2020 has been filled with great music. From well known artists to up and coming acts, there has been no shortage of songs with re-play value. This article is specific to the month of May. Whether you were looking back at the month to see which songs dropped or are comparing which month had the best Rap releases, this article has you covered. During May, music fans were provided with a plentitude of new songs to serve as the soundtrack to their quarantine. This month’s list includes new music from Mozzy, Polo G, Freddie Gibbs and more.
This article is part of DX’s monthly “Best of The Year” series. Check out some of DX’s other lists to stay up-to-date with all of the new music dropping this year.
Check out the Top Rap Songs of 2020… (so far). Make sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom and find HipHopDX’s playlist of the best rap songs of 2020. And don’t forget to follow us on Spotify!
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The Best Rap Songs of Jan – May 2020
“Wishing For A Hero” – Polo G f. BJ The Chicago Kid
The climax of Polo G’s sophomore effort feels analogous to a song that precedes it by 22 years. “Wishing For A Hero” takes on the same tenor and piano loop that made Tupac’s “Changes” a resonating reminder of how much truly hasn’t changed even in the face of optimism. “Cops kill us and we protest, what type of shit is that?” Polo asks before settling underneath BJ The Chicago Kid’s own hymnals, “I’m from where we unheard but we can’t speak.” He may be referencing Chicago, but in America, he’s referring to millions of people who want basic decency and respect.
“Something To Rap About” – Freddie Gibbs f. Tyler The Creator
“Laugh Now Kry Later!” – YG
Compton-bred rapper YG returned with a video for “Laugh Now, Kry Later!,” another bravado-filled ride bursting at the seams with YG’s unabashed confidence. The song marks YG’s first offering since his February duet “Konclusions” with his now ex-girlfriend Kehlani. Produced by Pasqué, FranchiseDidIt and Iceberg, “Laugh Now, Kry Later!” is slow enough for a summer jam but still bumps.
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“T.D.” – Lil Yachty f. Tyler The Creator, A$AP Rocky & Tierra Whack
“BALD! REMIX” – JPEGMAFIA f. Denzel Curry
JPEGMAFIA bolstered his already impressive cut “BALD!” by enlisting the help of Denzel Curry for the track’s remix. Peggy’s new version maintains the original production but replaces his second verse with an excellent effort from Zeltron. Curry fits seamlessly on the track, particularly while rapping on the sparse section of the beat featuring nothing but hand claps.
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“495” – IDK f. Rico Nasty, YungManny, Big Flock, Big JAM & Weensey
IDK served as the music supervisor on Kevin Durant’s Showtime documentary Basketball County: In the Water and slipped a new song, “495,” into the film. The posse cut features Juicy J’s production, which proves he’s still a master of the vintage Three 6 Mafia sound. But with IDK and Acyde also contributing to the beat, the song morphs at one point from menacing banger into a breezy anthem by the time Rico Nasty starts rapping.
“Savage (Remix)” – Megan Thee Stallion f. Beyoncé
Megan Thee Stallion has been building her Hot Girl brand over the past couple of years and continues to grow into one of the most prominent new artists in the game. If her status wasn’t already cemented before, a fellow Houston native sealed the deal for Meg. Beyoncé not only hopped on the remix, she also provided multiple rap verses, adlibs over the hook and new melodies to take the song to the next level. “Savage (Remix)” reached No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100m giving Megan her first ever No. 1 song.
“S.O.T.L. (Silence of the Lambs)” – Ludacris f. Lil Wayne
After teasing the song during his Instagram Live Verzuz Battle with Nelly, the veteran MC drops off his first official single since his 2015 release of Ludaversal. The song comes complete with references to Colin Kaepernick, Floyd Mayweather, Tekashi 6ix9ine, a controversial lyric about R. Kelly and a hook from Weezy.
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“Body Count” f. G Herbo & King Von – Mozzy
Over the past decade, Mozzy has become one of the best rappers at portraying the grim circumstances of street life. “Body Count” off his Beyond Bulletproof album is another example of his proficiency in this area as he displays on the hook and first verse. The West Coast MC gets assists from Chicago’s G Herbo and King Von, the latter of whom delivers one of his finest performances to date, proving he shouldn’t be stuck in the shadow of his OTF boss Lil Durk.
“Will (Remix)” – Joyner Lucas f. Will Smith
After releasing the music video for his single “Will,” which finds Joyner professing his admiration for actor/MC Will Smith and comparing his own journey to Smith’s celebrated career, the man who inspired the song jumped on the remix. The Fresh Prince tells his story over the beat while shouting out all of the people who inspired him along the way, from Muhammad Ali to his wife Jada.
“H.A.R.D.” – Joell Ortiz & KXNG Crooked
The demise of Slaughterhouse was unfortunate for Hip Hop, but Joell Ortiz and KXNG Crooked reminded fans of why the supergroup was special with the release of their “H.A.R.D.” single. The two have always been elite lyricists yet what really makes The Heatmakerz-produced cut shine is Ortiz and Crook’s chemistry. These veteran MCs arguably compliment each other better as a duo than they did within the four-man lineup of Slaughterhouse with the track emphasizing their strengths. Still, both artists have great fondness for their days rapping alongside Royce Da 5’9 and Joe Budden and make sure that’s known on the single.
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“The Homies Wanna Know” – Mozzy
“Basquiat” – Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas
Mr. Lif and seasoned producer Stu Bangas — collectively known as Vangarde — pay tribute to Gang Starr with “Basquiat,” the duo’s second offering from their upcoming self-titled EP. The track weaves ‘90s boom bap with Lif’s signature laid-back flow, a proper follow-up to the inaugural single, “The New Normal.”
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“Up Or Down” – E-40 f. Wiz Khalifa
The Playlist
As promised, for your listening pleasure, here is HipHopDX’s The Best Hip Hop Songs of 2020 … so far.
If you want to see our lists from past months, here they are:
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You can also check out the best Rap songs from each month:
