As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to indulge in the time-honored tradition of showcasing the most essential rap releases to hit Bandcamp. Listed in diplomatic alphabetical order, here are the ten best hip-hop projects of the year.
Cavalier
Different Type Time
2 x Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD), Cassette
In 2024, no one rapped as smoothly as Cavalier. The New Orleans-based MC is blessed with an unhurried flow he employs to deliver a mixture of cocksure brags and cultural references, all spiked with nostalgic flashbacks. “The fit like a glove, the feel be like school’s out/ For flicks it’s ice grills, all smiles at the shootout/ Manning the grill with OGs at the ‘Lo cookout/ Only steaming the veggies, loud and corny the new clout,†raps the MC over the honeyed funk of the Quelle Chris-crafted standout “Custard Spoon,†his lyrics landing with the ease of a classic Grand Puba verse. As the album progresses, Cavalier grapples with the way personal history is slowly forged into legacy—ultimately concluding that living in the here and now is maybe all that counts. “Be, I just want to be/ Want to be my best of self I can/ And keep myself intact, so breathe,†chants Cavalier on penultimate track “Axiom / My Gawd.†It’s a grounded mantra for the moment.
Chuck Strangers
A Forsaken Lover’s Plea
Vinyl LP, Cassette, Compact Disc (CD)
On A Forsaken Lover’s Plea, rapper and producer Chuck Strangers gazes back over a decade-long career in hip-hop that kicked off in the early-‘10s when he was part of Joey Bada$$ and Capital Steez’s Flatbush-based Pro Era clique. “It’s dead vines intertwined/ On a rusty old paint-chipped fence,†raps Strangers on early tone-setter “Dead Vines,†establishing a bittersweet feel that carries through the rest of the album. Backed by a weeping piano loop, Strangers weaves in references to golden-era BDP classics—“In these weird times/ I had to get myself an Uzi and my brother a nine/ Whatever happens is fineâ€â€”and throws in one of many industry jabs that pepper the project: “We ain’t never ask for you to say shit/ Just leave this off your fucking playlist.†As A Forsaken Lover’s Plea goes on, Strangers compares his relationship with hip-hop to that of a failed romance—think Common’s “I Used To Love H.E.R†spread over an entire LP. The tension between love and loyalty comes to a fore on “Sermonette,†while the brooding, Alchemist-produced “Ski’d Up†lashes out at those with duplicitous motivations. he title track cops to the inherent tension that occurs when art meets finance: “You know my heart is broken/ Now we acting out,†confesses Strangers over guitar-laced production, suggesting that creativity and commerce rarely make for harmonious bedfellows.
Fatboi Sharif and Roper Williams
Something About Shirley
First impressions of Fatboi Sharif usually recall Guru’s claim about MC greatness: “It’s mostly tha voice.†In Sharif’s case, the New Jersey native has a voluminous baritone that’s treated with post-production techniques to amplify his otherworldly presence. If you were looking for someone to voice the Grim Reaper in a warped animation flick, Sharif should be your first call. But beyond the MC’s monstrous timbre, a prolific series of releases over the last few years have demonstrated Sharif’s flair for depicting dystopian visions and delving into psychological horror, framing his lyrics as a grand battle between good and evil. For this year’s Something About Shirley—which was followed by projects cut with Duncecap (Psychedelics Wrote The Bible) and Fat Tony (Brain Candy)—Sharif pairs with fellow Garden State denizen Roper Williams to pry into the ways that love in its various forms can help a person navigate the trials of life. Sequenced as an intense 10-minute continuous listen, Shirley is rife with references to characters swallowing razor blades and star-gazing spirits in their final form, Sharif confessing, “every night I bleed self-destruction—family tree.†These dark bars are set to Williams’s shape-shifting backdrop of grinding psychedelic ambience, creating an impassioned (and often uncomfortable) musical psycho-drama that’s engagingly creepy and cathartic.
Gabe ‘Nandez & Wino Willy
Object Permanence
Gabe ‘Nandez opens the six-song Object Permanence sitting at a desk with a katana sword hung above it. Backed by the haze of slinky, filtered soul that producer Wino Willy loops up for “Uchigatana,†the New York MC proceeds to drop references to single-edged Japanese steel blades before dipping into spiritualist territory: “Relaying my God’s message ‘cause that’s what she told me/ Surveying the song’s essence through that which you no speak/ See infinite attributes as I muse by the oak tree, OG/ Pursuing the gold fleece/ Patagonia fleece on me, perusing the old me.†The rest of the record takes its cues from ‘Nandez’s opening salvo. Ice-cold threats are mixed with historical, mythological, and religious references. ‘Nandez lands punchlines with cipher-hardened precision and weaves in references to world events past and present. It would be grand hip-hop sacrilege to compare anyone of recent times to the genius of tragically departed Brownsville sage Ka. After all, Ka was the master swordsman who made all other MCs seem like apprentices by default. But at his best, ‘Nandez taps into K’s ability to use hard times as a way to form a rehabilitated world view—and, crucially, do it all without sounding preachy.
Lo.S.O
Posted
Cassette
There’s a line on “Daydreaming,†a song from Massive Attack’s masterpiece 1991 Blue Lines, where group member 3D talks about “living in my headphones†while plugged into a Sony Boodo Khan Walkman. Listening to Posted by Lo. S.O from the Cold Light crew evokes that same sentiment. Fellow Bristolian D Withdrawn recites hushed lyrics like someone whispering into your ear life lessons learned through battle scars. The album’s hazy, mid-tempo, static-swaddled production is sourced from beats that Seattle producer Best Available Technology originally committed to tape in the early ‘90s. Invoking a kind of “death letter blues†that defines the release, D Withdrawn established opener “Me & The Devil†as a purgatorial seance. “It was just me and the devil, a pack of cards and a bottle of that old medicine,†the MC drawls, backed by humming bass tones, flecks of radio distortion, and a hint of acoustic guitar that quickly dissipates. As the song goes on, D Withdrawn details dealing with loss and struggling with relationships, arriving at a newfound resilience. “You can clip my wings, I’ll climb the fucking walls/ In the absence of gravity I teach you how to fall/ Yeah, man, I know it well/ Every scar was Braille in plain view,†he recalls over soothing atmospherics and calm cymbal splashes on “Damaged.†Then he drops a line that makes good on the goal of delivering salvation through headphones: “Sing you lullabies and teach you what prevailing do, teach you what prevailing do.â€
mary sue
Voice Memos From A Winter In China
Cassette, T-Shirt/Shirt
Finding warmth and comfort when surrounded by cold weather is the dominant theme of mary sue’s Voice Memos From A Winter In China. The Singapore MC and producer embraces the concept on both literal and metaphorical levels. Parts of the 16-song project are constructed from iPhone recordings made during a China tour that sue and his band the Clementi Sound Appreciation Club undertook during the frosty winter months. Those fuzzy live moments are complemented by original compositions that hone in on the belief that solace, contentment, and acceptance are rarely found without first navigating pain, depression, and rejection. Steeped in blues, sue’s introspective confessions are backed by production that mines both lo-fi soul and jazz, letting melancholy refrains take precedence over any heft from the drums. Mirroring the album’s travelog feel, “Post Tour Blues (Outro)†finds sue feeling “lonely in the crib†and pondering his life at 3 am. “Stomping in the snow/ Pouring out my soul ’til my shoes feel broken,†raps the MC over an organ line and a hint of shuffling percussion, before summarizing the album’s abiding sentiment: “Eyes started close, but my mind stay open/ Smoking in the cold ’til our hands feel frozen/ So much love for the fam’, man.â€
Ol’ Burger Beats
74: Out Of Time
2 x Vinyl LP, Vinyl LP, Vinyl, Cassette, , T-Shirt/Shirt, Sweater/Hoodie, Hat, Bag
In less talented hands, 74: Out Of Time would risk becoming gimmicky. The concept behind the album is reflected in the title: Every song operates at 74 beats per minute, while an array of guest MCs including Pink Siifu, Lil B, and Fly Anakin are charged with writing rhymes that channel the activist spirit and stylistic aesthetics of the year 1974. Thankfully, under the stewardship of Oslo-based beatmaker and crate-digger ‘Ol Burger Beats, the album coalesces into a beautiful showcase for the serene charm of Burger’s jazz-centric samples. The album’s songs are a seamless blanket of hypnotizing loops made from dusky vibraphone, misty keys, and shimmering cymbals. This is hip-hop as intimate, late-night jazz club music. The MCs likewise stick to the task of writing within the album’s conceptual framework. Often, this results in verses packed with nostalgic references. “Used to wear the Puma Clydes, never rocked the Jordans,†raps YUNGMORPHEUS over twilight key on “Peace.†“Close my eyes in the night, all I see is horrors/ Elitist whites use fake jargon ‘cause they boorish/ Religious whites use fake jargon ‘cause they boorish/ All I say is peace,†he continues, gracefully relaying the sort of socio-political commentary that acts as the album’s second heartbeat.
Previous Industries
Service Merchandise
Vinyl LP, Compact Disc (CD)
Nostalgia reigns on Service Merchandise. Crafted by MCs Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave, and STILL RIFT, the album’s title is a nod to an almost out-of-business retail chain and serves as a prompt for the trio to dig into their collective memory to summon both pop-culture references and life experiences. Early cut “Roeck†opens with Dave flicking through a catalog and highlighting a wish list that includes a scientific calculator, a film camera with an adjustable aperture, and “a three-piece stereo with a five-disc carousel.†Backed by Child Actor’s wistful, filtered funk, STILL RIFT embraces the theme by looking at the front door waiting for his mail-order picks to be delivered, while Eagle recalls the days of Triple F.A.T. Goose jackets “even in the summertime,†signing off with: “It’s a sliding scale for financial hardships/ It’s odd shit/ You want something broad? Then go to Target.†Across the album, the MCs’ close camaraderie and allegiance to the album’s concept recalls the early output and attitude of the Native Tongues. It’s not that Service Merchandise sounds anything like that collective’s influential releases. But there’s a mix of humbleness, vulnerability, and booksmart turns-of-phrase that positions Previous Industries within that same lineage. “Indie rappers deserve government subsidies/ Or else we’ll make other discoveries/ And have to publish findings reluctantly,†raps Eagle on the woozy, stuttering “Montgomery Ward.†Then on the chugging “White Hen,†he alludes to the album’s sepia-toned concept: “I’m trying to separate the memories from something profound.â€
Seafood Sam
Standing On Giant Shoulders
Compact Disc (CD), Cassette, Vinyl LP
Seafood Sam describes himself as a “futuristic artifact,†a characterization the Long Beach MC explores across Standing On Giant Shoulders, which marries hearty ‘70s funk production with an interstellar star-gazing aura. “Cowboy Leather,†which co-stars Pink Siifu, reflects the album’s time-traveling core, depicting the two MCs embarking on a contemporary Spaghetti Western adventure over a lonesome backdrop provided by producer Thomas Kendall Hughes and an ensemble cast of instrumentalists. The idea of Sam existing in different sonic eras is mirrored by lyrics that switch from spiritual rumination to embracing hedonism. “Lord knows I’m too tired of waiting/ Call granny up to pray, say I’m tired of Satan,†raps the MC over laconic synths and gently tapping snares on “Overseas Sam,†before describing himself as being, “back at a party with the loudest fragrance.†Then, in vintage Sam fashion, the genial MC signs off by snappily claiming: “Life’s fast, but ironic—Earth turns slow.â€
ShrapKnel
Nobody Planning To Leave
Vinyl LP
Nobody Planning To Leave presents ShrapKnel MCs Curly Castro and PremRock as a couple of battle-hardened lyrical swordsmen roaming the remnants of a post-apocalyptic realm. Early on, Castro brandishes silent weapons and deploys “dark skills gained by crawling to the altar†over the horror flick xylophone of “Metallo,†while the brassy swagger of “LIVE Element†finds PremRock dropping a barb about iconic label Rawkus being funded by James Murdoch. Matching the impact of Castro and PremRock’s blitzkrieg of braggadocio, their deep rap references and nods to sci-fi and fantasy figures, album producer Controller 7 delivers a bewitching series of beats that swing devilishly from clattering industrial chaos to eerie minimalism. This heady combination of sharp lyrics and turbulent production peaks with standout “Deep Space 9 Millie Pulled A Pistol.†Building on a title that nods to cuts by El-P and De La Soul, PremRock and Castro show off their status proud students of the culture, with the former dropping lines that reference Company Flow and interpolate Kool G Rap lyrics, and the latter rattling off a roll call that takes in SA Smash albums, calls to free Shyheim, and Wee Bee Foolish CD-Rs. Enhanced by the way its opening retro arcade bop transforms into discordant sinewy funk, the song is a statement piece that declares: ShrapKnel is a real force.
