Two months ago, I tweeted: “Best year of hip-hop. EVER. #2024.” and the Internet’s feisty commentators tore me up. Pardon my excitement and wild proclamation, but I haven’t felt this good about the state of rap music since life before the pandemic. The 2020s have stunk — until now. What’s not to love today? Older rappers like Nas are showing and proving that great lyricists don’t have a retirement age. The historic, long-awaited showdown between Aubrey “Drake” Graham and Kendrick Lamar Duckworth lived up to the hype and transcended it. Plus, I’ve lost count of how much terrific content Future and Metro Boomin can cook up.

Still, everybody can’t get a trophy. It’s time to recognize the best of the best. I dare you to disagree. Ha! Spoiler alert: No Ye. No Q. No Vince Staples. No J. Cole on my albums list. You got a problem with that? Turn that frown upside down and turn the music up. Here’s the best hip-hop songs and albums of 2024, so far.

The Top 10 Hip-Hop Songs Of 2024 So Far

10. Nas & DJ Premier — “Define My Name” (Mass Appeal)

Three decades since working together on his classic debut, Illmatic, Queenbridge’s finest reconnects with Preemo for some classic Big Apple boom bap. Hopefully the promise of a future full-length project between the hall-of-fame duo comes to fruition.

9. Bossman Dlow — “Mr. Pot Scraper” (Alamo/Sony)

One of hip-hop’s most celebrated freshmen, Big Za has got plenty of digestible dope boy raps, but this one is the best. He’s a hustler, baby.

8. Anycia — “Back Outside” Feat. Latto (Anycia/UnitedMasters)

What’s better than one good Atlanta female MC? Two. Newcomer Nene gets a big assist from ATL Birthday Bash headliner, Latto. The fellas better pay attention — you don’t wanna piss these ladies off.

7. Cash Cobain — “Fisherr” Feat. Bay Swag (Giant)

Bronx-bred rapper/producer, Slizzy takes his sexy drill NY sound nationwide with this irresistibly catchy, tender ode to young love. Should you play this one multiple times? For sure.

6. 21 Savage — “Redrum” (Slaughter Gang/Epic)

Murderous material made by a mad man? Yeah, that’s a pretty good summation of Savage’s haunting anthem, which pays homage to the horror classic movie, The Shining. And I still can’t believe that’s Usher at the end, gettin’ his “Vincent Price on Thriller” on.

5. Sexyy Red — “Get It Sexxy” (Open Shift/Gamma)

It’s a rallying cry to act ratchet as Ms. “Pound Town” stomps all over producer Tay Keith’s kinetic track. Whoop! Whoop!

4. GloRilla — “Yeah Glo” (CMG/Interscope)

Suffice it to say, this self-affirmation selection slaps. Who can resist cheering along to this assertive chorus? Go, Gloria!

3. Drake — “Family Matters” (OVO/Universal Repubic)

Before ultimately losing his intense exchange with rival Kendrick Lamar, Drizzy captivated with this sonic triumvirate of lyrical warfare. Too bad that he probably foreshadowed another K Dot Grammy triumph.

2. Future & Metro Boomin — “Like That” Feat. Kendrick Lamar (Wilburn Holding/Boominati/Epic)

Over Metro aka hip-hop’s best producer’s best beat, Compton’s most wanted deads all comparisons to Aubrey and Jermaine and declares his dominant position. There can only be one.

1. Kendrick Lamar — “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar/Interscope)

It’s a diss song and a hit song. Over DJ Mustard’s masterful canvas, King Kendrick simultaneously ends hip-hop’s greatest beef and empowers the West Coast hip-hop scene. A true victory lap.

The Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums Of 2024 So Far

10. Mach-Hommy — #RichAxxHaitian (Mach-Hommy)

Hip-hop’s most mysterious MC delivers a musically diverse magnum opus that commands your attention from beginning to end.

9. Flo Milli — Fine Ho, Stay (‘94 Sounds/RCA)

Anchored by her biggest single, “Never Lose Me,” Flo defies sophomore jinx pressure and captivates with her most compelling body of work to date.

8. Benny The Butcher — Everybody Can’t Go (5 To 50/Def Jam)

With a co-sign from West Coast icon, Snoop Dogg, this Griselda spitter subtly takes his signature gritty raps to new heights. Growth is good.

7. Rapsody — Please Don’t Cry (We Each Other/Jamla/Roc Nation)

You can’t handle the truth? Too bad. Marlena Evans bares her mind and soul on this sprawling but still soothing soundtrack.

6. Bossman Dlow — Mr. Beat The Road (Alamo/Sony)

A ferocious force from Florida, Dlow delivers a riveting, raw mixtape that moves him one step closer to mainstream exposure.

5. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Better Off Alone (Highbridge/Atlantic)

New York’s most consistent MC of the past seven years releases his best album and you all lame out? Don’t let the low numbers fool you, The Artist is on his A-Game here.

4. Gunna — One Of Wun (YSL/300)

Although his career remains riddled in controversy as long as Young Thug is on trial, Gunna remains musically unfazed, following his should’ve-been-Grammy-nominated 2023 album, A Gift & A Curse, with a melodic masterwork that only he could put together.

3. 21 Savage — American Dream (Slaughter Gang/Epic)

Fresh off his successful collab album with Drake, Her Loss, Savage subtly addresses his immigration saga and delivers his most cohesive collection of music.

1. TIE: Future & Metro Boomin — We Don’t Trust You + We Still Don’t Trust You (Wilburn Holding/Boominati/Epic)

How can I choose? Same foundational premise: “The elimination of Drake.” Ha! But the execution is pure flawless excellence on both sides. We Don’t uses Mobb Deep’s Prodigy as a muse, as the two Atlanta heavyweights set their mark in hip-hop history. The follow-up, We Still Don’t, hearkens back to 2017’s HNDRXX as Pluto proves his singing can be just as potent as his rhymes. The aftermath of these two releases still resonates, as it single-handedly led to the Kendrick-Drake showdown. Future and Metro did the impossible. Then they did it twice.

LeBron James isn’t the only member of the 2003 NBA Draft class whose son has an eye on making it in the NBA. Kiyan Anthony — whose dad, Carmelo, went No. 3 overall in 2003 and is going to be in the Hall of Fame sooner rather than later — is currently a highly-regarded 4-star shooting guard recruit in the class of 2025, and there’s a chance we see him following in his dad’s steps by attending Syracuse.

Kiyan can really play, and as a result, he got asked a simple question: What would happen if the Anthonys stepped on the floor against LeBron and his eldest son, recent Los Angeles Lakers second-round pick Bronny James, to a game of 11? He ended up going with what is probably the correct answer, although it wasn’t all that popular with his teammate in this hypothetical.

“I think Bron and Bronny would win, to be honest,” Kiyan said. “Just because Bron is still in the league, he’s still doing what he’s doing. I dunno, it’ll be a close game. I feel like it’d be, like, 11-8, 11-7.”

Again, it’s worth stressing that this is a totally fair argument to make, but Melo got wind of it and sent his son a message.

Kiyan did say later in the video that Melo is still working out, and I will forever assume that you can drop Carmelo Anthony onto a court and he can midrange any opponent to death. Still, I would love to be a fly on the wall the next time Kiyan and Melo are in a room together and this comes up.

Rhea Ripley returned with vengeance on her mind at the conclusion of WWE Monday Night Raw, chasing off Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan and showing Dominik Mysterio that Mami’s back.

Morgan and Mysterio had just pinned Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega when they embraced in the middle of the ring. As Morgan jumped onto Mysterio, wrapped her legs around him, and pulled him to the mat, Ripley’s music hit and she chased Morgan off into the crowd. Ripley then got in the ring, lifted Mysterio’s chin to view her, and showed her frustration as Raw went off the air.

After ending Ripley’s 380-day reign atop the women’s division by injuring her right arm in a blindside attack, Morgan used that opportunity to conclude her revenge tour with a taste of championship gold. Along the way, she picked up Judgment Day member and a favorite of Ripley’s Dominik Mysterio.

Mysterio was instrumental in Morgan winning the championship from Becky Lynch at King and Queen of the Ring. Their relationship has blossomed in the month-plus since Morgan won the belt, helping Finn Balor and J.D. McDonagh claim the tag team titles.

Morgan and Ripley appear on a collision course for one of WWE’s biggest shows of the summer just a month out, with SummerSlam set to emanate from the Cleveland Browns Stadium on August 3.

In a roundabout way, one of Doja Cat’s unspoken wishes might have just been granted. The “F*ck The Girls” rapper’s X (formerly Twitter) account appears to have been hacked by “Crypto Bros.”

Back in March, Doja Cat announced her hiatus from social media, stating mental health concerns due to the public’s constant criticism. But shortly after, she returned to tease her single, “Masc.” Today (July 8), Doja Cat took to her official Instagram page to confirm that her latest posts on X were indeed not her.

“My Twitter’s been hacked,” she wrote. “These messages are not from me.”

The messages in question are several calls for her followers to invest in cryptocurrency.

https://twitter.com/DojaCat/status/1810444358380052819

Other uploads include shady notes directed at her rumored musical foes, Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj. Ironically, Azalea nearly found herself in a feud with SZA after she took to her page to promote another cryptocurrency in May.

The hackers’ fun didn’t stop there. They also used their control over the account to promote another musician — Weiland.

“Weiland motivates me to chase the bag,” wrote the hacker. “Doja cat’s music is demonic.”

Doja Cat doesn’t seem to be bothered by the social media breach. In fact, it may encourage her to give up on the platform all together.

The thrill of flying down carpeted stairs inside a laundry basket as a kid is something that doesn’t get old. You just get too big to fit inside the laundry basket so you have to resort to paying high fees at an amusement park. Unless…you can figure out a way to bring the amusement park home to you.

Drew Dirksen decided to give building a roller coaster a try, but not just in his backyard. The thrill seeking man built a homemade rollercoaster that travels through his house and out the door taking riders on an unexpected adventure. Dirksen and a few visitors take turns riding the coaster, at some point looking like two riders were chasing each other to joust.

The mini rollercoaster seems to go pretty fast for something that’s fully propelled by gravity and the bodyweight of the passenger. There are no bars or harnesses holding the riders in either, they appear to be sitting in a seat fastened to what looks like a moving dolly. But the lack of safety equipment doesn’t stop them from jumping at the chance to ride the backyard coaster.

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Clearly the people visiting Dirksen had more confidence in his ability to provide a safe rollercoaster than commenters on social media where the video has gone viral.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Drew Dirksen (@drewdirksen)

“Just waiting for the head bonk on window,” one person writes.

“Man did anybody fall yet with no seatbelts??,” another says.

“Looks Soo fun. But definitely would add a seatbelt and helmet. Better safe than sorry. But totally looks so awesome!!,” someone shares.

Some people were worried about the takedown process and wildlife having free access to the home with the rollercoaster keeping windows and doors wide open. Others simply wanted to know if they could come by for a ride.

“The open doors are giving me such anxiety cause all I can think about are the mosquitos running rampant in the house! But insane skills in building that roller coaster,” another person writes.

“Omfggg can I come and try it out lol,” a commenter asks.

Several people thought the idea looked like an episode of “Phineas and Ferb” where the two step-brothers were always getting into some sort of hijinks when left unattended. Either way, let’s hope there’s a quick solution to break down the coaster before the electricity bill is higher than the mortgage.

Bebe Rexha is ready to put an end to the object throwing trend at concerts once and for all. Back in June 2023, “Call On Me” singer was struck in the face with a cell phone with resulted in some gruesome injuries.

On Saturday (July 6), Bebe nearly found herself in the same predicament during her Palmesus Festival performance in Kristiansand, Norway. As Bebe entertained the crowd, a concertgoer attempted to throw an object at her. In the viral video of the incident, Bebe slammed the attendee and threatened to take legal action.

“If you hit me with something on stage right now, I’ll take you for everything you’ve f*cking got,” she said. “Do not f*cking play with me right now. Out! Get the f*ck out.”

Now that the clip has gained traction online, supporters have begun to rally behind Bebe.

“As she should. This behavior of throwing things at artists on stage needs to stop. It’s very irritating,” wrote one user.

“Good, they need to start shaming and booting these people because it’s becoming a trend,” penned another.

“Finally a celebrity that is taking action in this matter,” added another.

The June 2023 assailant, Nicolas Malvagna, was arrested. But reports state after completion of community service, his case could be dismissed, and the criminal charges would be sealed. Based on Bebe Rexha’s onstage remarks, she doesn’t want another repeat of that.

The summer was especially crafted for the singles to mingle, and that includes Sophie Turner. With best friends like Taylor Swift there to play wing woman, the Games Of Thrones actress won’t be that way for long.

In the meantime, Turner decided to put a filler out there for any interested parties following her tumultuous divorce from Joe Jonas. Turner’s recent cameo in a new alcohol campaign served as the lighthearted way to get back out there, as she subtly joked about being on the dating market.

As part of St-Germain Drinks’ latest campaign for its Hugo Spritz beverage, Turner finds herself in, as the video states “Somewhere in the south of France,” (the same country the pair supposedly held their wedding ceremony) chatting it up with a bartender.

During the exchange, the cocktail maverick founds himself confused as Turner gave her drink order. The descriptors “different, fun, fresh” to “bright, obviously, bubbly, the type that’s welcome at any party” seem innocent enough. But all could serve as a shady double entendre, given reports that Joe’s love for socializing and Turner’s desire to stay in played a part in the pair’s uncoupling.

Watch the full advertisement below.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner began dating in 2016. By 2019, the entertainers were officially wed. Sadly, in 2023 the pair legally ended things. They share two children together.

Paul George released his latest episode of Podcast P on Monday, and in it he offered a fascinating look at his free agency and how he ultimately ended up on the Sixers with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

George detailed the nearly year-long negotiations with the Clippers, and how a “disrespectful” first offer of two years, $60 million, followed by frustration with them initially not being willing to give him the same deal as Kawhi Leonard, led him to sour on things in L.A. and look for a full 4-year max. He thought he would end up with the Warriors, but that trade never went through and he pivoted to Philly.

That will be a fascinating “what if?” to look back on in a few years, but it’s apparently not the first time George has almost ended up in different spot in the summer. According to George, the first conversation he had in the summer of 2019 about teaming up with Kawhi Leonard involved Leonard re-signing in Toronto and George being traded to the Raptors.

We likely will never know how close this really came, as George may have thought it was a more realistic option than it actually was, but it is fascinating to learn that was at least under consideration for a couple of reasons. For one, it means Kawhi was willing to stay but also wanted to cause a major shakeup for the roster that just won a championship in order to do so. It also might explain why the Clippers paid such a heavy price for George, sending a boatload of picks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to OKC to facilitate the deal. If the Raptors were in play, you can bet OKC was asking a huge price of them as well, and if word got back to the Clippers that Toronto was in the mix with guys like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, that would explain putting so much on the table. Clearly the Raptors weren’t willing to meet the demands of the Thunder to make this happen, but it would’ve changed the trajectory of three franchises pretty dramatically had it gone down.

Usually Britney Spears sings, “Gimme More,” but when it comes to love she is humming another tune. Yesterday (July 7), the “Mind Your Business” singer seemed to make a public vow to never date again, and fans think that it is for the best.

On Instagram, Spears used an inspirational quote to share the message. “Her attitude is savage, but her heart is gold,” read the quote. But the true message was listed below the graphic.

“Single as f*ck,” wrote Spears. “I will never be with another man as long as I live.”

However, it appears that after fans began to rally behind the star in the post’s comment section, Spears had a change of heart. If you visit the upload now, the caption has been removed and the comments have been turned off.

Over on X (formerly Twitter), supporters outlined their support. “I mean do we blame her. I don’t cause same,” wrote one user.

“Yes girl, just keeping twirling. Love you,” penned another.

“As she should,” chimed another.

Last year, Spears faced a messy divorce from her ex-husband Sam Asghari. According to reports, in May, Spears began dating Paul Soliz. Based on her latest, post-and-modify upload, the two have since split.

Traditional superhero movies and TV shows are out of vogue for the moment, but clearly, audiences do retain an insatiable appetite for inventive stories about those who happen to have extraordinary powers. Such is the case with the South Londoner characters of Supacell, the series starring Tosin Cole as Michael, a van driver who can time travel and is hopelessly in love with Dionne (Adelayo Adedayo). He must unite with other ordinary-but-superpowered people (with powers like invisibility), and the show’s particular treatment of sickle cell disease, and the social issues inherent within its suffering, have resonated to such a degree that the show hopped into the second-most watched slot of English-language TV shows amid a tidal wave of Bridgerton.

Rapman (whose real name happens to be Andrew Onwubolu) created the show and serves as both lead director and showrunner of Supacell. The show only arrived on June 27, and questions are already swirling about a followup season to stack atop the first season’s worldbuilding.

Will There Be A Supacell Season 2?

Unfortunately, neither Netflix nor Rapman have confirmed that there will be more of this story. However, Rapman did tell Complex that he hopes this series raises “sickle cell awareness” before adding, “[W]hen I think of Black British TV shows, I think of all of these shows that are small, domestic, in the house—which are fun to watch, and I really like them, but we haven’t had anything big, nothing heightened. I want people to watch this show and be like, ‘You know what? Black shows aren’t a gamble.’”

That mission appears to have already been accomplished, and hopefully soon, Netflix will make the call on a second season.