some of the best rap of 2019
except every1 is from the carolinas and i continue to push mutant academy cuz i fw richmond
BEFORE YOU READ: no, i am not putting jermaine cole, dababy or rapsody on this list. if you’re reading this you already know who they are. LMFAO. shoutout virginia beach and richmond too. i’ll peep more stuff from there next year promise.
mavi - moonfire
MAVI’s a 20-year-old from Charlotte who goes to class during the day and at night he studies scientific concepts so dense he had to break them down to me over the phone. Somehow, he still finds the time to pen some of the most personal, inspiring and relatable rap that I’ve heard this year. I’m really glad he’s getting some shine because he’s one of the best that the Carolinas has to offer.
If you want to read a conversation I had with MAVI, the self-proclaimed mayor of Charlotte, I highly encourage you to check out this interview I did with him for The FADER titled MAVI’s vision for a free, black future
this 1 hurts:“Granddaddy still know my name / He say it when I dream of him”
The Year of Jetsonmade
Jetsonmade’s had a pretty crazy year. It’s pretty funny how a lot of the conversation surrounding him comes back to that one 808 he uses. But hey, we let Kanye rock when he was using the hell out of the Xxplosive drums. We let Pi’erre rock too, and he uses the same drum pattern all the time. I thought that his beats would become synonymous with Carolina rap, but he’s surpassed that. Whenever you hear that 808 you immediately know it's Jetson. It could be anyone from DaBaby and Stunna4Vegas, to Roddy Ricch or Young Nudy on that beat. He’s making the sound he perfected in the Carolinas go worldwide. He’s the most important producer of 2019 to me. He’s worked with everyone he told me he wanted to work with and has even more on the way. S/o Columbia.
I talked to him earlier this year for The FADER. Read that.
Best Songs: Lil Keed - It’s Up Freestyle, Lil Keed - Oh My God, PG Ra - Show My Ass
PG RA - Lil Stepper
When PG RA tells a story, you listen. The Orangeburg, South Carolina rapper has one of those voices that makes you sit up and bob your head, intensely paying attention to whatever he says. Someone in the comments said that “Little Stepper” had the same vibes as “Rico Story” by SpeakerKnockerz. I don’t know if I agree with that entirely (lol) but I see what they’re saying. He’s giving a verbal warning that not everyone is built to handle what the streets can throw at you. 803 shit.
#Bars: “Now, lil jit ready, you know that's right up his fuckin' alley / But‚ he don't know that one mistake could kill his fuckin' family / And he don't know that once you win, it ain't no turning backwards.”
BIGBABYGUCCI - Drop Top Lexus
BigBabyGucci is the best melodic rapper in the state by far. “Drop Top Lexus” has one of my favorite hooks of the year. He’s able to create somber songs about love like the one above and then turn it around entirely to make one about how he only smokes Backwoods or how his backwoods are so potent they’ll burn your throat. Charlotte has way too many good rappers and that’s why so many of them appear on this list. I’m ready for his next project A Girl Is A Gun to drop next year.
At least he’s honest: “Never tellin’ lies so I always tell the truth hoe / Pull up drop top with a new hoe / I could never love one so I always keep two hoes”
Fly Anakin & Tuamie - Karl Kani
If you dumped Fly Anakin and Tuamie in a freezing 1996 New York winter they’d find a way to claw themselves to the top of the scene. Fly Anakin never wastes a word. Every word is used to paint an abstract picture of his life, whether it’s about him choosing to rap instead of picking pockets. Tuamie’s drums can’t be muted, they’re always going to knock and rattle as hard as they can. Fly Anakin makes it seem like he could knock out a song like this every day if he wanted to.
Yung Boss Tevo OBN (of the 83 Babies) - Signs
YungBossTevo is one-third of the Durham rap group 83Babies (Him, Lil Tony, and Setitoff83). Rich the Kid doesn’t make very good music, but his ear for music is extremely good. While it’s easy to compare him to Stunna at first glance, he strays away from that with his versatility and tongue-in-cheek humor. If you ever need a new IG caption, he has plenty for you. He puts on for Braggtown, a historically Black (and poor) neighborhood in Durham and a lot of his support comes from there.
It’s kind of fire to be able to recognize places from your city in music videos. S/o the Bull City for real. There’s a whole lot of real shit coming from the 919.
#Bars: “I get up in his head like some waves”
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon - Niggas Not Woke FR (FUCK CMPD)
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon has beef with the entire city of Charlotte, from the alt-weeklies to the police department that has come under scrutiny for its racism and ongoing practices of police brutality. When I first found out about him I was dying at his song titles. Here’s some examples: “Aye Bro Let’s Link I Fuck With The Vision,” “VEGAN CHICKEN OVER RICE WITH MY COUGAR BITCH WHO LOOK LIKE JADA PINKETT SMITH,” and “$1,000 A FEATURE NO MORE FREE VERSES WE GOOD OVER HERE.” While they’re ridiculous to say aloud, it that makes them all much more memorable. His dark sense of humor and oldhead references make him stand out in a region full of younger people rhyming Curry with 30. His stream of consciousness style of rapping takes you on a journey through a day in his life. If you think he’s gonna play a show in Charlotte anytime soon, the answer is no.
Romance Is Alive: “I ain’t tryna open I’m a headliner / When she come through Imma red wine her, bed time her.”
Getrichzay - DANGEROUS
I don’t know what part of Durham GetRichZay’s from but he's made some songs with YBT (who I said was from Bragg). I only got put onto him recently but he’s so fire to me. I think that a lot of other rappers from the state fall into 3 kinds of camps: the DaBaby/Stunna flow, Atlanta-inspired stuff, and the Soundcloud melodic shit. Zay kinda falls into that Atlanta side but I honestly can’t nail who he reminds me of (maybe Lil Gotit?). Zay’s rapid-fire punchlines and cruel jokes make every line a potential
Hood Nigga Gospel Music: “I still pray to God that I make it to Heaven / Seen so much shit it got a young nigga guessin”
Woo 2x - Transaction ft. Stunna4Vegas
Winston-Salem has Woo2x on top of the city. He’s got collabs (and co-sign ! ) with Stunna and a few solo tracks floating around the internet. He’s a lot more chill than Stunna and a lot of the other people in a similar lane on this list, but his bars still have that aggressive edge and condescending tone that says he gets more money than you.
This Line is Fire But Wild: “Lil mama head game so crazy, I should’ve known cuz I know her mama”
10cellphones - Dishes
10cellphones is a very interesting person. He’s the person who fired off an AK round in his house and then hit The Quan right after. His gun obsession aside, he’s one of the melodic rappers from the state that I like. His twinkly beats and hooks play on an endless loop in my head.
NC Rappers still have to get weed from California: “I’m smokin on Cookie in Santa Fe / I’m in the mood to fuck up the Bay”
only on ig live will people ask for bladee collabs and say you got long dick energy.
Big Mali - Let’s Be Clear
Mali’s similar to a lot of DMV rappers. She’s in her comfort zone on these minimalistic beats with just a three-note loop and an extremely distorted 808 punctuating her punchlines. She’s from Raleigh (s/o the 919 again) and she’s rapping circles around so many people. While “Let’s Be Clear” is chill, her other songs make her look like “Kill Shit” G Herbo.
Who else can use the same word 7 times: “I’m in the back of the back smoking back of the back with your bitch in the back and she backin it back”
Big Kahuna OG - 3 Times for Tropes
Everyone in Mutant Academy is so impressive but I’ve found myself going back to “3 Times for Tropes” the most. The video cuts out Fly Anakin’s half of the song, but Big Kahuna OG’s half feels so relaxing. I don’t know if it’s the beat, the soundbite of T.D. Jakes repeating “SHUT UP, I GOT THIS!” or Big Kahuna OG dancing around and talking about grabbing a plate of arroz con pollo after church. I’m mad excited to see what the Richmond supergroup is gonna be up to next year.
idk what to say man i just like this song a lot.
Blacc Zacc - Richest Rapper in SC
I heard of Blacc Zacc about a week before I saw DaBaby in concert in May. I liked his music a lot, but when I found out he was opening for him at his Raleigh show I was mad happy. He’s also from Columbia, SC, like Jetson and is in a similar lane to PG RA. He’s a storyteller at heart, filling his tales with funny asides and humbling brags of being able to cop a chain from Johnny Dang with pocket change. His team was passing out CDs after the show. (I still have mine). He’s a hustler and that’s why Interscope signed him.
Small World Problems: “Catch me on Collins with this bad ass bitch / Oh you know her? That’s your friend? Oh shit”
