The 30 greatest hip-hop songs of the 2020s

Megan Thee Stallion has always talked about Beyoncé being one of her biggest inspirations, and she finally had a full circle moment when Queen Bey joined her on the remix to her song “Savage.” In Beyonce’s verse, the singer describes her savagery and big boss moves, which is partially thanks to her upbringing and being raised by her family.  

In 2021, Tyler, The Creator released his seventh album, Call Me If You Got Lost. Using inspiration from DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz mixtape series, which was popular during the blog era, Tyler enlisted Drama to narrate his album. On the album’s second single “WusYaName,” Tyler is attempting to show his interest in a potential lover, and is hoping she isn’t already taken. 

Although Roddy Ricch released his debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, in December 2019, his 2020 single “The Box” helped push the rapper’s stardom even further. “The Box” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eleven weeks and earned several Grammy Award nominations, including Best Rap Song and Song of the Year. 

One thing you can count on with DJ Khaled is that he’s going to make sure to collaborate with the hottest artists in the game. Throughout his career, he’s teamed up with Drake on numerous occasions, and in 2020, they released another hit song, “Greece.” On the track, Drake tells a lover how much he can treat them to the finer luxuries in life. 

In 2020, Big Sean released his fifth album, Detroit 2, which was led by the hit single “Deep Reverence.” Joined by fellow rapper Nipsey Hussle, the two use the track to describe different events in their lives, such as the ups and downs of fame, dealings with family, and mental health issues.  

In 2022, Latto released her sophomore album, 777, which was led by the hit single “Big Energy.” Using a sample of Tom Tom Club’s 1981 song “Genius of Love,” it was pure perfection that Latto added Mariah Carey to the song’s remix, especially since Carey sampled the same song on her 1995 song “Fantasy.” Latto uses the track to describe how people give off confidence and energy that people are drawn to. 

The year 2024 was definitely the year of Kendrick Lamar, thanks to his hit song “Not Like Us.” In addition to the song being a diss track towards fellow rapper Drake, the song swept all five Grammy Award categories in which it was nominated, including Best Rap Song and Song of the Year. 

GloRilla is all about turning up with her crew on her hit song “TGIF.” One of the factors that pushed the song is how popular it became on social media, thanks to GloRilla’s opening line. “TGIF” peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In 2024, Vince Staples released his sixth album, Dark Times, and one of the standout fan favorites was “Little Homies.” Besides the upbeat song being used in a Taco Bell commercial, it’s the kind of track the listeners adore for Staples’ stance on teaching young people to do better. 

In 2023, Lil Uzi Vert released their third album, Pink Tape, which featured the hit single “Just Wanna Rock.” Vert switched up their sound to incorporate more Jersey club and house production this time. “Just Wanna Rock” inspired numerous fan videos across TikTok, and the song became a top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion had the whole world talking thanks to their provocative single “WAP.” Using a sample of Frank Ski’s 1993 single “Wh*res In This House,” the two rappers use the track to describe their sexual prowess and how they can please any lover. “WAP” instantly became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard charts.

In 2021, J. Cole released his sixth album, The Off-Season, which featured the hit single “Pride is the Devil.” Produced by frequent collaborator T-Minus and featuring fellow rapper Lil Baby, Cole uses the track to describe how pride can get the best and worst of people. 

In 2021, Saweetie and Doja Cat teamed up on their hit song “Best Friend.” On the track, the two trade verses on the bestie anthem, and it became a popular hit across social media. As they sang on the hook, “That's my best friend, she a real bad b—h / Drive her own car, she don't need no Lyft / In the strip club know my girl gon' tip / Now she twerkin' (Huh), she throw it out and come back in.”

In 2022, Gunna released his third album DS4Ever, which featured the hit track “Pushin P.” Joined by fellow rappers Future and Young Thug, the trio used the track to describe the popular phrase, which basically means how people can keep it real. “Pushin P” peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Five years after his previous album, Kendrick Lamar returned with his fifth album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, in 2022. One of the album's standout tracks is “Rich Spirit,” produced by Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and Frano. On the track, Lamar touches on different topics such as his fortune, mortality, and loyalty. 

Following the success of her 2021 album Planet Her, Doja Cat returned two years later with her fourth album, Scarlet. Led by the hit single “Paint The Town Red,” it was a track that showcased just how much of a rapper Doja is to anybody that underestimated her talent. One of the reasons the song was such a standout was due to the smooth sample of Dionne Warwick’s 1964 song “Walk On By.” With the help of going viral across TikTok, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Drake and J. Cole have only collaborated a couple of times throughout their careers, but they’re known for bringing music magic every time they do. That was the case in 2023 when they released their highly anticipated single “First Person Shooter.” Throughout the track, the two trade bars describing their career successes and the notion of the big three in the hip-hop world. 

In 2022, Dreamville’s own Bas released his hit song “Run It Up.” The rapper uses the track to describe his ambition and hunger for being successful. His stance is evident from the first verse as he says, “Me and my boys make major moves / Still the same ones that I came with / Uppin' the payment, toy you be nothin' to play with / Guess some things unchangeable / Me and my thirst insatiable.”

21 Savage kicked off 2024 by releasing his third album, American Dream, led by the hit single “Redrum.” The song became a top-five smash on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 2024, the world started to see Doechii’s ascent in hip-hop. During the summer, she released her highly anticipated mixtape, Alligator Bites Never Heal, led by the hit single “Nissan Altima.” The eclectic and energetic production from Childish Major, alongside Doechii’s effortless flow and storytelling, make for a sweet collaboration, showcasing that the MC is one of the next big stars behind the mic. 

In 2023, Nicki Minaj released her fifth album, Pink Friday 2, and one of the instant fan favorites was “Everybody.” Joined by Lil Uzi Vert, the catchy song gives off a perfect dance feel thanks to the sample of Junior Senior’s hit track “Move Your Feet.” Listeners may not even care what Nicki or Vert are rapping about, but the production can immediately grab anyone’s attention. 

Nas took his career to new heights in the 2020s when he started exclusively working with producer Hit-Boy, and their working relationship began flourishing in 2020 with the release of the rapper’s twelfth album, King’s Disease. One of the album’s standout tracks is “Replace Me,” a collaboration alongside Big Sean and Don Toliver. On the track, they highlight how an ex-lover didn’t appreciate them, and it will be hard to replace them. 

In 2023, rapper Larry June and producer The Alchemist teamed up on their joint album, The Great Escape. On the single “89 Earthquake,” The Alchemist’s piano-driven beat complements June’s rap flow as the MC reflects on his daily routine and the journey that got him to this stage in life. 

In 2002, Freddie Gibbs released his fifth album $oul $old Separately to rave reviews. One of the instant fan favorites was his DJ Paul-assisted track “PYS," which instantly grabs a listener's attention with a Three 6 Mafia sample. 

Three years after releasing his debut album, Everything’s for Sale, Westside Boogie returned in 2022 with his sophomore album, More Black Superheroes. One of the album standouts comes three songs in with “Nonchalant,” in which he uses the track to describe the feelings he has for a lover, but they’re not reciprocating the same thing.

2 Chainz and Lil Wayne have collaborated with each other throughout their careers, and in 2023, they joined forces for their second joint album, Welcome 2 Collegrove. They teamed up with R&B singer Usher on the album’s final single “Transparency,” and it sampled Michael Jackson’s hit song “The Lady in My Life.” On the track, they highlight how much they want to be transparent and truthful in their relationships. 

In 2024, Tyler, The Creator released his eighth album Chromakopia to rave reviews. One of the album cuts that quickly went up the charts is his Teezo Touchdown-assisted track “Darling, I.” On the song, Tyler, The Creator details his feelings on love and relationships, and the song became a top-20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 2021, UK rapper Little Simz released her critically acclaimed album Sometimes I Might Be Introverted. Simz teams up with Cleo Sol on the second single, “Woman,” in which the rapper describes a woman’s features and how much women should be celebrated. 

Wale takes a lot of time between albums before he releases a new one. In 2021, Wale released his seventh album, Folarin II, and one of the deep album cuts to become a fan favorite was “Fluctuate.” On the track, Wale describes how love, hate, and relationships can constantly shift in life. 

Pop Smoke was well on his way to being a rising star in hip-hop before he tragically passed away in early 2020. A few months later, his debut album, Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, was posthumously released, and it featured the hit song “For The Night.” Teaming up with Lil Baby and DaBaby, the three use the track to describe their lavish lifestyles and intimate evenings with partners.