The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from Action Bronson, Common, and Eminem.
It’s been a great year so far for fans of dense lyricism and wordy raps (“real hip-hop,” so to speak), and this week might be the greatest glut of rhyme-forward hip-hop that’ll make you think yet.
Eminem continued the rollout for his new album with the video for “Tobey,” a killer display of lyrical technique featuring BabyTon and Big Sean.
Ice Spice brought her NY drill sound full circle, linking up with one of the UK’s hottest rising stars, Central Cee, for “Did It First.”
LL Cool J announced the release of his first album in over a decade with a cool new Q-Tip production on “Passion.”
And Veeze continued his Midwestern expansion, teaming up with Rylo Rodriguez in the video for the boastful “F.A.F.”
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending July 12, 2024.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
Action Bronson — Johann Sebastian Bachlava The Doctor
Action Bronson’s off-the-wall stream of consciousness results in some of the most absurdly funny non sequiturs ever uttered. For instance, on “Shadow Realm,” he says, “Bitches try to say I give off Rocky vibes / The one from Philadelphia / I’m sicker than Tom Hanks in Philadelphia.” Which is pretty hilarious, but also sounds weirdly cool — a microcosm of Bronson’s style as a whole.
Blu & Evidence — Los Angeles
A part of my brain can’t shake the feeling that Blu has already released an album called Los Angeles… but I’m not going to begrudge the homie for dipping into that particular well again. After all, talking about the motherland has proven to be fertile territory for the San Pedro native — and his latest is no exception. Evidence plays the producer here to neck-snapping effect, and guests like Nana, Propaganda, and Self Jupiter acquit themselves well, representing the city well.
Common & Pete Rock — The Auditorium, Vol. 1
Perhaps the project I have been most excited for since learning about it late last month, The Auditorium sorta represents the Platonic ideal for aging gracefully in hip-hop. For around 20 years, Common has been as much the avatar for Golden Age “conscious” rappers as anything else (he’s who you picture when someone says those words, admit it), and yet, where those terms suggest a crotchety, stultified image of a has-been artist well past his prime, Common’s instead as vital and relevant as you might have expected at the height of those gilded days of rap excellence. Nothing dusty here.
Eminem — The Death Of Slim Shady
I’ll say this for Eminem: He has never lost the love for the art, even if he seems not to love most of what his contemporaries have been dropping lately (although he does have some praise for Kendrick, J. Cole, Lil Wayne, and Joyner Lucas – stop laughing!). As a concept album, The Death Of Slim Shady may not rise to the heights we’ve seen from the format, but Em goes for it, even going as far as shadowboxing his alter ego on “Guilty Conscience 2.” Also, JID is here, and Em shares the spotlight with his latest Shady protégé, Ez Mil.
Jay Worthy & Dām Funk
Just when you thought the West Coast celebration was starting to settle down, another Compton native (there’s a lot of us, huh) pops out with another decedent of the Parliament sound, to keep the gangsta party going. Get your walk on to this.
$NOT — Viceroy
The South Florida native returns with his first project since 2022’s Ethereal. His antisocial, dark style has evolved without losing its edgy, anxious core. Only one other artist, Cochise, appears here to assist him, but $NOT is more than capable of carrying the other 16 tracks himself.
Singles/Videos
BossMan Dlow — “PJ” Feat. Lil Baby
The breakout Florida star maintains his early 2024 momentum with a raucous banger featuring a resurgent Lil Baby. “I came a long way from lunch trays and eatin’ rice,” he boasts. “Phone ain’t got no service, I’m on a PJ, shootin’ dice / Went from fifty dollars to my name to 50K a night / You wanna f*ck with Big Za, baby? You can’t be scared of heights.” That’s fly.
Deante Hitchcock — “Rainclouds”
The Atlanta native takes some time from his hectic schedule to compare his life to the social media highlights posted by his peers and wonder why this bugs him so darn much. Deante’s unflinching introspection is one of the reasons I tabbed him to be one of the city’s breakout stars, and I still maintain that he’s someone we should all be keeping our ears open for.
Fat Joe — “Outta Control” Feat. Remy Ma
Over the years, Fat Joe has swung dramatically from his backpacker, D.I.T.C. persona, his glossy hitmaker one, and the infamous “Joe Crack” street rapper. “Outta Control” juggles an intriguing balance of the three, with a menacing beat buttressing some semi-convincing tough talk delivered in a decidedly slicker rhythm than, say, an Uncle Murda or a Maino. Remy comes through with an instant classic verse, and suddenly I’m hoping this presages a Plata O Plomo sequel.
Jae Skeese — “Situated” Feat. Sauce Walka & Big KRIT
I was sold on the features alone, but that beat, and the 1970s grindhouse intro on the music video, kept me locked in.
MC Lyte — “King King” Feat. Queen Latifah
No sooner had I ruminated on the possibility of new projects from the slew of rap pioneers I caught live at Hollywood Bowl with The Roots than this landed on my timeline on Tuesday. Lyte and Latifah teaming up is something that just doesn’t happen enough. As a dry run, this is a tantalizing sample of the potential of such a project — especially one supported by such creative powerhouses as The Roots.
Mustard — “Pray For Me”
Mustard raps! The Long Beach producer always sounds great when he samples gospel, and on this latest single from his upcoming album Faith Of A Mustard Seed, he conversationally supplicates to a higher power for both blessings and grace. There are no lyrical miracles, but it gets the job done.
YG — “Stupid” Feat. Lil Yachty & Babyface Ray
The rollout for YG’s Just Re’d Up 3 continues. This time, he brings in Michigan Boy Boat and one of his closest collaborators for some additional support as he drops off another post-hyphy gangsta rap banger.
