Best Albums of 2024 so far… (vol.5)
The weather is breaking which means the season of after work hangouts, day parties, and brunch dates are nearing. The aux cord or bluetooth pairing pressure is mounting. It’s a bit too early to nominate any song as a summer favorite, but definitely a few tracks I’d want to test with a crowd. Some solid albums have dropped this first quarter of 2024, laying the groundwork for what may be a busy year for music.
Tease releases from artists like Cardi B, Glorilla, and Don Tolliver are peeks into a possible album from each this year. “Yeah Glo” is another hit that Glorilla has on her hands. At this point, she’s become a top talent out of Memphis under Yo Gotti’s CMG label. Her debut album has yet to come out but I wouldn’t be surprised for it to have a few more sneaky hits. The anticipation for Cardi B’s sophomore album is at its peak. Her newest track “Enough” seems to be a strong step towards her album being released this year. Don Tolliver announced his new album Hard Stone Psycho will be releasing soon, with his single “Bandit” being a precursor. I love the rock metal influence in the production and video for the track.
As far as albums, Schoolboy Q’s Blue Lips is an early standout. Q last dropped nearly 5 years ago with his Crash Talk album. Blue lips has all the moments you’d want as a Schoolboy Q fan. Much of the production sequencing of the album is Yeezus coded showcased on tracks like Love Birds & Ohio with beat switch ups. Blueslides displays mature Q, spitting vulnerable insightful lyrics over a soulful piano jazz beat. Besides obvious standout tracks like Thank God 4 Me, his song Pop with Rico Nasty is a track that I would love to hear out at parties. TDE is in a weird spot with Kendrick gone, starting his own label PgLang alongside Baby Keem and videographer Dave Free. With this album, Q proves yet again that you can’t fit him in a box, with a style as eclectic as any premier label artist.
Another Cali album that should be in rotation is LaRussell and Hitboy’s collaboration album Rent Due. LaRussell has been consistent and has gone viral soley off the strength of his writing ability. He has that Oakland swag that drops gems throughout the album with entire Hit Boy Production. I hate to say it feels like a west coast album because that phrase is often overused and reductive, but it does match perfectly for acts like Dom Kennedy, Larry June, and this project from LaRussell.
J.Cole’s Might Delete Later was a bit overshadowed by his “7 Minute Drill” track (since removed off streaming services) which was a response to Kendrick’s diss. All the Big 3 talk has consumed hip hop convos since Like That dropped. Once the dust settles people will realize that Cole dropped one of his best rapping displays on this surprise offering. Tracks like Crocodile Tearz, Huntin’ Wabbitz, Pi and 3001 are exactly what rap fans clamor for from today’s artists. Rap beef aside, Cole definitely has one of the best releases this year.
Bad Boy records has garnered alot of press in recent months for all the wrong reasons. With Diddy being engulfed in lawsuits, the legacy of the label is undoubtedly stained. When you think of Bad Boy artists like Biggie, 112, Mary J. Blige, and The Lox come to mind. One of their biggest artists who seems to never get brought up in proper respects is Harlem’s Ma$e. Mase has delivered hits like “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and “More Money, More Problems” which are the makeup of what is expected from a Bad Boy record. Mase’s biggest mark was his debut album Harlem World. Songs like “Feel So Good” & “What You Want ft. Total” are quintessential 90’s hip hop staples that helped pushed the genre into mainstream appeal with the high budget, shiny suit videos that turned gritty rap videos into short film blockbusters. One could argue that Mase is the most popular artist to come from the Bad Boy tree. “Lookin at Me” is an album cut track that showcases the Harlem rapper’s signature smooth flow and witty bars that makes his songs such an easy listen. While being a premier artist, Mase took an unexpected exit from the rap game and focused on being a pastor. This pushed Puff Daddy into the lead act (and name change to P.Diddy, then Diddy) and many hits that he front manned would have been much better as Mase records. One of the biggest What If’s in Hip Hop is how big would Mase have been had he continued to make records through the 2000’s?
