Today marks the anniversary of several notable and random releases that shaped recent hip-hop and R&B history.
1. January 1, 2025: Joey Bada$$ Released “The Ruler’s Back.”
Joey Bada$$ might be the first person to ever willingly step into a 20-vs-1 situation and seem perfectly comfortable doing it. On “The Ruler’s Back,” while talking his usual talk about dominance, competitiveness, and lyrical superiority, he also tossed a few shots in the direction of the West Coast — shots that were widely interpreted as aimed at Kendrick Lamar.
That moment sparked one of the messiest and most talked-about rap flare-ups of 2025. What followed was Joey trading lyrical jabs with Daylyt and Ray Vaughn, turning the situation into a full-blown brouhaha. It wasn’t exactly the most necessary beef, but it was beef nonetheless, and it definitely got people talking.
2. January 1, 2024: The Game & Hit-Boy Released “Paisley Dreams.”
The Game will always be one of my favorite rappers of all time — yes, I’m firmly on that train. One thing that often gets overlooked about him is how consistently strong his projects are. This one, a low-key collaboration with Big Hit (Hit-Boy’s dad), is a perfect example. It’s a relatively slight release, but it delivers where it counts, pairing standout production from Hit-Boy with gritty, professional gangsta raps from The Game and the more unfiltered, old-school crashout energy of Big Hit.
It’s the kind of album that quietly slipped out a little too early in 2024 and ended up getting lost in the shuffle, even though it deserved more attention than it received.
3. January 1, 2023: Playboi Carti & Travis Scott Dropped “BACKROOMS”
There was a point when Playboi Carti had everyone in pure misery, teasing new music that just refused to drop. One of those long-teased tracks was “BACKROOMS” with Travis Scott. Out of all the snippets Carti previewed during that era, this one had an aesthetic that ended up aligning perfectly with what MUSIC eventually became. It later surfaced officially on the SORRY 4 DA WAIT version of the album, making it one of the few teases that actually paid off.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
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