On Thursday, JAY-Z released his year-end playlist on TIDAL.
For the past few years, JAY-Z has mostly taken a step back from the rap game, but his year-end TIDAL playlists have served as a badge of honor for many artists. On Thursday, he dropped the 2020 list of his favorite tracks. This year’s list features a heavy dose of heavy dose of underground stalwarts like Boldy James, Roc Marciano, and the Griselda collective. Stream the full playlist on TIDAL.
Gibbs and The Alchemist’s “Scottie Beam” made the cut, as well as Benny the Butcher’s “One Way Flight,” which also includes a guest verse from the Gary, Indiana MC. Three tracks from A Written Testimony, Jay Electronica’s long awaited–and heavily-Jay-Z-assisted–debut album, appear. He also adds 2 Chainz’ recent homage “Southside Hov.”
Chicago-bred R&B upstart KeiyaA makes the list twice with “Every Nigga Is a Star” and “Rectifya.” The Weeknd’s “Snowchild” appears alongside Sault’s “Stop Dem,” and Jazmine Sullivan’s “Lost One.”
New Griselda signee Boldy James makes the list with “Speed Demon Freestyle” from The Price of Tea in China, his joint project with The Alchemist. Two tracks from Westside Gunn’s Pray for Paris appear, “Allah Sent Me” with Benny and Conway the Machine, and “Claiborne Kick.” Conway’s “Spurs 3” posse cut with Griselda rounds out a dominant showing for the Buffalo collective.
In addition to Griselda and Roc, New Yorkers like Pop Smoke, Nas, and SAINt JHN make the list with “Christopher Walking,” “Spicy,” and “Roses Remix,” respectively.
Back in May, JAY dropped his mid-year list for the year. That version included many tracks from those who made the final cut: Polo G, twice for “Heartless” originally and “Wishing For A Hero” the second time around. Atlanta MC Lil Baby’s “Grace” and “We Paid” with 42 Dugg appears on the second list, while “Emotionally Scarred” made the first.
JAY-Z – 2020 Vision COVID-19 (Playlist)
- Jay Electronica – “Universal Soldier”
- Boldy James – “Speed Demon Freestyle”
- Freddie Gibbs – “Scottie Beam”
- KeiyaA – “Rectifiya”
- Conway the Machine – “Spurs 3 (Feat. Benny the Butcher & Westside Gunn)”
- Nas – “Car #85 (Feat. Charlie Wilson)”
- Drake – “Chicago Freestyle (Feat. Giveon)”
- The Weeknd – “Snowchild”
- Beyonce – “Black Parade”
- Sault – “Stop Dem”
- KeiyaA – “Every Nigga Is A Star”
- Lil Baby – “We Paid (Feat. 42 Dugg)”
- Big Sean – “Deep Reverence (Feat. Nipsey Hussle)”
- Drake – “Laugh Now, Cry Later (Feat. Lil Durk)”
- Burna Boy – “Onyeka (Baby)”
- Master KG – “Jerusalema (Feat. Burna Boy & Nomcebo Zikode)”
- Jazmine Sullivan – “Lost One”
- Lil Baby – “Grace (Feat. 42 Dugg)”
- Benny the Butcher – “One Way Flight (Feat. Freddie Gibbs)”
- 2 Chainz – “Southside Hov”
- Jay Electronica – “Ghost of Soulja Slim”
- Westside Gunn – “Allah Sent Me (Feat. Benny the Butcher & Conway the Machine)”
- Westside Gunn – “Claiborne Kick (Feat. Boldy James)”
- Busta Rhymes – “Look Over Your Shoulder (Feat. Kendrick Lamar)”
- Lil Durk – “The Voice”
- Lil Baby – “Emotionally Scarred”
- Morray – “Quicksand”
- SAINt JHN – “Roses (Remix Feat. Future)”
- DJ Khaled – “Popstar (Feat. Drake)”
- Pop Smoke – “Christopher Walking”
- Nas – “Spicy (Feat. Fivio Foreign & A$AP Ferg)”
- Travis Scott – “Franchise (Feat. Young Thug & M.I.A.)”
- Megan thee Stallion – “Savage (Remix Feat. Beyonce)”
- Roc Marciano – “Downtown ’81”
- Roc Marciano – “Covid Cough”
- Mach-Hommy – “Squeaky Hinge”
- Lil Wayne – “B.B. King Freestyle (Feat. Drake)”
- Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist – “Baby $hit”
- Polo G – “Wishing For A Hero (Feat. BJ the Chicago Kid)”
- Jay Electronica – “A.P.I.D.T.A.”