The release of Doechii’s debut mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal has cemented the ascent of a brand-new rap superstar. Unfortunately, it also resurrected a tired, misogynistic conversation among rap fans – one that seems to resurface every time a new woman in rap asserts herself with a lyrics-forward project or a virtuoso demonstration of wordplay.
Ironically, it’s often the most enthusiastic fans of the new kid on the block who resuscitate the decrepit discourse that pits women in rap against one another. In their rush to praise an exciting young talent, they often end up downplaying the past accomplishments of dozens of artists in the sisterhood of hip-hop and denigrating the efforts of their newfound faves’ contemporaries and peers.
But don’t get it twisted; women have always been rapping — and if you think otherwise, you haven’t been listening.
Alligator Bites Never Heal rightly has fans uplifting Doechii’s rap skills. All across social media over the weekend, rap fans have extolled the Florida rapper’s delivery and gift for wordplay. Songs like “Bullfrog,” “Boiled Peanuts,” and “Denial Is A River,” have fans proclaiming that Doechii’s project isn’t just a stellar debut worthy of Doechii’s label, but is also one of, if not the best rap projects of the year.
However, as they’ve become more profuse with their praise for Doechii, some have become dismissive of her contemporaries. In one example, a fan wrote, “It’s time we celebrate the females in hip-hop who actually can RAP RAP and not the others.” Another wrote, “Doechii is an example of what REAL female hip hop should sound like.”
What these posters and others are really saying is evident in what they’re NOT saying. What “female hip-hop” should be, to coin a popular phrase, is demure, buttoned up, chaste — the opposite of the “others” who “can’t” RAP RAP. By the way, what a horrid way to segregate women and suggest that such classification is also somehow inferior to “default” hip-hop, which, per this phrasing, means “men.”
It’s no secret that the success of sex-positive rappers — like GloRilla, Latto, Megan Thee Stallion, or Sexyy Red (all of whom have released projects this year) — bothers lots of men. These women don’t submit to social standards based on men’s preferences; they encourage women to get their own or turn the tables on men seeking transactional relationships. They turn the male gaze against itself. “If you want some of this,” they say, “You’re going to pay for it.”
Here’s the thing, though. It’s not just them. Rappers like Lola Brooke, Rapsody, and Tierra Whack have also released projects this year preaching self-determination. Please Don’t Cry, Rapsody’s fourth album, foregrounded the North Carolina rapper’s learnings from therapy; Tierra Whack’s World Wide Whack addressed the survivor’s guilt of fame. They all embraced wordplay and delivery and breath control and performance — as did projects from Baby Tate, Flo Milli, and more.
Criticizing rappers like Glo, Latto, and Meg for “sexy” content, only to ignore the “thoughtful” releases from Brooke, Rap, and Whack proves that it’s not about the “right” kind of hip-hop for those fans who do so — it’s about putting women down. It’s about proving them inferior to male rappers — all of whom rap about the same stuff, just from a male perspective — by moving the goalposts.
The sad part is that women have been dealing with this since hip-hop’s inception. MC Lyte — who has a new album coming out this month, by the way — was criticized for being too masculine, but contemporary group Salt N’ Pepa were equally criticized for sexual content. Lil Kim and Foxy Brown were derided for raunchy raps, but Missy Elliott was demeaned for not conforming to beauty standards. Eve, Da Brat, and Trina all fell somewhere along the spectrum, earning attention and album sales for their skills, only to be forgotten anytime the opportunity arose to frame women in rap as one of two dichotomous “types” that were both somehow unappealing.
Those who complain about the “style” of the Cardi Bs and Meg Thee Stallions against the “substance” of Rapsody and Doechii, ironically spend way too much time focusing on the style and overlooking the substance of all of them. These women don’t fit neatly into boxes; Rapsody and Doechii both rap extensively about sex and Doechii’s worn her fair share of risqué fits — including nothing at all in one music video.
Meanwhile, songs like Latto’s “S/O To Me” or Meg’s “Hiss” prove the versatility of women who lead with their looks. While it’s great that so many people are catching onto the talent displayed by Doechii, that talent isn’t as isolated or singular as some have made it out to be. There are plenty of women rapping with plenty to say, and a wide array of ways to say it. There always have been, and there’s more than enough credit to go around.
My colleague Derrick Rossignol is right; writing about beef and hate for the past six months has been exhausting. We here at Uproxx would much rather focus on the positives — especially when it comes to hip-hop, which has been about as innovative and productive as it has ever beeen in 2024.
Whatever coast you claim, whichever generation you consider yourself part of, no matter why you listen to hip-hop in the first place — to party, to think, to hype yourself up, or to escape into a gangster fantasy where you’re the toughest person in your town — there has been an embarrassment of riches with respect to the sheer volume of hip-hop releases this year, and its quality.
So, yes, the bloodsport was enjoyable while it lasted (for some of us), but when the dust has settled, you still need something to listen to. Whether you’re catching up, revisiting favorites you forgot about in the chaos, or just setting up your summer listening playlist, we’ve got you covered. Here are the best hip-hop albums of 2024 so far, presented in alphabetical order and including the entries from the best albums of 2024 so far list.
21 Savage — American Dream
Slaughter Gang/Epic
21 Savage’s first solo album in over three years arrived at the top of the year to end a brief run of collaborative albums that included Savage Mode II with Metro Boomin and Her Loss with Drake. American Dream, his third solo album, presents all the sides of 21 Savage that we’ve come to love over the years. His menacing demeanor lives on tracks like “Redrum” and “Dangerous” and his charm is captured on “Prove It” and “Should’ve Wore A Bonnet” while honesty prevails with “Just Like Me” and “Dark Days.” 21 Savage’s long-awaited solo return checks all the expected boxes and elevates the rapper to a higher status, making an American Dream turn global and reach his birthplace of London where he performed for the first time at the end of 2023. — Wongo Okon
Anycia — Princess Pop That
Anycia
Following a 2023 year that put her on the map, Atlanta rapper Anycia stepped in 2024 with a point to prove. In a matter of four months, it was seen and received thanks to her debut album Princess Pop That. She excels in a lane occupied by few where a cool and calm demeanor delivers the intended messages with a crispness that sends a chill down the spine. Anycia means every word she says as records like “Type Beat,” “Bad Weather,” and “Splash Brothers” prove. That’s Pop That side of Anycia, the Princess that is Anycia uses the Cash Cobain-assisted “That’s Hard” and the splashy “Squigi” to get her point across. What Princess Pop That gives you is duality and evidence that Anycia has plenty to show in the coming years of her career. — W.O
Benny The Butcher — Everybody Can’t Go
Benny The Butcher
Benny The Butcher’s Def Jam debut didn’t usher a change in style or approach for the Buffalo rapper. If anything, his new home allowed him to more comfortably do what we’ve seen him excel at for much of the last decade. On Everybody Can’t Go, Benny puts up a fine display of rapping alongside Lil Wayne on the haunting “Big Dog” all to deliver a riveting and championing tale of a double life on “One Foot In” with Stove God Cooks. “Pillow Talk & Slander” with Jadakiss and Babyface Ray unites different generations of rap for a moment of introspection and celebration. Everybody Can’t Go opens a new era for Benny and promises many more bright moments to accompany the ones he put forth years prior. — W.O.
Bossman Dlow — Mr Beat The Road
Bossman Dlow
Few rappers in 2024 have been as fun to listen to as Florida rapper Bossman Dlow rapper is. His Mr Beat The Road project is a 17-track compilation of exaggerated money spreads, pretentious claims about his ability to make money, entertaining adlibs, and catchy bars and punchlines. For Bossman Dlow, it all started with the success of “Get In With Me,” a convincing how-to on bossing up, increasing your cash flow, and living like a star. The standout single doesn’t even scratch the surface of Mr Beat The Road though. “Boss Talk” puts his title as head honcho on full display while “Mr Pot Scraper” paints him as a hustler like no other. “Come Here” with Sexyy Red is flirtatious fun and “Lil Bastard” with Rob49 sounds the alarm on Bossman Dlow’s inescapable arrival. Mr Beat The Road is a welcome party worth attending and remembering. — W.O.
Buddy — Don’t Forget To Breathe
Buddy
In an era of so many rappers employing therapy and its associated lingo as a stylistic shortcut to being truly vulnerable, honest, and confessional on records, Buddy’s Don’t Forget To Breathe is, fittingly, a breath of fresh air. The Compton rapper not only takes the time to get to know himself after his decade or so in the game — letting listeners in on the process — but displays his expansive taste with a lush musical palette incorporating groovy R&B instrumentation over head-nodding hip-hop rhythms. “Buddy A Fool” is a self-aware self send-up, “Got Me Started” is a confident slick talk session, and “You 2 Thank” bridges the gap between post-G-funk and diasporic excellence. — Aaron Williams
Chief Keef — Almighty So 2
Chief Keef
There’s no denying Chief Keef’s impact on modern-day hip-hop. All of what exists today, for better or for worse, would be different or absent without Chief Keef. At 28 years old, he’s a rap veteran when many at that age are just a few years into their careers, and many who checked into the game at 17 years old, like Keef did, fizzled out shortly after they could legally drink. So Keef’s continued relevance for more than a decade is impressive, as is his fifth album, Almighty So 2. Originally announced back in 2019, the album’s arrival five years later is a great gift to fans. What makes it better are splashy features from Tierra Whack, Sexyy Red, Quavo, and others, as well as sharp bass-rattling production supplied by Keef himself. — W.O.
Flo Milli — Fine Ho, Stay
Flo Milli
If Ho, Why Is You Here? was Flo Milli’s fun-loving introduction to the rap biz, and You Still Here, Ho? was her concentrated effort to prove she could consistently make hits, Fine Ho, Stay is a self-possessed declaration of her own permanence as a fixture in the limelight. It’s also a rock-solid display of her rhyme prowess; while she does her fair share of pop-friendly crooning on “Can’t Stay Mad,” songs like “Clap Sum” and “Neva” can easily be argued as the result of her time spent on the road with some of rap’s most practiced contemporary spitters like Benny The Butcher and Gunna. — A.W.
Fredo Bang — Yes, I’m Sad
Fredo Bang
It’s been three years since Baton Rouge rapper Fredo Bang emerged with his breakout hit “Top,” which was later boosted by a remix from Lil Durk. He stands tall on his own through honesty and vulnerability, as depicted on his Yes, I’m Sad project. The takeaway from it is that all that glitters ain’t gold, a message Fredo puts forth successfully through songs like “Come Thru” and the project’s sincere title. Still, the gold is very much present in Fredo’s world on “Ring Ring” with Kevin Gates and “Sideways” with NLE Choppa. Fredo’s Yes, I’m Sad acknowledges the hardships in his life, but also pushes himself to do something about and improve the circumstances, a mindset that brings more value to the project. — W.O.
Future and Metro Boomin — We Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You
Future X Metro Boomin
In 2017, Future did something no other artist had ever done before: He released Future (a trap-heavy, bass-knocking rap album) and Hndrxx (a softer, more confessional, and R&B-inspired effort) in consecutive weeks, becoming the first artist to release a pair of Billboard 200 chart-topping albums in the same week. Fast-forward seven years, and Future and Metro Boomin’sWe Don’t Trust You and We Still Don’t Trust You are modeled the same way, respectively. Future’s ability to channel both sides of his artistry and deliver the very best of them multiple times in his career is a feat accomplished by few and dreamed of by many. But for now, we can remember these albums as two of music’s best releases in 2024 and one being the catalyst for hip-hop’s biggest war in decades. — W.O.
GloRilla — Ehhthang Ehhthang
GloRilla
Girls just wanna have fun. For all the hand-wringing about the lack of substance in hip-hop these days (from people who happily did their Stanky Leg and bumped “Tipsy” back in the day), rap music has always been about turning up at parties. Rappers like GloRilla remember this — or, at least, keep the spirit of the function alive in their music — making catchy hits that won’t elicit boos for the DJ who plays them. Ehhthang Ehhthang might be light on deep topics and cultural criticism, but while it runs on club anthems like “Yeah Glo!” and “Wanna Be,” it does have some deceptively heartfelt moments, as well. Even its title is a clever callback to so-called substantive rap, adding a country twist to the title of Lauryn Hill’s 1999 smash hit. — A.W.
Gunna — One Of Wun
Gunna
The current era of Gunna’s career is one nobody could have predicted five years ago. Once-guaranteed collaborations with Young Thug, Future, Lil Baby, and others are now a thing of yesterday. Today, as Gunna’s fifth album One Of Wun displays, the Atlanta rapper makes the most of his inner circle as the variety and availability of past resources have run dry. One Of Wun is as flashy, slick, and smooth as we’ve known Gunna to be. It’s confirmation that he can present that persona when he pleases. “On One Tonight” is one of Gunna’s best outputs in years while “Hakuna Matata” glides with ease and hits corners with impressive finesse. “Today I Did Good” is a surprisingly bright track that showcases the change in Gunna’s life. One Of Wun escapes the dark of yesterday and runs toward the light at the end of the tunnel, which remains bright for Gunna. — W.O.
J. Cole — Might Delete Later
J. Cole
Nearly a decade after his fellow hip-hop heavyweights, aka Drake and Kendrick Lamar, did it, J. Cole delivered a surprise album of his own with Might Delete Later. Cole surprised fans with the project on the weekend of his annual Dreamville Festival and weeks after Kendrick challenged both Cole and Drake for rap’s crown on his “Like That” verse. The strong output from Cole failed to truly shine thanks his lukewarm Kendrick Lamar diss in “7 Minute Drill,” its eventual removal from streaming services, and Cole’s apology for even responding in the first place. Nonetheless, Might Delete Later is still a strong body of work. “Crocodile Tearz” is an impressive display of Cole on the offensive, and “HYB” with Bas and Central Cee presents Cole in a fun and laid-back state worth bringing out more often than he does. Long story short, Might Delete Later is worth keeping in rotation for a while. — W.O.
Kenny Mason — 9
Kenny Mason
In the four years since Kenny Mason dropped his debut album, Angelic Hoodrat, he’s seen a fairly prodigious jump in his public profile, landing feature placement on tracks from the likes of J. Cole and JID, touring the nation with Danny Brown and Jpegmafia, and garnering widespread acclaim for his unique blend of grunge, shoegaze, and punk rap. On 9, he expands on that genre gumbo, incorporating features from such wide-ranging sources as trap upstart Babydrill and chillwave pioneer Toro Y Moi. More mellow than alt-rap screamers like Trippie Redd and XXXtentacion, but more introspective than Atlanta peers like Gunna and Young Nudy, Kenny’s in a class of his own, bridging gaps between what works and what’s possible. — A.W.
Kyle — Smyle Again
Kyle
The recent resurgence of jungle and drum & bass is making me feel young again, and a large part of the reason for that renaissance is Southern California native Kyle. Last year, his album It’s Not So Bad evoked the sounds of the Y2K British rave scene with a palette of 2-step and garage, and Smyle Again (named after his breakout 2015 mixtape Smyle) continued to mine that fertile era from a more hardcore angle. Like its predecessor, it borrows the skittering forceful riddims of 2000s UK EDM and pairs them with the sunny, beach-bred cheeriness Kyle is known for. The result is one of the year’s more innovative projects. — A.W.
LaRussell & Hit-Boy — Rent Due
LaRussell
How exactly does one settle on just one LaRussell project when he’s so prone to releasing multiple in a year’s span? It certainly helps when he brings one of the West Coast’s premiere beatmakers, Hit-Boy, along for the ride. Although Rent Due is only seven songs and 18 minutes long, both collaborators bring their A-games, going in like… well… the rent’s due. What truly impresses is the versatility of the album, from the airy uplift of “Lead Me To The Water” to the boisterous street stomp on “Another One.” The two California natives have unsurprisingly great chemistry and if HB wants to drop another four projects with LaRussell, I don’t think anyone will complain. — A.W.
MIKE — Pinball
MIKE
MIKE’s drowsy lyrical ruminations have always defied easy categorization, even as they’ve illustrated his broad range of cultural and stylistic influences. In the past, this has often resulted in dense, borderline opaque listens that can get mired in murky soul samples and abstract rhymes. Pinball is a different story, though. Like the arcade games it’s named after, Tony Seltzer’s beats on Pinball instead gives MIKE a lively, bouncy background for his cerebral lyrics, bringing more energy out of him and making it sound like he’s actually having a lot of fun. It’s a needed reminder that thoughtful hip-hop needn’t be boring or super serious to get its point across. — A.W.
Rapsody — Please Don’t Cry
We Each Other/Jamia Records
In my interview with Rapsody about her new album, Please Don’t Cry, I called it her best and THEE best hip-hop album of the year so far. I may end up revising that opinion by December, but the bar is going to be really hard to clear. Combining lessons she’s learned from therapy, endless reiteration of ideas, and some of her production teams’ finest work to date, Rapsody has crafted a masterclass in vulnerability, honesty, and lyrical dexterity. “Stand Tall,” “Diary Of A Mad B*tch,” “A Ballad For Homegirls,” and “Forget Me Not” are the sorts of honest, “real” rap writing that fans have been begging for for years. — A.W.
Schoolboy Q — Blue Lips
Schoolboy Q
At this point, few of us, if any, should be complaining about the long wait between Top Dawg Entertainment projects. The last few years have brought projects such as Ab-Soul’s Herbert, Isaiah Rashad’s The House Is Burning, and of course, SZA’s SOS after five-year gaps — an approach that seems to be the recipe for producing some of those artists’ most heartfelt, innovative works to date. Schoolboy Q turns out to be no exception. His latest also arrives five years after its predecessor, Crash Talk, bringing with it the very soul of Los Angeles’ experimental jazz history. An eccentric compilation that never stays in one vibe too long, Blue Lips presents a portrait of a matured, sophisticated gangster. — A.W.
Skilla Baby — The Coldest
Skilla Baby
Detroit rapper Skilla Baby, fresh off a 12-month run that boosted his stock thanks to songs like “Mama” and “Bae,” showed what he’s really made of on The Coldest. Often mislabeled as a rapper with song’s solely for the ladies, Skilla Baby embraces the title with the flirty and infatuated “Whole Package” with Flo Milli as well as “Wifey” alongside NoCap. However, Skilla Baby is more than just a ladies’ man. He’s a certified hustler on the grim “Mike Jack” and he’s successful one who can brag about his wins on “Richie.” Skilla Baby has the type of duality that one should admire and The Coldest puts it all on full display. — W.O.
Tierra Whack — World Wide Whack
Tierra Whack
World Wide Whack is perhaps one of the most anticipated hip-hop debuts of the last five years, and it doesn’t disappoint. Tierra Whack had the world in the palm of her hand after her EP Whack World introduced the public to the colorful inner universe of the Philadelphia creative, but then reality stepped in. Tierra’s experiences since then inspired World Wide Whack, which despite its whimsical stylings contains some of her most heartrending music yet. “Two Night” and “27 Club” deliver a one-two punch of empathetic pleas for a more measured reception for the sort of creative personalities that have suddenly become a quite endangered species. — A.W.
Vince Staples — Dark Times
Vince Staples
Hometown bias aside, I have long believed that Long Beach rapper Vince Staples has been one of rap’s most quietly insightful, innovative voices since 2014, when I first heard him on Common’s Nobody Smiling single “Kingdom.” Since then, his confidence in his artistic vision has only grown, while his already prodigious talents sharpened in his efforts to bring that vision to grungy, cinematic life. Dark Times is the culmination of that growth, presenting a version of Vince that pairs his photographic observations of life at the bottom of the American pyramid with a collection of instrumentals destined to shatter the last (stupid) arguments against him — you can’t say he picks bad beats now. — A.W.
Lists have become lighting rods of controversy. Music fans are still reeling from the outrage that was sparked by Apple Music’s 100 greatest albums of all time. Now, it’s Billboard’s turn. The outlet put out a ranking of the hottest female rappers right now, and unsurprisingly, the comment section was flooded with complaints and/or talking points. Some fans felt that it was incomplete, others felt it was ignoring less popular but more artistically ambitious rappers. Some were mad that Nicki Minaj claimed the top spot.
To be fair, Minaj laid the groundwork for the rest of the rappers on the list. She’s also had a resurgence in the last year, thanks to a number one single and a record-breaking tour. Nicki Minaj is as big as a female rapper can get, according to the stats, and that’s not even taking her huge influence into account. Cardi B, GloRilla, and Doja Cat have all cited Minaj as an inspiration on their own style. GloRilla went as far as to say Minaj gets too much hate considering all the doors she opened for female rappers. Be that as it may, rappers like Sexyy Red and Megan Thee Stallion have had meteoric rises in recent years. They place at number two and three, respectively. Doja Cat and Ice Spice round out the top five, despite the former being more of a singer/pop star historically.
As some fans have pointed out, though, Doja Cat has had way more success than Megan or Sexyy Red. She’s scored multiple number one singles as a featured and solo artist, and her albums sell significantly more than everybody else on the list. “Why TF is Megan higher than Doja,” asked one user, which was a sentiment shared by another: “Lol in no world is Meg better than Doja.” Others felt that Megan should be at the top of the list. There were fans who believed Sexyy Red has had the most eyes on her in 2024, and therefore is most deserving of the “hottest” title. “Sexy [sic] is clearly the hottest out,” one IG user wrote.
Then the attention turned to commissions. The missing name that really rubbed fans the wrong way was Rapsody. The North Carolina native is the most respected female rapper working today, and she just put out another acclaimed album, Please Don’t Cry, in May. “No Rapsody is an automatic ignore,” one IG user posited. “Rapsody is LIGHT years better than this entire list,” another wrote. “No shade tho.” Other huge names who were thrown out as being worthy for consideration were Che Noir, Lola Brooke and Kamaiyah. What do you think of the Billboard list? Who got snubbed, and who was placed too high?
Rap is back. Rapsody’s new album, Please Don’t Cry, is now out on DSPs, and with it, the video for “Back In My Bag” arrived today. Opening with a short interview with Rapsody in an empty arena talking about her personal evolution in the years since her last album release, Eve, the video then transitions into a hard-hitting clip with Rap performing the song as she rides around in a blacked-out truck, gets a tattoo, and mean mugs, ’90s-style, with her crew.
“Back In My Bag” follows “Asteroids,” “Stand Tall,” and “3:AM” with Erykah Badu as the fourth song from the album to receive a music video.
In her interview with Uproxx about the new album, she explained where she got the title. “I was on Pinterest and I found the title within a quote, and it said, “No, please don’t cry. You won’t always feel so broken.” And that’s what it is. It’s all temporary. It doesn’t last forever. But the grace is, allow yourself to feel it, but don’t sit in it. That’s all.”
Watch Rapsody’s “Back In My Bag” video above.
Please Don’t Cry is out now via Jamla Records / Roc Nation Records. Get it here.
Rapsody is one of the most talented rappers in the game. Her music represents the sort of quality and reflectiveness that typified the backpack genre. She feels cut from the same cloth as Phonte, Mos Def, and her mentor, 9th Wonder. Rapsody broke through with her 2017 album, Laila’s Wisdom, but she’s been notably absent throughout the 2020s. Please Don’t Cry is her first new album in five years, and we’re happy to confirm that she hasn’t missed a step. If anything, she’s gotten better.
If Rapsody’s previous release, Eve, was about tributing her heroes, than Please Don’t Cry is about looking inward. She described the album on Instagram as a “love story with the reflection in the mirror,” an appreciation of all things “raw” and “imperfect.” The lyrical content of the album’s best songs bear this out. “3 A.M.” is a jazzy meditation on connecting with a loved one, and the Erykah Badu vocals on the hook embellish its smooth qualities. “Stand Tall” and “Lonely Women” are similar mid-tempo tracks that see Rapsody talk about the way people perceive and judge her. The latter, in particular, addresses the way people assume her sexuality based on her appearance.
Please Don’t Cry isn’t a one-dimensional listen, however. There are plenty of hard-hitting instrumentals that liven things up and prove that Rapsody can outmaneuver most of her male peers. “Black Popstar” and “Asteroids” are prime examples of this gear shift. The latter features a chugging Hit-Boy beat that ranks among the best instrumental flourishes on the album. “Raw” is another gritty showcase that sees Rapsody trade bars with Lil Wayne. Please Don’t Cry does run a bit long, at 22 tracks, but the rapper has been gone for a long time, and she had a lot to say. Listeners will be rewarded.
What are your thoughts on this brand-new album Please Don’t Cry by Rapsody? Does the rapper deliver after five years away? What is your favorite song and why? Did any features steal the show? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Rapsody. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.
Please Don’t Cry Tracklist:
She’s Expecting You (featuring Phylicia Rashad)
Marlanna
Asteroids (featuring Hit-Boy)
Look What You’ve Done
DND (It’s Personal) [featuring Bee-B]
Black Popstar (featuring DIXSON)
Stand Tall
That One Time
3 AM (featuring Erykah Badu)
Loose Rocks (featuring Alex Isley)
Diary of a Mad B*tch (featuring Bibi Bourelly)
Never Enough (featuring Keznamdi)
He Shot Me
God’s Light
Back In My Bag
Niko’s Interlude (featuring Niko Brim)
Raw (featuring Lil Wayne)
Lonely Women
A Ballad for Homegirls (featuring Baby Tate)
Please Don’t Cry (Interlude)
Faith
Forget Me Not (featuring Amber Navran & Phylicia Rashad)
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
Please Don’t Cry isn’t just Rapsody’s most personal and vulnerable album – it’s also her best. It’s often been said that music is therapy, but sometimes, going to therapy leads to making better music. For as much has been made of authenticity in rap over the past several weeks, just what that means has become increasingly debatable. Thankfully, Rapsody’s latest, in addition to being one of those timeless projects that will stick to listeners’ ribs long after the last song has played, is a refreshing palate cleanser for a month of vitriol – as self-love tends to be.
Self-love is also the centerpiece of the conversation Rapsody and I had about the new album and the positive growth she’s experienced since we last spoke. The album had been in the works since then, but Rapsody withheld it all this time to ensure that it would be perfect – or at least, as close to that ideal as any art can ever get. The time was well spent; while a prototype version of this project could have been a top release in anyone else’s catalog, the four years Rap spent tweaking the sound and evolving as a person resulted in an album that stands alongside all-time classics like The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill and Mac Miller’s Swimming, albums that have also sparked the sort of emotional reaction and introspection Please Don’t Cry does.
Please Don’t Cry, what a title.
That’s what it is, you should. You should allow yourself to feel. Whatever that feeling is — and it may not be sad — allow yourself to be human. That’s the core and the root of what that statement means. It’s ironic because no, but please do. Laugh when you cry. Laugh when you’re in love so much, your eyes drool. Rinse your soul of the pain. Don’t hold it. Release it so you can feel lighter.
And I did a lot of releasing in that way, during my healing. I cried a lot. I allowed myself to feel a lot. I got angry a lot. I allowed myself to feel all the things, but I also found my joy again. And that’s why the title meant so much to me. I was on Pinterest and I found the title within a quote, and it said, “No, please don’t cry. You won’t always feel so broken.” And that’s what it is. It’s all temporary. It doesn’t last forever. But the grace is, allow yourself to feel it, but don’t sit in it. That’s all.
Interestingly enough, this was one of those albums that brought me to the point of tears. Most recently, Tierra Whack’s “Two Night” did that for me; before that, it was Rexx Life Raj. What are the albums in hip-hop that have done that for you?
Definitely, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill — “Tell Him” [and] “Zion.” Mac Miller’s “2009.” The whole album because of his situation, but particularly, “2009” brings it out. Jay-Z’s “Lost Ones.” Ghostface [Killah], “2nd Childhood.” I want to throw [Erykah] Badu in there because she’s hip-hop to me, so “Time’s A Wastin.” I know it’s not rap. It’s not rapping, it’s hip-hop.
Tell me about working with Erykah on “3:AM.”
I knew, in the beginning, I didn’t want to have a lot of rap verses because it was so personal. I wanted to have a lot of singers on it to evoke that emotion in what soul music does, and I can’t sing. So every song, I would do the song first, and we would sit and really live with the record and say, “Whose instrument, as far as voice, do we hear to complete the story and what we’re trying to say?” So Badu was the first name that came to mind. I listened to it, and that’s who I heard. And I’m thankful that she was so graceful and said, “Yes.”
We worked on “3:AM” for about 10 months. And I appreciated the process of watching how she crafts her records, and that’s how I grew in that way.
Why did you want to use this group of people, especially Baby Tate, who was one of Uproxx’s first cover artists?
I love Baby Tate as a rapper, but even more as a singer. But I originally wanted “A Ballad For Homegirls” to feel like a conversation amongst several women. I told her how much I appreciate her singing voice, and I just thought it would be dope. But I love that she gave us a little rap and a little singing. She’s so gifted and talented. She knocked it out the park.
Lil Wayne, I’ve been wanting to work with Wayne. I’ve been listening to him since I was 13. So he’s been on my list for a very, very long time, but I’ve never ever sent him a record because I’ve never had one. I never want to force it. So when we did, “Raw,” it felt good. And I was like, “I know he would kill it. I would love to hear his perspective on this particular topic. He’s who I hear.”
“Whose tone fits it? Whose frequency?” That was how I approached this cast. Badu taught me how to slow down.
I don’t want to bring up beef while we’re talking about love, but we’re in this place where the narrative of always seems to be, “He’s got 24 hours to respond.” Everything is very right now, now, now, now, now, now, now, now. And you’re like, “Mmm, let me wait. Let me chill.” Why was now the perfect time for this album?
I first started this project in March of 2020. And the first weekend I started, me and Eric G did 12 songs in two days. And I told him, I said, “We only need three more records, and we’re done.” I remember going to 9th Wonder and playing it for him at that time, and he was like, “This is your best work. It’s heavy. It’s really heavy, but your best work.” And I went back, and it was good, but I said, “I don’t know if I want a record so heavy, that is good, but people don’t want to revisit it because all it is heavy.”
So, I just kept recording. And it’s the best thing that I did because I got to really go through the healing process and not just start it, do some songs, and this is it. No, go through the whole process of healing. And I learned so much more about myself, why I do the things I do. I got to reintroduce myself to me. And I just started pouring out, pouring out, pouring out. Having a conversation with friends, they were like, “Just show everything about you; the good, the bad, the ugly, the emotional, the anger.” And so that’s what I did.
I poured out until I was like, “I’ve covered everything. I’ve covered everything.” Sometimes, four or five times over again on different beats, right. And I said, “I have nothing else to say.” And then it was about getting the right records and telling the story.
Speaking of that pouring out, when you’ve done that, what comes after that? Because now, it feels like you’ve raised the bar so high. How do you top yourself?
I really think, for the most part, projects are somewhat a snapshot of your life and where you are. So right now, I’m just kind of living. I’ve started to live by this Andy Warhol quote, which says, in a nutshell, “Just do the art. Put it out and let the people decide if it’s good or bad. And while they’re deciding, you’re onto the next thing.” My goal with every project I’ve done is to grow in some way. One might be like, “Get your cadence.” One might be, “Get your voice and inflection right.” This one was to be vulnerable, fearless, to have a deeper connection with people. I have three or four ideas of albums I want to do.
I started 2020, working on three. So I have so many ideas in my head. If I could drop four in a year, I’d be like, “Yes.” There’s so much more of me that I want to tell and give. So it’ll come together the same way this one came together. I just got to let it happen and see where I’m guided.
Please Don’t Cry is out now via We Each Other/Jamla Records/Roc Nation/Universal Music Group. Find more information here.
It has been five years since Rapsody released Eve and her fans were getting antsy for a new album. Fortunately, she announced in March that her fourth studio album, Please Don’t Cry, is coming soon. She began the rollout with the single “Stand Tall” and an intimate conversation with actress Sanaa Lathan, demonstrating just what kind of inspirational and vulnerable material would appear on the album. Today, she continues the rollout with another new single, “3:AM,” a romantic late-night jam featuring none other than neo-soul godmother Erykah Badu.
In addition to releasing the usual set of lyrics videos and visualizers, Rap also shared a live performance video taken from Erykah Badu’s annual birthday bash concert in Dallas. The lyrics find the North Carolina native addressing a longtime lover and how he helps make her feel safe. “Not afraid to show my insecurities like Issa / Love makin’, booty clappin’ like Netty and Ceile / Netflix askin’ if we still watchin’ TV,” she rhymes. Meanwhile, on the chorus, Ms. Badu croons, “I remember late nights with you / What you like in the mornin’?”
Watch Rapsody’s ‘3:AM’ live performance video with Erykah Badu above.
Please Don’t Cry is due on 5/17 through We Each Other / Jamla Records / Roc Nation Records.
