Music: Which rap stars caused havoc this year?

Who will stop him? Not Drake in any case who suffered a resounding defeat in his clash with Kendrick Lamar. Author of the biggest hit of the year with “Not Like Us”, a song which ridicules the Canadian star, the rapper from Compton also unveiled a surprise album “GNX”, was selected to perform at halftime of the Superbowl 2025 and announced a historic US tour with SZA. All before his scheduled consecration at the Grammys Awards in February. Who says better?

If “We Don’t Trust You” has established itself as the rap blockbuster of the year, the aforementioned Kendrick Lamar is no stranger to it. It was in fact on Metro Boomin and Future’s album that the Californian sparked hostilities against Drake and J. Cole on “Like That”, the other big hit of the year. In addition to this strong moment, the rest of the album stays the course thanks to the cavernous productions of the number one rap producer, the devastating punchlines of the legendary Future and the participations of big Music stars (The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti and Rick Ross). Unleashed, the infernal duo did it again with a second album released three weeks later, “We Still Don’t Trust You”. Colossal.

The US rap year started very strong with the return, five years later, of a Californian rap figure. Close to Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q has signed with “Blue Lips” the most worked, the most refined and probably the most qualitative record of the year. Sincere in the writing, with delicious production by The Alchemist, Beat Butcha, Cardo, Childish Major and DJ Khalil, this very personal album was an undeniable critical success and a new classic for the TDE label. Having passed through Luxembourg in 2020, the American will return to Europe at the start of 2025.

Despite the departure of Kendrick Lamar, the Californian label Top Dawg Entertainment is not ready to go into the shadows. Apart from his frames Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul, who shone in 2024, the emergence of Doechii could allow him to reach the heights again. In an ultra-competitive female landscape, the Floridian signed the most dazzling mixtape of the year with “Alligator Bites Never Heal”. A concentrate of supersonic rhymes and devastating flows which made the label boss say that the record in question was comparable to “Section.80”, the project which revealed Lamar to the general public. Just that. Phenomenal on stage as evidenced by her Tiny Desk Concert unveiled in November, Doechii is a potential superstar.

“The best after Kendrick is a fact now.” An iconoclastic artist with devastating humor, Tyler, the Creator has established himself as a figure in contemporary musical culture. After a series of remarkable albums, 2024 will remain as the year of consecration. Headliner of the Coachella festival, he did not miss the moment to unveil “Chromakopia”, an opus that only he could produce. Psychic, eccentric, full of improbable samples and always that recognizable hoarse voice, Tyler rightfully claims his place at the top of hip-hop. The days of Rock-A-Field in Roeser are long gone, the American now fills the biggest halls in Europe.

In a hip-hop world that has become globalized, England no longer has to be ashamed of its big American brother. Following the enormous commercial and critical successes of Stormzy and Dave, British MC’s are carving out a place of choice internationally. Central Cee’s success is more like a buzz machine than a talent programmed to succeed. Quite the opposite of Pa Salieu. Held back by almost two years of detention, the Briton of Gambian origin did not wait long to resume his progress. Two months after his release from prison, the rapper released “Afrikan Alien”, a powerful album between drill and afro rhythms. Invincible.

In a transitional French rap year, few albums have combined commercial and critical success. Gazo disappointed the purists, Booba is no longer in his prime, Dinos has not reached the quality of his previous opus, while SCH and Jul have remained in very conventional registers. In this slightly gloomy context, Tiakola is the one who did best with “BDLM Vol. 1”, collaborative project perfectly launched on the marketing level. Beyond the commercial success, the album of just over an hour concentrates all the creativity of the artist from La Courneuve, between trap, R&B, gospel and Congolese rumba. A clever mix that fans will be able to savor at the Rockhal on April 11.

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