DDG’s 2026 album began as an impromptu jam session with friends and collaborators, a livestream that became such a runaway hit that the video creator and rapper turned the exercise into a new full-length. Despite the spontaneity with which it was made, HIT-A-THON features some of the hallmarks that have helped turn DDG into a star, all the while capturing the sort of intangible mysticism that’s integral to the songwriting process. DDG does an excellent job moving his own vision toward those of the collaborators who roll through. The Babyfxce E-featuring “BUTTONS & SWITCHES” sports the menacing string loop that’s become popularized in E’s home state of Michigan, while DDG joins SOB x RBE in bringing Northern California hyphy vibes on the R&B-inspired “BAY 2 DA YAK.” He saves his solo stint for “5AM IN ATLANTA,” a tribute to Drake’s “time and place” songs and the city in which HIT-A-THON was made. Our Favorite Beat: the sludgy, industrial churn of the Lil Yachty-assisted “POP IT.”