Which rappers had the best 2024? Plus All-Rookie and All-Producer Teams.
Welcome to the 2024 Rap "All-NBA" Teams, where we honor the 15 rappers who showcased the best recorded body of work in 2024. They're grouped into three "teams" as they do in the NBA at the end of every season, with the qualifying factors being roughly 50% quality of overall musical output (albums, singles, features), and 50% quality of rapping. Sales, streams, influence, popularity, award nominations, social media followers, etc., are not factored in.
If your favorite rapper is missing it might be because they took the year off 2024 (billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Key Glock), suffered a quality dip in 2024 (Larry June, Lil Uzi Vert, ELUCID), or should never be considered for this type of list in the first place and you might want to rethink your standards for rap music (J. Cole).
(italics = first place, winner, MVP, etc.)
RAP ALL-NBA
FIRST TEAM
Kendrick Lamar was rap's 2024 MVP. This should not be controversial. Congrats to him.
After Kendrick, Boldy James and Roc Marciano came the closest releasing multiple excellent projects. Two guys who consistently rap well over interesting production, both on runs we'll look back on as especially impressive. Mach-Hommy is creeping up on "lock for the First Team any year he releases an album (that isn't a mixtape with Tha God Fahim)" status. Freddie Gibbs provided several reminders that he' still one of the best in the biz.
BOLDY JAMES
Across the Tracks (w/ Conductor Williams); The Bricktionary (w/ Harry Fraud); Hidden in Plain Sight (w/ whothehelliscarlo); Penalty of Leadership (w/ Nicholas Craven)
"Achilles"
"Big Piranhas" - Mike Shabb
"Godfather, Pt. 2" - Big Hit
"Just Doing Art" - Gangrene
"Live From The Roxy" - Ransom
"No Fighting" - El Camino
"Still Praying" - Westside Gunn
"Trillselda 2" - Bun B
FREDDIE GIBBS
You Only Die 1nce
"Ferraris in The Rain Part 2" - The Alchemist
"Back To Me" - Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign
"oHio" - ScHoolboy Q
KENDRICK LAMAR
GNX
"30 For 30" - SZA
"Euphoria"
"Like That" - Future
MACH-HOMMY
#RICHAXXHAITIAN
ROC MARCIANO
Marciology; The Skeleton Key (w/ The Alchemist)
"Antonomasia" - Mach-Hommy
"Elegant" - DJ Rude One
"Gauntlet" - Brother Ali
SECOND TEAM
Ka leads the Second Team after releasing a statement-making bookend to a legendary career. Mavi released my AOTY, Blu flirted with the Boldy/Roc Marci-status dropping 2 AOTY candidates, and Navy Blue returned to the independent world a new man. Chief Keef is having the most fun of his career and it's contagious.
BLU
Los Angeles (w/ Evidence); Love (the) Onimous World (w/ Exile); Out of the Blue (w/ Shafiq Husayn); Royal Blu (w/ Roy Royal)
"Below The Clouds" - Masta Ace
"Porches" - Heems
CHIEF KEEF
Almighty So 2; Dirty Nachos (w/ Mike WiLL Made It)
"No Pics" - G Herbo
"Pleads" - Lil Gnar
KA
The Thief Next To Jesus
MAVI
Shadowbox
NAVY BLUE
Memoirs In Armour
"Free Jesus" - Mike Shabb
"Holding On" - Quelle Chris, Cavalier & Denmark Vessey
"Lights At Night" - Blu
THIRD TEAM
Kurious wins a Third Team spot over this year's crop of "vets that still have it", beating out LL Cool J, Common, Rakim, etc. Future overextended himself over 3 records but he's successfully reaching back into the zone of his creative peaks; Gunna continues carving out an addictive lane of "mixtape Pluto"-type output. Big Sad 1900 and Chuck Strangers broke out and perfected each of their respective sounds as solo acts.
BIG SAD 1900
1937 South Corning St; Guns & Butter (w/ Baby Stone Gorillas); Members Only (w/ Blueflag 1900); My Side, They Side & The Truth; The Separation (w/ MikeMadeThe808s)
"Just Landed" - Coach Joey
CHUCK STRANGERS
A Forsaken Lover's Plea
FUTURE
Mixtape Pluto; We Don't Trust You; We Still Don't Trust You
"Monsters Inc." - Ski Mask The Slump God
GUNNA
One of Wun
"Champs Élysées" - Toosi
"Got Damn"
"Style Rare" - Offset
"TiFFANY (B)" - IDK
KURIOUS
Majician; Mystery Mixtape
HONORABLE MENTION
38 SPESH
ACTION BRONSON
BBYMUTHA
BOSSMAN DLOW
CRIMEAPPLE
JPEGMAFIA
MAXO KREAM
RAPSODY
SCHOOLBOY Q
YOUNG NUDY
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Big Hit
Bossman Dlow
Devin Malik
Nino Paid
Yonaa
PRODUCERS
FIRST TEAM
454
The Alchemist
Harry Fraud
JPEGMAFIA
Mustard
SECOND TEAM
Chief Keef
Conductor Williams
F1LTHY
Nicholas Craven
Quelle Chris
THIRD TEAM
Animoss
Child Actor
Mono En Stereo
P-Lo
Pi'erre Bourne