Here Are the Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2020
- SHARE
- TWEET
Everybody is knocking on the door of 2021, hoping a new year will bring an end to COVID-19 and restore the world back to its original order. While 2020 hasbeen somewhat inchaos due to the pandemic, hip-hop flourished on streaming platforms, the radio, TikTok and theBillboardHot 100 charts. Since this year is basically a wrap,XXLpresents the Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2020 thatprovided hip-hop fans with a soundtrack for the memories and moments that matter. For this year-end list, the tracks chosen are a blend of fan favorites and undeniable club bangersthat most of us only got to hear inthe crib or the car this year.
It's no surprisePop Smoke makes an appearance on any year-end list after delivering one of the mostlauded projects of 2020with his Shoot for the Stars Aim for the Moon album. "The Woo" featuring 50 Cent and Roddy Ricch, a guitar-driven track produced byRxcksta, JW Lucas and DJ Drewski, is one of the best songs of 2020 for good reason. Aside from "The Woo" having over 223 million Spotify streams and more than 80 million YouTube views on its accompanying video, the pop-leaning song is a testament to Pop's skill set as a Brooklyn drill rapper with versatility. His melodic delivery andhomage to 50 Cent with the line "Let me take you to the candy shop [Candy shop]/Show you all I got [All I got, all I got]"combined with Roddy's soaring verse and Fif's solid rhymes make this an exceptional effort.
On the other side of the coast, Bay Area rapperSaweetie's gold-selling banger "Tap In" went global this year thanks to platforms like TikTok. Over 7 million video creations onTikTok have helpedthe track, which arrived in June, cross different regions, genders and agesas rap fans"tap in"in a myriad of ways. Saweetie creates a women empowerment instructional anthemon how to get what you want, all whilesampling Too $hort's 2006 classic "Blow the Whistle."
Over in Canada,Drakedropped a triumphant summer song in the form of"Laugh Now, Cry Later" featuring Lil Durkin August, which carried well beyond the season."Tired of beefin', you bums, you can't even pay me enough to react/Been wakin' up in the crib, but sometimes I dont even know where I'm at," he raps over crisp horns and production from Cardo, Roget Chahayed, G. Ry and Yung Exclusive. Durkio delivers a "ooh-oh" momentwhich has since been the center of plenty of positive memeswhile boasting about bringing Drake to the hood. "I'm like DaBaby, I'm not just a rapper, you play with me you will get stretched, ooh-oh/Ran dracs in the hood, surround Drake around dracs/Even though I got a case, I'ma do what it take,"Durk rhymes.
2020 XXL Freshman 24kGoldn's"Mood" featuring Iann Dior, an upbeat ode that centers on a tug-of-war relationship, brought him to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in when the song hit No. 1 in October. The KBeaZy, Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin-produced track has since-earned major streams [over 580 million on Spotify], TikTok love [over 2 million video creations] and six more weeks at No. 1. Not bad for 24k's first official full year in the game.
From trap ballads to inimitable bangers, Here Are the Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2020.
Laugh Now, Cry Later
Drake featuring Lil DurkThe Woo
Pop Smoke featuring 50 Cent and Roddy RicchTap In
SaweetieLemonade"
Internet Money Featuring Don Toliver, Gunna and NavHate the Other Side
Juice Wrld with Marshmello featuring Polo G and The Kid LaroiRags2Riches
Rod Wave featuring ATR SonSonRunnin
21 Savage and Metro Boomin24
Money Man featuring Lil Baby"Kacey Talk"
YoungBoy Never Broke AgainWAP
Cardi B featuring Megan Thee StallionSaid Sum
Moneybagg YoWhole Lotta Choppas
Sada BabyWeak
Flo MilliMood
24kGoldn featuring Iann DiorDeep Reverence
Big Sean featuring Nipsey HussleGo Crazy
Chris Brown and Young ThugPopstar
DJ Khaled featuring DrakeOne Way Flight
Benny The Butcher featuring Freddie GibbsThe Climb Back
J. Cole"RNB
Young Dolph featuring Megan Thee StallionRoses [Imanbek Remix]
Saint Jhn327
Westside Gunn and Joey Bada$$ featuring Tyler, The Creator and Billie Essco"Toosie Slide"
Drake"Savage [Remix]"
Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé"The Bigger Picture"
Lil Baby"PTSD"
G Herbo featuring Chance The Rapper, Lil Uzi Vert and Juice Wrld"The Scotts"
Kid Cudi and Travis Scott"Godzilla"
Eminem featuring Juice Wrld"Walk Em Down"
NLE Choppa featuring Roddy Ricch"What's Poppin"
Jack Harlow"Life Is Good"
Future featuring Drake"Blueberry Faygo"
Lil Mosey"Rockstar"
DaBaby "Rockstar" featuring Roddy Ricch"Say So [Remix]"
Doja Cat featuring Nicki Minaj"After Party"
Don Toliver"Oprah's Bank Account"
Lil Yachty featuring Drake and DaBaby"Deep End Freestyle"
Sleepy Hollow featuring Fousheé"Calvin"
Conway The Machine and The Alchemist"Took Her to the O"
King Von"Silly Watch"
Lil Uzi Vert"Need It
Migos featuring YoungBoy Never Broke AgainRounds
Calboy featuring Fivio Foreign"iPhone"
Rico Nasty3 Headed Goat
Lil Durk featuring Lil Baby and Polo G"Good News"
Mac Miller"Song 33"
Noname"Otherside of America"
Meek Mill"Dollaz on My Head"
Gunna featuring Young Thug"21
Polo GWe Paid
Lil Baby and 42 Dugg
See Rappers We've Lost in 2020