On a recent episode of the NFR Podcast, hosts Luca and Anthony took on the monumental task of curating the worst rap songs of all time, creating a 32-song bracket where hip-hop’s most cringe-worthy tracks faced off to crown the ultimate musical disaster. While their criteria ranged from questionable lyrics to jaw-dropping production flops, one thing was clear—2024 seemed to be the year of some truly terrible entries.
The 32-song bracket featured songs from some of the biggest names in rap, including Kanye West, Drake, and Chance the Rapper, alongside viral artists like Masked Wolf and Ice Spice. The competition was fierce, but the discussion quickly became an unpredictable mix of humor and disbelief.
Notable matchups included “Lift Yourself” by Kanye West vs. “The Heart Part 6” by Drake, two tracks that sparked a debate over whether production quality or the absurdity of lyrics should determine the winner. Meanwhile, “Astronaut in the Ocean” by Masked Wolf became a fan favorite to ridicule, but it was Happy Ending that stole the spotlight with its laughable premise of a rapper attempting to discuss… massages with happy endings. The song’s ridiculousness led to its progress through the bracket, leaving a string of social media memes in its wake.
Vocal performances also became a major sticking point in the discussion. Kid Cudi’s chaotic, drunken delivery on “Willis” clashed with Jessie Reyez’s agonizing screeching on “Nice Guy”, which was so painful that it had to move forward. The hosts didn’t hold back on their critique of Eminem’s failed attempts at love songs, calling out his repetitive and cringe-worthy lyrics that made “Nice Guy” an easy target for elimination.
As the bracket reached its Final Four, it became clear that “Happy Ending” and “Fax” by Tom MacDonald were dominating the discourse. “Astronaut in the Ocean”—despite its omnipresence on TikTok—was edged out by the sheer absurdity of Happy Ending. On the other hand, “Soul Train” by YBN Nahmir was deemed “generationally bad,” but “Fax” took the crown in terms of disrespect for the genre, with its political messaging and lackluster sound.
The final showdown was a battle between “Happy Ending” and “Fax”, representing two completely different kinds of musical disasters. Happy Ending won hearts for its outlandish concept, while Fax solidified its spot as the winner of this bracket—an attempt at being serious that ultimately fell flat.
Throughout the podcast, Luca and Anthony’s casual, often humorous banter highlighted the tragedy behind these songs. Their critique mixed subjective taste with objective criticism, as they struggled with the reality that even respected artists like Eminem and Chance the Rapper had dropped songs that many fans (and critics) agreed should never have seen the light of day. The overall vibe was one of disbelief, as they waded through these musical disasters with laughter, exasperation, and a touch of sadness over how far some of these artists had fallen.
