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therappundit · 5 years ago

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***The Best Rap Songs of 2019 - A Pundit PlayLi$t***

THE YEAR IS 2019.

The rap music genre has splintered multiple times into sub-sub genres, and the line between what is considered “real” hip-hop and what is considered 🗑️ begins to grow sharper and sharper. Hate grows on both sides, as heads - both old and new - collide over which rap songs should be considered worthy of praise, and which ones may be merely capitalizing on the social media trends of the day...

Enter THE Rap Pundit, a purist that is open to all lanes of rap music - provided those lanes are well represented with quality. That Pundit is me.

This year was harder than most because it was a mix of so many different impressive styles...with the exception of mainstream rap music. No Drake, no Kendrick, no Hov or Nas on the list this year, but what you will find are a ton of talented young artists inspired by them, and many other first ballot rap hall of famers. So while the mainstream waned, the underground absolutely feasted in 2019.

Here is the criteria I tried to use for this year’s rankings:

the song had to be in my regular rotation by 12/20/2019 (otherwise, I simply could not have had the time to truly experience it)

I aimed my rankings with the following prioritization in mind: 75% of my decision based on personal favoritism, 20% based on overall quality within the sub-genre regardless of whether or not I listen to it regularly (is it a vapid strip club joint? Then be the best strip club joint you can be!), and 5% based on overall impact (YES, how often a song comes up in conversation with my fellow peers does make a difference - welcome to the culture)

believe it or not, there was an honest attempt at making the most diverse list possible (because in reality if this list was just personal favorites, then the whole list would consist of Griselda, Roc, Mach, Mutant Academy & other underground all-stars from all over the east coast...but seriously, the underground straight massacred the mainstream biz this year)

Again, I have 200+ additional songs I love that I could easily have added on top of this one, but I think this list is plenty long enough as it is, am I right?

Enjoy...because I know I certainly have enjoyed listening to this unparalleled lengthy scroll of dope rap songs that dropped in 2019. 🙏

1. “Palmolive” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib feat. Pusha T & Killer Mike

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSn_r2w-idg

(A terrific verse from Freddie, a great hook from Killer Mike, and a verse of the year calibre contribution from Pusha T, all over a soulful Madlib back-drop?? Yikes. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib made all rap fans very proud in 2019.)

2. “Ricky” - Denzel Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WHm6tfvKlk

(As soon as you press play, you can feel the humidity coming off of this song as if we were in the crowd with Curry down in Florida. Denzel delivered a wonderful homage to his father, and to the Carol City of which he hails.)

3. “Crown For Kings” - Benny feat. Black Thought

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtTu_TC3f6A

(Black Thought and Griselda?? Bars on top of bars on top of bars…two verse of the year contenders, easily.)

4. “Glorious” - Skyzoo & Pete Rock

https://soundcloud.com/skyzoomusic/glorious?in=skyzoomusic/sets/retropolitan-1

(Want to hear an impressive way to kick off a great album? Look no further than Sky’s scathingly hot verse on “Glorious”, a track that lives up to its’ name.)

5. “I.G.W.T.” - Roc Marciano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz5W9LztqZs

(The instrumental alone makes for a quintessential Roc Marci soundtrack, an early standout off of Marcielago. That first beat is magical.)

6. “Crime Pays” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

https://soundcloud.com/gangstagibbs/crime-pays?in=gangstagibbs/sets/bandana-16

(So quintessential to Bandana’s vibe this thing feels like it has a pulse. I was listening to this on my walk home the other day and it put me in such a breezy headspace...I can’t even describe it any other way than simply saying it’s another classic Madlib production.)

7. “5 to 50” - Benny feat. India

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQGRPxrHtjI

(Captivating. Benny and The Alchemist join forces to concoct a song so real it makes 90% of drug dealer talk in rap music sound phony.)

8. “Thank God” - Tree

https://soundcloud.com/mctreeg/thank-god?in=mctreeg/sets/wegrownnow

(Tree’s We Grown Now is such a great album. This song perfectly captures the gifts of the legendary Chicago MC, who I consider one of the genre’s unsung special talents. It’s worth a New Year’s Resolution to get familiar with Tree’s catalogue.)

9. “Funeral March (The Dirge)” - Your Old Droog feat. Mach-Hommy

https://soundcloud.com/your-old-droog/funeral-march-the-dirge-feat?in=your-old-droog/sets/it-wasnt-even-close-1

(One of the hardest sounding songs in recent memory. I can hear these two do this all day, a great example of the tremendous work both artists put into 2019.)

10. “Freestyle Shit” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

https://soundcloud.com/gangstagibbs/freestyle-s-t?in=gangstagibbs/sets/bandana-16

(Pffffew, that Gibbs delivery….right from the get-go with the album’s first song, it’s so clear that Bandana is a special project.)

11. “Ephesians” - Roc Marciano feat. Ka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pWWHYd_SBI

(METAL CLERGY RAP.....if I need to say anymore about this joint, than you and I simply don’t roll in the same rap circles.)

12. “It’s All Good” - Skyzoo & Pete Rock

https://soundcloud.com/skyzoomusic/its-all-good?in=skyzoomusic/sets/retropolitan-1

(The gorgeous first single off Retropolitan feels like liquid nostalgia and summers in NYC, without sounding the least bit dated.)

13. “Situations” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

https://soundcloud.com/gangstagibbs/situations?in=gangstagibbs/sets/bandana-16

(One of Bandana’s more minimalistic instrumentals, and it takes off thanks to the jet pack provided by Gibbs and his sensational performance on this one.)

14. “There U R” - Tree

https://soundcloud.com/mctreeg/there-u-r?in=mctreeg/sets/wegrownnow

(Give this man his flowers now. There are a lot of talented artists in rap music, but none tackle a song like an old Blues man…none except Tree, that is.)

15. “Pete’s Sake” - Conway & Benny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njNKcQx7NSA

(Quite simply one of the most raw beats I have heard in some time. And my favorite Conway verse of 2019.)

16. “Massage Seats” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

https://soundcloud.com/gangstagibbs/massage-seats?in=gangstagibbs/sets/bandana-16

(Smooth as Helllll. “This ain’t for soccer mamas this is for the underground” is right.)

17. “Flights” - Tree

https://soundcloud.com/mctreeg/flights?in=mctreeg/sets/wegrownnow

(Tree kills it with the autobiographical joints, and this soulful walk down memory lane is as enthralling as an audio diary.)

18. “Dr. Bird’s” - Westside Gunn, Conway & Benny (Griselda)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sc3WbLz2IY

(It’s no secret that Griselda Records had a sensational 2019, and no posse cut personifies that better than “Bird’s”.)

19. “Cokewhite” - Goldlink feat. Pusha T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zCGiHhTxMM

(Another spotlight stealing verse from Pusha Ton, who in limited work, managed to appear everywhere this year in music.)

20. “Funeral” - Tree & Parallel Thought

https://parallelthought1.bandcamp.com/track/funeral

(I hope with all of my heart that songs like this aren’t part of Tree’s process of letting go of the music biz, but even if it is, what a beautiful way to go out.)

21. “Bandana” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib feat. Assassin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWCciqqzno4

(While it may not have made the final cut of the Bandana album that shares its’ name, this reggae-tinged, Madlib blessed riot starter has been one of my favorite songs of the year since it dropped and it keeps feeling better to me.)

22. “Homegrown” - Skyzoo & Pete Rock

https://soundcloud.com/skyzoomusic/homegrown?in=skyzoomusic/sets/retropolitan-1

(Another incredibly soulful standout from Retropolitan. When Skyzoo & Pete Rock are performing at the top of their game, both are as potent as it gets within their respective lanes.)

23. “El Toro Combo Meal” - Earl Sweatshirt feat. Mavi

https://soundcloud.com/earlxsweatshirtmusic/el-toro-combo-meal-feat-mavi-prod-by-ovrkast?in=earlxsweatshirtmusic/sets/feet-of-clay

(Two MCs vying for the lo-fi crown are Earl Sweatshirt and Mavi. It is beginning to get confusing to figure out who is the student and who is the teacher here, but regardless, both talented artists flashed a ton of skill in 2019.)

24. “To Whom It May Concern” - Jim Jones feat. Cam'ron, Guordan Banks, Benny The Butcher and Conway

https://soundcloud.com/jim-jones-capo/to-whom-it-may-concern-feat-camron-guordon-banks-benny-the-butcher-conway-the-machine?in=jim-jones-capo/sets/el-capo

(A Dipset and Griselda collaboration is enough to make someone like me get emotional…anyone have a tissue, this Benny-Cam’ron-Conway back to back series is too much to handle!?)

25. “Under The Sun” - J. Cole, Lute & DaBaby (and Kendrick Lamar?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUUuI--jAlM

(The best song off of Dreamville’s Revenge of the Dreamers 3 is the first track. It’s just a straightforward soul loop, but Cole and Lute really shine...but then DaBaby comes through to shine hard enough to blind the first two verses.)

26. “Sunday School” - Benny feat. 38 Spesh & Jadakiss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ero1Xexyhs

(Spesh really killed this great cut off of Benny’s The Plugs I Met, but all three really did their thing.)

27. “Dominate” - DJ Muggs & Eto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxjTKqpMHIE

(Straight menace music. Muggs & Eto would have made Mobb Deep proud with “Dominate”…especially Muggs, this beat is brutal!)

28. “Lucha Bros.” - Westside Gunn feat. Curren$y & Benny

https://soundcloud.com/westsidegunn/lucha-bros-feat-curreny-benny?in=westsidegunn/sets/hitler-wears-hermes-7

(Another crazy banger from Griselda, off of Westside’s fantastic Hitler Wears Hermes 7. Don’t let the smooth vibe force you to overlook the bar-fest on this one.)

29. “Obamacare” - Quelle Chris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-F19d5PcJY

(Another year, another thought provoking Quelle Chris project. He seems to be getting better with age, is that possible?)

30. “Big Uzi Vert” - Fly Anakin & Big Kahuna OG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CxWj6g0DnU

(As with 2018, some of the best rap songs of the year are collaborations from the mighty Mutant Academy. Virginia’s Fly Anakin and Big Kahuna OG both clocked in ready to work in 2019, and they have stacks of great joints to prove it. Anakin’s “I’m from the projects, I don’t skateboard” helped this one push to the front of the Mutant pack.)

31. “Daylight Savings” - Mavi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZTI9YkK_1w

(Mavi really captured the attention of fans and critics alike with Let The Sun Talk. His flow on “Daylight” proves that Mavi is so much more than the copycats you may stumble across on Soundcloud these days.)

32. “Chasing Ghosts” - Your Old Droog feat. Roc Marciano

https://soundcloud.com/your-old-droog/chasing-ghosts-feat-roc?in=your-old-droog/sets/it-wasnt-even-close-1

(What a great example of why these two are so good at what they do. Eerie underground hip-hop at its’ finest - and Roc’s best guest verse of the year.)

33. “Cubicle” - Buddy feat. 03 Greedo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ9Yw7i_Fo8

(What a slept-on smash from Buddy and 03 Greedo. Both artists do the West Coast proud with one of my favorite cuts off of the deluxe edition of Harlan & Alondra.)

34. “Education” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib feat. Yasiin Bey & Black Thought

https://soundcloud.com/gangstagibbs/education-feat-yasiin-bey?in=gangstagibbs/sets/bandana-16

(As if that line-up isn’t enough to make any hip-hop head salivate, it’s even more impressive that the final product manages to meet expectations.)

35. “Wild Minks” - Quelle Chris feat. Mach-Hommy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dQmPX1C0Vk

(Quelle and Mach make beautiful music together, and they don’t come much more beautiful than this one.)

36. “IMG” - Nolan The Ninja

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vNvRLIQHVs

(Nolan has blessed us with a number of great songs in 2019, but I think this one epitomizes just how much he has progressed as a rap artist.)

37. “Splinters” - Fly Anakin & Tuamie feat. ANKHLEJOHN & Al.Divino

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWORdUQAEcc

(Just a chilling collaboration from some of the best artists that underground hip-hop has to offer, that’s all.)

38. “Spider Hole” - Billy Woods & Kenny Segal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1WBEi5LlkI

(Beautifully bleak music from Billy Woods and Kenny Segal, who demonstrate brilliant chemistry throughout Hiding Places.)

39. “Deadass” - Kemba

https://soundcloud.com/kembaland/deadass-2

(Unfortunately, in any other era this could have been a hit rap song. But fortunately, in this era it can be praised as one of the best underground smashes of the year from a very good album. Keep an eye on Kemba...)

40. “Dynasties” - Tedy Andreas

https://soundcloud.com/tedyandreas/dynasties-prod-graphwize

(Dope beat, dope MC and a killer hook. I can’t be the only longterm fan that Tedy earned with this one.)

41. “OD” - Earl Sweatshirt

https://soundcloud.com/earlxsweatshirtmusic/od-1

(Say what you want about the length of Earl’s songs, but he can accomplish more with a minute and a half on a record than most rappers can with an hour.)

42. “Still” - Maxo Kream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Tza0cGrQk

(Maxo may have just dropped the best project of his career, and this woozy thumper is one of his hardest tracks yet.)

43. “18 Wheeler” - Benny feat. Pusha T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdZC8uBwJ4Q&list=PLVipAi3U-JouPCQvz3KoH2B1VAKAZc7m4&index=6

(At this point, what else needs to be said about the potency of these two rap-writers? Calling it “coke rap” wouldn’t even begin to explain how good these two are when it comes to the art of rapping.)

44. “ZUU” - Denzel Curry

https://soundcloud.com/denzelcurryph/zuu?in=denzelcurryph/sets/zuu-3

(A rousing intro to what I would consider the best “mainstream” rap album of 2019.)

45. “Flat Tummy Tea” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

https://soundcloud.com/gangstagibbs/flat-tummy-tea

(I liked it when it first dropped, love it even more now. Freddie straight MURDERS this one...)

46. “Broke Bitch Dreams” - ShooterGang Kony

https://soundcloud.com/shootergangkony/broke-bitch-dreams

(I knew nothing about ShooterGang Kony at the start of 2019, and I don’t know much more now. But I know that this song has smash written all over it, one of the best ‘cruising with the top down’ joints that I have heard in recent memory. The hook is an ear worm to the point of concern.)

47. “Tito’s Back” - Conway feat. Benny & Westside Gunn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGqViFucmJ8

(Griselda’s top two lyrical assassins doing what they do best, but going back and forth in a manner that not even Styles & Jada could touch.)

48. “Attics” - DJ Muggs & Eto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UmYxcv4YTs

(Sure Muggs & Eto dropped a banger of an album with Hell’s Roof, but “Attics” has the strength to be a career defining track for Eto. This is dark poetry from one of the hungriest parts of upstate NY.)

49. “Under The Train (Transporting)” - Your Old Droog

https://soundcloud.com/your-old-droog/under-the-train-transporting-1

(Droog’s Transportation album may be the perfect traveling companion for moving through the streets of NYC, and this song may be the projects’ crown jewel. This has the feel of a classic New York anthem and I am crazy for it.)

50. “Know The Type” - Lansky Jones feat. CJ Fly & Mr. Muthafuckin’ Exquire

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riRJk2QiROI

(What happens when a collection of some of NYC’s most talented, but least heralded MC’s join forces to deliver what sounds like a classic mid-90′s throwback joint? They create one of the smoothest rap songs of 2019.)

51. “NINA” - Rapsody

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54yOD994ors

(Eve raised Rapsody’s discography to a whole other level. A brilliant, pro-woman battle cry that somehow manages to ether the industry while still radiating positivity, Rap pulled together a beautiful collection of songs with this album - and verse of the year contenders, beginning right here with her opening track, the impressive “NINA”.)

52. “Spongebob” - billy woods + kenny segal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83F4JpVu61k

(Segal’s production is perfect background for woods to go to work. If Hiding Places isn’t in your collection, that must change immediately.)

53. “Cash War” - Gunna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObdMBhfySMI

(Gunna has had a fantastic year, and this song shows why he is a natural hitmaker. Drip or Drown 2 is one of mainstream rap’s finest records of 2019.)

54. “May Store” - Westside Gunn, Conway & Benny feat. Keisha Plum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6kMBwNCAyw

(More dazzling lyrical chemistry from Griselda. Damn Benny, why do you have to murk beats like this? Not even fair to other MC’s at this point.)

55. “HolOnHolOn” - Fly Anakin & Tuamie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCbgGn2BXUc&list=PLAfLqY9BQJkyjUuDAEn7cehQ3DZWAZogX&index=4

(Another fantastic track from Mutant Academy. Is it me or does Tuamie channel some Jay Dee-esque vibes with this one?)

56. “Bad Boys” - Pivot Gang (Joseph Chilliams, Saba, MFnMelo) feat. Smino

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCaBVqi4Rag

(This one didn’t blow up - at least not yet - but I have no idea why!? This track, like so much of Pivot Gang’s You Can’t Sit With Us album, is such a fantastic showcase for Chi-town’s deep hip-hop scene.)

57. “Pop Out” - Polo G feat. Lil TJay

https://soundcloud.com/polo-g/polo-g-feat-lil-tjay-pop-out

(HUGE hit, and rightfully so. So much more than a typical baller anthem, the hook - and more specifically, the performance of Polo G - makes “Pop Out” easily one of the best rap songs on mainstream radio in 2019.)

58. “Field Negro” - Royce Da 5′9″

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK7N63lsoRE

(An unorthodox production anchored by one of the best writers in the history of the genre, that’s all. Royce murders this thing with so many quotables…yet you’re still somehow sleeping on Royce???)

59. “Nobody’s Favorite” - Rick Ross feat. Gunplay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMzfaCskeGo

(At the top of 2019, would I have predicted that Ross and Gunplay would have dropped one of the best rap songs of the year? No. Is “Nobody’s Favorite” a seriously dope rap song? Without question.)

60. “WYRM” - Quelle Chris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DNS1pXDec0

(Another gorgeous track from a man that low-key has one of the strongest discographies in rap music, Detroit’s Quelle Chris.)

61. “Memorial” - MIKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0czotN8EXQ

(If the lo-fi movement in rap music was a sports team, MIKE deserves to be the team captain. Tears of Joy is an intensely personal album, but amongst the tears there is much to feel joyful about after listening to MIKE’s latest collection of gems.)

62. “4 Clove Club” - Wiki

https://pitchfork.com/levels/wiki-4-clove-club-new-song-listen/

(Few MC’s as unique as Wiki manage to actually create music that is enjoyable to listen to while they are attempting to color outside of conventional lines. Somehow, Wiki seems to get better at this rare skill with every project. An autobiographical album that feels like a disjointed, but musically cohesive diary, what Wiki manages to accomplish with Oofie is wildly impressive.)

63. “PTSD” - Omen, Mereba, Deante' Hitchcock & St. Beauty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWbjiP50Nbg

(One of the most beautiful songs off of ROTD3, but it’s Omen’s verse that tugged most on my heart strings, and snagged a spot on this year’s Best Of list.)

64. “Giannis” - Freddie Gibbs & Madlib feat. Anderson .Paak

https://soundcloud.com/gangstagibbs/giannis-feat-anderson-paak?in=gangstagibbs/sets/bandana-16

(One of the funkier standouts from Bandana, and album full of standouts. Paak and Gibbs tap dance all over this one.)

65. “Baby” - Lil Baby & DaBaby [Quality Control]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GbwYFqN1iE

(A collaboration that at one point, most would have joked about off of name alone, the joke is now on the doubters because both of these Babies can really RAP.)

66. “The Old Groove” - Westside Gunn, Conway & Benny feat. Novel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo-E6Nl-aoE

(Somber - even by Griselda standards - this collaboration off WWCD feels like a victory lap from the best group of gritty MCs since Mobb Deep, Boot Camp, and the Wu Tang Clan.)

67. “The Norm” - Von Pea

https://soundcloud.com/vonpea/08-thenorm

(Von Pea’s City For Sale deserves to be mentioned as another great release in the growing sub-genre that is “rappers warning the rest of the world of the dangers of gentrification”, this record right here captures the message so well and he knocks the production way out the park.)

68. “The Routine” - Wiki

https://soundcloud.com/wikset/10-the-routine

(A bouncy standout from Oofie that has really climbed my own rankings in recent weeks. I love what Wiki was going for with the production aesthetic on this one.)

69. “Playground Bench” - Raz Fresco feat. AZ & BriskInTheHouse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-4wzn2KRVQ

(Bonus points to anyone that caught this joint! A way under the radar AZ feature that warrants more shine. But don’t sleep, Raz Fresco dropped *multiple* dope projects in 2019.)

70. “Smallsteps” - Medhane

https://medhane.bandcamp.com/track/smallsteps

(Another rising star from the depths of the lo-fi underground, Medhane’s Own Pace project is an easy but by no means basic listen from start to finish on the strength of his solid production choices and candor.)

71. “No Love” - Maxo feat. lojii

https://soundcloud.com/rundatbacc/no-love-feat-lojji?in=rundatbacc/sets/lil-big-man-1

(Maxo’s Lil Big Man has made 2019′s ‘Best of’ lists on more than a few sites, and thanks to smooth joints like “No Live” it’s certainly not hard to understand why.)

72. “CLONES” - Tierra Whack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-8qrzg-vgQ

(Walking the fine line between truth and song parody, Tierra may have been imitating her peers with this one, but nevertheless the final result is catchy as hell.)

73. “2/5” - Jay Bel

https://soundcloud.com/groovyxjay/6-2-5-flip-gawd-dre?in=groovyxjay/sets/4wurd-an-anti-gentrification-project

(A lot of folks might not be familiar with Brooklyn’s Jay Bel yet, but that’s going to have to change soon because this kid is too talented to stay under the radar too much longer. 4wurd made for a fantastic introduction.)

74. “Meet Again” - Maxo Kream

https://soundcloud.com/maxo-kream/meet-again

(Another dope Maxo Kream song, another great example of this superb story telling skills.)

75. “Everything” - Little Brother

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krnOMqDjB0k

(A dope Little Brother album in 2019 was not something that anyone had on their itinerary heading into the year. Pooh and Phonte haven’t lost a step, and there are plenty of cuts on May The Lord Watch that feel like classic LB.)

76. “Proceed On” - Fly Anakin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO2mRZTX8XM

(A slick loosie from one of Mutant Academy’s finest.)

77. “Suge” - DaBaby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPpmGHn6gB8

(What DaBaby lacks in depth of content, he makes up for with his recognizable flow and sheer charisma.)

78. “Monica” - Flatbush Zombies feat. Tech N9ne

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0db9NJhVEA

(One of the more recent additions to this list, it has slowly creeped up the charts on my end - and reminded me of how contagious a Flatbush Zombies joint can be.)

79. “NYC” - Jim Jones feat. Fat Joe

https://soundcloud.com/jim-jones-capo/nyc-feat-fat-joe?in=jim-jones-capo/sets/el-capo

(Just one of a cornucopia of classic-sounding Heatmakerz firecrackers off of Jim Jones’ surprisingly potent El Capo.)

80. “Murray’s” - Fly Anakin & Tuamie feat. Skyzoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYyGTepAhM0&list=PLAfLqY9BQJkyjUuDAEn7cehQ3DZWAZogX&index=8

(Good things happen whenever Skyzoo connects with rising underground stars. Ask Griselda, and now you can ask Mutant Academy, too. This joint might sound basic to the uneducated listener, but for me, Tuamie provided Anakin and Sky with an ideal minimalist back drop to wax poetic over.)

81. “$ream - Rigz (Da Cloth)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piGwjW27ZRQ

(Not just one of Rochester’s finest, Rigz is quite simply one of hip-hop’s finest MC’s. Major props to Da Cloth’s Rigz and Mooch for dropping some tremendous work in 2019.)

82. “Voodoo” - Rome Streetz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4tfLwlODo

(I don’t know if I have enjoyed any full Rome Streetz project as much as last year’s Street Farmacy, but he has incredible rap music scattered all across 2019. I’m currently enjoying his latest work, Joyeria, but his collaboration with Sadhugold remains my favorite Rome joint of the year...but he absolutely owned anything he spit on. A future NYC MVP right here.)

83. “Scotties” - Westside Gunn, Conway & Benny

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn3S89vi_L0

(An off-kilt head nodder off WWCD showcases the unparalleled chemistry of real life brothers Gunn and Conway, and finishes strong with an impeccable verse from cousin Benny.)

84. “Tom Chambers” - Roc Marciano feat. Knowledge The Pirate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB6No8zPsU0

(Roc and Knowledge pass the mic back and forth and completely bar-out on this Marcielago banger...one of several slick tracks off the album that switch-up the beat halfway through the song.)

85. “Big Tipper” - Young Thug feat. Lil Keed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYO28vD5N2A

(Thugga’s So Much Fun was the first Young Thug project that I truly enjoyed. I think it all came together for Thugga on this album, and it’s chockfull of singles. Most folks would tout “Hot” as the early standout, but “Big Tipper” was the one that stood out to me as having the greatest smash potential.)

86. “100,000” - NYM Lo feat. Smoke DZA & 183rd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tukJUizDj_g

(I would describe this sound as “underground bop”. NYM Lo and DZA show some great track chemistry here, the hook is a dope homage, and 183rd brought his sharpest production tools to the table with this one.)

87. “Lupos” - CRIMEAPPLE

https://crimeapple.bandcamp.com/track/lupos

(Not many MC’s can claim they had a stronger year than New Jersey’s CRIMEAPPLE. Multiple dope projects, some fantastic feature work, and a stack of quotables to his credit, “Lupos” is my top pick from his recent catalogue off the strength of bars like “I hear biting was the best form of flattery, now I’m glad to see some teeth marks in my strategy.”)

88. “Oaks” - BULLIES (Denmark Vessey, DrxQuinnx and Azarias)

https://fxckrxp.bandcamp.com/track/oaks

(A criminally underrated project that stands amongst this year’s finest, Denmark, Quinn & Azarias have fantastic musical chemistry that can be found all across the Bullies album. In another time and another place, Bullies would fit in well alongside Def Jux’s starting line-up.)

89. “Intro” - DaBaby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpR0gTQG8FI

(What a year for DaBaby. Entering the year with mainstream potential, and leaving 2019 as a flat-out star, all he really needed to do to extend his career trajectory at this point was prove that he also had substance as an artist. Well, say hello to the Intro to his KIRK album and consider all questions answered.)

90. “Protons Electrons Always Cause Explosions” - Al.Divino & Estee Nack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkpPdfNfneg

(One of the more interesting contributions by two of underground hip-hop’s most prolific and exciting MCs’. The duo of Divino and Nack don’t need to back down from any other duo because they are gifted at what they do: hitting fans over the heads with their consistently dope brand of raw rap.)

91. “Skimmin’” - Apollo Brown feat. Nolan The Ninja & Dopehead

https://apollobrown360.bandcamp.com/track/skimmin-feat-nolan-the-ninja-dopehead

(With Sincerely, Detroit, Apollo Brown pulled together one of the strongest compilations of his career. I could have saluted a handful of joints off of this album, but “Skimmin” was my personal favorite, thanks to a great subdued performance by Nolan The Ninja.)

BONUS TRACK: “Mister” - Young Nudy & Pi’erre Bourne feat. 21 Savage

https://soundcloud.com/youngnudy/mister-feat-21-savage?in=youngnudy/sets/slimerre-2

(Just a fun, bouncy collaboration from two of the game’s most unpredictable trap flows. Nudy is Pi’erre’s greatest collaborator - if you were thinking Playboi Carti, there’s no way you read down this far - and there is really something to be said for any rap artist that makes it hard for the listener to guess what they’ll say next. What Savage & Nudy may lack in clever wordplay they make up for in flow, charisma, and catchy hooks.)

***HIGH HONORS [songs that definitely belong in the top 91...so while they might not be the first item packed, consider these joints worthy of smuggling on board the plane for any trip]***:

https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/189803686616/honorable-mention-the-best-rap-songs-of-2019

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