2024 has been a banner year for Asian Hip Hop getting worldwide recognition, and LiFTED has been there every step of the way. With coverage of top-tier artists, festivals big and small, dancers leading the way, artists doing incredible things, and scouring the underground looking for the sounds that are shaping the scene, LiFTED is proud to present the Best of 2024.

On September 12, Yuki Chiba, 2024’s MVP of Asian Hip Hop, popped out at the MTV Video Music Awards to do his verse on ‘Mamushi,’ his collab with Megan Thee Stallion. The crowd went wild while he rapped in front of thousands in the studio and millions watching at home. Yuki wasn’t rapping in English. His verse, as well as part of the hook that Megan raps, was in Japanese, and people were screaming it.

It was at this exact point that Asian Hip Hop went from being a niche genre to a global phenomenon. Soon, Will Smith jumped on Yuki’s ‘Team Tomodachi’ remix, and A$AP Rocky gave Hanumankind two verses for his ‘Big Dawgs’ remix. 2024 was just the start of what promises to be an exciting few years for the global acceptance of Asian Hip Hop.

While a certain harlequin got a lot of coverage for being ridiculous, if people sifted through the memes, they would see that Japan’s B-girl Ami and Canada’s Phil Wizard [Canadian by way of Korea] put on a hell of a show for the world to see when Breaking was introduced at the 2024 Summer Olympics. Besides the gold medalists, B-Girl 671 showed that China is a force, and Korea’s B-Boy Hongten proved that age is nothing but a number by competing at 39 and putting on one of the best spinning displays in the whole Games.

Hip Hop’s biggest festival returned to Thailand, and it was another smashing success. With bigger headliners including fashion mogul A$AP Rocky and living legend Lil Wayne, Rolling Loud was even better in 2024 because the weather in November is much more comfortable than it is in April. The lineup was stacked with big names like Tyga, Wiz Khalifa, Akon, and also the best of Asian Hip Hop including Hanumankind, Thaitanium, Jay Park, the Def Jam SEA crew, JP The Wavy, and more. After 10 years in the game, Rolling Loud knows how to sell tickets with big-name artists and give local artists a chance to shine on a big stage.

When it was announced that a Vultures Listening Session was happening in Korea, Taiwan, and China, a lot of red flags popped up. Would Ye show up? Would he just walk around and play his new album? Would any of his family show up? Would Taiwan’s show be canceled because of illegalities?

The answer to all of these questions was yes, but what happened after he did Vultures was when the magic happened. Ye decided to go back to the Old Kanye and revisit his deep catalog of hits to the surprise of everyone in attendance and watching on a livestream. It was a special moment that Korea [once] and China [twice] got to experience.

If there’s anyone in Asian Hip Hop who knows how to get eyeballs, it’s Jay Park. As a leader in the music scene, he pushes the envelope with each release and even the marketing. In June, Jay lit the internet on fire as he posted that he opened an OnlyFans account to promote his single ‘McNasty.’ Within a few days, he had tens of thousands of fans signed up and dropped his song. He also put out 20-plus photos and videos that were lewd, but not quite nude, to the disappointment of many. To finish out the rollout, he enlisted the cream of the crop female MCs including the LiFTED 50’s number one, Awich, Jessi, MILLI, RAMENGVRL, Lil Cherry, and more to blow up his remix of ‘McNasty.’ Overall, it was the most creative album rollout of the year by far.

When Hong Kong opened up after the COVID pandemic, the city vowed to take a more aggressive stance when it comes to tourism. The results have been a mixed bag so far, but certainly internationally renowned events like HypeFest [from media giants HypeBeast], ComplexCon, and Clockenflap were treats for the city’s music fans, creatives, art lovers, and scenesters.

Last March, ComplexCon rolled into town and brought the street art world with it. LiFTED even got involved by curating a collaboration between the iconic Hip Hop headwear KANGOL with local artist CATH LOVE at their pop-up booth. With exhibitions by giants like Futura and NIGO and Edison Chen’s CLOT, plus music performances by 21 Savage, Lupe Fiasco, pH-1, and a host of Korean Rap talent, the flag was firmly planted in Hong Kong as a new inflection point for global Pop culture.

HypeFest took place from November 9 and 10 at Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront, and was both eclectic and highly curated. Billed as a one-of-a-kind cultural experience encompassing music, fashion, art, and food with over 20 global and local participating brands and creators, it was dominated by its music talent. Headliner Peggy Gou brought her Korean-by-way-of-Berlin House stylings, while the rest of the lineup was equally inspired, with US Rapper Rich the Kid, Korean R&B star DEAN, and Thai sensation MILLI all hitting the stage over the weekend.

Clockenflap, which closed out the festival season in Hong Kong, was even more eclectic than usual this year. The event took place from November 28 to December 1, and the biggest names didn’t disappoint. UK Drill king Central Cee crushed it on Saturday night, while Jack White from the White Stripes had the crowd hanging on his every lick to close it out on Sunday. Meanwhile, French indie electronic darlings AIR played a rare set, while former Brit Pop heroes Suede also rekindled memories for the UK-centric Hong Kong crowds. Japan’s Creepy Nuts played an inspired Hip Hop meets J-Pop set on Friday night, which was a highlight for the LiFTED staff.

The prolific artist Takashi Murakami has been a huge figure in Hip Hop since he made album covers for Kanye in 2007. In 2024, he got put on to Japanese superstar JP The Wavy’s music by being at his daughter’s dance recital and equating it to his 30-year concept of ‘superflat.’ Soon the two artists were in the same studio recording the theme song for his Mononoke Kyoto art show.

The two got along so well that their newly formed supergroup had a name - MNNK Bro - and released the song to streaming services and put out a limited edition vinyl. JP, who produced their unorthodox song said, “I felt like I was being allowed to do something amazing.” Look for more MNNK Bro music in 2025.

While Hip Hop is our main focus here at LiFTED, we are watching all the trends that take hold of music worldwide. Artists in 2024 leaned into R&B heavy with great success. Jay Park released a full R&B album, The One You Wanted, featuring a collab with Ty Dolla $ign. Camo continued her streak of not being boxed in as she sang R&B over a beat with some sprinkles of Afrobeats and Amapiano in ‘Ring Ring.’ With numerous parties focused solely on R&B like Hong Kong’s R&B Hours and Taipei’s RnB & House, the smooth sounds will be going strong all the way through 2025.

For three days last summer, the Suara Festival threw one of the region’s biggest music, art, and culture festivals Bali has ever seen. Located on the beach at Nuanu City, with 100 local, regional, and international artists and performers, as well as art installations, Balinese traditional performances, food pop-ups, and creative talks, to say Suara was ambitious would be an understatement.

On Saturday night, LiFTED curated a Main Stage takeover, presenting Asian Hip Hop at its finest, with performances from YUNG RAJA and RAMENGVRL. In a lineup dominated by dance music from the likes of Angus & Julia Stone, HVOB, and Neil Frances, the LiFTED takeover was both fresh and refreshing, with the crowd left screaming for more in 2025.