What a weird year for rap 2015 was: everyone started dying to the point where it seemed like industry folk were becoming as endangered a demographic as WW2 veterans; Dr. Dre finally dropped a new album and it made zero impact out in the real world; Noisey got Migos arrested, and ironic Noisey content-fodder rappers like Yung Gleesh and Chippy Nonstop were either arrested for sexual assault or deported to Canada; the only legit DJ Mustard banger of 2015 came as a Beenie Man homage from a British duo who are the essentially Derek C & Derek D; a 19 year old from London somehow made the best dance record of the past 12 months.
The rap songs I've fuxwit most this year then. Usual year-end list rules apply: one song per artist and no order of preference. Blogged about the vast majority of these throughout the past 12 months so I've hyperlinked to my posts on them, and for the ones I haven't I've simply linked to the MP3 or the video. You can find MP3s of a fair few of them on the recent-ish jams 4 u compilations I've posted throughout 2015, as for the rest you'll have to keep your fingers crossed BiggieGeorges swings through the comments and blesses y'all with zipfiles again.
Favourite rap songs of 2015 which dropped right at the arse-end of 2014:
Shy Glizzy - Funeral
Fabolous - Lituation
Mr.2-17 ft. The Ratchets - This And That
5th Ward Weebie ft. Snoop & Juvenile - Let Me Find Out Pt 2
Wiz Khalifa - Smoke Chambers
Nebu Kiniza - Myself
Favourite rap songs of 2015:
Rae Sremmurd - This Could Be Us
Lil' Chris - Days Go Bye
Tiffini & Lil' Chris - Bad Lil' Chick (remix)
Rich Homie Quan - Daddy
Nef The Pharaoh - Big Tymin'
Corn ft. Nef The Pharaoh - Old School Hyphy
Dr. Yen Lo - Day 93
Kendrick Lamar - Alright
Honey Cocaine - Honeydick
Snoop & Pharrell Williams - R U A Freak
Warren G ft. Nate Dogg - My House
Kap G - Andelay
Kid Ink - Cheerleader (Salaam Remi remix)
Mozzy - Bladadah
Young Thug - Halftime
Kokane ft. Too $hort - Luvin' A Pimp
Lil' Bibby & Lil' Herb - Ain't Heard Bout You (Kill Shit Pt.2)
K Camp - Comfortable
A-Wax - EverLasting Money
Jidenna ft. Roman GianArthur - Classic Man
YG - Twist My Fingaz
RJ - If It Ain't Ace
Ty Money ft. Twista - Come Again
Meek Mill - Monster
Gunplay - White Bitch
The Jacka ft. Dru Down - For Real
Berner & The Jacka ft. Rydah J. Clyde - One Sound
Fetty Wap - RGF Island
Patman - LIT
BeatKing - Stopped (video version)
Audio Push - Normally
Stresmatic ft. Nef The Pharaoh & Mazerati Ricky - 2 Phones
French Montana ft. Chinx & N.O.R.E - Off The Rip
Chinx - How To Get Rich
Hardini - I'm Bick
Maine Musik - Social Media Gangsta
J.Stalin ft. L'Jay - Bye Felicia
Lil' Twon ft. Playa Gator - Bruh (remix)
Future - News Or Somethn
DonMonique - Pilates (Kendall, Kylie, Miley)
King Los ft. R. Kelly - Glory To The Lord
Paul Wall - Swangin' In The Rain
Missy Elliot ft. Pharrell - WTF (Where They From)
Vic Spencer & TREE - Once
Kamaiyah ft. Zay M - Out The Bottle
Flo Rida ft. Robin Thicke - I Don't Like It, I Love It
Bankroll Fresh ft. Travis Porter & Boochie - Walked In
Boosie Badazz - I'm Sorry
Mouse On Tha Track - Grass Greener
Related year end reading: the best non-rap songs of 2015.
Glad to see Swanging In The Rain on here.
ReplyDeleteNo White Gzus though?
Good point. Return Of The G was my shit.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's kinda off topic but is it me or did all the stuff Kevin Gates drop this year kinda suck?
ReplyDeleteNice.
ReplyDeleteLil B's 'Soul Food' had one of the best choruses this year.
Any full lengths you particularly liked in 2015?
I liked that one Gates song The Law, but his shit has sucked for the last couple of years, imo. Terrible taste in sub-Eminem type production.
ReplyDeleteI love the Dr. Yen Lo album. Rae Sremmurd LP was cool but definitely should have stayed EP-length as it was originally intended.
I'm not really an albums/mixtape guy, TBH.
Gawd I'm so glad someone besides pfork is validating my love for News or Somethin.
ReplyDeleteIt warms my old jaded heart that Future has such a soft spot for Nard n B production, straight up.
News Or Somethn >>>>>>> Future's overrated mixtape where the Ironside sample appears 100 times in damn near every song.
ReplyDeleteLike I said last year a late pass zip of any of the pre 2012 best ofs would be a god send.
ReplyDeleteGreat work as always this year Martorialist.
I'm sure someone must have the pre-2012 zipfiles.
ReplyDeleteGonna get stuck into this over lunch
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to listening to these. Great to see "walked in" in there and I think I agree with you that "Haltime" was the best track Young Thug dropped this year.
ReplyDeleteQuite surprised to see Kendrick in there, although I don't disagree.
Do you have a blanket non-rawse rule or do you just not rate black dollars?
P.s. I'm glad someone else thinks DS2 is overrated. Found it so samey. Only really liked Slave Master and Thought It Was a Drought
Kendrick's I was in 2014's song list. I like all 3 singles from TPAB, just think the album itself is cack.
ReplyDeleteOnly Ross shit I ever liked was on Rich Forever.
Lurking for zipgiles
ReplyDeleteI liked that one Gates song The Law, but his shit has sucked for the last couple of years, imo. Terrible taste in sub-Eminem type production.
ReplyDeleteget where you're going w/ the eminem concerns on certain songs but this opinion is objectively incorrect
While I'm at it, Kevin Gates "2 Phones" > stressmatic "2 Phones"
ReplyDeleteBold choice with "News Or Somethn," but a good one. My list has some overlap with yours, but I can't act like this wasn't the place that put me onto "Bad Lil Chick" and "Off The Rip." Where the Zip file man at?
ReplyDelete@b corpsey, were there any good Ross songs this year? I'm a Ross apologist, but I didn't like anything I heard from him.
SE - what were your favourite Flo Rida #bars of 2015? I liked "I got another comma in my budget/I got an anaconda in my Trukfit"
ReplyDeleteDrake - GTFOH. That Gates song is trash.
No Sauce Twinz?
ReplyDeleteNah. Hate all that trendy fake-Migos rap.
ReplyDeleteNews or Something was cool but my fav Future joint this year was Blood On The Money. Gates had a few joints too like "Rollin Around" and La Familia but yeah waiting on the album to see where I really stand with him. The Gunplay joint is intense too wish he more songs like that for his album.
ReplyDeleteFound a lot of good songs from this site this year keep up the great work in the new year. now who's coming through with that zip?
Oh yeah, good point. I owe you a big thanks for wandering the Montana wilderness and coming back with "off the rip." I stopped checking French a long time ago but that song ended up being one of my faves of the year.
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated.
Late-2014, but Dontchu by French is great too 🏄
ReplyDeleteHotbox - here's to Social Media Gangsta 👊👍
did/do you like jay rock?
ReplyDeleteNever heard any of his solo stuff.
ReplyDeleteYooo that solo version of "Stopped" is the one.
ReplyDeleteGood work apart from no Vince Staples
ReplyDeleteNo Starlito? Shame.
ReplyDeleteClassic Man remix > the original
ReplyDeletewhere's e-40 yup? si mane ya slippin
ReplyDeleteGreat video, but not a song I have any particular feelings about either way.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/alex_macpherson/status/676395645096353792
ReplyDelete*Soulja Boy voice*
ReplyDeleteI'M NOT YUNG JOC, BUT, BITCH, IT'S GOIN' DOWN!
plz make an eoy list representative of what Macphersons been covering all year cos iirc wasnt that the whole joke bout this last year
ReplyDeleteobv dont do this if theres been gender parity dont body yourself brv
Far more bothered by McPerson wearing grey socks + black trainers with white shorts, tbh.
ReplyDeleteRay - recommend me some good 2015 $tarlito. No freestyles over other ppl's beats tho.
Lito's had his quietest year for a while in terms of output. I might have missed a few features here and there, but apart from his new one, which I haven't had time to listen to yet, "freestyles over other ppl's beats" describes most of his '15 output. As far as that goes, Passed The Present is solid.
ReplyDeleteI nearly posted that Twitter link last night. Does he realise the "blurb" he's so upset about was written by a woman?
Lulz
ReplyDeleteLex is such a weirdo.
ReplyDeleteMcPherson not even bothering to notice the blurb he's calling out for misogyny was written by a woman is a pretty incredible moment, tbf.
ReplyDeleteLito had three releases this year. I'd recommend Introversion: it's so good from start to finish. The lastest, I'm moving to Houston, has no songs that really stand out.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes - I remember the title track from Introversion now. That shit is great because it actually has a hook.
ReplyDeleteYou the man for finding a good Wiz Khalifa song
ReplyDeleteYou need to see The Wire eoy hip hop list if you haven't already. It's WTF list of the year.
ReplyDeleteLink me.
ReplyDeleteHiphop (Richard Stacy)
ReplyDelete1. Big Toast – Fuck Off Tarquin
2. Kendrick Lamar – For Free? (Interlude)
3. Lady Leshurr – Queens Speech Episode 4
4. Rast – Jesus Saves
5. Dead Players -Freshly Skeletal
6. Rae Sremmurd – Unlock The Swag
7. Saf One – She Wants A Man From Brum
8. Tyler, The Creator – Cherry Bonb
9. Stormzy – Know Me From
10. Dirty Dike – Hold My Hands
http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?action=showall&boardid=41&threadid=103062#msg5698978
WireTheFuck?!
ReplyDeleteStormzy's Know Me From does have my favourite zinger of 2015 though, tbf:
"Look I don't rate them boys
Bare wasteman, bare pagan boys
I come to your team and I'll fuck shit up - I'm David Moyes"
Obligatory Best Rap Songs 2015 by The Martorialist : http://bit.ly/1JhJ1Oa
ReplyDeleteI'm Da Plug 3 - Mikey Dollaz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYg0C5cfmco
ReplyDeleteFuck 12 - G Count and Nascent - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsnXlrdNBBQ
Mic Terror/Teklife - N'Dis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4vUWUfM-bA
Great list!!! Just my faves from the year. Merry Kwanzah.
S/O to both gents above!
ReplyDeletehttps://open.spotify.com/user/11180051859/playlist/4aCBCVkXtyDBFaTcfblSp0
ReplyDeleteMade a Spotify list of as many of your selections as I could find.
👏 Cheers
ReplyDeleteWhere's "Fester Skank"?
ReplyDeleteSomewhat o.t. but what is the martorialists top film/ movie pics of 2015?
ReplyDeleteReally liked these:
ReplyDeleteMad Max: Fury Road
Tangerine
Inside Out
It Follows
The Lobster
Still need to see The Duke Of Burgundy, The Assassin, Carol, 45 Years, and Ex Machina.
Ex Machina is great IMO. Some clunky dialogue but overall great.
ReplyDeleteNeed to see a few on both those lists. Also Sicario.
Oh yeah, that was good too.
ReplyDeleteJohn Wick was also pretty fun.
Alright by Kendrick Lamar best track on one of the best albums ever
ReplyDeleteFave Movies 2015
ReplyDeleteMad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
It Follows
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Spring
Hard to be a God
Sicario
The Duke of Burgundy
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Bone Tomahawk
Crimson Peak
A Christmas Horror Story
Furious 7
Honourable mentions: Cooties; Ex Machina; The Lobster; Cop Car; Goodnight Mommy; Creed; & Deathgasm.
I think you meant to type Unfriended there instead of Star Wars, m8.
ReplyDeleteHard to decide which was more terrifying: Princess Leia's Frank Butcher voice or Ken's sex face with a blender?
ReplyDeleteSorority Row will go down as a more notable movie in Carrie Fisher's career than The Force Awakens, imho.
ReplyDeleteBig fan of Sorority Row. One of the better slasher remakes / reboots / reimaginings.
ReplyDelete👊
ReplyDelete