2023 was a monumental milestone for Hip Hop, with the tradition celebrating its fiftieth 12 months. Nonetheless, for some artists and industry-adjacent figures, this previous 12 months proved to be largely disastrous.
In some cases, this meant releasing forgettable tasks or, maybe, albums that diverged so drastically from their core fan base that followers have been left confused. For others, it entailed grappling with crippling authorized points and controversies.
Some are teasing albums no person requested for, whereas others are teasing tasks that includes fabricated posthumous verses. In any case, these people could need to contemplate pumping the brakes or refocusing their vitality this upcoming 12 months.
Beneath, HipHopDX has put collectively a listing of 10 individuals who shouldn’t put out a rap album in 2024.
Diddy
Diddy: John Lamparski/WireImage
Allegations being made in opposition to Sean “Diddy” Combs is nothing new. Whether or not it’s the alleged mistreatment of artists (business-wise) or allegedly hiring a gaggle of gang members to homicide 2Pac, he’s weathered many storms all through his prolonged profession.
Nonetheless, 2023 noticed the Unhealthy Boy mogul face an onslaught of bother as a number of sexual assault allegations surfaced, together with one with Cassie that was settled out of courtroom. These allegations started to erode his backside line, resulting in his departure from REVOLT and costing him a deliberate actuality present and a number of other profitable enterprise partnerships.
Regardless of refuting the allegations in opposition to him — and gaining access to the best authorized illustration cash should purchase — there could also be No Manner Out of this one for the 54-year-old Hip Hop heavyweight.
Producer Stevie J stoked anticipation for a sequel to 1997’s No Manner Out, and The Love Album: Off the Grid was a good have a look at how nicely Diddy’s curation recreation has aged, however, given his present state of affairs, he ought to in all probability keep Off the Grid in 2024 and concentrate on repairing the evident cracks in his legacy’s facade.
6ix9ine
6ix9ine: Johnny Nunez/Getty Photographs
Following the unsuccessful launch of his LP TattleTales, hyped with relentless trolling that failed to spice up gross sales, 6ix9ine recalibrated his method. The previous gang member cosplayer and one-time state informant relocated to the Dominican Republic like nothing ever occurred and pivoted to Latin music with the discharge of Leyenda Viva this previous summer time, a completely Spanish album he dropped out of nowhere.
His latest authorized troubles, together with the alleged assault on a music producer and doubtlessly being compelled to liquidate belongings, are potential fodder for controversy-fueled document gross sales. But, contemplating the circumstances, and admittedly, given all of the antics we’ve already endured from this man, it could be finest for Tekashi to take a seat out this spherical and spare us any “sorpresas.”
André 3000
André 3000: Paul R. Giunta/FilmMagic
André 3000 has raised a bar for himself that’s so excessive, it overwhelmed him right into a two-decade stagnation. He nonetheless makes occasional appearances although, like his notable function on Killer Mike’s newest LP, which garnered him a nomination in HipHopDX‘s Verse of the Yr class. Nonetheless, for individuals who learn solely the headline a couple of new André 3000 album, the flute-focused New Blue Solar was a jarring expertise.
Although he clarified that he wasn’t meaning to troll followers, many couldn’t shake off the sensation of… nicely, being trolled. The vibes are appreciated, but when 2024 has any new releases from 3 Stacks, followers (us included) would favor some bars, contemplating he clearly nonetheless has loads up his sleeve.
Pardison Fontaine
Pardison Fontaine: Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Photographs
Pardison Fontaine‘s pen recreation is plain, having earned writing credit for hits like Cardi B and Megan The Stallion‘s “WAP” and Cardi B’s 2x Platinum single “UP.” Nonetheless, as a solo artist, he hasn’t been in a position to recreate the magic of his 2018 “Backin’ It Up” off of Under8ed. He’s presently on a mission to get issues again on observe together with his newest launch, SEXT8PE, nonetheless, it’s his exhaustive press tour that makes a case for him to modify up his angle this upcoming 12 months.
The general public saga involving Meg and Tory Lanez was overwhelming and given the press fatigue, listening to Fontaine gossip about their failed relationship in interviews — he even launched a diss observe, “THEE PERSON” — appears like a misstep.
We’ll by no means actually know who cheated on who, but when that is going to be a continued focus for him, or if he has plans to dedicate extra tracks to her, he could need to preserve it to himself — or face the relentless ire of her fan base.
Younger Thug
Younger Thug: Paras Griffin/Getty Photographs
Younger Thug is, with out query, one of many extra essential artists throughout the present era of Hip Hop; nonetheless, when one foot stays planted in dealings that could possibly be thought-about “unhealthy for enterprise,” it’s not unusual for issues to go left. For Thugger and his YSL crew, issues went about as left as doable when he and his associates have been nabbed as a part of a sprawling RICO case.
It was throughout this tumultuous time that Thugger dropped a shock album, Enterprise Is Enterprise. Extra so than anything, the discharge was a testomony to the manufacturing of Metro Boomin; general although, the challenge was a hodge-podge blended bag that did little to push the needle exterior of some gems.
Whereas the present should go on as a result of, nicely, enterprise is enterprise, for Thug, his focus could be finest spent concentrating on his ongoing authorized state of affairs and sparing his followers any extra half-baked releases.
Joe Budden
Joe Budden: Paras Griffin/Getty Photographs for Revolt
Joe Budden is a retired rapper when you haven’t heard. He’s stated it many occasions. Nonetheless, he just lately teased the potential of dipping his toes again within the water, even going so far as telling his co-hosts on The Joe Budden Podcast that he had hit up acclaimed producer Simply Blaze for beats, in hopes of presumably creating an EP. The query is, seven years faraway from his eighth and remaining launch Rage & The Machine, is he too far gone?
Hip Hop is a aggressive sport. For a lyricist of Joe’s calibre, watching acts with vastly inferior pens obtain extra acclaim than him at his (musical) apex must be troublesome. To not point out, listening to the leaked Slaughterhouse tracks needed to be troublesome figuring out he was an enormous a part of their dissolution. However no person appears to be clamouring for a challenge from one of many loudest voices in Hip Hop podcasting. Maybe he ought to take a look at the waters with just a few loosies earlier than quitting his day job.
Keefe D
Keefe D: John Locher/Pool/AFP through Getty Picture
Over 25 years after 2Pac‘s homicide, the arrest of Keefe D as a suspect was not shocking to many, given his many earlier statements. That is largely as a result of he’s been telling anybody prepared to level a digicam at him that he was within the automotive with the actual killer the night time of the legendary rapper’s homicide for the higher a part of the previous decade. Nonetheless, it seems that he’s now getting the eye he ordered, and with loads of nice quotes to tug from it looks as if it could possibly be a slam-dunk case.
Whereas he hasn’t particularly expressed any curiosity in dropping an album, it definitely wouldn’t shock if he did; in a 33 bail utility filed by his authorized workforce, he now claims that his accounts have primarily all been cap. We strongly recommend he embrace his proper to stay silent any more, but when he does resolve to dabble in music, we now have an ideal suggestion for an album title: Rapp Snitch Knishes.
Kodak Black
Kodak Black: Paras Griffin/Getty Photographs
Understandably, followers have discovered Kodak Black‘s downward spiral in 2023 distressing, notably his troubling look on Drink Champs. The rapper is ending the 12 months in federal custody for probation violation. He was arrested on December 7, 2023, for trying to ingest 4.1 grams of cocaine as a police officer approached his automobile, which was blocking a roadway. Following the arrest, he publicly denied making an attempt to swallow the cocaine however admitted to abusing different medication, like Lean and Percocet.
This comes simply over 10 months after he was despatched to drug rehab for 30 days after testing constructive for fentanyl whereas awaiting trial on a drug trafficking cost.
2023 noticed the rapper drop his fifth and sixth studio LPs and admittedly, that’s greater than sufficient to carry us over for 2024. For his sake and ours, we hope he spends the following 12 months focusing his vitality on getting the assistance he wants.
AI Rappers
AI Rappers: Press/FN Meka
With expertise reaching new, and generally scary heights every day, debates on the moral ramifications of its use on-line proceed to rage on. Inside Hip Hop, there have been some stable instances for using AI. For instance, legendary rapper and N.W.A. ghostwriter D.O.C. is utilizing expertise to recreate the voice he misplaced throughout a near-fatal automotive crash in 1989; Beanie Sigel can be considering utilizing it for the same purpose.
Nonetheless, this development has additionally raised many issues about artist rights. Take, as an example, Younger Guru, legendary JAY-Z engineer — together with Jigga collaborators DJ Clark Kent and ninth Marvel — who had robust reactions to how simply the billionaire MC’s vocals could possibly be digitally recreated. DMX followers have been additionally just lately outraged after new music allegedly made with AI was launched by the late rapper’s document label.
Though the concept of a full-length challenge that includes AI variations of Biggie and 2Pac is intriguing, it opens a Pandora’s field that would shortly spiral uncontrolled. With tracks just like the almost Grammy-nominated “Coronary heart On My Sleeve” that includes vocals by AI-generated variations of The Weeknd and Drake eliciting such constructive responses from followers, it’s evident that extra safeguards are wanted. These must be applied to guard not simply artists, however everybody earlier than we delve additional down this rabbit gap.
Mystikal
Mystikal: Paras Griffin/Getty Photographs
It’s been some time since we’ve heard any new music from one-time No Restrict Soldier Mystikal. The truth is, the final full-length album he dropped was 2001’s Tarantula. Nonetheless, whereas he undoubtedly has some hearth within the vault, like his long-prophesized Fish Grease mixtape and post-jail comeback album that Mannie Contemporary was ending up over 12 years in the past, the New Orleans rapper has discovered himself in a whole lot of scorching water through the years — culminating in his present struggle for his life (actually).
He was arrested in July 2022 and charged with, amongst different crimes, first-degree rape. If convicted, the rapper will spend the remainder of his pure life in jail. Given the severity right here, we hope the rapper refrains from any lazy jail releases or outdated vault compilations in an try to save lots of his legacy. The MC as soon as bragged when you noticed him combating a grizzly bear within the forest, you must assist the bear. On this occasion, it appears to be like like he could have misplaced the struggle.
Take a look at our earlier 10 Rappers Who Shouldn’t Drop An Album lists under:
You may as well try the winners and nominees for the HipHopDX Awards 2023 right here.
Art work and Graphic Design by JR Martinez.
