Named after his childhood home, J. Cole’s highly revered third studio album sticks to the Fayetteville, NC rapper’s well-established formula, featuring several self-produced cuts in which warm, old-school samples underpin lyrics about life’s weighty lessons. But unlike earlier offerings, *2014 Forest Hills Drive* makes hard pills easy to swallow, as the rapper finds his footing and perfects the balance between conscious and commercial. The album also finds Cole trying to balance the coexistence of darkness and light, with the smile-inducing “Wet Dreamz” pouring into poignant cuts like “03’ Adolescence.” All the while, Cole’s lyrical approach is as unpretentious as his wardrobe, with the MC delivering lessons on cultural appropriation, relatable childhood faux pas, and the true meaning of life. Thanks to its unflinching confidence, playful narratives, and soulful reflections, *2014 Forest Hills Drive* would prove to be Cole’s most successful album—culturally and critically—upon its release in 2014. It would go on to sell more than 3 million copies, thanks in part to a daring (and deeply personal) marketing campaign: Cole announced the record less than a month before its drop date, and in the lead-up to release day, the rapper invited a group of his biggest fans to the *actual* 2014 Forest Hills Drive for a listening session (later, Cole turned that very home into rent-free housing for single mothers). To this day, *2014 Forest Hills Drive* remains a crucial entry in the J. Cole catalog: an album that draws on his past, while also giving listeners a glimpse of his future.

With all due respect to DJ Battlecat, The Neptunes, and the other myriad producers who made key contributions to Snoop Dogg’s vast discography, nothing feels quite so right as when he links with Dr. Dre. From the moment the former N.W.A member’s ostensibly solo debut *The Chronic* entered the zeitgeist, artists have repeatedly tried—and generally failed—to achieve the level of chemistry and clout generated by their seminal pairing. While they’ve stayed in each other’s orbit over the years, trading beats and bars on albums like Snoop’s 2006 *Tha Blue Carpet Treatment* and Dre’s 2015 *Compton*, the auspicious release of *Missionary* marks their first full-length team-up in more than three decades. Its title a clear nod to the 1993 West Coast masterpiece *Doggystyle*, this long-hoped-for album changes positions without losing the feeling. Though *Missionary* largely leaves the microphone duties to Snoop, it doesn’t take too long before he and Dre are sharing verses again, exuding music-mogul energy on “Outta Da Blue.” The good doctor, in turn, busts out the martial drumwork for “Hard Knocks” and puts a subtle spin on G-funk’s inherent groove on hard-hitting closer “The Negotiator.” Demonstrating the extraordinary pull both artists maintain in the industry, “Last Dance With Mary Jane” flips Tom Petty for a trip down Snoop’s own memory lane with some contemporary musings from Jelly Roll. In that same vein, they convene with Sting over “Another Part of Me,” an inventive interpolation of one of The Police’s rock classics. Golden Age peer Method Man comes through for the triumphant “Skyscrapers,” but a family reunion with both 50 Cent and Eminem on the slow and funky “Guns N Smoke” should evoke the strongest nostalgic vibes.

Though the secular generally trumps the sacred across rap’s biggest hits, the genre’s relationship with faith and religion nonetheless manifests via the lyrics of many of its more notable artists. Among them, DMX became known to his true fans for his declarative sermons almost as much as his distinctive Yonkers bark. On *Let Us Pray: Chapter X*, his second posthumous project after 2021’s guest-heavy *Exodus*, a handful of his hip-hop homilies find fresh arrangements by Warryn Campbell and high-profile support from guest vocalists. Though Killer Mike is the first to take the pulpit, on “Favor,” the late Earl Simmons soon emerges with gratitude and gravitas, backed by powerful choir callbacks from Mary Mary. Christian rap star Lecrae gives glory to God on “Bear With Me” before X, in turn, offers his own words of gratitude. His voice booms on “One Life To Do It” with MC Lyte and quavers on “Until I’m Gone” with Snoop Dogg. Instrumentals for all four songs follow, leaving space for the listener’s own prayers.

Sleepy Hallow has come a long way since his early days as a pioneer of New York’s drill rap subgenre alongside his pal Sheff G. The Jamaica-born, Brooklyn-raised rapper has since expanded his scope, showcasing a bevy of different flow patterns on his 2021 studio debut *Still Sleep?* and pop instincts on his 2023 effort *Boy Meets World*. On *Read This When You Wake Up*, Sleepy blends these two worlds together, cueing up booming, distortion-heavy beats on “Madness” and crooning about the high life on “Drowning (Beverly Hills).” He’s more comfortable in his singing voice than ever before, tapping into a newly discovered vulnerability that gives the work an almost tangible emotional catharsis.

Mixtape *HOP*—not to be confused with Stray Kids’ 2018 EP titled *Mixtape*—is the K-pop group’s final release in a busy 2024. As in hip-hop, K-pop artists use the term “mixtape” to categorize material released without the level of promotional fanfare of a regular album or single; K-pop mixtapes are usually self-produced and may feature tracks that fall outside of a group’s existing discographic boundaries in some way, e.g., a focus on solo music. Stray Kids subunit 3RACHA (aka Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han) has co-written most of the group’s songs since their 2018 debut. *HOP*, however, expands the self-production responsibilities, with each member getting co-writing credit on their own solo songs, originally performed as part of the group’s “dominATE” world tour set list. In addition to the solo tracks, *HOP* includes two versions of lead single “Walkin on Water,” an old-school hip-hop track. B-side “U” features Epik High leader Tablo, a K-pop sunbaenim influential in the Korean hip-hop scene.

Bossman Dlow began building momentum off his *Too Slippery* mixtape, but the success of his 2024 hit single “Get in with Me” really put numbers on the board for the Florida rap phenom. Following his *Mr Beat the Road* project from earlier in the year, *Dlow Curry* is a game-winning buzzer-beater from the logo. After likening himself to a certain point guard on the title track, he backs it up with skillful braggadocio on booming cuts like “The Biggest Pt. 2,” “Dlow Gucci,” and “Star Life.” While most of the tracks rightfully center him, he does get some notable support on the proverbial court. He’s joined by New York rap royalty on two occasions here—first by Bronx drill princess Ice Spice on the mellowed “Pillsbury Dlow” and then by Coke Boys don French Montana for the effortlessly swaggering “Mo Chicken.” Elsewhere, he trades off with Lil Baby and NoCap on “PJ” and “What You Need,” respectively, reminding that the South still has something to say.