M-Dot links up with his brethren Kore and Mayhem for the song No One Else, produced by Quiz. And truly, there is no team like the EMS team. Each emcee brings their own style, flow, and lyricism, this time on an uptempo production. This showcases the dexterity of the crew, and it’s really great to hear Mayhem spit a sixteen again. It’s been a while since I have heard him rock.
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. |
Pushing Buttons – Verbal Acrobatics (ft. M-Dot & Plastic) (Video)
When you think about a joint that embodies hip hop, this is a cut that should come to mind. Verbal Acrobatics heralds off of Pushing Button’s album from earlier this year, Full Level. This song has it all: Dope rhymes and flows from M-Dot and Plastic, along with a beat that is nothing short of a head nodder from the production duo with precise scratched cuts. Love this joint.
Alias Blekaut – These Days (ft. M-Dot and Kore) (Video)
Polish producer Alias Blekaut has got something cooking overseas right now with a project entitled The Long Flight coming up. He’s solicited some US emcees to flip on some of his production and here we have none other than long time friends and collaborators M-Dot and Kore delivering that relateable lyricism over a dope beat. Life is more than just comments and tag lines and M-Dot continues to give us that soul, fire, and angst with his pen and his cadence while Kore’s chorus is that tie that binds it all together. Really dope. Can’t wait to hear more off of this project.
Single You Out: M-Dot – Seein’ Em (ft. Chaundon) (Prod. by Es-K)
My guy M-Dot passed this along to me and the first thing that struck me in this title was…CHAUNDON! It’s been a long time since I have heard him on a joint and he does not disappoint. It took me a second to figure what was going on verbally here, but I am a little slow on the uptake on the weekends. But M-Dot and Chaundon tackle alphabetic gymnastics, withe former taking on the letter C in his verse, and the latter utilizing the letter M. Quite dope as Es-K creates this fun and creative production. LP2 on the cuts!
M-Dot – The Enemy Is Everywhere (ft. Benefit) (prod. by Vinny Idol) (Video)
One of my favorite tracks off of M-Dot’s new album, Daze Of Greed. The Enemy Is Everywhere is some Vinny Idol produced vengeance for your ears, as M-Dot just unleashes some pent up aggression. Over the years, as an HHD favorite we’ve seen him mature as an artist and created great concepts and craft great songs, but sometimes, you just need to let the lion out of the cage. HIs pen comes out hot on this one people!
M-Dot – Daze Of Greed (2024)
Artist: M-Dot
Album: Daze Of Greed
Tracklisting:
- Greed Intro (prod. by Victor Keys)
- Willows Weep (prod. by M-Dot)
- Can’t Decide (prod. by Elliot the Producer)
- Hand In Hand (prod. by Pauly Cicero)
- Run Along (ft. Grand Puba) (prod. by The Might V.I.C)
- The Enemy Is Everywhere (prod. Vinny Idol)
- Certifiable (ft. Kore) (prod. Rawmatik)
- Close (prod. by Gajos)
- Essence Lifted (ft. Estee Nack & Ty Farris) (prod. by B Leafs)
- Unexpcted (ft. Big Shug) (prod. by Apollo Brown)
- Running Shoes (prod. by Roccwell)
- You And You (ft. Revalation) (prod. by M-Phazes)
- Avenues (ft. R.I.Q & Jay Cruz) (prod. by 88-Keys)
- Mic Check (prod. by Chill-ILL)
Review:
M-Dot is consistently featured on the site because he personifies what this site is about. It’s hard work, dedication, perseverance, and an uncompromising talent. Lots of trends and artists have come and gone in the last decade plus, meanwhile M-Dot is here with Daze Of Greed, showing once again that his way is the only way he walks.
Continue reading “M-Dot – Daze Of Greed (2024)”Pushing Buttons – Tough Times (ft M Dot, Lateb, Kore, 12 Finger Dan) (Video)
Second single from Pushing Buttons JUST released album, Full Level. Tough Times features M-Dot and Lateb, with Kore on the chorus. The song is a soulful, bluesy, and a neck-snapping that takes the listener through the pain, strife, and resilience it takes to make it in life. Some very heart felt and relatable bars on this joint. 12 Finger Dan is on the cuts and really makes this track pop even more than it already does. I also think this is one of the best animated videos I have seen.
Make sure you check out the album if you love the way this sounds!
M-Dot – Run Along (ft. Grand Puba) (prod. by The Mighty V.I.C) (cuts by Dom2er & DJ 7L) (Video)
M-Dot links up with the great Grand Puba for his latest track, Run Along. The song is set to be featured on his forthcoming album. Daze Of Greed. Production comes courtesy of The Mighty V.I.C. And he give this song a bluesy twang to it, that I just love. M-Dot and Grand Puba both lace some sweet sixteens that you can follow along in the video. Social consciousness done in the freshest of ways.
Outside of sinners yo, who we really got as friends? / A king will give out bread to peasants then he’ll turn and cut his hands
M-Dot – You and You (ft. Revalation) (prod. by M-Phazes (Video)
M-Dot and Revalation team up for some good chemistry on a funky production from none other than M-Phazes! It’s been a minute since I have heard some new production from M-Phazes and this is some definite feel-good hip-hop music. And while M-Dot’s last album had some very serious tones in it, this joint has that levity and lyrical fire power that just makes you crack a smile.
New album, Daze Of Greed dropping within a couple months time!
Hip Hop Dependency 