What Comes Next for Rap Music? 17 Experts Weigh In

As 2024 enters its final months, hip-hop remains in the midst of a seismic shift. What comes next is anyone’s guess. Winter saw a veteran rapper sweeping all of his Grammy categories, beating out his younger colleagues and sparking yet another conversation about the divide between popularity and critical acclaim, and the youth versus OGs. Spring ushered in what was perhaps the biggest beef the genre has ever seen, leading to a diss track becoming the Song of the Summer. Future dropped three number one albums in one year. Kanye returned to the charts. LL Cool J got back in the booth. Playboi Carti’s influence loomed over both the mainstream and the underground like a paradigm-shifting vampire. Young Thug is still on trial. And rising stars like Cash Cobain, Doechii, and GloRilla are making their marks. It’s a lot to parse, much less prognosticate about. Which is why GQ reached out to a handful of industry tastemakers, writers, media personalities, and more to poll their opinions on everything that’s going on, and where it’s all headed.

Ebro Darden, cohost, Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning: Been a great year. Legendary battles focused on lyrics, lots of women continue to have success. I love what is happening right now.

Nadeska Alexis, host, Apple Music’s The Nadeska Show/R&B Now: Kendrick and Drake reminded us how exciting hip-hop can be when artists are competing at elite levels. Getting a once-in-a-generation rap battle was not on my bingo card.

Carl Chery, head of urban music, Spotify: Ye became the oldest rapper to have a number one song at 46 years old—and his audience is getting younger. The genre’s maturing. We’re reaching new levels of longevity. Rappers in their 40s and 50s, like Eminem, are still commercially viable and they’re finding a way to appeal to younger audiences. We witnessed the biggest battle in hip-hop history with Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake. Doechii released a breakthrough mixtape that’s setting the table for her to become the star she’s destined to be. It’s been a good year.

Angel Diaz, hip-hop editor, Billboard: This has been the best year in rap since, I don’t know, 2016, maybe? In terms of chart performance, mainstream rap pundits and fans left the genre for dead because everybody seems to be a slave to numbers in this day and age. But we were reminded of how much of a cultural force this thing of ours really is thanks to Future, Metro, Kendrick, and Drake. No matter how much rap music evolves, it’s a sport at its core. Hip-hop has always been and will always be theater.

Jeff Rosenthal, podcaster, Itsthereal: It’s been a mixed bag, but when isn’t it? Kendrick and Drake kept the lights on at barbershops and Amazon Music, and set the stage for some necessary conversations. Is culture always meant to grow, or should lines be drawn? Is commodity more valuable than community? Can there only be one, à la Highlander? It was a hot fucking summer! But those are some very big questions, when 99% of artists aren’t affected by the dialogue.

And so, to answer the question: I think the reliance on festivals has been bad for rap. I think the reliance on streaming has been bad for rap. I think Elon Musk letting his platform go to shit has been bad for rappers. But none of those downturns affect the quality of the music being created. I think it’s probably been a pretty good year for art and a terrible year for getting it heard.

Eric Rosenthal, podcaster, Itsthereal: Seemingly, the only barrier to success as a rapper today is the extreme volume of rappers there are. The sunny side of things is that everyone—and anyone—can be heard; in theory, that can only help. So, good! But the tougher part is, how does anyone pay enough attention to an artist [for the artist] to build and sustain a meaningful fandom? That makes for a messy and confusing 2024 and creates a very rough long-term reality for rap as a business and hip-hop as a culture.

Brandon “Jinx” Jenkins, journalist and creative director: This year I’ve been more into the outer edges of popular rap. Whoever Alchemist, Conductor, and Budgie are working with, that’s where my attention has been. But I think this year didn’t deliver when it comes to pointing toward the future with a ton of new artists and sounds that can become household names. I’m unsure if that is because monoculture is eroding, or if the label system’s failings are on display or if independence can make a sustainable career but not a big one…or if the new artists just don’t got it like that. I don’t know yet.

Trevor “TP” Patterson, artist manager, Def Jam A&R: No. It’s been a bear market for a while now, but that’s usually what happens after you enjoy a bull market for a substantial time. Rap lost a whole generation of stars with XXXtentacion, Juice Wrld, and Pop Smoke [dying] and even Pooh Shiesty being away, so I think we were due for a market correction. That being said, I’m sure the genre will recover.

Shamira Ibrahim, culture writer, critic: I think it’s been a great year for good rap music, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the rap/hip-hop industry. You can discover and engage with amazing rap from so many segments of culture—from NY sexy drill to boom bap to trap and everything in between. But it seems like the money in music is bottlenecked. Streaming pays a pittance, touring costs more than ever and doesn’t necessarily translate to profits, and the upsides of getting signed increasingly vary on a case by case basis. Just like any other creative industry, pursuing your passions on a larger scale is something that artists seem to be getting increasingly priced out of, and that is a shame.

Alphonse Pierre, senior writer, Pitchfork: Yeah, it’s been a good year. If you don’t think so you probably gotta free yourself from the Spotify algorithm. That new music diet of J. Cole singles and Future victory-lap mixtapes ain’t gonna cut it. Just go throw on anything from Milwaukee, or Detroit, or the DMV—even if it’s not your vibe, it’ll at the very least be interesting. There’s a lot of really fun popular songs too: “Fisherr,” “Or What,” the whole Bossman Dlow thing. Click around; I promise you’ll find more than Ian snippets.

Frazier Tharpe, senior associate editor, GQ: Veeze is cool but his Detroit brethren Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg are the most underrated/two of my favorite young rappers out right now and, incidentally, great contrasts. Ray is just your classic smooth Detroit player, nonchalantly rapping the most fly shit ever. He sounds like he just woke up, and yet can still get you hype. When Sheduer Sanders and Colorado stole a win over Baylor a few weeks ago, there’s a reason Raymond was the locker room celebration soundtrack—and him actually being there in person is hopefully an indicator of the motion surge he deserves. Dugg, meanwhile, attacks every track with pugnacious short-guy-syndrome brawler energy. He’s the friend who you always have to worry about starting a fight. He’s got a few great early mixtapes and bangers here and there, but when he finally cracks the code, watch out.

DJ Hed, cohost, Effective Immediately: I got my money on Miles Minnick & Doechii.

Nadeska Alexis: Doechii is so talented that it’s sickening. Just a couple of big hits and she will hopefully be out. of. here. The way she can effortlessly rap, sing, perform, be weird and still be so gutter all at once…we don’t get an artist like that often.

Carl Chery: Doechii, Doechii, Doechii. Doechii’s going to be a star. It’s inevitable. Playboi Carti is already a star, but I think he’s poised to level up with his next project. His trajectory reminds me of Travis [circa] Astroworld, when he took a big leap and reached a level of commercial success that matched his influence. Carti’s the guy.

Angel Diaz: Everyone is sleeping on Boldy James, and Babyface Ray is the next big rap star. Shout-out Detroit. What up, doe? What else? Concreatures. 227. I want to throw Doechii’s name in here too, for next Big Rap Star.

Lowkey, host, Hip-Hop/R&B Throwback Radio, Apple Music: Symba. Listen to Results Take Time and you will understand why!

Shamira Ibrahim: If this was a few months ago, I would have immediately replied Doechii. Now, I’m really paying attention to this young teen girl out of Chicago, Star Bandz. I have no idea if she is gonna be a mainstream star, but the track “Yea Yea” made a fan out of me.

Eric Rosenthal: Guapdad 4000. Guap is someone who always radiated charisma and while he’s dropped music regularly over the past five years, the past 12 months or so have been a dynamic leveling up, not just in terms of his skills, but his presentation: expertly shot videos of him rapping over instrumentals from the late 1990s and early 2000s, which shows a reverence for those whose shoulders he now stands on. In a time where it’s almost impossible not to get lost in the chaos of the internet, Guapdad’s clips are breaking through. He also has gained a supreme reputation for showing up at recording sessions—invited or not!—and leaving with the respect of everyone in the room.

Paul Thompson, senior editor, Los Angeles Review of Books: I think Fatboi Sharif is the rare, unmissable thing: a genuine weirdo who has the raw charisma to cross over, and Trojan Horse the avant-garde into the mainstream.

Jinx: I need more people to listen to Boldy James, Navy Blue, Rome Streetz. They’re painters.

Trevor Patterson: BigXThaPlug. He’s quietly checking off all the boxes. Building a huge fan base with great records and headlining his own tour. His upcoming album, Take Care, is one of my most anticipated projects. Honorable mention to Baby Drill and 21 Lil Harold as well. They’re carrying the torch for Atlanta-based street artists.

Alphonse Pierre: Lunchbox’s mixtapes are better rage rap than everything not made by the Opium dudes. The intergalactic beats go crazy and he’s got melodies and vocal tricks for days. I’m convinced he’d be on the cover of random European magazines if he looked like Bladee or some shit. Also, Baby Osama got the SoundCloud page of the year—mad variety and swag.

Jeff Rosenthal: French Montana. I don’t know, I’m approximately 1,000 years old.

Ebro Darden: Doechii.

Killer Mike, rapper: Me. If you start acting like you up, you fall off. I think more people could know Mike, but I’ll just use me as an honorable mention. I really believe in Latto—she’s the best of what’s good about Atlanta. She’s a lady in every way and she’s just a raw MC. Atlanta has a habit of every two, three years, it burns itself down and grows into something new. And we’ve had lots of MCs live through multiple phases of what the Atlanta rap scene has been. Myself, Tip, Young Dro, Big Boi of Outkast, all over the past 15, 20 years, through every scene, have reinvented ourselves. I see Latto being one of the first female MCs from here that’s going to be able to do this. She’s going to have a long career. So I’m a believer in a lot of them, but she’ll lead the force.

Mano Sundaresan, head of editorial content, Pitchfork: Kendrick Lamar, Sexyy Red, Rio Da Yung OG.

Nadeska Alexis: Kendrick, J. Cole, and this year? Future. Igniting the war of the decade with a hit single, then doubling back with two huge albums and a mixtape after basically getting Drake jumped? Diabolical.

Eric Rosenthal: It’s hard to not say—still!—Kendrick, Drake, and J. Cole.

Carl Chery: Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole are still the Big Three until further notice. I know some people think Cole forfeited his slot when he pulled out of the battle, but I think he’s earned the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see what The Fall Off sounds like. You can make a case for Future, but I don’t know if he cares about the throne. You can make a case for Travis. You can make a case for Nicki. But I still think Drake, Kendrick, and Cole are the Big Three.

DJ Hed: Hov, Dot, Drake.

Killer Mike: Scarface, and put whatever two names you want behind. I don’t give a shit. He’s the greatest of all time.

Shamira Ibrahim: I’ve always felt that “Big Three” is a reductive and frankly asinine way to look at rap in the current market when markets are reverting back to being increasingly segmented and niche. But for those who subscribe to that sort of thing, there’s no excuse why a woman shouldn’t be there, considering the run they have a had the last couple of years.

Angel Diaz: Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Tyler, The Creator.

Paul Thompson: In terms of major stars who are actually doing excellent work, it’s Kendrick and Future on a tier by themselves.

Ebro Darden: Based on 2024 so far: Kendrick, Drake, Future.

Damien Scott, deputy editorial director, Billboard: I think the Big Three remains the same, despite all that went down over the past year, but if I were forced to devise a new one, I’d say: Future, Kendrick, Travis Scott.

Jinx: Kendrick, Tyler, Drake. I’m flip-flopping between Future and Tyler right now, ’cause Future dropped twice and Tyler hasn’t yet.

Alphonse Pierre: The whole idea of the Big Three is pretty archaic—that’s why the whole Drake and Kendrick squabble was dumb from the jump. It’s a conversation that tends to lean so heavily on numbers and relevance, things that I do think about but that don’t really mean that much to me. I’m not saying rap should be uncompetitive, but there has to be a way cooler way to think about these things, right? The gambling companies are probably trying to figure out a way to monetize these convos as I write this. But if I have to play this game: Carti, GloRilla, Kendrick.

Trevor Patterson: It’s Future, Drake, and 21 Savage for me.

Jeff Rosenthal: Jay-Z, Cam’ron, Jadakiss.

Imagine you’re a trusted adviser in Drake’s camp. What are you telling him he should do next?

Lowkey: It is time for a vacation and there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re not losing a seat at the table, because of everything you’ve done over the past 15 years. Also, stop allowing social media knuckleheads to speak up for situations they weren’t involved in. Check that shit at the door, NOW!

DJ Hed: Lay low, go overseas and run it up internationally until next year Q2.

Nadeska Alexis: Shut the gates. Stop all the collaborations and features. Don’t put out a damn R&B album. Leave Sexyy Red alone. Vanish and come back with the undisputed best rap album of your career. You still have it in you. You’ve been a little bored and looking for motivation. This year was it.

Killer Mike: I mean, you do what hip-hop has always done. You take your L’s like you take your W’s, you dust yourself off, you get back to making dope music. That’s all. Rap is pugilism and poetry. You’re going to go through battles. I wouldn’t overpersonalize it. I’d just get back to satisfying whatever Drake fans are wanting. The best has taken some losses. Ice Cube handed my favorite group in the world a loss, but that didn’t stop Eazy-E from discovering Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and making the biggest comeback ever. That didn’t stop Dr. Dre from making The Chronic, you know what I’m saying?

It just happens, and I don’t think he’s going to stop making music and go throw himself off a bridge. He’ll be okay. Just chill. Go hang out with a few girls for a year. Come back, come back swinging.

Jinx: Yo, I’d honestly say Sit down. I imagine for him it’d feel like getting fired from your job. Like, first you’re annoyed, then you’re like “Shit, playing 2K all day, smoking like it’s freshman year, and seeing my friends and family is fire.” But for real—as soon as the beef was decided, I would have said, Sit down. Don’t pop shit, clean up your act, maybe litigate why people feel the way they feel about you in this moment. And then suit back up and come running out the tunnel in late spring of 2025.

Carl Chery: “It’s Up” and “No Face” would have performed considerably better if they came out six months ago or six months from now. I’ve been hearing classic Drake songs everywhere I go since the battle ended. He provided the soundtrack to a generation. For me, that’s an indication that he’s going to be just fine as long as he plays his cards right. Take a break. Make us miss you. And stop referencing the battle. Take some time away and come back with undeniable heat.

Angel Diaz: Log off and start rapping. We don’t wanna hear that weak shit no more.

Alphonse Pierre: Go live on a beach. Drop Honestly, Nevermind 2 with real club and house producers and not fuckin’ DJ Carnage or John Summit or whoever. Or maybe actually do the full-time R&B album? Basically, take the opportunity to do something new instead of just pumping out Scorpion with a different name again.

Damien Scott: I’d refer him to the second verse of Jay Electronica’s “Ezekiel’s Wheel” where he says, “Some ask me, “Jay, man, why come for so many years you been exempt?”

“’Cause familiarity don’t breed gratitude, just contempt.” I’d tell him it’s time to really take a break. From everything. Releasing music, posting on Instagram, touring—basically public life. It doesn’t have to be a long one—six months, perhaps—but it needs to be meaningful and real.

It’s in vogue right now to say the quality of his music has degraded, but I don’t think that’s true, I think people are just so used to Drake that they’re longing for something new. It happens to most artists who hit the heights he’s reached. And, honestly, we’ve never seen a rapper dominate for so many years. There may not be a way to subvert the fall from the top, but I believe he could extend his run if he took a strategic break.

Frazier Tharpe: It’s weird because his career kind of defies basic advice, especially the last half. Would any of us have told him to still drop an album one month after Pusha T nuked his image? Also, I know you guys love Certified Lover Boy, but it’s a largely staid, ultimately boring album to me—his flows and production choices on Her Loss blow CLB, an album that marked one of his biggest release gaps and endured multiple reported false starts, out of the water. So that makes me wonder if Drake is really even at his best these days when he overthinks and takes a long break. He should just do what feels right instinctually and shoot from the hip. With that said, these three-pack drops are not that—whether fairly or not, they communicate an uncertainty. Drop whatever you want, stand on it, and adjust based on the reactions after. “Housekeeping Knows” is a heater.

Eric Rosenthal: Drake is smart and talented and loves hip-hop; there’s a reason he’s rocketed into orbit the way he has over the past 15 years. He’s written classics, he’s dominated pop culture, and his name is forever in the history books, so he’s earned the right to tell any of his advisers to sit down. But if he wanted advice from me, I’d suggest he take a year off, stay away from the internet and any paparazzi, and let the temperature cool off. I’d ask him to understand that not all battles are the same, and perhaps the landscape’s changed some…and in time, return with the rap album of all rap albums. The Drake everyone related to: introspective and fun.

Jinx: Millennium Thug Drake is cool, but I think there was a promise in his early career to offer a different tone and context, revealing sentiments that others rarely say out loud, about things we all often think and feel. I think applying that to his current life and status is really the ticket. Imagine the So Far Gone approach, but about the life he’s lived since that time. Litigating where he is against where he is from.

I don’t see him as an artist that will ever serve as a narrator for the larger world or someone else’s experience. He’s very first-person-shooter POV. So, like, do that, but maybe forfeit the actual (and fabricated) suggestions of being an actual first-person shooter. Holster the gun talk. Whatever you feel about Drake, he’s a part of this rap ecosystem. If I were him I’d institute a drought, trickle thoughts and context through 100Gigs, and weaponize the scarcity into desire for my return.

Mano Sundaresan: Degrassi reunion. [Editor’s Note: He already pushed this particular red button after his last losing battle.]

Shamira Ibrahim: Let people miss him long enough for his upcoming collab album to be warmly received. I think we’ve mined all there is to discuss from the Drake-Kendrick beef. And for god’s sakes, get the hell off Instagram.

Jeff Rosenthal: If I’m the person Drake’s listening to, we’re in trouble. I’d tell him to replace me with a Caribbean woman.

DJ Hed: SLAPS!

Lowkey: DOUBLE THE FUCK DOWN!

Nadeska Alexis: On Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers he worked through the demons—now I’d love to hear Kendrick in full surgical assassin mode. That man we heard on “Like That”…more, please. It’s all for a worthy cause—it feels like he’s fighting for the soul of the culture.

Killer Mike: I want to hear whatever an artist wants to give. That’s me. Wherever you are in your growth as an artist, I just want to hear, because you might be expressing some things I’ve wanted to express and haven’t known how. So I listen to any and every rapper that comes across my board, I just love this thing we do called hip-hop. So with Kendrick, whatever he’s giving, I’m going to be listening to. To be inspired, to like and appreciate, to say, “Oh wow, I wonder why he did that.” Because that’s what you do. Rap is like a fight game. You look at other fighters to see what makes them dope, what makes them masterful.

Alphonse Pierre: I can’t say I’m dying for new Kendrick, but he’s not someone who I fantasy-book in my head the way I do Drake. Anyway, he could come up with a more interesting direction to take his music than I could, just let it be the opposite of whatever “Watch the Party Die” was. That song was such a stinker. Time to move on.

Frazier Tharpe: Even before the events of this spring, it was obvious to me that Mr. Morale was a “one for me” project and the next—also the first official Kendrick project on pgLang—would be something a little more accessible. DAMN. is the best distillation and synergy of cerebral Kenny and songwriter Kenny. I’d love for him to remind the OVO MAGA stans that he’s long been capable of making a banger on his own terms, while also giving us more vibes like “Feel,” “u,” or whatever the hell else is on his mind. More importantly: After this album, after the Super Bowl, after Keem drops his, for the love of God, give us the Cousins EP of fun “range brothers”/“family ties”/“hillbillies” vibes. That chemistry deserves its own project!

Carl Chery: I want DAMN. 2.0, so to speak. I want to hear Kendrick have some fun. Kendrick doesn’t get enough credit for being funny. I’d love to see him sprinkle his sense of humor on his next album and show parts of his personality audiences aren’t as familiar with. There’s speculation that Kendrick is going to lean into West Coast themes and sounds on his next album, and that would be awesome. Selfishly, I’d love to hear him rap over soul samples. He sounded amazing on “6:16 in LA.”

Paul Thompson: I’m against any form of prescriptive criticism—I’m interested to see where he wants to go. I don’t think Mr. Morale was what anyone would have described as their dream LP from Kendrick, and I know I’m on a bit of an island here, but in the two-plus years since it came out, it’s grown on me to the point where I think it’s his best Interscope album.

Mano Sundaresan: As probably the biggest Mr. Morale truther I know, I’m honestly down for whatever he does next. Haven’t believed in him like this since the debut. He’s got the Midas touch right now.

Jinx: Baroque rap. I need it to feel as ornate as a Rembrandt painting, but as brutal as a Carravagio. I respect that he often zigs when the moments feel like he should zag. But I’d be cool with him stepping into his glory after 2024’s doings. What I don’t want to hear is anything Drake related. I think he can let the air out of the bloated but empty flex talk, and help rap get back in the gym. We been getting a lot of pop-up-ad rap. We need to return to cinema rap.

DJ Hed: I don’t think they’ve cracked any code. I just think they’re good and want to compete. GloRilla is probably my favorite female in the game at the moment, with Doechii rapidly approaching. They’re just really good!

Nadeska Alexis: Men love to dictate what women can and should do, and that’s been the case in rap for a long time. But now that the dam is broken and women are running the plays, there’s no going back. My hope is that the lane never becomes too narrow again. As more females enter the game, there needs to be space for artists like Doechii, Rapsody, and Tierra Whack to flourish right alongside Megan, Latto, and Sexy Redd. We need them all to sustain.

Killer Mike: They weren’t ever locked out. I think it’s a misstatement of history to act as though they were. Rap only requires you to be dope. That’s all. In the ’80s, music from the girl side was dominated by, of course, pop and R&B. In the ’90s, it was R&B and pop with a hip-hop influence. But this generation, the generation of girls that have grown up in their daddy’s or their mom’s car with them listening to No Limit, listening to Cash Money, listening to T.I., listening to Killer Mike—they’ve been totally engulfed in rap in another way. So they’re going to be more of them, not because rap ever locked women out, it was just more girls have grown up interested in rap in a different way.

And their general interest wasn’t fandom. It was, “Oh, I can do this shit too.” When you listen to GloRilla, GloRilla’s style is rooted in a Memphis style that was started by a 15-year-old girl whose funeral she attended, God bless the dead: Gangsta Boo. My homegirl Gangsta Boo started that Memphis women’s style of braggadocio, damn near like tomboy-esque-type rap. And GloRilla has taken it to new heights. “Yeah, Glo!” is a direct derivative from “Yea Hoe.” And so for me it’s just that their time has come, not because they were ever locked out, but because they finally chose to say, “Fuck it. It’s going to be more than just one or two of us per region. We’re going to flood.” And I applaud them for it.

Carl Chery: Traditional gatekeeping is a thing of the past. Streaming and social media have played an integral role in this golden age of female rappers. Streaming has democratized music consumption so now fans can listen to Cardi B or GloRilla on demand instead of waiting to hear them on the radio or wait for a specific show to watch their video. They’re also able to speak directly to their fans via Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. The power is in their hands.

Frazier Tharpe: LeBron emphatically rapping “Yeah, Glo!”—a top 15 song of the year as far as I’m concerned—felt like a vibe shift. Lowkey, so was Drake using a Sexyy Red song for his first post-beef bars. Crack Is Crack, and the girls are pushing it in all forms and flavors.

Jeff Rosenthal: Let’s talk about why male rappers have failed to break through first. In the ’90s and into the 2010s, a certain type of rapper was thought of as intimidating, but 6ix9ine lifted the veil on all of that: this rainbow-haired dummy thumbed his nose at whatever rules we thought there were—with little consequence. On top of that, you have an entire generation of artists who were killed, either by overdoses or through violence, and some of the top stars have been menaced by RICO trials.

On the other hand, women were always thought of as risky investments: They were expensive to dress, they were ridiculed for being difficult to work with. But, seeing Nicki and Cardi break through, it turns out that they’re the safer bet. They’re driven, they’re savvy, their provocations go viral and won’t cause long-term headaches. I could go on and on: TikTok’s algorithm rewards bright colors and high-pitched voices; sex is easier to put on screens than guns and drugs; who pairs best with pop stars of the moment? All of this makes for a very good environment for women right now.

Jinx: I think diversification is the key. It’s already there: Simz, Doechii, Latto, Rico, Flo Milli. Glo. They’re profiting from the demise of the way labels used to market them, and popping up via social and lifestyle touchpoints with their own point of view. The more women that rap with their own styles, will create more room for collaboration and help diminish old ideas that there can only be one woman who raps.

Trevor Patterson: The content! I feel like a lot of new rap fans are big on creating parasocial relationships and being wrapped up in the lives of their favorite artists, and the new women rappers are excellent at always giving people something to talk about. I think to sustain, they just have to keep executing on a high level like they’ve been doing, by giving the fans more of those great songs and the looks into their lives.

Ebro Darden: Keep being dope. Keep making records that bring the guys and the girls to the sound.

Paul Thompson: I think we’re very near the point where women in rap are going to cease being talked about as a separate class—not that hip-hop, or any musical genre, is equipped to fix or even sidestep the culture of corruption that silences women, but we’re finally approaching something like parity.

Shamira Ibrahim: Women feel more visible in the market than ever, but I feel that it is a double-edged sword. While social media has helped women build followings on their own and circumvent previous obstacles to being signed and promoted, the hypervisibility brought about by late-stage social media. Artists are developing in real time in front of their fans while their reach demands/suggests that they should be able to produce an immediate hit, and that is simply not how artistic growth works.

A big part of what made Doechii’s mixtape, for example, feel like a breath of fresh air, is that it almost felt like a surprise—not that I hadn’t already seen the potential of their talent, but she hadn’t crossed that threshold into having her every move hyperscrutinized, which allowed for her to really play around creatively without as much pressure or need to produce the hit. That level of scrutiny has led to talented women putting out art before they are ready, or prematurely releasing music to match their level of (internet) celebrity—only to be discarded if it doesn’t resonate. GloRilla comes to mind on this: She took multiple lashing for misfired singles before she doubled back, retooled, and returned on a run of hit singles that showcase all her talents.

Mano Sundaresan: It’s definitely not a cakewalk—female rappers are still some of the most scrutinized and scapegoated artists in a culture deeply rooted in misogynoir. But there’s no code to crack—they’re just making the best music right now, plain and simple. Sexyy Red gave us one of the craziest rap debuts in years. GloRilla beat the one-hit wonder allegations by making, like, three more. Underground up-and-comers like HOOK and Vayda are stretching the parameters of the genre.

Angel Diaz: They don’t need to be the token girl in a crew anymore. They’ve proven that there’s a market for them. They’re here to stay. Fin.

Damien Scott: While it’s true that we have a large number of very talented female rappers, I’m not sure if the code’s been cracked. Look at Megan Thee Stallion. She is easily one of the biggest and most successful rappers in the game right now. She has been able to amass a ton of brand deals and put on a successful arena tour this year. She even managed to notch a number one on the Billboard Hot 100. But even Megan, who released one of the best rap albums of the year, could not sell over 100,000 albums. And you see that with most of the big name female rappers not named Nicki Minaj. So, while it’s a great time to be a female rapper, I still believe something’s not clicking.

That said, I do think the female rappers of today are killing it qualitatively. And the thing that I believe they are doing correctly is really spitting. They are rapping. Most of them are creating what would be considered traditional rap music as opposed to make amorphous, genre-bending music that is difficult to categorize—they’re all more Kendrick than Future. Which is great. And probably necessary. Usually, if a black female musician makes anything with a hint of melody they get categorized as an R&B artist.

The only way to sustain this era is to continue creating good music.

DJ Hed: I believe it to be the natural order of things, but I think it’s a great thing that the shelf life of our artist has been extended. For someone like LL Cool J to be doing what he’s doing at his age is phenomenal. I think the youth should take notes.

Nadeska Alexis: Hip-hop is still so young, relatively speaking. It’s the first time we’re really seeing rappers even have the chance to age gracefully and still make great music. I’m going glass half full here and betting (or praying) that there will be at least a handful of rappers every few years who are so skilled and undeniable that they’ll be able to appeal to both sides of the current divide.

Killer Mike: LL Cool J dropped an amazing record. Fucking Ice-T and Big Daddy Kane dropped some freestyles this year that made my brain flip. I don’t know why the Black community acts like old men aren’t the best shit talkers in the world. If we allow ourselves to be divided, we’re absolutely stupid. The Rolling Stones appreciated Muddy Waters. Rock groups in the ’80s and ’90s appreciated the Rolling Stones. Metallica is going out with Limp Bizkit. I think that there’s room in rap for all of us. I like listening to young kids and the vibe-out shit they do. And that has not stopped my excitement from when AZ drops a new record, because I know A.Z is going to do some wordplay that’s going to inspire me to get my ass in that booth.

In the same way that listening to a Yachty vibe out makes me know it’s okay if everything isn’t a lyrical, empirical miracle. What I would like to see in rap is whoever is dope and young, and not necessarily dope, but whoever is on fire, I would like to see them take the inspiration out. So if Killer Mike is playing bigger rooms and I get to amphitheaters and arenas myself, expect to see 8Ball and MJG out with me because they had such an influence on me. That way not only do you get to see the artist you love and adore, you get to see who influenced them as well. We have an opportunity to do this in rap. We have an opportunity to make this shit like a big family reunion where everybody, aunties and the nieces, uncles and the nephews, get to show up and we’d be foolish if we don’t. And for young people: Go listen to old music, motherfuckers.

Carl Chery: I’m more concerned with the generational divide among artists than whatever’s happening in the fan community. I think it’s important for older artists to embrace the youth and it’s important for younger artists to understand and appreciate the artists who paved the way for them. Artists of all genres are typically legacy acts by the time they reach middle age. Ye had the number one song in the country this year. Aside from Mariah Carey going number one every Christmas, when’s the last time a 40-something or 50-something-year-old pop star or country artist had the number one song in the country? If this trend continues, it could become yet another trait that separates hip-hop from other genres.

Ebro Darden: Natural order of things. Artists over 35 make music that fits who they are. There is an audience for it, but it takes work to get their attention because they have families and jobs and other things to do. The under-30 acts and teen acts will have viral noise, but most often quickly burn. So older artists have to be more thoughtful, work harder to find their audience. The older demo won’t be sitting on social media, video games, and streaming all day. But they have money to buy things and go to shows.

Angel Diaz: Very much a cause for concern, because these kids don’t research or read anything. How many times has common knowledge been trotted out online like some mind-blowing revelation? George W. Bush left mad kids behind. There’s no excuse for being uninformed in the Year of our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty-Four. Turn the streamer off and go watch a Smack DVD on YouTube or something. Rap fandom is on its way to becoming gentrified, just like the sneaker game has. You have to focus on what you like and turn the noise off. You will drive yourself mad if you aren’t able to do that.

Mano Sundaresan: Older generations not getting the new kids will always be a thing, and that’s fine. I don’t know what we as a society would gain by trying to make a KRS-One fan listen to Nettspend. What makes me a little sad is when younger generations just blanket ignore these OGs while they’re still around. There’s so much to learn, so many connections to make, by poring over the annals of hip-hop, and by heeding the advice of previous generations. Things go in cycles, et cetera. One thing I like to do is to just pick a random city and dive into its rap history through digging up old blog posts and YouTube channels. It doesn’t have to be this stuffy task; it can be really fun!

Frazier Tharpe: Play Vol. 1: In My Lifetime for a Gen-Z Carti fan; run “Plutoski,” something from Whole Lotta Red, or Ken Carson for the people in your life who still say “mumble rap.” As long as information and education are still being shared and received on both sides, we’ll be fine.

Jeff Rosenthal: I can’t speak for everyone, but since the pandemic, I’ve returned to familiar voices and been less interested in searching out new artists. Maybe that’s because I’m getting older, maybe that’s the state of the world. But on top of that, I think everything is just so divided. We don’t have forums that everyone is a part of: the institutions that got us through the past 15 years (Twitter, hip-hop magazines, radio, Everyday Struggle, et cetera) have all waned in influence. And the places where new artists are being platformed are too insular and take too much effort for my old brain to find. Am I going to start joining Discords? Going to underground garages? I’m okay. So, yes, I do think it’s a problem, but I think we need media to step up and fill the gaps that have been left wide open.

Eric Rosenthal: Yes, there’s significant cause for concern. Without gatekeepers, the landscape is too wide [open] to define what’s good and what’s not, what’s authentic and what’s not, who’s a visitor and who’s rooted in this, and what hip-hop even is. There’s a younger generation who hasn’t had to fight to get in the space and doesn’t have as much ownership in a culture. They’ve found commercial success rather easily; there’s less reason to stick around. On the other side, middle-aged artists—people who’ve built careers over decades—have complete ownership in culture and want to see it through. Artists like Bun B or Styles P can expand their reach into food or dietary supplements and be taken seriously because of the credibility they’ve established in hip-hop; they have a solid fan base that’s proven their support throughout their career. Recording and touring music for middle-age rappers becomes a passion project rather than their main source of income, resulting in a freedom to deliver exactly what their loyal supporters are yearning for.

Lowkey: This is a beautiful thing because now that younger demographic is now realizing how important our legends still are. From touring, guest verses, award ceremonies, albums, and et cetera. The only thing hindering the synergy is social media, because it’s creating a false narrative that both generations can’t coexist and learn from each other, which is only going to stifle growth on both ends. But I guess we’ll see how it plays out. In addition, more conversations like this need to happen so both sides can hear each other out, respectfully!

Jinx: I think it’s fine, to be honest. I’d rather have a generational divide than a lack of options for listeners and artists who want to make music. What I don’t like is that it leads to ahistorical talk, which is bad for everyone in the long run. Like you can not like something, or not know about something…but don’t let that get mixed up with something not happening or mattering. That’s where we all lose.

Damien Scott: I’d chalk it up to the growing pains of a fairly young genre. Rap is only 50 years old. Jay-Z is older than the genre. We’ve never seen rappers able to sustain careers well into middle age, so it makes sense that we’re just now figuring out how to really digest and live with it. It used to be dogmatic that every rapper would retire before the age of 40. Now the hottest rapper in the game is 40.

But I think what’s really tripping everyone up is the fact that rap is now a big tent—even though traditional rapping is still the most popular style of rap, saleswise, there’s room for many styles and disciplines. Back in the day, what was considered cool in rap was very limited and it changed damn near by the year. But in 2024, rap has broadened so much that it’s allowed for the balkanization of the genre, with communities developing around specific types of rap they believe to be the best. I don’t think it’s a good or bad thing, it’s just what happens as a genre grows.

Alphonse Pierre: That’s the way it’s meant to be. The teenagers call everyone old and out of touch. The old heads say, “In my time…blah blah blah.” Both are right and wrong. But it is nice for rap to be at a point where these lanes are more fleshed out than ever before, and that they occasionally mix and turn into these generational debates. That’s gotta be one of the funniest parts about following rap music, like turning on Hot 97 and all of a sudden Funk Flex has to give his take on Yeat, or watching the Kids Take Over guy form an opinion about Nas. I love it.

Paul Thompson: For as long as I’ve been a music fan, people have been wringing their hands about big, paradigmatic changes: The iPod is going to kill the album as a creative form, rap is going to become too segmented to scan as a coherent genre, Chance the Rapper is going to be on my television forever. Thankfully, none of those things have come to pass. I think we’d all be well-served by looking at Hollywood, which has ceased producing movie stars of the magnitude or in the volume it did during the ’80s and ’90s. The truth is that it’s hard to create superstars without a) having vehicles to put them in at the center of the culture, and b) spending a ton of money on them. But think about how many boardroom meetings and writing camps and millions of dollars it took to make Drake into Drake. I just don’t know that you’re going to see the necessary level of investment in new superstars when the major labels’ business model has changed.

The reason I’m focusing on superstars is that they sort of ferry the audience from one era into the next. Jay was studying under Kane and then he was on “Frontin’.” Without those truly central figures, you do get this fragmentation, where your neighbor who listens to Benny the Butcher because it vaguely reminds him of Boot Camp Clik might not have anything to say to the kid down the hall who listens to Yeat. But the great thing about rap is that if, upstairs, there’s another guy—the same age as the Benny fan—who listens to, say, Ka to scratch that same itch, there might be an openness, an appetite that lets he and the Yeat kid find some common ground, whether or not they take each other’s recommendations. Rap’s going to be just fine.

• Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us”
• Future & Metro Boomin, “Like That”
• Jack Harlow, “Lovin’ On Me”
• LiL Uzi Vert, “I Just Wanna Rock”

• NxWorries, Why Lawd?
• Future & Metro Boomin, We Still Don’t Trust You
• Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
• ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips
• Charli xcx, Brat
• Sabrina Carpenter, Short n Sweet
• *Jay-Z, because why not be delusional?

• Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
• ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips
• Vince Staples, Dark Times
• 21 Savage, American Dream
• Future x Metro, We Don’t Trust You
• Rapsody, Please Don’t Cry
• Tierra Whack, World Wide Whack
• *Kendrick Lamar, TBD

The Grammy committee votes based on which famous person they want to have dinner with the most, so I’ll do that too.

• LL Cool J and Q-Tip, The Force
• Megan Thee Stallion, MEGAN
• Common and Pete Rock, The Auditorium Vol. 1
• Glorilla, Glorious
• Chief Keef, Almighty So 2
• *Playboi Carti, I Am Music

• I expect Future and Metro Boomin’s We Don’t Trust You to get nominated. Eminem and Ye typically get nominated for Best Rap Album, so I anticipate them to get a nod as well. I think ScHoolboy Q’s BLUE LIPS should also get nominated. My dark horse is Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal. TDE has a good track record with the Grammys, and the Academy’s been acknowledging more critically acclaimed projects like Killer Mike’s MICHAEL, Freddie Gibbs & the Alchemist’s Alfredo, and Rapsody’s Laila’s Wisdom, in recent years. I even think Doechii has a shot at Best New Artist if they choose to submit her this year.

• Ken Carson, A Great Chaos. This was the most thrilling rap album of 2023, and I’ll stand on that. Would be an insane pick.
• Chief Keef, Almighty So 2. Out of his 2024 releases, I still prefer the Mike-WiLL collab tape Dirty Nachos, but it’s clear Sosa and co. put their all behind this project and it would be cool to see the father of all these new rappers finally get nominated.
• Ice Spice, Y2K! I like this album and I think it’s the type of somewhat believable pick that would make lots and lots of people angry, which is all the Grammys are really good for these days.
• LAZER DIM 700, Injoy. I think lines like “Shoot at the ground, tryna get my lil anger out” would really wow the Grammy committee.
• Xaviersobased, Keep It Goin Xav. I’m just naming albums I personally like at this point. Such a cool and spacey tape that gives you a flavor of the new New York underground. Throw it on and bike around the city. Feels like something I’d find in a Datpiff link sent to me in high school. I need to see him accept his Grammy in a tailored suit and Bapes.
• *Playboi Carti, I Am Music. I mean, obviously—if it drops.

• ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips
• Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
• Future & Metro Boomin, We Don’t Trust You/We Still Don’t Trust You
• Boldy James & Conductor Williams, Across the Tracks
• Babyface Ray, The Kid That Did
• Megan Thee Stallion, MEGAN
• *Kendrick Lamar

• Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
• Cash Cobain, Play Cash Cobain
• Maxo Kream, Personification*
• Jay Worthy & Dam Funk, Magic Hour
• ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips
• GloRilla, Glorious

• Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
• Marsha Ambrosius, Casablanco
• Taylor Swift, The Tortured Poets Department
• Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
• Charli XCX, Brat
• Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Well
• Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
• Ariana Grande, Eternal Sunshine

• I’m very glad it’s not my job to put together a Grammy list this year because I just haven’t been moved by five projects from 2024. I did love Smoke DZA’s THC3 (Kushedgod Bitch) because I can hear his craft in each and every bar. He’s never been more clever or cooler, and he’s never given into the pressures of whichever ways the winds blow. My asterisk is always reserved for any potential Jay-Z album.

• ScHoolboy Q, Blue Lips
• Latto, Sugar Honey Iced Tea
• Doechii, Alligator Bites Never Heal
• J. Cole, Might Delete Later
• Vince Staples, Dark Times
• Boldy James, Across the Tracks
• *Saving a spot for Tyler if he feels like rapping this year

• Future & Metro Boomin, We Don’t Trust You
• Billie Ellish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
• Latto, Sugar Honey Iced Tea
• Leon Thomas, MUTT
• Drake, For All the Dogs
• Taylor Swift, Tortured Poets’ Department
• Shaboozey, Where I’ve Been Isn’t Where I’m Going
• Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
• *BigXThaPlug, Take Care

• Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
• Sabrina Carpenter, Short n’ Sweet
• Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft
• Future & Metro Boomin, We Don’t Trust You
• Chapell Roan, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
• *Kendrick Lamar (but if it drops now it can’t count)

• Elucid, Revelator
• Future, Mixtape Pluto
• LL Cool J, The FORCE
• Mach-Hommy, #RICHAXXHAITIAN
• Phiik & Lungs, Carrot Season
• *Holding room for this next Lupe Fiasco LP—or Kendrick if he drops, which I suspect he might.