The deluxe album is a streaming ponzi scheme but JPEGMAFIA and IDK each did something unique with their approach to deluxe-ify-ing two of the best rap albums of 2024. Time, thought and effort was put into both I Lay Down My Life For You (Director's Cut) and BRAVADO + INTiMO... and I applaud them for it.
Another month, another Boldy James LP. Token of Appreciation was apparently recorded in 2022 and leaked last year when the internet believed it to be the new Alchemist x Boldy. That's a credit to the work Chuck Strangers put in here, this is an A+ level Boldy project.
Westside Gunn continues to "curate" albums that don't have much interest in letting you hear him rap. 12 (are we just not mentioning the Hitler part now?) is a production showcase with a lot of mediocre rapping...plus some Stove God Cooks gems hidden throughout.
WSG needs to let Stove God out of whatever basement he's hiding in and let him cook up some new solo material, it's been 5 years since Reasonable Drought!
"Whale Fishing" - Boldy James [prod. Chuck Strangers]
"Boy You Should Know!" - JPEGMAFIA [JPEGMAFIA]
"Armani Section" - Roc Marciano [DJ Premier]
"ELDERBERRY" - Fat Ray [Black Milk]
"3AM in ToKEYo" - Key Glock [DJ Paul, AYJAY089 & Twhy Xclusive]
"Native Sons - Part 2" - Talib Kweli, Posdnous, Jungle Brothers, Busta Rhymes & Maseo [J. Rawls]
"Whatx2" - AzChike [614Ase]
"Munyon Canyon" - 2 Chainz & Larry June [The Alchemist]
"Own Plate (ft. Milc)" - AJ Suede [AJ Suede]
"VEERT (ft. Estee Nack & Stove God Cooks)" - Westside Gunn [Daringer]
"Say That Shit (ft. K Carbon)" - BlocBoy JB [Tay Keith & Hitkidd]
"By Any Means Necessary (ft. Method Man)" - Dave East & Ransom [Second Self]
"RiCH MAN DREAMS (i) ft. Ab-Soul" - IDK [TaeBeast & Mario Luciano]
"In The Wind (ft. The Alchemist)" - Zelooperz [Real Bad Man]
"My YN" - Chicken P [Pi'erre Bourne]
"Woes of the World" - Saba [No I.D.]
"Pick A Side" - Conway The Machine [ILL Tone Beats]
"That's Not Gangsta" - Young Nudy [Coupe]
"Woke Up" - Luh Tyler [Tye Beats]
"Vanilla Fudge" - Your Old Droog [Roper Williams]
"Moses Promise" - Smif-N-Wessun [Khrysis]
"Anxiety" - Queen Herawin [J. Depina]
"Mobile Phone (ft. Benny The Butcher)" - Elcamino [38 Spesh]
"Stay Strong" - Grindhard E & Ftos Twan [Jxckk]
"I Wish" - Jay Worthy [Sean House]
This didn't make the cut but worth mentioning - the Smut Peddlers reunited for “Most In Outs” with a message for underground rap fans of a certain age: “BEHOLD, CAGE LIVES.”