Best Of 2024: Hip Hop, R&B, and Reggae
Late, but never out of date...you'll want to catch up with these albums!
It took a late release from Kendrick Lamar to put any of these genres on my 2024 Top 25, but that doesn’t mean the albums below did not get significant play throughout the year. That’s one reason I doggedly follow through on these genre-specific lists, no matter how late it gets. If any of these are off your radar, you can thank me later!
As always, the previously reviewed items come first. Hit play here or below to listen along while you read.
Record Roundup: 2024 Hip Hop, R&B, and Reggae In Focus
HIP HOP
MIKE & Tony Seltzer - Pinball “Just hit repeat on the whole project, I swear it won’t get boring.”
Mach-Hommy - #RICHAXXHAITIAN “…Mach-Hommy’s talents have only continued to flower. His flow is sharp and monochromatic, perfectly deployed over lush tracks, which he either produced or co-produced.”
Vince Staples - Dark Times “…not quite at the “haunting” peak of 2022’s Ramona Park Stole My Heart on this sixth album, but he’s still come a long way from…2015.”
Schoolboy Q - BLUE LIPS “…this strong effort - his first in five years - swung hard into my consciousness on the strength of oHio, a five-minute, three-part suite including a strong set of bars from Freddie Gibbs.”
JPEGMAFIA - I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU “This sonically spectacular fifth album, traversing hard rock bombast to delicate melancholy, solidifies the picture further.”
Doris - Ultimate Love Songs Collection “Totally nuts, but his ability to create something like Joyous Whimsical, which is deeply involving for its 39 seconds, should have people questioning whether their songs really need to be as long as they are.”
R&B
Kali Uchis - ORQUÍDEAS “No translation required - ORQUÍDEAS is speaking in universal tongues. A new deluxe edition extends the fantasy with three new songs and a remix.”
Kelela - RAVE:N, The Remixes “While I liked the original Raven, the dazzling variety of approaches here adds a hefty dose of the energy and adventure I was missing from earlier releases…”
SiR - HEAVY “…there is much outright pleasure to be had in both the musical settings and the seemingly limitless flexibility of SiR’s voice, which has some of its rawest and most tender moments here.”
Reggae
Glen Washington - Feeling Irie “The vibes train that started rolling with last year’s Jah Children shows no sign of slowing down with this latest full-length from the veteran singer.”
Paolo Baldini DubFiles - In The Shell “Sounds and voices from his African travels inspired the atmospheric grooves in this collection, which also features some of the cream of the crop of current reggae vocalists.”
A Song For Friday
Raveena feat. JPEGMAFIA - Junebug “This kind of back and forth is what the blend of R&B and Hip Hop was made for, and it’s a perfect sound for hot days and cool nights.”
Cavalier & Child Actor - Cine “It’s a trip you’ll want to take often to absorb every musical and lyrical detail.”
Pressure Busspipe & Zion I Kings - Full Bloom Riddim “Calling his take Ever Need, Pressure sounds hungry and fully engaged as he flows forth over the tight groove and punchy horns.”
Best Of 2024 (So Far)
Yaya Bey - Ten Fold “For her third full-length, Brooklyn’s Bey doubles down on Remember Your North Star’s mix of sweet jazz-inflected vocals and funky tracks that traverse R&B, hip hop, and reggae with equal ease.”
New Reviews
HIP HOP
LL Cool J - The Force I’ll come straight out and say I’ve never chosen to listen to LL beyond Bigger And Deffer, his second album, which was a constant listen in 1987. The debut, Radio, is also an all-timer, although with less variety than his sophomore effort. That’s not to say I didn’t hear any of the later stuff, from hit singles to albums at various parties, etc. But none of it did much for me. I even had to agree to disagree with Mike D. about Mama Said Knock You Out, which he was high on at the time. But last year, when I least expected it, I started hearing that The Force, LL’s first album of new material in 11 years, was something special. And it is very good, even if my cringe at seeing Snoop Dogg’s name on the first song has a different edge after his egregious support of the conman-in-chief.
But overall, the beats - mostly by Q-Tip - are inventive, fresh, and dance-floor-ready, and the rhymes feature LL at his most relaxed. One could find further negatives in the inclusion of Rick Ross and Eminem, but no misogynists sully Black Code Suite, the best song here and one of the best of his career. Featuring Sona Jobarteh, a Gambia kora player and griot, the song first takes LL home for a feast of Black food and culture and then HOME to a chill West African groove. Any rapper alive, from the young guns to the old heads, would have to tip their hats to this:
Beat shakin' like flour in paper bags
See 'em salutin' and recruitin' and wavin' flags
Spice in the hot sauce, crispy on the chicken
The screen door slammin' and the young boy crippin'
Mama when she dancin', your uncle when he trippin'
The spirit of Stevie Wonder when "Superstition" was written
You can call The Force a comeback, although it remains to be seen if acting and other activities will prevent a follow-up in any reasonable amount of time.
Old City - S/T There’s a high-concept side to this debut full-length from a batch of Philly punk and hip hop lifers, which involves rapping over beats made from old hardcore songs rather than funk and classic rock samples. Sixers is a perfect example, with a grinding bass line forming the spine for a tough track that also features avant-garde rapper Murs on a verse. As fun and exciting as all that is, like an alternate timeline follow-up to Paul’s Boutique, perhaps the most surprising stuff comes later in the album. Take Prey, a dark, nearly eight-minute epic of industrial symphonica that feels like the trailer for the next dystopian hit TV series - or something Barry Adamson would get up to. There’s nothing simple about what Old City is doing, but even their most complex stuff is easy to get involved with.
Freddie Gibbs - You Only Die 1nce Unlike masterpieces Bandana and Alfredo, I’ll make no great claims for this album, Gibbs’s sixth and first since 2022. Lacking the “fury” of 2017’s You Only Live 2wice, he sounds firmly in his comfort zone, which makes for a very fun listen and one that feels less stilted than the more commercial Soul Sold Separately. The grooves are smooth and consistent, even though they were put together by a handful of producers. As for the rhymes, Gibbs says some funny stuff, some smart stuff, and some stupid stuff, but it all goes down easy. He even finds moments of self-reflection, as on Cosmo Freestyle where he raps: “Slept on, but a broken heart ain't gon' feed these kids/Yeah, I gotta have a talk with God 'bout all the things I did, yeah/Drugs, aggravated robbery/Hurtin' on the inside and hidin' behind this tough shit and this misogyny/See, the man in the mirror ain't gon' lie to me/Whole lot of snake n****s, they surroundin' me/Can't even blame 'em if they wanna body me/N*****s'll knock you off to get a followin'.”
While I wouldn’t complain if Gibbs made another album with Madlib or Alchemist, who pushed him hard, You Only Live 1nce more than satisfies.
ELUCID - REVELATOR Bursting with creativity and light on guests, this latest album from ELUCID takes a sharp turn from 2022’s “languid” I Told Bessie and further establishes him as one of the top players in the game. His raps are often staccato, almost as if he’s narrating a documentary about the apocalypse - or sending transmissions looking for survivors of the same. In a move that may point the way toward his future, REVELATOR has some highly effective moments that are less beholden to hip hop, as on tracks like 14.4, which features spoken word over darkly cinematic electronics. Wherever ELUCID goes from here - and it could sound something like Interference Pattern, a 41-minute soundscape he released on cassette - it’s sure to be a gripping journey.
Tyler, The Creator - Chromakopia This ever-evolving and most artistic of hip hop stars landed on my Top 25 for the first time in 2021 with the “kaleidoscopic” Call Me If You Get Lost, about which I noted “His ability to bare his soul while sailing over a multitude of genres, from synth-pop to RnB to lovers rock, with a casual virtuosity is truly remarkable.” Much of that continues here with songs like Noid, which includes a tough sample from the Zambian rock band Ngozi Family that proves Tyler still has his ear to the ground. The let-down from the prior album stems mainly from the lyrical inconsistency on Chromakopia, with Tyler sometimes aiming for the pop charts or seeking to maintain whatever stands for street cred in 2024. I thought he was well beyond all that.
Guilty Simpson & Kong The Artisan - Giants Of The Fall
Guilty Simpson & Max Carnage - Pathways While neither one of these projects rises to the level of Detroit’s Son, Simpson’s classic 2015 album, they easily satisfy the hunger for more from one of the Motor City’s finest. He is in especially fine form on Giants Of The Fall, covering various topics with humor and heart over Kong’s righteous and soulful beats. There are some killer bars here, like this verse from Silly Old Me: “I’m just a baron in this barren land/Droppin’ gems for the family tree/Going out on a limb/Not concerned with her, him, or them/That’s why I don’t blink, it’s either sink or swim/If you’re countin’ on getting over on me/I’m here to tell you, your future looks dim.” Between the internal rhymes and the way he raises his voice on the word “me,” Simpson sounds like he’s paying homage to Prodigy of Mobb Deep.
Off The Grid is a pensive end to Giants Of The Fall, starting with some internal musings: “Me and my thoughts are here alone/I swear it’s been ages since I did this/No looking up shit all in my phone/No longer preoccupied with just business/Sometimes you sit back and just zone/I used to be locked in and so serious/Before you look up, the years are gone.” Then he dreams of going off the grid, punctuating the idea with that old three-note “phone number disconnected” sound. On or off the grid, I always check for Guilty Simpson, and I’m glad I didn’t miss these two releases.
R&B
MICHELLE - Songs About You Specifically In 2022, I praised this sextet’s second album, After Dinner We Talk Dreams for “the harmonies, the unity, the tunefulness, the grooves, the sheer delight they have in making music together,” all elements that even more in full effect on this fizzy collection. The harmonies are tighter, the beats lighter, and if the melodies were any catchier we’d have to get what’s left of the CDC involved. This delightful album was a hair’s breadth away from making my Top 25, so give it a listen. Your beleaguered psyche will thank you.
Jean Dawson - Glimmer Of God When I included Pixel Bath, Dawson’s debut, in the 2020 version of this list, I remarked that it was “As much a rock or pop album, with all the soaring guitar solos and sticky choruses that implies, it slots in here nicely due to its omnivorous nature and sharp attitude.” I seem to have missed reviewing the 2022 follow-up, Chaos Now*, but I’m not letting 2024 go without planting a flag for this inventive and intense artist. Glimmer Of God continues what Pixel Bath started, just with more assurance and a sense that nothing is out of Dawson’s reach. There are some deeply personal themes here, looking back at the heritage bestowed by his Mexican mother and Black father. Amidst the electronic, R&B, and hip-hop influences, Dawson draws on soaring dance-pop, intimate chamber folk, and sweeping epics to explore what makes him the person he is. Maybe we can all find a glimmer of ourselves in this expansive album.
Contour - Take Off From Mercy I knew the name of Khari Lucas’s musical persona from his appearance on Gentle Confrontation, the excellent Loraine James album from 2023. However, I wasn’t aware of his solo work until this album landed in my inbox. Its skeletal mix of futuristic R&B, jazz, and blues, created with help from ace collaborators like Mndsgn, Saul Williams, and co-producer Omari Jazz, immediately drew me in. Contour’s overarching concept of a journey from night through evening to morning lends the album a cinematic or novelistic flair. The occasional sharp edges reminded me of some of Slauson Malone 1’s work, putting Contour in excellent company. I recommend you join him there.
Liv.e - PAST FUTUR.e I now realize that the raw performance Olivia Williams AKA Liv.e gave when she opened for Kelela in 2023 was the sound of her cutting loose from the smoother side of Girl In The Half-Pearl, her album from that year. Delving further into the edgier, more explosive side of that album gives PAST FUTUR.e contagiously nervous and sometimes angry energy, inviting the listener to bust through any walls that confine them. Liv.e sure isn’t letting anything hold her back.
Ravyn Lenae - Bird’s Eye This second album kicks off with two frisky numbers that may have you underestimating Lenae’s breathy voice. But she’s just having fun (and so will you) before stretching out a little more on One Wish, a cozily sensual slow jam duet with Childish Gambino. Dream Girl’s electro beat and the lover’s rock rhythm of Candy continue to show off her versatility. As a recent dominating performance at Coachella proved, Lenae is ready for whatever attention comes her way - and this fine collection will more than reward it.
SZA - SOS Deluxe: Lana While I would never question the melodic gifts and lovely, flowing voice of Solána Imani Rowe, AKA SZA, I wonder about the release strategy behind this and the original SOS in 2022. That album came out so late in the year that it missed many best-of lists, and then this reissue came out even later in 2024 and originally intermingled the new songs with the old, muddling their impact. Now, it’s settled into a “two-disc” set with the 19 new songs preceding the original SOS album. I would have advised her to put out Lana as a separate, brand new album on Memorial Day weekend, which could have led to a “SZA Summer” that all could embrace as they launched into a season of backyard BBQs and pool parties - or however you celebrate the warmest months. If you have an in with Top Dawg Entertainment, let them know I’m available for marketing consults, LOL.
All of that is to say that Lana more than holds its own as a great SZA album and may even be more consistent than SOS, which had a few misses among the many hits. Throughout Lana, SZA dissects the upside and downside of romantic relationships with wit, emotion, and unabashed carnality. There are many highlights, but 30 For 30, a cozy duet with Kendrick Lamar, and Diamond Boy (DTM), which features a beautiful acoustic backing for a song about the fear of “doing too much,” or falling too far in love, are two of my favorites. On the pre-chorus of Crybaby, a gorgeous ballad deep in the tracklist, SZA sings, “'Cause all I seem to do is get in my way/Then blame you, it's just a cycle, rinse, recycle/You're so sick, I'm so sick of me, too.” I’m not sick of SZA, even if she gets in her way sometimes.
There are more of last year’s beats, rhymes, life, etc. to be found in the archive playlist - and keep up with what 2025 delivers here.
From the archives:
Best Of 2023: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae
Best Of 2022: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae
Best Of 2021: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae
Best Of 2020: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae
Best Of 2019: Hip Hop, RnB, and Reggae
Best Of 2018: Hip Hop, RnB and Reggae
Best Of 2017: Hip Hop, RnB and Reggae
Best Of 2016: Hip Hop and RnB