“Time Is Currency”
“L’s To A W”
“Uptown Fly”
Released: April 26, 2024
Label: ST. Records/Perfect Time Music Group
Guests: Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, Lil Fame, Ras Kass, Paul Wall, Kota The Friend, REKS, Lord Sko, UFO Fev, CJ Fly, Nim K., Artisin, Solene, Fabeyon, Superstah Snuk
Producers: self
Rapsody – Please Don’t Cry
Five years removed from a benchmark concept album in Eve, Rapsody looked within. Phylicia Rashad plays a therapist who prompts Rap’s raw vulnerability and reflection and an artist who continues to voice matters that often go under-covered in Hip-Hop. The artist confronts sexual identity in the public eye on “Stand Tall,” reacting to the speculative comment sections while urging hot heads to take a breath before action on “Asteroids.” Now in her forties, Rapsody’s messages are packed with wisdom and perspective.
Please Don’t Cry pushes Rap’s range. She flirts with multi-tracking melodies in places and offers slow, sultry ballads in others. However, that mixtape Rapsody is never far from the center, as evident in Lil Wayne’s collaboration “Raw.” In taking one of the most extended album breaks in her 15-year career, Rapsody returned as more evolved, vulnerable, and built to last even longer than her already promising foundation.
Key Tracks:
“3:AM”
“Asteroids”
“Raw”
“DND (It’s Not Personal)”
Released: May 17, 2024
Label: We Each Other, Inc./Jamla Records/Roc Nation
Guests: Lil Wayne, Erykah Badu, Alex Isley, Bibi Bourelly, Niko Brim, Bee-B, Phylicia Rashad, DIXSON, Kezmandi, Nicole Bus, Baby Tate, Amber Navran
Producers: self, Hit-Boy, S1, Ayo Awosika, Blk Odyssy, Marc Bridges, Joe Conner, Corbett, Lily Elise, Epikh Pro, Eric G, Lonestarrmuzik, Jameil Aossey, Major Seven, Andre Mego, Brock Pollock, Markeith Reid, Sir Tim, Sndtrak, Treehouz, Wu10
Lupe Fiasco – Samurai
Lupe Fiasco is a master at making concept albums. On Samurai, Lupe flips a voicemail left by Amy Winehouse saying that he has been writing Battle-Rap-style rhymes into an imaginary sonic journey detailing the adventures of Winehouse as a lyrical samurai.
The album is only eight songs and 30 minutes long, but uses every second effectively. The lush musical soundtrack (courtesy of none other than career-long collaborator Soundtrakk) is the perfect backdrop to Lupe’s laid-back but complex flow. Approaching 20 years since his breakout on “Touch The Sky,” Lupe Fiasco is still reaching to the stars for an elevated and advanced brand of conceptual Hip-Hop.
Key Tracks:
“Samurai”
“Cake”
“Palaces”
“No. 1 Headband”
Released: June 28, 2024
Label: 1st and 15th Too/30 Tigers
Producers: self, Soundtrakk, Kush Baby, Nicolaus Isaiah, Trumaine Jordan, Brian I. Brown, Anthony “APB” Perkin
Common & Pete Rock – The Auditorium, Vol. 1
Nearly 30 years after Pete Rock produced a high-profile Common diss-track single, the MC/producer battery presented a purist’s paradise of beats and rhymes. Since nominated for a Grammy Award, The Auditorium, Vol. 1 is the latest stop on Common’s conceptual catalog. With major label resources and legitimate sampling budgets, this collection of songs is one of several albums that finds the Windy City lyricist reminding everyone why he is a steadfast great in the game. Pete Rock gives Common a new pastiche, following distinctive seasons with No I.D., The Soulquarians, Kanye West, and Karriem Riggins.
Whereas so many artists might make a core-minded song a moment in an album, this is Common’s driving force. “All Kind Of Ideas” is not only the kind of P.R. production that feels like an InI leftover (including a verse from the producer), it’s a razor-sharp reminder that these artists do not stagnate. “Dreamin'” showcases Common the entertainer, using beacons of Hip-Hop light to give a presentation worthy of a household-recognized Oscar and Grammy-winner. “Wise Up” deftly calls back to Marley Marl, Pete’s radio counterpart from the 1980s and somebody whose sound and rhythm inspired the modern class. The Auditorium hosts these masters of ceremony, and the “volume 1” designation may signal more to come.
Released: July 12, 2024
Label: Common/Loma Vista/Concord
Guests: Posdnuos, Bilal, Jennifer Hudson, PJ
Producers: self
Key Tracks:
“Wise Up”
“All Kind Of Ideas”
“Dreamin'”
“This Man”
Doechii – Alligator Bites Never Heal
Top Dawg Entertainment continues to launch original, inventive, and deserving talent across genres. Tampa, Florida’s Doechii signed to TDE in 2022 and spent nearly two years peppering fans with singles that showed range and commercial viability—including a platinum Kodak Black collabo. In 2024, Alligator Bites Never Heal filed as an example of a highly creative, deeply transparent MC using a full-length format to make an impact. Whether it’s a Grammy-nominated mixtape or a body of work worthy of album distinction, it plays like a diary—filled with self-deprecation, humor, and enough surprises to place this emerging artist in an elite circle—including Grammy nominations.
“DENIAL IS A RIVER” is a jewel within Alligator. The track is a stream of consciousness, with the South Florida artist speaking freely like an Ironman-era Ghostface. “I mean f__k, I like pills, I like drugs / I like gettin’ money, I like strippers, I like to f__k / I like day-drinkin’ and day parties and Hollywood / I like doin’ Hollywood s__t, snort it, probably would / What can I say? The s__t works, it feels good / And my self-worth’s at an all-time low / And just when it couldn’t get worse / My ex crashed my place and destroyed all I owned.” Doechii’s delivery is as compelling as her lyrics, with stops, starts—and a quiver of voices and styles. “PROFIT” weaves in tough talk, braggadocious raps, and intimate skin-shedding for an artist trying to impact the modern world. Doechii raps without fear or pretense and delivers her sentiments with catchy and clever packaging.
Key Tracks:
“DENIAL IS A RIVER”
“PROFIT”
“NISSAN ALTIMA”
“BOOM BAP”
Released: August 30, 2024
Label: TDE/Capitol Records
Guests: KuntFetish
Producers: Childish Major, Devin Malik, Kal Banx, Stoic & Mai, Andreas, Peyote, Hamhock, Ian James, Banser, Monte Booker, Love, Henry Was, Dylvinci, Malik Ninety Five, Mike Hector, KND, Darhyl Camper, DJ Miss Milan, Banshee The Great, Keanu Beats, SADER, Super Miles, Austin Brown
Ka – The Thief Next To Jesus
In the late 2000s, Ka blazed a trail for Hip-Hop through intimate rhyming aesthetics and street-tested aphorisms over sparse production. Like MF DOOM before him, it was an act of reinvention. The Brownsville, Brooklyn MC/producer had emerged in the previous decade as a figure within Natural Elements. However, his return—including some GZA feature work—seemed more captivating and personal. Ka rapped because he had to, and what he learned about life while in the shadows of a career seemed far more interesting when he was alone in sharing it. Ka’s ninth release, The Thief Next To Jesus, stands among his best, including its emphasis on time and mortality—released less than a month before Kaseem Ryan’s death.
“I plan my death before I plan submission / Can’t exchange man condition but one fan sufficient / Must assist, get a swift for the shift band to listen / Some rights, Lord, you gotta fight for it, you can’t petition,” Ka raps on “Borrowed Time,” one of the prophetic moments from the album. In his early fifties, Ka emphasized strength and vigor in his verses. Songs like “Beautiful” play as a toast, but Ka examines us all in the desire to live long—while emphasizing the contrast between the have’s and the have-not’s. In the last 17 years, Ka has earned praise from critics. His wise wordplay was worthy of a high-profile doxing with his other life. However, this this vivid verbalizer remained defiantly underground—a modern pioneer in the artist sharing his works directly to the consumer, where neither his message nor his intent could get muddied along the way. The Thief Next To Jesus is a potent album arriving at a significant time.
Key Tracks:
“Bread Wine Body Blood”
“Beautiful”
“Such Devotion”
“Tested Testimony”
Released: September 19, 2024
Label: Iron Works
Producers: self
Blu & Exile – Love (the) Ominous World
Seventeen years after the lauded Below The Heavens album, Blu & Exile’s union remains reason to celebrate. On the Los Angeles pair’s fourth full-length, it is a love letter to the city, and the Hip-Hop scenes it has created. “Chucks” places Blu as a disciple of Gangsta Rap’s great lyricists as a collaboration with Kurupt and the lyricist formerly known as Crooked I. However, B-L-U approaches his narrative with soul and depth. “Tough luck, growing up times was rough / And hardships can leave your foresight blind as f__k / And I ain’t gotta ask about yours, mine’s enough / To remind me of the grimy stuff / Yo, I’d been stuck hustlin’ if it wasn’t for Hip-Hop.” On the next track, “Suge Knight,” Blu makes art out of an interview topic surrounding his very near early 2000s signing to Death Row Records. Blu’s processing of his surroundings, his keen sense of forces at play, and his gruff delivery could have made him a standout in traditional West Coast Rap circles. However, fate shows John Barnes better suited in the lane he paved—with Exile’s fearless sampling and hard drums painting the lines.
While the last two B&E albums have had some melancholy and sadness in them, Love (the) Ominous World opens the curtains for some sunshine. “Love Is Blu” registers the negativity about, and combats it with love. The MC/producer battery puffs up their chest on the scratchy boom-bap on “Undisputed.” Fans of “Dancing In The Rain” get an update of sorts with another message of hope in a humble place with “A Song Called Precipitation.” Blu and Exile bring out the best in one another, and this reunion is a welcome new chapter is a cherished catalog.
Key Tracks:
“Chucks”
“Homies”
“Smack”
“A Song Called Precipitation”
Released: September 20, 2024
Label: Dirty Science
Guests: Kurupt, Kxng Crooked, Aloe Blacc, George Anne Muldrow, Fashawn, RBX, Cashus King, Pistol McFly, Ahmad Anwar, Tamara Blue
Producers: self
Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh – Stabbed & Shot 2
At the top of 2018, Western New York MCs Benny The Butcher and 38 Spesh released their second project together, Stabbed & Shot. That 10-song collection was a synergy of authentic accounts of life outside the law with a passion for Battle Rap-savvy wordplay looking to puncture the industry by any means necessary. Nearly seven years later, Stabbed & Shot 2 is confirmation that the pair can maintain the purist tradition long after hitting their initial target.
On this year’s “Who Really The King,” Benny and Spesh deem themselves “the best to go back and forth since ‘Kiss and Styles,” before acknowledging that fans have begged for a sequel. After a handful of collaboration projects, this pair still breaks new ground and makes S&S their feature franchise. Throughout the 16 songs, there are vivid recollections of days taking chances in the streets of Buffalo and Rochester, respectively, as well as gratitude for making it out alive. Each of these artists has since used their platform to bring resources and attention to talented others. The cohesive production ensemble includes V Don, Harry Fraud, Bink!, and Daringer—flaunting vocal Soul samples, syncopated percussion, and vintage melodies. These artists insist on maintaining the pocket in their deliveries with superior beat selection, which made the first S&S a standout in its day. In 2024, Stabbed & Shot 2 illustrated how Spesh and Benny remain top contenders in a modern-era subsection of Rap they helped reignite and galvanize.
Key Tracks:
“Jesus Arms”
“Who Really The King”
“Center Stage”
“Brick Specials”
Released: October 18, 2024
Label: TCF Music Group/Black Soprano Family, LLC
Guests: Busta Rhymes, Dave East, Ransom, OT The Real, Elcamino, Klass Murda
Producers: V Don, Harry Fraud, Daringer, B!nk, Streetrunner, Tarik Azzouz, Motif Alumni, ASETHIC, Reddy Rock, Chup The Producer, John Sparkz, and 15 Gramz
Tyler, The Creator – CHROMAKOPIA
From the first notes of “St. Chroma,” the opening song on Tyler, The Creator’s latest album, it is clear that CHROMAKOPIA is going to be a sonic tour de force. From heavy metal guitar riffs to choirs to marching bands, Tyler pulls out all the stops, musically. He also maintains the top notch level of rapping he established on 2023’s CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale.
CHROMAKOPIA features some of Tyler’s most personal lyrics, as he explores his childhood and even shares a story about a pregnancy scare.
Key Tracks:
“St. Chroma”
“Noid”
“Hey Jane”
“Tomorrow”
Released: October 28, 2024
Label: Columbia Records/Sony Entertainment
Guests: Lil Wayne, ScHoolboy Q, Teezo Touchdown, Doechii, Santigold, GloRilla, Sexyy Red, Daniel Caesar, LaToiya Williams, Lola Young
Producers: self
IDK – BRAVADO + INTiMO
IDK is a visionary. The Prince Georges County, Maryland MC/producer blends Trap and Jazz sensibilities on his fifth album, BRAVADO + INTiMO. This artist makes music that speaks to the mainstream playlist, but is underpinned with thought, creativity, and concept. He seamlessly raps alongside Gunna on “TiFFANY (B)” before shifting gears to a dramatic delivery on “MiLES TRUMPET (B)”—a song that weaves brassy Jazz, Fugees, and the decline of a relationship in one. IDK can also hang beside Conway on “SWiTCH (i).” In many ways, this artist flashes signs of his Kanye West influence in his ability to create moody mosaics that come together from a distance.
BRAVADO + INTiMO lives up to its title. There are flexes and bursts of confidence, set against moments of vulnerability and IDK coming back to earth—like mourning family and romantic partners at once. IDK is an artist who deferentiates each project nicely. To the casual listener, it’s just good music. Underneath that surface, there is a delightful cosmos of theme and creative freedom.
Key Tracks:
“DENiM (B)”
“CELiNE iN THE TRAP (B)”
“MiLES TRUMPET (i)”
“SWiTCH (i)”
Released: October 31, 2024
Label: .idk.
Guests: Conway The Machine, Joey Bada$$, Gunna, TheARTi$T
Producers: self, Blue Rondo, Blwyrmind, Evrgrn, Kenny Stuntin, Mario Luciano, Rascal, Tae Beast, Turbo
Kendrick Lamar – GNX
Kendrick Lamar dominated 2024 with a handful of songs and a feature verse that more than upset the set-up. As tensions on wax heated up in 2022, Kenny left nothing to the imagination in a springtime barrage of encrypted bars that may changed Hip-Hop history in real-time. A month later, in June, Lamar’s Pop Out event became a milestone moment for the West Coast. Six months later, the surprise sneak attack album GNX kept that same energy. No, Kendrick is not done with Drake—and yes, he is still using his moment to point the spotlight on deserving talent in the Cali’ streets.
GNX, named after a turbo-charged Buick Grand National, feels like a getaway car in the year where Kendrick zoomed away from “Big 3” peers. However, while 2022’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers leaned on concept, GNX puts rapping-rapping back in the driver’s seat. For a reclusive artist, it also served as a window into the MC’s mind—from taking accountability for Black Hippy’s status, to Stevie Wonder-like conversations with God on “reincarnated.” Kendrick Lamar is having a moment, and an artist with one of the most infalleable catalogs in all of Hip-Hop took chances with an album that was as much about us and it was him.
Key Tracks:
“heart, pt. 6”
“reincarnated”
“man at the garden”
“squabble up”
Released: November 22, 2024
Label: pgLang/Interscope Records
Guests: Roddy Ricch, SZA, Lefty Gunplay, AzChike, Peysoh, Hitta J3, Young Threat, Wallie the Sensei, Siete7x
Producers: self, DJ Mustard, Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, Craig Balmoris, Bridgeway, Dahi, Deats, Noah Ehler, Frano Juju, Kenny & Billy, Rose Lilah, Tim Maxey, Tyler Reese, Sean Momberger, M-Tech, Rascal, Tane Runo, Kamasi Washington
Skyzoo – Keep Me Company
Like borough neighbor Masta Ace, Skyzoo was always great, and he just gets better with time. In the last decade, the veteran MC has truly come into his own with commentary on the state of his birthplace, the institutional racism and class warfare of gentrification, and the hardships of being an artist whose calling card is authenticity and cleverness. Keep Me Company is not as lofty of concepts but every bit as curated and stylized.
On “Wins Of The Father,” Skyzoo is a rapper who discusses earning six figures at his craft, and attempting to reinvest that capital as a restauranteur. Skyzoo is focused on breaking the cycle for others and fighting for artists who can rap about relatable circumstances outside of pulp fiction. “Esoteric” addresses leaving legacy and generational wealth with intricate wordplay. Grabbing from an ensemble of producers, the MC who has great albums with Pete Rock, The Other Guys, and !llmind, shows that he is the maestro—a Brooklyn Boheme who has survived more changes than most.
Key Tracks:
“Wins Of The Father”
“Esoteric”
“Jazz In The Projects”
“Record Store Day”
Released: November 29, 2024
Label: First Generation Rich/Old Soul Music
Guests: Chuck D, JRose
Producers: JR Swiftz, Sir Williams, DJ Manipulator, Marc Nifinit, Seige Monstracity, The Dagger, ANKN, VDR, Leo Confident, Flughand
#BonusBeat: Stay up with the best of current Hip-Hop by following the always-updated AFH playlist: