When Nas proclaimed hip hop was dead back in 2006 he wasn’t exactly right but he kinda sorta wasn’t wrong either. Although there were a few cats doing it right back then (we’re guessing Nas skipped past Dilla’s Donuts masterpiece and maybe his promo copy of Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor didn’t make it into his pigeon hole) for the most part it was a little lackluster and on life support.
Fast forward to the last few years and there’s definitely been a resurgence in rap and thanks to the Kendrick Lamars, Run The Jewels, Earl Sweatshirts, J. Coles, Chance The Rappers, Danny Browns and Action Bronsons of the world it doesn’t look like it’ll be falling back into a coma anytime soon.
To prove that it still has a pulse, here’s 17 hip hop cuts from the tail end of last year and early stages of 2015 that are getting it done for us at the moment.
Featuring a whole bunch of jams including a couple off the new BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah project with Danny Brown & MF DOOM in tow, Illy Friday flippin’ Peking Duk’s High, that Diplo produced Ty Dolla $ign banger, a Kevin Parker (he of Tame Impala fame) mixed slice of WA lounge hop, Tokimonsta’s flip of Lupe Fiasco’s Superstar, a couple of local Australian joints from CA faves Milwaukee Banks & new comers ESESE (Eastern Seaboard Electric Soul Experience), a Sophie x Gucci Mane bootleg and a heap more.
