Copyright HotNewHipHop
There was a stretch of time in 2015 when every party felt like it had its own soundtrack, and most of it was Hip Hop hits. Songs were spun on repeat and choruses were memorized before the second verse. These were songs that were unavoidable, screamed out of car windows and blasted from speakers out of cracked phones. That’s what 2015 gave us, hooks that became punchlines and memes. Moreover, even if you were out of the loop, it found you anyway at a cookout or stitched under someone’s heartbreak tweet. Hip Hop was shapeshifting. Drake was flooding timelines with his early loverboy-ish catalog. Kendrick Lamar had introduced a new generation of Los Angeles Rap, while Nicki Minaj delivered her most polished Pop-Rap hybrids during that era. Fetty Wap’s voice stretched across three hit singles without losing its ache. Jidenna made being clean-cut feel cool again. Further, Kanye West's defiant chaos had people in a chokehold. No matter what side of the culture you claimed, you heard them. You felt them. You knew the words. Read More: Hottest 50 Songs Of 2015 This isn’t a list built on critical consensus or hidden gems. It’s not about the songs that aged the best or had the deepest lyrics. It’s about the ones that dominated, that forced their way into the rotation and didn’t let go. These ten tracks, listed in no particular order, helped define 2015 and bend the sound of what came after. Ten years later, they still hit. Maybe not like they did the first time, but enough to bring you right back to who you were, where you were, and what you had on repeat. 1. “Trap Queen” – Fetty Wap This one was released in Spring 2015 but built for Summer. “Trap Queen” turned Fetty Wap into an unlikely chart heavyweight almost overnight. The song, produced by Tony Fadd and distributed through 300 Entertainment and RGF Productions, was part love song and part street anthem, wrapped in a catchy hook that didn’t care if it was on Rap radio or Top 40. Fetty’s signature rasp crooned about a partner in crime and mixing up baking soda with the kind of emotional conviction that made you believe it was gospel. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sat on the chart for 25 weeks, eventually going Diamond—yes, ten million units. For an artist without a major label rollout, that kind of reach was rare. “Trap Queen” reset how melody mattered more in Rap, and Fetty went on to drop multiple hits that same year, kicking open a door that made space for artists who sounded like him...and a few who didn’t, but tried anyway. 2. “Alright” – Kendrick Lamar “Alright” didn’t climb to the top of the Hot 100, but it didn’t need to. It became something bigger than radio rotation or streaming stats. This was the fourth single from Kendrick’s To Pimp a Butterfly, and “Alright” turned into the anthem of a movement. Built on a Pharrell Williams beat with a bounce underneath heavier sonic themes, the track balanced pain with perseverance. Kendrick’s chorus, “We gon’ be alright," became a chant at protests, rallies, and marches across the country as Black Lives Matter gained national attention. The track peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 but earned Kendrick four Grammy nominations in 2016, winning for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. More than a chart hit, “Alright” was proof that politically charged Rap could still feel communal and still stand the test of time. A decade later, it’s hard to separate the record from the moment it helped define. Read More: Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" Is Our Generation's Triumph 3. “Hotline Bling” – Drake What started as a loosie dropped on Apple Music quickly turned into one of the most recognizable, and parodied, songs of the decade. “Hotline Bling” wasn’t Drake’s hardest track of 2015, but it might’ve been his most unavoidable. The song carried a sample of Timmy Thomas’s 1972 track “Why Can’t We Live Together" and leaned into R&B more than Rap, but Drake’s presence kept it tethered to Hip Hop’s center. As expected, "Hotline Bling" climbed at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went 8x Platinum. It also sparked a cultural wave that included memes and Saturday Night Live skits. Then, there was the music video of Drake dancing in a box of neon light like nobody was watching, though everyone was. Read More: Billie Eilish Shares Cover Of Drake's "Hotline Bling" “Hotline Bling” may have blurred genre lines but it sharpened Drake’s dominance. It showed he didn’t need a feature, a beat switch, or a bar-heavy flex to control the conversation. Sometimes, a funny little dance and a melody is enough. 4. “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” – Silentó No song from 2015 hit classrooms, birthday parties, weddings, and viral dance videos quite like “Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae).” At just 17 years old, Silentó dropped a track that sounded more like a playground chant than a Hip Hop record, and that was exactly the point. It was light and repetitive, and kids didn’t just sing it, they performed it. Uploaded to YouTube and paired with homemade dances, it exploded into a full-blown phenomenon. The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and managed to rack up over 2 billion views on YouTube alone. Still, although "Whip / Nae Nae" went 6x Platinum, critics dismissed it as novelty, but its cultural saturation was undeniable. It wasn’t a lyrical moment or a sonic innovation. It was pure virality, long before TikTok made that a business model. Whether you rolled your eyes or hit the whip yourself, the song captured a specific joy in Hip Hop’s history. Read More: Silento Breaks Silence After Getting Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison For Killing His Cousin 5. “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)” – Rich Homie Quan The magic of “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)" is that it slid in and set a vibe. Rich Homie Quan had already made noise with Rich Gang, but this solo cut let him loosen up and fold into melody on his own terms. Produced by Nitti Beatz and DJ Spinz, the track delivered bounce with a playful hint, built for good weather. Quan’s verses were confident, just enough flex without overdoing the brag. The 2x Platinum hit edged it way to No. 26 on the Hot 100, quietly becoming one of that year’s most replayed songs. A sticky hook with no gimmicks, a little humor, and a reminder that sometimes a Hip Hop hit doesn’t need to punch hard. Read More: RIP Rich Homie Quan: 9 Essential Songs That Defined His Career 6. “Classic Man” – Jidenna Ft. Roman GianArthur “Classic Man” arrived like a pressed collar and a firm handshake in the middle of a genre that was drenched in streetwear and trap bass. Jidenna stepped onto the scene with a song and a captivating persona. With clean lines and manicured aesthetics, he borrowed from old-school formality while still hitting with modern edge. The track was produced by Jidenna, himself, alongside Roman GianArthur and Nana Kwabena, and landed at No. 22 on the Hot 100. What made it stand out was the subtle challenge, because Jidenna didn’t preach about changing the game, but he quietly shifted the temperature. The track got a remix from Kendrick Lamar, ran in GQ spreads, and became the soundtrack for every man looking to up his style game. 7. “Back To Back” – Drake Nobody expected a diss track to be this catchy. “Back to Back” stormed Hip Hop in July 2015, and it was the second of Drake’s shots fired at Meek Mill during their infamous beef, following “Charged Up.” Yet, this one wasn’t subtle. Over a haunting, staccato beat produced by DAXZ and 40, Drake unraveled Meek’s credibility line by line, with bars that were quotable before the second listen. “Is that a world tour or your girl’s tour?” rang out across timelines and festival crowds. Read More: Meek Mill Flexes With Drake's OVO Chain In Series Of Photos Additionally, the song was so deadly because of Drake's polish. He didn’t yell or over-explain his grievances. Drizzy let the lines simmer. Moreover, “Back to Back” became the first diss track in history to earn a Grammy nomination (Best Rap Performance), reaching No. 21 on the Hot 100 and disrupting the usual arc of Rap beefs. Instead of staying underground or living in Battle Rap circles, this was a diss turned hit. Drake weaponized accessibility. He didn’t just win the feud, he made the L go Platinum. 8. “Truffle Butter” — Nicki Minaj Ft. Drake & Lil Wayne “Truffle Butter” was the kind of track that wasn’t supposed to be a single, but hit like one anyway. Tucked near the end of the deluxe version of Nicki Minaj’s The Pinkprint, the song leaked early, forced its way into rotation, and ended up as one of the year’s slickest Rap flexes. Crafted on a hypnotic Maya Jane Coles sample, the beat was irresistible. Nicki skated over it with ease, setting the tone with a verse that was both cold and controlled. Drake delivered one of his smoothest 16s of the year, and Wayne followed suit with effortless swagger. It sat pretty at No. 14 on the Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Performance. Meanwhile, beyond numbers, “Truffle Butter” flaunted the chemistry between Young Money’s core three when they weren’t chasing Pop charts. 9. “I Don’t F**k With You” — Big Sean Big Sean had heartbreak on his hands and a hit on his chest. “I Don’t F**k With You" was techinically released in late 2014 but impossible to escape throughout 2015, after Sean included it on his third studio album, Dark Sky Paradise. This breakup track was a scordched-earth anthem for anyone trying to delete the past. Mustard, Kanye West, DJ Dahi, and Key Wane were responsible for production, and it was explosive from the jump. E-40’s guest verse brought Bay Area flavor and grown-man comedy, giving the song extra texture. "I Don't F**k With You" also made its way to No. 11 on the Hot 100 chart, reaching 8x Platinum, becoming adefining record for Big Sean as pettiness reigned supreme. Whether or not listeners knew the real backstory, it didn’t matter. The unapologetic energy translated as a breakup text became an anthem. Read More: Big Sean's Ex Naya Rivera Performs "IDFWU" Diss Track About Her 10. "All Day” — Kanye West “All Day” sounded like a riot where Kanye West wasn’t rapping for approval. In true Ye fashion, he was daring the industry to flinch. The track opens with menacing energy and only intensifies, powered by a jagged beat, gunshot effects, and a sneering hook that burned through radio edits. It arrived loud, fast, and fully confrontational in Spring 2015. The contributions from Allan Kingdom, Theophilus London, and Paul McCartney were also unexpected. McCartney’s whistle floated above the chaos like a ghost from another genre. On paper, it shouldn’t have worked. On record, it did. “All Day” debuted at No. 15 on the Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song. Yet, it was the live performance at the 2015 BRIT Awards that cemented the track’s legacy. Kanye stood flanked by dozens of grime artists, flames shooting behind him, men in all black flooding the stage. It was visually defiant and a declaration of presence. Read More: Hottest Albums Of 2015 2015 Hip Hop Hits: What A Time To Be Alive Of course, ten tracks can’t cover the full spectrum of 2015. That year gave us Rap favorites and culture-shifting moments. From T-Wayne’s infectious “Nasty Freestyle,” Rae Sremmurd’s high-energy “This Could Be Us,” and the smooth punch of Ty Dolla $ign’s “Blasé,” Hip Hop was everywhere. Dej Loaf’s “Try Me” and Post Malone’s debut with “White Iverson” all carved out space, while Vince Staples’ Summertime ‘06 debut proved that critical acclaim and respect in the 'hood could live on the same project. These songs may not have all topped the charts, but they played their part in making 2015 one of the most dynamic, playlist-packed years Rap had seen in a while.
