The hip-hop universe in 2024 has been full of drama, unexpected album releases, and many disappointing drops from artists in the US and Morocco. Rapper and controversial public figure ElGrande Toto reminded Moroccans that rap is still considered a form of counterculture, at least among some right-wing politicians.
Across the Atlantic, American rapper Kendrick Lamar Duckworth sent shock waves after aiming for Canada’s biggest rapper, Drake, creating a national anthem in the process.
American show business also celebrated the arrest of industry “gatekeeper” and infamous music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Here are the highlights of this year’s rap industry in Morocco and abroad.
ElGrande Toto & Khtek Shine at Billboard Arabia Music Awards
The first-ever Billboard Arabia Music Awards highlighted Morocco’s established hip-hop giants such as Toto and rising stars such as Houda “Khtek” Abouz, who is both a successful artist and a known women’s rights and gender equality advocate.
Khtek took home the “Top Arabic Hip-Hop Female Artist” award after a successful run in 2024. She featured in the collaborative track “Salina” with Moroccan rappers such as 7liwa and Draganov.
Meanwhile, Toto claimed three awards, including Top Arabic Hip-Hop Song, Artist of the Year—Arabic Hip-Hop, and Top Arabic Hip-Hop Male Artist.
Toto also came under the limelight after a public scuffle with Morocco’s former controversial head of government, Abdelilah Benkirane.
Benkirane came out in a public press conference calling Toto, real name Taha Fahssi, a “bastard.” Media reports suggest that Benkirane targeted Toto for his comments pushing for the decriminalization of the recreational consumption of cannabis in 2022.
Toto used the media attention to his advantage and teased the title of his next album, “SALGOAT,” a play on the Moroccan Arabic word for “bastard.”
“Thank you very much to the former failed head of government for the free promotional pitch and the idea for the name of the mixtape that will be released in the next few days,” Toto said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) following the controversy.
Kung-Fu Kenny “squabbles” with Drake.
Kendrick Lamar, also known as “Kung-Fu Kenny,” picked a fight with fellow rap industry giant Aubrey “Drake” Graham after an unexpected diss track entitled “Like That” was released by Future and Metro Boomin.
Released on March 22, Lamar aimed at both American rapper J.Cole and Drake, who previously collaborated on a project entitled “Like That,” where Cole established the three rappers, including Lamar, as the “Big Three” of the industry.
However, in “Like That,” Lamar claimed the hypothetical “rap throne” all to himself. What started off as a somewhat lighthearted call to competition quickly devolved into a series of serious allegations against Drake.
In a collection of songs, Lamar accused Drake of sexual predation, including sex trafficking, and fathering a secret child in “Meet the Grahams.” Lamar released the song less than an hour after Drake released “Family Matters, in which he accused Compton’s star of being a domestic abuser and alleged that one of his children is not his.
Lamar finally put the nail in the coffin in the rap feud with the release of “Not Like Us,” a song that quickly rose through music streaming charts and became somewhat of a Compton anthem.
The song broke the single-day US streaming record on Spotify with over 6.59 million streams shortly after its release on May 4, “Digital Music News” reported.
The track is now approaching one billion streams on Spotify, making it the first diss track to reach this milestone.
Following the song’s colossal success, Drake’s company filed a petition against Universal Music Group for allegedly falsifying the success of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track on November 25, the People reported. The investigation is ongoing.
Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign Follow-Up Flops
Kanye West, once a trailblazer in the music world, struggled to recapture his former glory with the release of two albums in 2024, “Vultures” and “Vultures 2.” Both projects, plagued by delays and inconsistent production, were met with mixed reviews. Pitchfork described the sequel as “even shoddier in construction and execution than its predecessor,” while user ratings mirrored the discontent, scoring a mere 31 out of 100.
Doechii’s Tiny Desk Performance Wows Audiences
American rapper Doechii, already a household name, attracted a lot of attention following her “Tiny Desk” concert, released on December 6.
All eyes were on her after the electrifying performance, backed by a full band, horns, and two background singers, blending jazz, rock, and hip-hop.
She declared proudly during the performance, “I’m everything,” recognizing the mix of influences that blend in her songs. She also made repeated references to Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, “GNX,” repeating one of his lyrics, “Get Top on the phone.”
Doechii is referring to Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), the record label that signed her, Lamar, and fellow singer-songwriter SZA.
SZA & Kendrick Lamar’s Unmatched Chemistry
Kendrick Lamar makes another appearance on this year’s highlights with the release of his sixth studio album, GNX, on November 22. The album, released through PGLang and Interscope Records, features two tracks with SZA—“Luther” and “Gloria.” Their undeniable chemistry left fans clamoring for a collaborative album, marking yet another milestone in both artists’ illustrious careers.
Diddy’s Fall from Grace
Sean “Diddy” Combs, once a towering figure in the music industry, faced his biggest downfall yet in 2024. Arrested on multiple charges, with alleged connections to various assault scandals, Diddy’s reputation took a severe hit. Many within the industry expressed relief, describing his removal as a long-overdue shakeup of a deeply entrenched power structure. His arrest has sparked discussions about accountability and justice in the music world, leaving a significant mark on 2024’s rap landscape.