Best Hip Hop Highlights in 2024 So Far

A tradition of summarizing the results of the year and remembering everything that happened during the past 12 months is common for most industries. The music industry is not an exception, as fans and analytics from each genre show up in their top lists, compilations, and other formats. In the first months of the year, rap music dominated the whole music industry, as we heard some mind-blowing tracks from top-rated artists. Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, J. Cole, and other musicians were under the spotlight, getting impressive engagement and appearing in top charts over and over again. In this article, we present our compilation of the best highlights in the rap and hip-hop industry in 2024.

Kendrick Lamar is considered the most commercially successful rapper of 2024. His latest 12-song album generated total revenue of 379.72 million dollars with streams and had over 32,000 sales. Still, commercial success is not the only criterion we notice, as there are more points to consider.

Who Made the Difference This Year?

Success is not only about statistics; it's also about influence in the niche and the ability to make people follow you. Famous rappers step into the spotlight when they make a difference and change the way listeners perceive the music. One of the artists who made a solid impact with his breakthrough in 2024 is Kendrick Lamar. His career lasts for nearly a decade, and in 2024 he is at his very best. One of his latest songs, "Not Like Us," which is literally a diss to Drake, got over 184 million streams on YouTube and nearly a billion on Spotify.

On November 22, Kendrick released his latest album called "GNX." It's been almost two weeks, and this mix already possesses top charts, pushing Ateez and Linkin Park back. Moreover, the fact that the artist will show up at the 2025 Super Bowl in February means the album will be on top for a long time. Furthermore, we will see more fan-made videos and edits with his songs in the background. Some users may not consider this factor, but it's crucial, especially if we talk about a strong social media presence. The music speaks for its author, as people hear Kendrick's music daily, and it makes them check his songs on streaming platforms.

Another rapper who made the difference in 2024 is Eminem. His mind-blowing album "The Death of Slim Shady" and songs "Houdini" and "Tobey" reminded fans of how good old Em sounds. Besides delivering a high-quality product, Marshall left some Easter eggs in his tracks, showing how good he is at storytelling and delivering hidden messages. We analyzed the reference from "Tobey" in our recent article, showing how the rapper turned it into declaring him the greatest of all time. Even though "The Death of Slim Shady" is not pretending on the Album of the Year award in 2024, as Kendrick Lamar's "GNX" will probably snatch the victory, it made a solid statement in the industry, showing why Eminem should not be underestimated at the age of 52.

Who Is the Rapper of the Year According to Fans?

We can check various ratings created by experts and look at the stats on various platforms, but we can't stand against fans' opinions. When you ask music lovers to name the artists that performed the best during the year, everyone will make the surprising choices. On November 1, 2024, Ranker published a rating of the best rappers of the year so far. The list is based on users' votes and shows who people see as a #1 personality in the industry.

As we can see, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Eminem dominate the rank. Of course, it's one of many ranks we can find today, but it shows the global trends in the industry and listeners' personal preferences. 

Is Rap Dominating the Music Industry in 2024?

The global growth of rap and hip-hop overall showed that this genre is dominating the music industry. The first call was in 2023, when rap artists hit #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot 200 charts. Moreover, the Chartmetric's report showed that hip-hop and rap artists had the biggest presence in the music industry in 2023 This year, the situation didn't change, as Kendrick Lamar holds first place with his track "squabble up." The fact that Linkin Park showed up with their new vocalist Emily Armstrong was a surprise for fans, as the famous rock band was back in the game. However, the hype didn't last for long, as fans were more interested in rap releases.

Are rap and hip-hop really establishing dominance in the industry? The presence is getting stronger, but the global trend still differs. Rap is the second-most-listened genre on Spotify, as pop holds on the top spot. Still, hip-hop is the most listened-to genre on the platform among younger listeners (age gap 18-24). Do you know who is the most-streamed rapper on Spotify in 2024? Unexpectedly, it's Drake, as he keeps this status for eight years in a row. His feud with Kendrick Lamar also made the difference, as people keep listening to his songs. Besides, Kendrick is only number five in the list.

What Will Be Trending in Hip-Hop in 2025?

It's complicated to predict who will dominate the genre next year. From what we see now, Kendrick Lamar is on top of the game, as his music gets millions of streams daily. At the same time, we can't underestimate personalities like Travis Scott and Eminem, who can change the complexity of the game immediately after a couple of releases. Moreover, dozens of young rappers are ready to take the stage and surprise fans with their hits. Yeat, 310babii, Ken Karson, Luh Tyler, and others already made statements, so the upcoming year may be their breakthrough.

Making a statement in the industry may be tough due to solid competitiveness and the number of rappers who enter the genre every month. If you pretend to create good music and you want it to be heard by your target audience, it's important to push your rap songs to make sure you get first engagement, so the algorithm will be on your side. By using organic Hip-Hop promotion from Artist Push, you get combined engagement with streams, saves, and followers. Those who'll follow you will be real users interested in your content, so you will see positive changes soon.