Biggest Hip-Hop Moments Of 2024

2024 was a big year for hip-hop. Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s viral lyrical battle thrust the genre into the spotlight, for one, leaving even non-hip-hop-heads with no choice but to weigh in. On top of this, Diddy’s arrest, his long list of disturbing allegations, and mansion raids also went mainstream. This marked the start of what will likely be a long and complex legal battle.

He’s far from the only hip-hop artist to make headlines for their legal issues this year, however. Lil Durk was also arrested for alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy and remains behind bars facing a hefty sentence if convicted. Young Thug, on the other hand, saw the chaotic YSL trial come to an end and was finally released. Check out a breakdown of these moments, and a few more of the biggest hip-hop moments of the year down below.

In March of this year, Future and Metro Boomin unleashed their eagerly anticipated collaborative album, We Don’t Trust You. The project boasts various high-profile features, including a verse from Kendrick Lamar on “Like That.” In it, K. Dot disses both Drake and J Cole, shutting down the latter’s “First Person Shooter” claim that they make up the “big three.” This ignited what would become an explosive and viral lyrical battle between Kendrick and Drake, who responded a few weeks later with his track “Push Ups.” Ultimately, the two of them went back and forth for a while until things reached an ugly peak.

Drake dropped “Family Matters” in May, accusing Kendrick of domestic violence and more. Kendrick responded within the hour with “Meet The Grahams,” addressing Drake’s son directly and leaving fans in shambles. Less than 24 hours later, Kendrick put the final nail in the coffin by releasing “Not Like Us.” In it, he alleges that Drake and his OVO crew are sexual predators. This quickly became a massive hit, which Kendrick later performed at his LA “Pop Out” show surrounded by peers. This feud has been dominating headlines for some time now and continues to even months later. Several of the rappers’ peers have jumped into the mix too, making for a feud that’s sure to be discussed for years to come.

In November 2023, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie filed a lawsuit against the Bad Boy founder, which contained countless disturbing allegations. She accused him of sexual assault, abuse, and much more. Almost immediately, they settled, but this was far from the end of his legal issues. Diddy went on to be hit with several other lawsuits from individuals making similarly shocking allegations against him. In March of this year, his mansions in LA and Miami were raided by federal agents.

In September, the mogul was arrested in NYC, where he remains behind bars for charges related to alleged sex trafficking, racketeering, and more. An unsealed federal indictment shows that authorities accuse him of forcing people to participate in drug-fueled sex parties called “freak offs,” using blackmail to silence his alleged victims, and much more. Diddy is currently awaiting a trial which is expected to begin in May 2025. He’s maintained his innocence, denying all allegations aside from the 2016 assault of Cassie captured by hotel surveillance cameras.

In May 2022, Young Thug and various other YSL affiliates were arrested as part of a 56-count indictment. Authorities accused the Atlanta rapper of leading a criminal street gang, and he was facing serious time behind bars if convicted. Following a long and chaotic trial, however, Young Thug finally decided to accept a plea deal and was released In October of this year. As part of the deal, he’ll spend 15 years on probation and can’t communicate with any alleged gang members or YSL affiliates, on top of various other release conditions.

Following over two years in prison, however, Young Thug and his supporters were thrilled with the verdict. Immediately, social media users praised his lawyer Brian Steel for his work and began to anticipate what’s next for Young Thug. This is still unclear, though he has since been spotted in the studio alongside peers like Travis Scott, Lil Baby, and Future.

In October of this year, Lil Durk was arrested in Florida for alleged murder-for-hire conspiracy. His arrest took place hours after five alleged OTF affiliates were arrested. Authorities believe they were allegedly paid to carry out the murder of Quando Rondo in retaliation for the 2020 murder of King Von. In 2022, Quando Rondo and his cousin Lul Pab were targeted in a shooting at a Los Angeles gas station. Quando Rondo walked away unscathed while Lul Pab succumbed to his injuries.

In December, he was linked to yet another alleged murder-for-hire, this time concerning the 2022 death of Stephon Mack. Authorities believe his fatal shooting was allegedly carried out in retaliation for the 2021 murder of Durk’s brother Dontay “DThang” Banks. They accuse the rapper of offering payments to eliminate witnesses, but he’s not been formally charged for this. Durk remains behind bars in LA for his alleged crimes, and reportedly, could face a life sentence if convicted. Per U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue’s orders, he will await trial in custody. His trial has been scheduled to begin on January 7 of next year. According to ABC7, however, it’s “expected to be postponed.”

Hip-hop fans said goodbye to several artists in 2024, and while they’re no longer with us, they certainly won’t be forgotten. In September of this year, for example, Rich Homie Quan passed away at the age of 34 in Atlanta. The Fulton County Medical Examiner soon ruled his death an accidental overdose. According to TMZ, various substances including fentanyl, alprazolam, codeine, and promethazine were in his system at the time of death. After his passing, Quan’s father Corey Lamar revealed that he had an entire full-length album on the way when he died. In October, his estate unveiled his first posthumous album, Forever Goin In, featuring 35 tracks worth of previously unreleased material.

In June, 26-year-old 1017 signee Enchanting also passed away unexpectedly after it was revealed that she’d been placed on life support. The tragic and untimely loss hit the hip-hop community hard and left her supporters devastated. The Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed that she too died of an accidental overdose. Reportedly, oxycodone and benzodiazepines were found in the young artist’s system. “She lived her life with grace and blessed so many with friendship, laughter and love,” the Texas rapper’s family fondly recalled in a statement.

Weeks after Enchanting’s passing, Jacksonville rapper Julio Foolio passed away after a shooting at his 26th birthday party. Five suspects were later identified and four were taken into custody. The state of Florida plans to seek the death penalty for three of them. Other notable hip-hop figures who passed away in 2024 include Rico Wade, Ka, DJ Mister Cee, Fatman Scoop, DJ Clark Kent, and more.

In February of this year, Killer Mike took home various Grammys for his sixth studio album, MICHAEL. He won an award for Best Rap Album, as well as Best Rap Song and Rap Performance for his track with Andre 3000, Future, and Eryn Allen Kane, “SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS.” The impressive sweep came as a surprise to many and led to plenty of debate amongst social media users.

Shortly after his big wins, however, footage of him being led out of the ceremony in handcuffs hit the internet. Reportedly, he’d been booked for misdemeanor battery after an alleged altercation with a security guard who refused to let him in the venue. He later addressed the debacle on The View. “All of my heroes have been in handcuffs,” he said at the time. “[Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Medgar Evers]. I walked out with the same dignity and respect that I walked in with, and I would implore people to just take that from it. Don’t dwell on the bad stuff.”

Months after Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s heated feud reached its peak, the latter made one of his most controversial moves yet by taking legal action against Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify. In a pre-action petition filed in November, he accused the companies of artificially boosting Kendrick’s diss track “Not Like Us” using bots and payola. “UMG did not rely on chance, or even ordinary business practices,” the filing alleges in part, per Billboard. “It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves.” Drake also accuses UMG of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, deceptive business practices, and false advertising.

Unsurprisingly, this sparked a major debate among fans and peers. Some believe he has a real chance of exposing alleged corruption in the music industry. Others think the petition makes him look jealous of Kendrick’s success. Hours after it was filed, UMG released a statement denying the allegations. “The suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue,” it reads. “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”

In December, an anonymous woman amended a lawsuit she’d filed against Diddy in October, adding new allegations against Jay-Z. She alleges that they both sexually assaulted her at a party in 2000 when she was 13 years old. The woman is being represented by Tony Buzbee, a Houston-based lawyer already representing several of Diddy’s accusers. The Roc Nation founder quickly fired back amid the allegations. He even hit Buzbee with some of his own in a lengthy statement.

In it, he accuses Buzbee of blackmail, being a “fraud,” and more. Jay-Z and his attorney Alex Spiro sued Buzbee for alleged extortion before he was named in the anonymous woman’s lawsuit. They allege that he came to them and “threatened to unleash entirely fabricated and malicious allegations of sexual assault” if they didn’t comply with his demands.

In March, Dr. Dre was honored for his invaluable contributions to hip-hop with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Friends and collaborators like Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Jimmy Iovine, Eminem, and more were in attendance to celebrate and hear the producer’s heartfelt speech. In it, the Compton native reflected on his career, making a living doing what he loves, and more.

“Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of finding and nurturing new talent as well as pushing the boundaries in hip-hop both in content and substance,” he said in part. “But I’m most proud of elevating the sound and clarity of how we experience hip-hop. Getting that thing right is one of my greatest achievements. I love that this honor is unique to Los Angeles and brings fans from all over the world to connect with their favorite artists. I’ll be here forever.”

In November, Kendrick Lamar took the world by surprise by dropping an entire album without warning, GNX. Rumors that he had something up his sleeve had been circulating for months before the release. It left his supporters in shambles regardless and has since been a major success.

It sold a whopping 319K album-equivalent units in its first week, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It’s the fifth No. 1 album of Kendrick’s career and the sixth-biggest debut week for an album in 2024. Shortly after the release, the Compton rapper also unveiled a reference-packed music video for “squabble up,” paying homage to the West Coast.