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RapTV’s Song of the Year: Winner & Nominees

A definitive ranking of the Top 10 songs of the year.

Choosing a single song from your favorite artist’s catalog as their “best” is a challenge, but ultimately, some will rise to the top of your memory while others fade into obscurity. The same holds true for Song of the Year lists: it’s not about declaring one song as objectively “best”—a subjective judgment—but about capturing the songs that made a significant impact.

The tracks that truly stand out when looking back on a year are the ones that define moments, spark conversation, and leave a lasting impression. Noticeably absent from the discussion are streaming statistics, as numbers alone offer the least compelling argument for influence.

A dedicated collective of us spent hours deliberating, discussing, and ultimately ranking our list of the Top Songs of the Year, guided by the powerful combination of quality, cultural relevance, and momentum. Below, we share why we believe these 10 songs were the most noteworthy of 2024.

 

10. “Mr Pot Scraper” by BossMan Dlow

In true, dope-dealing motivation form, BossMan Dlow found success with another get your money up hit. During a time of economic uncertainty, “Mr Pot Scraper” provides relief, and for the two minutes it’s playing, you feel like you’re Big Za grinding until your “left pocket full of pink fifties, right pocket got blues in it.” 

It’s a turnt-up anthem about living large and recklessly chasing the bag, delivered with infectious enthusiasm. The sound effects of revved engines add to the vicarious lifestyle “Mr Pot Scraper” evokes. When Dlow spits, “The way I’m driving the (vroom) I just might wreck or somethin’,” you shout along with your foot on the imaginary gas pedal.

 

9. “Gerskiway” by Lucki ft. Veeze, Rylo Rodriguez

The chemistry we know and love between Lucki and Veeze was made even better with the addition of Rylo Rodriguez on “Gerskiway.” The Big Three of lo-fi trap carry a hazy and hypnotic flow, going verse for verse, with unserious bars and many lean references.

“I was just mad at my lil bitch, she did somethin’ in a dream,” Lucki raps over sparse and atmospheric production, letting you contemplate the bluntness of what he just said. Veeze is unbothered and audacious as usual, and Rylo deserves more flowers for always being a strong feature artist. “Gerskiway” leaves you hoping for another link-up from this trio.

 

8. “Fisherrr” by Cash Cobain, Bay Swag

As soon as the beat to “Fisherrr” starts playing, you can feel the sexy drill melody in your bones. Smooth, sensual, and atmospheric, Cash’s lyrics roll off the tip of his tongue, gliding perfectly over the beat. The slower tempo is balanced by drill percussion, making it the perfect vibe for the late-night haze of a club or the intoxicating thrill of an intimate setting. 

“Fisherrr” might have been an anthem for some New Yorkers, but in 2024 it became universal, putting the 2 Slizzy 2 Sexy subgenre on the map.

 

7. “On One Tonight” by Gunna

This track was a slow burn, initially overshadowed by tracks like “one of wun,” but the only complaint is that it isn’t longer. Gunna’s flow floats on the beat smooth as butter, without pause until the song is over and you realize there was no hook, just one long, catchy-as-hell verse. 

Peppered throughout his usual flex bars about rainbow-faced APs and jets with big-body frame women are the reflective ones that capture the spirit of revival. “They hope I fall off, ain’t no way,” he raps early on, followed by “Talkin’ to God in the middle of the day / Ain’t no human bein’ determine my fate.”

 

6. “Redrum” by 21 Savage

Dropping at the beginning of 2024, 21 Savage’s American Dream has been overlooked in many end-of-year discussions, but it was one of his most polished and diverse offerings to date. “Redrum,” a clever nod to Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining, was one of the album’s inescapable tracks. 

The sample of Brazilian singer Elza Laranjeira’s opera-like vocals creates a polarity with Savage’s deadpan, murderous wordplay that’s haunting. He effortlessly rattles off witty lines such as “Take my chopper everywhere, that’s bae” and “He stood on business, now he layin’ on his back, pussy” that are easy to rap along to and hard to forget.

 

5. “Bandit” by Don Toliver

“Bandit” was one of Don Toliver’s home runs this year thanks to its genre-blurring combination of hypnotic vocals and an electrifying guitar riff. Over a gritty, almost otherworldly soundscape and a pitched-up Tame Impala sample, Toliver delivers a pre-chorus that feels like a defiant declaration: “Ride the highway, rock the bus / Why my house look like Army Plus? / Walk in the strip, she gon’ make it bust.” 

The song’s blend of futuristic production with raw energy and confidence struck a chord with many fans, making it Toliver’s highest-charting solo hit so far. 

 

4. “Carnival” by Ye and Ty Dolla $ign ft. Playboi Carti, Rich The Kid

Repeating the formula that made Travis Scott’s “FE!N” so successful—Playboi Carti feature, chant-like hook, and mosh pit energy—Ye struck gold with “Carnival.” It became Ye’s first No. 1 song on the Hot 100 since 2007’s “Stronger,” and subsequently delivered Carti his first No. 1 single. 

Just like the group of Inter Milan fans who voiced the compelling “go go go go” chant,  “Carnival” was a team effort. Rich The Kid delivered one of his most inspired verses in years. Carti did what Carti does, sending fans into a frenzy, and Ye and Ty Dolla $ign curated the hit they needed at the height of Vultures 1 mania.

 

3. “Timeless” by The Weeknd ft. Playboi Carti

What “Popular” lacked, “Timeless” made up for in spades. The Weeknd and Playboi Carti contrast beautifully over spacey atmospheric production by Pharrell and Mike Dean. For starters, it’s one of the few songs that doesn’t require a Cartinese translation. 

Carti leverages his vocal inflections to switch between pitches and reach his version of The Weeknd’s smooth falsetto. They take turns delivering the “ever since I was a jit, I’ve been legit” hook, and the blend of their different styles throughout the song proves to be addictive.

 

2. “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar

At this point, it’s self-explanatory why “Not Like Us” is near the top of any song of the year list. Kendrick pulled a Drake on Drake, proving he can make a thought-provoking diss track that slices through the boy and is a No. 1 hit. Backed by the compelling West Coast Mustard beat, Kendrick annihilated Drake, pissed on his grave, and then had the whole world dancing on it. 

“Not Like Us” was a masterclass in lyricism, cultural unity, and what happens when you poke the boogeyman. Kendrick fans knew he had this in him, but no one anticipated how big a song with the words “certified pedophile” could get. Anywhere you turned—baby showers, sports games, high school classrooms, and political rallies—”Not Like Us” was playing. 

It’s a loss to try and deny the song’s impact or the diabolical genius that penned “tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A minor.” It’s cemented in the history books as one of the greatest diss tracks of all time, next to Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up.”

Admittedly, it spread like wildfire to the point that it’s overplayed, which is why it’s not No. 1 on our list. However, “Not Like Us” deserves all the accolades it’s received and will continue to be celebrated well into 2025, with the Super Bowl halftime show and the Grammy Awards coming up.

 

1. “Like That” by Future, Metro Boomin ft. Kendrick Lamar

This might be a controversial choice since most publications have crowned “Not Like Us” as the song of the year, but hear us out. “Like That” was the catalyst for the biggest rap beef of the millennium, which permeated pop culture and proved hip-hop is as dominant as ever. 

From the moment “Like That” was first teased at Rolling Loud LA, it was clear the song would be a banger. Metro Boomin’s master flip of the “Everlasting Bass” sample was like a shot of adrenaline, giving Future the stage to deliver another toxic classic.

The unveiling of the full song was equivalent to a calculated high-stakes assassination. Kendrick’s verse stole the show when listeners discovered the easter egg of his surprise feature and the viciousness of his lyrics, declaring an all-out war with the line, “fuck the big three, it’s just big me.” 

Metro, Future, and Kendrick were the powerful trifecta 2024 didn’t know it needed. Like the Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman trio of the ‘96 Chicago Bulls team, each artist played to their strengths to deliver a blowout track that changed the course of hip-hop history.

There would be no “Not Like Us” without “Like That,” and any diss track that followed didn’t have the same shock value. Plus, nine months later, the song still slaps, escaping the oversaturation “Not Like Us” reveled in.