Best Hip-Hop Artists of 2019
It was the end of the decade and the night was calm. The writer of The Rap Clash wrote with an uneasy qualm. With the decade almost done and every list almost set, it was time to reveal the biggest one yet. The one with the artists, MC's and rappers. The one where dislikes were unavoidable hazards. It was finally that time of year: a list of the best rappers is finally here...
With an entire year behind us filled with impressive artists, moments and songs, it's time to countdown the top five artists of the year. For this list and the best artists of the decade list, I will automatically disqualify any artist that can already be considered the greatest of all time or have created a legendary career for themselves. With that being said, let's begin.
5. Lil Nas X
What could've been a flash in the pan became a full fledged fire by the name of Lil Nas X. Releasing the country/rap 'Old Town Road' and its subsequent remix with Billy Ray Cyrus was one of the best moves of the year. Combine that with the eventual release of his debut project 7. From someone who came from twitter fame to being one of the most marketable rappers in the world, all I can say is congratulations.
4. Megan Thee Stallion
While it took me a while to be able to finally pronounce her name properly, Megan Thee Stallion became a household name this year. Appearing on Chance the Rapper's The Big Day and Gucci Mane's Woptober II, her breakout single came off of her own Fever, 'Hot Girl Summer', featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Nicki Minaj. Her confident delivery and brazen personality has made her one of the hottest rappers in the game today and a good pick for this year.
3. Drake
The lowest seeding Drake has taken this decade, it could be understood. Drake didn't release anything that was hard hitting, other than 'Money in the Grave' and 'Omertà'. But did he need more? He re-released So Far Gone, which started at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and Care Package, which took the number 1 spot on the same list. He did a few features, notably on 'No Guidance' with Chris Brown and Summer Walker's 'Girls Need Love' remix. Good year, but not what people expect from him
2. J. Cole
The world expected to see J. Cole destroy the entire rap game after he released 'Middle Child' and 'Album of the Year (Freestyle)'. We expected The Off Season, The Fall Off, and a Kill Edward project but nothing came. Instead, we saw his run of collaborations that eventually culminated with my selection for Rap Album of the Year, Revenge of the Dreamers III. Again, it might not have been what we expected, but it was such an amazing year for a rapper who often gets put in the back of the line due to the lack of promotion.
1. DaBaby
Take energy, bottle it into a person and make sure that they can spit rhymes: that's DaBaby. He released two full fledged albums during the span of the year: Baby on Baby and KIRK. Not to mention that he appeared on multiple bangers this year, from Chance the Rapper's "Hot Shower" to Dreamville's "Under the Sun". There isn't anything that can be said to take away from what DaBaby has done during the entire calendar year: I wish that his success continues into the next decade.