Loving this single from Maze Overlay and ethemadassassin, Lo Jack. And one of the things I love is this Junior Makhno beat! I feel like it’s been a long while since I have heard from him, and he delivers the perfect “thrill of the hunt” beat, while the emcee nefariously plot their moves, taking what they want, and evading the authorities. Really dope cut!
Top 50 Songs Of 2024
Here are some of my favorites songs from 2024 in independent hip hop. Again…not cumulative. I know your tastes my vary but maybe you will see something on the list you didn’t hear and enjoy. Click the song link to be taken to a youtube offering of that track. And as always…support the artist! Off to 2025!
| Song | Artist | Note |
| #1 T.I.M.E. | K-Salaam, JdotL, Wrekonize, & Jae Skeese (ft. D.Lylez) | This is the perfect song. The production is a vibe. The lyricism is fantastic. And the hook bridges perfectly! |
| #2 Oppenheimer | Vega7 The Ronin & Ferris Blusa (prod. by Kalos Beats) | Sometimes you just need a song to slap you in the face…this my friends is that slap. This joint is tough!!! |
| #3 Act Of God | Ed OG (prod. by Tone Spliff) | Our emcee has been doing this a long time…and he still knows how to craft GREAT music. |
| #4 Dangerous | Bobby J From Rockaway & Dom Dirtee | This joint not only knocks but can easily get caught in your head. Infectious. |
| #5 The Magnum | Dan Johns (ft. Amen) | I’ve talked about this song at length. Trust me. Lyrics. Production. This is top notch. |
| #6 Fuck It | Grieves & Mouse Powell | Another anthem for when you can’t care. Exceptional musically and love the horns on this track. |
| #7 Flinch | Locksmith (ft. Ekoh) | If you are feeling like you are on the brink. Don’t give your enemies the satisfaction. Don’t Flinch. |
| #8 Spare Change | J. Lately (ft. Ian Kelly) | The guitar licks. The vibe. And the style make this song play on in your head for days on end. |
| #9 Stupid. Dumb. Illiterate. | Heems (prod. by Lapgan) | This song has so much finesse and a great sound. The production and flow of the track is remarkable. |
| #10 Two Kids | maticulous (ft. Elzhi) | The art of storytelling is not lost in hip hop. Check out this case in point from 2024. |
| #11 OHLawd | J57 (ft. H3RO) | This again is just beautiful music. I love this production , the chorus, and the lyricsm on display here. |
| #12 The Way | Spit Gemz (prod. by Nickel Plated) | Some music gives way to thought and makes you think with another light. This is that! |
| #13 Cadillac | Brother Ali | HipHop is primed to speak on social injustice and Brother Ali does that through his own story. |
| #14 Defiance | Izrell & Dead Perry | Sometimes you just need something epic…dark and epic. |
| #15 Roc Nation Brunch | Marv Won (ft. Freeway) | Great concept, and creating a fun visual through words. Inventive. |
| #16 Delusions Of Grandeur | K.A.A.N. & DJ Hoppa | This is one of the best pairings of the year and you can hear exactly why on this track! |
| #17 Raised On | Mic Bles & Level 13 (ft. ethemadassassin) | I’ve talked about THIS track at length too. But this that authentic hip hop flavor! |
| #18 Close | M-Dot (ft. Kore) | No one does that “life music” better than M-Dot. He speaks like you are in his shoes. You too are “close”. |
| #19 Crownsville | Rock & Ruste Juxx | The tandem takes you into the streets of Crownsville in the illest way possible. |
| #20 Broken Mirrors | Jae Skeese & Superior | Skeese speaks to me on this one. Wow. Music that makes you feel something is invaluable. |
| #21 My Nephew and I | Nef & Bobby J from Rockaway | This beat from Nef! One of the best, and wow, Bobby J just continues to impress. Sure shot! |
| #22 Courtleigh Chemist | Daniel Son & Finn | Here you have a producer and emcee in perfect step delivering that head nodder. |
| #23 Budda Palm | ZaZa God | “I’m Big Anubis…The Ra Royal!” This track just goes incredibly hard. |
| #24 What I’m Asking | Pro Dillinger | Is your relationship stressing you to the limits? Dillinger taps in. You know you’ve been there. |
| #25 Home | Waterr & Wavy Da Ghawd (ft. Spoda) | One of the hardest working emcees in 2024 delivered many great moments but this is among my favorites. |
| #26 Sins Of The Father | Supreme Cerebral (ft. Eloh Kush and O The Great) (prod. by Swab) | Swab laces a beautiful canvas and these emcees put it to work. One of the best posse cuts this year. |
| #27 Lunar Stroll | CG The Producer (ft. Revalation x MKDel x Lateb) | Let your mind drift as though it was on a space walk. This song will help you. Great song. |
| #28 A Different Kind Of Payne | RJ Payne & BP | Payne gets deep and personal over some eloquent BP production. Hear the inner pain. |
| #29 Lessons | Willie The Kid & VDon (ft. Eto and Rome Streetz) | Another one of the best combos in the game unleashed excellence this year. And this is among the best. |
| #30 Symbiote Suits | Daniel Son & Futurewave | Vicious. This joint is just vicious. If the phantom of the opera hit the streets, this is the epic it will tell. |
| #31 Illuminati Money | Planet Asia & 38 Spesh (ft. Klass Murda and Tristate) | Spesh and Asia win again combining all their superlatives for another banger. This beat and these lyrical skills…wow. |
| #32 Korean Kimchi | Jay Royale (ft. Vega7 The Ronin) | Jay Royale is vastly underrated. Such a talent! Here you can listen to him deliver alongside Vega7 over a really dope production. Love the vocal sample. |
| #33 LoFi | Guttr (Havoc x RJ Payne x Ras Kass) | Hip Hop supergroup put the industry back in it’s place with this one. Lyrical swordplay over some glorious production from Havoc. |
| #34 We Never Believe Anybody | Double Life (L*Roneous x Gennessee) | Two emcees with distinctly different styles that unite to do something so dope…time and time again…favorite song off this year’s project. |
| #35 Green Screen | Copywrite (prod. by Evidence) | Lyricism you are accustomed to from Copy over the years and doing so over the freshest of beats from Ev. |
| #36 The Iron I Toss | The Bad Seed (ft. MIMS x Honey Dinero x Nam Nitty) (prod. by JR Swiftz) | You want a dope posse cut? I got you. 6th Man shit! JR Swiftz laces the production as each emcee shows and proves. |
| #37 Hour After Hour | Tek & Stu Bangas | “No success without sacrifice…life without music” Tek and Stu Bangas created something memorable in 2024 |
| #38 Gucci Gambinos | Mickey Diamond (ft. Pro Dillinger) | Umbrella over everything! Diamond and Dillinger over Big Ghost…you know it’s godly. Super tough. |
| #39 Mask On, Mask Off | Maze Overlay & Swab | Best song off of a great album from 2024. Maze and Swab give you some dope hip hop that knocks. |
| #40 Born Alone, Die Alone | Snak The Ripper | You want to hear the rock bottom of unhinged? Here we go! Snak delivers the darkness in the dopest way possible. |
| #41 Esoteric | Skyzoo | I said it before and I will say it again, Skyzoo is a PROFESSIONAL emcee. You can hear that on this excellent cut! |
| #42 Los Angeles | Blu & Evidence | From their city to yours! Blu and Ev bring a piece of California to your eardrums with their superlative tradecraft. |
| #43 Master Seminar | Eyeree Beats (ft. Jay Royale, Snotty, and Supreme Cerebral) | Producers getting their due on HHD. Beautiful production with right emcees to do the job! |
| #44 OMG | Philmore Green | One of the best albums of the year also has one of the best songs. Great lyricism, production, and scratches. |
| #45 Heat Wave | Murderers Row (Outerspace x King Syze x Reef The Lost Cause) | Really looking forward to this full project. So great to hear these guys deliver such heat on the same song. |
| #46 Money On The Line | Chuck N Lock (prod. by Oppenheimer) | The tandem never fails to deliver bars that make you rewind profusely. A style unto themslves. Genius. |
| #47 So Long | Paradime | Paradime can make some great songs! This one has you reminiscing and singing that chorus alongside him. |
| #48 Listen | V-Styles | Introspective and thought provoking music that will get you to do exactly that…Listen! |
| #49 Blood In, Blood Out | Bozack Morris (ft. Asun Eastwood x Lex Tallonis) | Some songs on this list are just filthy. This song fits that category. Morris unleashes the sinister on this one! |
| #50 The Summit | Kail Problems & DJ Hoppa | Another fiya beat from DJ Hoppa lends itself to another win with Kail Problems delivering bar after dope bar. |
Mic Bles & Level 13 – Raised On (ft. ethemadassassin and DJ Romes (Video)
We just featured the single from Mic Bles and Level 13 a few days ago and now we have the video to celebrate the release of Still No Halos, which is another banger from the duo. One thing I have come to know about Mic Bles is this artist is ROOOOOOOTED in hip hop. Everything he does on the mic is a true representation of being an emcee. And the the pairing with ethemadassassin is strong. One of my favorite tracks from this year with Level 13 lacing the banger and DJ Romes giving you those extra touches.
Single You Out: The Bad Seed – Lebron Shoes (ft. Ethemadassassin x LR Blitzkrieg)
The Bad Seed is only accelerating when it comes to making great music. He just released Everything Means Nothing Vol. 1 and now he’s coming with the sequel in just over a month. And these aren’t filler tracks or left overs…the verbal artillery and the production is top notch. Freakshow is on the boards crafting the perfect backdrop for a posse cut. The guitar loop with the drums is perfect for Seed, Ethemadassassin, and LR Blitzkrieg to conduct their takeover. The pen game on this joint is elite. I especially like Ethemadassassin’s sports bars and metaphors. This is a sure shot!
Everything Means Nothing Vol. 2 coming in April!
Single You Out: ethemadassassin – Mercalli (prod. by Quake Mobb)
ethemaddassassin links up with production team Quake Mobb for this heavy banger. There is something symphonic and powerful about this cut. It can be found off of the forthcoming collaborative project, Bear Handz Pt. 1: Magmatic, which is set to drop next Friday, May 25th.
ethemadassassin – Elements (Video)
You can tell ethemadassassin is a rhyme vet. His flow is extremely refined and dare I say, authentic. There’s not an oz of new jack. He makes you feel these words he’s spitting. Elements as a whole is a high energy head nodder so protect that neck. This cut can be found on his most recent album, Soul On Fire.
Single You Out: ethemadassassin – H.T.G. (ft. Sole – R)
ethemadassassin just released his album, Soul On Fire, and H.T.G., is a biproduct of that release. What we have here is a knocking beat (produced by an unknown entity) and some heavy lines laid down by e’ and Sole-R. From the track’s intro the listener will recognize that this a joint you carry body bags to. I’m just sayin’….
Single You Out: ethemadassassin – 80’s & 90’s (prod. by SciFi Stu)
ethemadassassin and SciFi Stu link up again for what could be considered a “smooth banger”. SciFi Stu touches the keys for a mellow and airy track but ethemadassassin gives the joint some contrast with his tough baritone bravado recapping the era when he came up. This song is a prelude to ethemadassassin’s album, Soul On Fire, which drops on September 17th.
Hip Hop Dependency 