It’s painful and heartbreaking to hear Killer Mike rap, “You so numb you watch the cops choke out a man like me/ Until my voice goes from a shriek to whisper, ‘I can’t breathe,’” knowing that the song’s release came barely a week after the police killing of George Floyd. Ry produced the heavy anthem, earning the two rappers a Grammy nod for best rap performance. Hit-Boy, Rogét Chahayed, Audio Anthem and G. Neighborhood Nip and Sean Don reflect on how the streets that raised and praised them still can’t provide them refuge, while Sean recalls linking back up with another legend, Kendrick Lamar, to squash their past beef. Nipsey Hussle, “Deep Reverence”īig Sean felt “the world needs to hear n feel Nipsey presence” when he released the rapper’s posthumous collaboration from the first MC’s Detroit 2 album.

“It’s trans women being murdered and this is all he can offer?” Good questions, and all Madlib’s sturdy, supportive beat can do is shrug, as producer and rapper realize this isn’t worth spending more than 70 seconds on anyway. “He really ’bout to write about me when the world is in smokes?” Noname wonders. Cole, whose biggest moment of the year came with this gently scalding Noname answer to his hectoring song-long subtweet “Snow on Tha Bluff.” The latter wisely responded by grabbing the always-on-time producer Madlib and whipping up this two-days-later eye roll at Jermaine and the patriarchal culture that emboldened him. Both rap vets toss in a few lines of lust, but the track shines brightest at its most introspective. And for his part, Rozay - who feels tailor-made for the beat - offers a poignant tribute to the late Kobe and Gigi Bryant while reflecting on his own mortality. “The revolution is the genocide,” opens Gibbs bluntly, a sentiment that he repeats three more times over the course of his verse.

Freddie Gibbs & Rick Ross, “Scottie Beam”ĭon’t let the easygoing, piano-driven production from The Alchemist fool you - there’s little that’s lighthearted about these bars. On the snapping single, JT and Yung Miami dish out a masterclass on what you need to ace the program - and even Doja Cat takes a break from her popish escapades to serve as a guest lecturer on the spicy anthem. Doja Cat, “P-y Talk”Ĭity Girls proved why “P-y Talk” was the most expensive and challenging conversation for any male prospect when encountering a woman in 2020: If your bank account wasn’t fluent in designer bags, then you were better off tempering your expectations. As one of the standouts on February’s My Turn, the track showcased what Lil Baby would be capable of throughout the rest of the year. Part of the reason Lil Baby became so dominant in 2020 was because he could do it all: there was the calls for social justice on “The Bigger Picture,” the reveling in luxury on the 42 Dugg team-up “We Paid,” and then there was “Emotionally Scarred,” a deep dive into his pre-fame hardships told with stark descriptions and a range of emotion. Uzi was crazy for this one: previewing the most anticipated hip-hop release with a flip of Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” and having both the conviction and pop smarts to pull it off? “That Way” reminded us that there were few things off-limits in Lil Uzi Vert’s musical universe, as he somehow turned an undying boy band smash into a melodic rap anthem that’s hard not to hum along to. It’s a feat in and of itself that they manage to keep it all sounding so fresh amid the torrid recording pace. On “War Paint,” Benny and Conway trade punches on powerhouse verses that brim with well-earned confidence (“I’m at the Roc Nation party smelling like chronic smoke/Hov said, ‘You that boy,’ I get acknowledged by the GOAT,” Conway raps), while Westside Gunn ties the Hit-Boy-produced gem together with a pace-shifting hook. And when the trio gets together - as they frequently do on one another’s albums - it’s often can’t-miss entertainment.

Individually, all components of the three-headed monster that make up the Buffalo-born group Griselda had a big year. Conway the Machine & Westside Gunn, “War Paint”

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