2020 has been filled with a lot of turmoil and chaos, but the one constant has been 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 June. Whether you were looking back at the month to see which songs dropped or are comparing which month had the best Hip Hop releases, this article has you covered.
During June, music fans were provided with a plentitude of new songs to serve as the soundtrack to their quarantine as well as the nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Lil Baby, Anderson .Paak, Wale and more shared their thoughts on wax.
Check out our full lists below:
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The Top Hip Hop Songs of June 2020
“The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby
The ongoing Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of the police have inspired music from plenty of rappers. But none have quite captured the collective feeling of the moment as well as Lil Baby on the anthemic “The Bigger Picture.” Rapping with a beleaguered delivery about the systematic oppression caused by our broken institutions, Baby’s call to action strikes the right balance of being fed up with the police’s abuse of power, and cautiously optimistic that people uniting together can usher in the change this country so desperately needs.
“What’s Poppin (Remix)” – Jack Harlow f. Tory Lanez, DaBaby & Lil Wayne
“WHAT’S POPPIN” became Jack Harlow’s biggest song on its own, yet the track got a major co-sign when three of Hip Hop’s biggest stars jumped on the remix. DaBaby, Lil Wayne and Tory Lanez brought their respective styles to the cut and only made it better in the process. But most impressive of all is how Harlow still stands tall, proving he’s more than ready to compete alongside the heavyweights in the rap industry.
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“Song 33” – Noname
Although Noname later expressed regret for issuing this response to J. Cole’s perceived “tone deaf” single “Snow On Tha Bluff,” the Chicago rapper seized her moment and murdered the Madlib-produced beat while setting the Dreamville boss firmly in her crosshairs. With lines such as, “But niggas in the back quiet as a church mouse/Basement studio when duty calls to get the verse out/I guess the ego hurt now,” she made it abundantly clear she can handle her own.
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“Lockdown” – Anderson .Paak
The acidic mix of coronavirus blues and red-hot racial tensions has left plenty of Americans feeling empty and deflated. On his soothing protest anthem “Lockdown,” Anderson. Paak offers the world mild sedative for their rage while keeping them on course to upset the bigger system.
“Something To Rap About” – Freddie Gibbs f. Tyler The Creator
Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist’s surprise album Alfredo is filled with excellent music, but the soothing sounds of “Something To Rap About” make for one of the best listening experiences in Hip Hop this year. Gangsta Gibbs floats on ALC’s beat, dropping jaw-dropping lines such as “God made me sell crack, so I had something to rap about. Tyler, The Creator’s guest verse is icing on the cake, adding a little extra flavor to this delicious Alfredo cut.
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“City On Lock” – City Girls f. Lil Durk
“Make It Rain” – Pop Smoke f. Rowdy Rebel
Ahead of Pop Smoke’s highly anticipated first posthumous album, the late Brooklyn rapper’s estate released “Make It Rain,” featuring the currently incarcerated Rowdy Rebel. The lead single from the forthcoming album contains everything you’d want from a Pop Smoke track: deep growls, a thick underlying bass and that inimitable Flossy cadence.
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“JU$T” – Run The Jewels f. Pharrell Williams and Zack de la Rocha
The collaborations between Run The Jewels and Rage Against The Machine’s Zack de la Rocha have been some of the best parts of RTJ’s albums … and RTJ4 is no different. El-P and Killer Mike switched up the formula a bit for their latest team-up, recruiting Pharrell and de la Rocha for the standout cut “JU$T.” Having Pharrell join in the slamming of capitalism makes for an unexpected but pleasantly surprising wrinkle to the string of collabs from RTJ and RATM”s frontman.
“WELFARE” – RMR f. Westside Gunn
The masked singer proved that he’s worth the hype on his debut album DRUG DEALING IS A LOST ART. The genre-bending album has whiffs of Pop and Country, all while remaining undeniably Hip Hop. “WELFARE” puts RMR toe-to-toe with Griselda’s Westside Gunn for a trap ballad. Gunn’s belligerent adlibs paired with RMR’s smooth, soulful vocals make this track one of 2020’s best.
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“ROCKSTAR” (BLM Remix)” – DaBaby f. Roddy Ricch
“MOVIN’ DIFFERENT” – Wale f. McClenney
Between nationwide protests and coronavirus quarantines, there is no doubt that 2020 is unlike any other year in history. At such a unique time, there isn’t much music to capture the feeling, but Wale’s new EP The Imperfect Storm portrays the mood of so many living through this year. On “MOVIN’ DIFFERENT” Foloron tackles complex issues like the media’s portrayal of protests, riots, Los Angeles curfews, the militarization of police and not-so-sober quarantining.
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“FTP” – YG
Once again, Compton-bred rapper YG has used his power for good. Instead of calling out Donald Trump like he did with 2016’s “FDT,” now he’s taking aim at corrupt police with “FTP (Fuck The Police).” Again, timing played an integral role in the unharnessed power of the track. With protests and riots breaking out across the globe in the name of George Floyd and racial equality, YG’s words resonate louder than ever, especially lines such as, “Murder after murder after all these years/Buy a strap, bust back after all these tears/Mommas cryin’, how they gon’ heal? (How they gon’?)/How you would feel?”
“GTA VI” – Drakeo The Ruler & JoogSzn
The gritty and violent tales from some of the most traumatized street rappers endlessly fascinate those who haven’t experienced that life. To these wannabe hustlers, selling drugs, dodging bullets and shooting Glocks would be “so lit, bro,” leaving them wishing they could live out their gangsta fantasies. What’s forgotten, as allegedwrongly incarcerated L.A. rapper Drakeo The Ruler points out on “GTA VI,” is most don’t live that way because it’s fun: they do it to survive. Drakeo’s sobering cautionary tale of what happens when you treat life like it’s Grand Theft Auto haunts the listener long after the cracks of the GTL phone line fade out; a reminder there is no respawn if you fuck up in real life.
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“Black 2” – Buddy
“State Of The Union (STFU)” — Public Enemy f. DJ Premier
Much like Run The Jewels’ RTJ4, Public Enemy’s first song since 2017 seemed to arrive right on time. With production from the inimitable DJ Premier, the in-your-face, anti-Trump anthem erupts with Chuck D’s booming voice and Flavor Flav’s familiar ad-libs as Preemo and DJ Lord tear up the 1s and 2s. The groundbreaking Hip Hop group followed up the track with an explosive rendition of “Fight The Power” at the 2020 BET Awards alongside Nas, Questlove, Jahi, YG, Black Thought and Rapsody.
“Skinny Suge” – Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist
Given the way Freddie Gibbs has been Deebo’ing the rap game in 2020, it’s only right the bluesy yet cocky “Skinny Suge” is his new national anthem. Overtop The Alchemist’s stingray guitar loops, Gangsta Gibbs literally raps his way out of a paranoia-driven psychosis to emerge as Hip Hop’s top draw this year.
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“Girls In The Hood” – Megan Thee Stallion
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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