HipHopDX's Best Rap & Hip Hop Albums Of 2019

An eccentric like Madlib and a straightforward guy like Freddie Gibbs—how could it possibly work? If 2014’s *Piñata* proved that the pairing—offbeat producer, no-frills street rapper—sounded better and more natural than it looked on paper, *Bandana* proves *Piñata* wasn’t a fluke. The common ground is approachability: Even at their most cinematic (the noisy soul of “Flat Tummy Tea,” the horror-movie trap of “Half Manne Half Cocaine”), Madlib’s beats remain funny, strange, decidedly at human scale, while Gibbs prefers to keep things so real he barely uses metaphor. In other words, it’s remarkable music made by artists who never pretend to be anything other than ordinary. And even when the guest spots are good (Yasiin Bey and Black Thought on “Education” especially), the core of the album is the chemistry between Gibbs and Madlib: vivid, dreamy, serious, and just a little supernatural.

Where do you go after you’re nominated for a Grammy for what is only your second proper album? If you’re celebrated North Carolina MC Rapsody, you go only wherever your heart desires—for her, that was down a path forged by historic black women before her. “When I think of why I am who I am, it\'s because I\'m inspired by so many dope women,” Rapsody tells Apple Music. “Dope men, too, but mostly dope women.” The MC’s third album *Eve* (named for that biblical mother of humanity) is a series of dedications to these women—some literal, others figurative, and still others simply named for individuals who embody ideals the artist felt compelled to extol. “It was easy once I had a concept,” she says. “All these women have different energies and they represent different things to me. And the bars just connected on their own, to be honest. Once you have the idea, the basis of what you want to write, everything else is just freedom and truth.” Lead single “Ibtihaj” (as in Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics) features a sample of GZA’s “Liquid Swords” along with guest spots from D’Angelo and The Genius himself. Elsewhere, the voices of rising New York MC Leikeli47, Los Angeles singer K. Roosevelt, and the legendary Queen Latifah ring out to help Rapsody tell the tales of “Oprah,” “Maya,” and “Hatshepsut,” respectively. *Eve* also features fellow generational talent and early Rapsody supporter J. Cole, who, during the sessions for “Sojourner,” helped distill his and Rapsody’s shared purpose as educators. “That whole song came from a two-, three-hour conversation that myself, J. Cole, and Ninth Wonder had in the studio,” Rapsody explains. “We were talking about Ninth’s generation versus me and Cole\'s. Everything is on the internet; they don\'t have to go and talk to each other face to face. In school they don\'t learn about all our black heroes. Some of them don\'t even want to know who Malcolm X is, who Betty Shabazz is. So that turned into: What is our responsibility as artists? We teach through our music. We should have fun, we should vibe out, but we have a responsibility to be reporting and talk about what\'s going on.” What that means for *Eve* is that the MC gets to honor some of her biggest inspirations as she earns a place among them.

If meme culture has contributed anything to the legacy of J. Cole, it helped establish him as a sort of popular rap antihero: “J. Cole went platinum with no features.” Casual fans could be forgiven for thinking this an indicator of Cole’s friend circle, but his label Dreamville’s *Revenge of the Dreamers III* compilation goes to great lengths to prove the opposite. The recording sessions, which took place over a 10-day period in January 2019, reportedly hosted over 100 artists and producers, all of whom were summoned via personal invitation. The songs (and contributors) that made the album, then, are the best of a creative community formed at the behest of “Mr. Nice Watch” himself. Present, of course, is the home team of Dreamville singer Ari Lennox, Queens-hailing everyman rapper Bas, ATL bar specialist J.I.D, songwriter/producer Omen, and Atlanta duo EARTHGANG, among others—along with names that were at one time unlikely to appear on the same playlist as Cole, let alone a compilation album flying his label’s banner. Each of the project’s 17 songs overflows with features, with notable contributions coming from young power players outside of the camp like Buddy, Young Nudy, KEY!, Maxo Kream, DaBaby, and Ski Mask the Slump God. The spirit of collaboration is audible throughout, as confirmed by Bas, who spoke with Apple Music just after the album’s recording. “It was so easy to create,” he says. “You have so many other creatives that you trust and respect, you don’t have to overdo it. You could do a 16-bar verse or hook or bridge and know that someone else is bringing something dynamic to the table.” The MC, who appears on four songs on *Revenge III*, clearly isn’t concerned about what working with a wealth of talent means for air space within the project. “I wish we could work like this all the time,” he says.

In 2017, Wu-Tang Clan\'s Raekwon took the mic during a Griselda Records showcase at New York’s Webster Hall, and hailed the Buffalo rap crew for “carrying the torch.” That historical moment marked an early hip-hop coronation for the Buffalo, New York, label/collective, who have since signed to Eminem\'s Shady Records. Following wave after wave of gritty independently released street-savvy mixtapes and coveted merch drops from BENNY THE BUTCHER and brothers Conway the Machine and Westside Gunn, the crew\'s core trio deliver on their promise with their Shady Records debut. Lest there be any concern that Shady’s major-label shine would somehow diminish Griselda\'s presence or dull their menace, *WWCD* revels in some of the darkest corners of the crew’s classic East Coast rap aesthetic, as evidenced by the murky atmospheres and ice-cold rhythms of “Chef Dreds” and “Moselle.” On the virtual cipher “Scotties,” they trade off relentlessly every few bars, with Benny launching memorable lines like \"I remember listening to the Wu in ’95/Got my first strap from Conway in ’99.\" Narrative moments like the bloody “Freddie HotSpot” tether Griselda to the lyrical crime-spree glories of the 1990s rap canon, while a guest verse by 50 Cent on “City on the Map” and an essential, full-circle intro from Raekwon himself only further establish their bona fides.

Little Brother's first album in nine years, saw Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh reunite after a surprise reunion show in late 2018. Boasting production from frequent Little Brother collaborators such as Nottz, Khrysis, and Focus... as well as features from Carlitta Durand, Darien Brockington, and new comer Blakk Soul. Executive produced by Little Brother and released through their respective labels in conjunction with Empire, "May The Lord Watch" became Little Brother's first album to reach a number one by debuting at number one on Apple Music.

From the outset of his fame—or, in his earliest years as an artist, infamy—Tyler, The Creator made no secret of his idolization of Pharrell, citing the work the singer-rapper-producer did as a member of N.E.R.D as one of his biggest musical influences. The impression Skateboard P left on Tyler was palpable from the very beginning, but nowhere is it more prevalent than on his fifth official solo album, *IGOR*. Within it, Tyler is almost completely untethered from the rabble-rousing (and preternaturally gifted) MC he broke out as, instead pushing his singing voice further than ever to sound off on love as a life-altering experience over some synth-heavy backdrops. The revelations here are mostly literal. “I think I’m falling in love/This time I think it\'s for real,” goes the chorus of the pop-funk ditty “I THINK,” while Tyler can be found trying to \"make you love me” on the R&B-tinged “RUNNING OUT OF TIME.” The sludgy “NEW MAGIC WAND” has him begging, “Please don’t leave me now,” and the album’s final song asks, “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” but it’s hardly a completely mopey affair. “IGOR\'S THEME,” the aforementioned “I THINK,” and “WHAT\'S GOOD” are some of Tyler’s most danceable songs to date, featuring elements of jazz, funk, and even gospel. *IGOR*\'s guests include Playboi Carti, Charlie Wilson, and Kanye West, whose voices are all distorted ever so slightly to help them fit into Tyler\'s ever-experimental, N.E.R.D-honoring vision of love.

“A real-ass n\*gga from the 305/I was raised off of Trina, Trick, Rick, and Plies,” Denzel Curry says on “CAROLMART.” Since his days as a member of Raider Klan, the Miami MC has made it a point to forge a path distinct from the influences he shouts out here. But with *ZUU*, Curry’s fourth studio album, he returns to the well from which he sprang. The album is conspicuously street-life-oriented; Curry paints a picture of a Miami he certainly grew up in, but also one rap fans may not have associated him with previously. Within *ZUU*, there are references to the city’s storied history as a drug haven (“BIRDZ”), odes to Curry’s family (“RICKY”), and retellings of his personal come-up (“AUTOMATIC”), along with a unique exhibition of Miami slang on “YOO.” Across it all, Curry is the verbose, motormouthed MC he made his name as, a profile that is especially recognizable on the album closer “P.A.T.,” where he dips in and out of a bevy of flows over the kind of scuzzy, lo-fi production that set the table for another generation of South Florida rap stars.

The first song on *One of the Best Yet*—Gang Starr’s seventh studio album and the group’s first since 2003, and since Guru’s passing in 2010—features a DJ addressing a crowd while cycling through snippets of Gang Starr hits. Of these there are many, and the highlight reel makes a case for the album title as a declaration of the group’s well-earned status in hip-hop. “You know what fuckin’ time it is,” the DJ exclaims at the end of the track. And in case you still didn\'t, *One of the Best Yet* is here to hammer the point home. Guru’s voice—one of the most distinct in hip-hop—is particularly unmistakable coupled with DJ Premier’s mid-1990’s era-defining sample chops and scratching. Whether Guru left room for guests or Premier made some, an extended list of collaborators like Q-Tip, Jeru the Damaja, Big Shug, Freddie Foxxx, and M.O.P. are present, reinforcing the group’s place in the culture. Even MCs a few generations removed like J. Cole (“Family and Loyalty”) and Nitty Scott (“Get Together”) pay respects, relishing the opportunity to kick verses with the man whose name stood for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal. To be clear, the Gang Starr legacy was cemented long before *One of the Best Yet*, but Premier has made it one of his life’s missions to keep the group’s name alive. And if that isn’t reason enough for you, Guru himself offers a posthumous cosign on “Lights Out,” rapping, “I told y’all, this is the one I owe y’all.”

A song about your inability to communicate with a lover is an odd choice for a rap album’s lead single, but Compton MC Boogie has long made it a point to differentiate himself from the gangland posturing his hood is renowned for. “Silent Ride” is half-sung, half-rapped, showing range in both delivery and persona as he confronts an issue plaguing so many relationships. “I can\'t lie, I\'m detached, I need guidance,” he confesses. Boogie’s *Everythings for Sale* album comes three years after *Thirst 48, Pt. II*, making good on the promise he’d shown over the course of a celebrated mixtape run that culminated with his signing to Shady Records in 2017. The album is steeped in vulnerability, opener “Tired/Reflections” a mix of spoken word, rapping, and intense introspection. “I’m tired of questioning if God real, I wanna get murdered already,” Boogie says at one point. On “Swap Meet,” a song about how his relationship has proved to be the best deal, he sings in the way a father would to try and settle an infant child. There is plenty barring up here as well, Boogie talking industry woes alongside JID on “Soho,” and cashing in on an appearance from label boss Eminem on “Rainy Days.” But whereas that Em feature might have once validated the MC’s mettle, in the case of *Everythings for Sale*, it’s a chance for Em to verify that he still knows a game-changing MC when he hears one.

“Walker Texas Ranger,” the standout single from DaBaby’s 2018 *Blank Blank* album, is also present on *Baby on Baby*. It\'s a stellar example of the Charlotte native’s appeal—the rapper’s husky delivery weaves in and out of paced bell chimes while rapping about his affinity for guns, his disdain for women with little to offer him besides their bodies, and a newfound potential for stardom. “It ain’t like Atlanta, I came out of Charlotte, that s\*\*t took me some time,” he raps. DaBaby once went by Baby Jesus, and the fact that he doesn’t take himself all that seriously is evident. Throughout a healthy stream of threats and braggadocio on “Suge,” you can hear the smirk on his face when he raps, “You disrespect me and I’ll beat your ass up all in front of your partners and children.” His choice of guests and their varying levels of fame (Offset, Rich Homie Quan, Stunna 4 Vegas) likewise says a great deal about what he values in a collaborator: MCs with energy that matches his own, and who can rap well, of course, but who also make it a point to laugh at their haters.

Houston\'s status as a fertile and influential rap mecca is still thriving as the rest of the world continues to catch up with the city\'s historically insular greatness. So consider Megan Thee Stallion an ambassador of what’s happening there now. From the blaxploitation vibes of its cover art to its loaded contents, her proper debut album builds upon the filthy flows that made her preceding *Tina Snow* project and its breakout single “Big Ole Freak” such an essential listen. Over live-wire beats informed less by purple drank and slab cars than by Cash Money and Hypnotize Minds, she doles out sex positivity and hustles wisdom about female empowerment in anthems like \"Dance\" and \"Money Good.\" Boasting a rare and deadly approach both lyrical and diabolical, she clowns hopeless imitators on “Realer” and provides ample ratchet motivation on the bassbin ruiner “Shake That.” Academy Award winner Juicy J, who produced three of *Fever*\'s cuts, doles out his legendary cosign with Southern pride, dropping a few raw bars himself on “Simon Says” alongside Megan’s characteristically raw ones.

EARTHGANG’s third proper album, *Mirrorland*, comes just two short months after their label Dreamville’s much-celebrated *Revenge of the Dreamers III* compilation. The recording sessions for that project, as documented by the camp themselves, seemed more like friends hanging out than MCs going to work. For *Mirrorland*, however, the duo is all business, reclaiming the space they once made for labelmates and collaborators to deliver a more concentrated storyline of their lives as young hip-hop outcasts. “Everybody’s trapping/Everybody’s hard/Everybody’s fucking/Everybody’s broad,” they declare with audible boredom on “LaLa Challenge.” On “UP,” they revel in finding success while moving outside of typical hip-hop circles, and then they come back around to offer fans an alternative to the status quo on “This Side.” They’ve tapped just a handful of guests to help tell the tale, most notably Young Thug, T-Pain, and Kehlani—artists whose voices are similarly distinctive—all while making music under a name that declares them to be proudly of this world.

Few elder statesmen in rap carry clout on the level of Uncle Snoop, his contributions to the genre containing seemingly countless certified classics. Even when he experiments with reggae, gospel, or straight-up pop, he inevitably returns to hip-hop to bless listeners with gangsta wisdom and that irrepressible charm. Despite being comprised entirely of new songs, *I Wanna Thank Me* feels like a retrospective of the Snoop Dogg catalog, at least thematically if not spiritually. He references the G-Funk era with sentimental if somewhat bittersweet pride on “Let Bygones Be Bygones,” while living up to his modern-day status as a cannabis celebrity alongside frequent collaborator Wiz Khalifa on “Take Me Away.” Reaching back before his own time in the spotlight on the Marley-sampling “So Misinformed,” he teams with golden-era icon Slick Rick to ponder the legacy of slavery and the corresponding diaspora. With features by R&B crooners Chris Brown and the late Nate Dogg, música urbana stars Anitta and Ozuna, and contemporary LA talents RJmrLA and YG, the choice of guests here reflects history as much as what’s happening now.

Let’s just state the obvious: BENNY THE BUTCHER can *rap*. He’s from Buffalo, not NYC, but *The Plugs I Met* boasts the kind of grimy, word-obsessed, kick-in-the-door New York gutter raps that old heads think went extinct in ’98. Well, not if Benny has anything to say about it. Over dusty Alchemist drums and menacing keys on “Dirty Harry,” the rapper crafts dense, writerly bars about all varieties of cinema-caliber gangster shit: “I wash the blood off the money that my daughters inherit/And kept the barrel so hot that it fog up the mirrors.” Name another current rapper who could invite Pusha T, Jadakiss, and Black Thought on their EP—and outpace all three.

EXCLUSIVE VINYL RELEASE ONLY

Ahead of the release of his official full-length debut album, DC rapper GoldLink launched his Beats 1 show IFFY FM, describing it as “a carefully curated journey through sound touching many corners of the world” and “home to the sound of the black diaspora.” The show exists as a companion piece to the album, shining a light on the MC’s many divergent inspirations, including artists from the UK, Canada, Colombia, Nigeria, and, of course, his native DMV area. The album is these same musical ideas realized, with GoldLink running his own unique brand of future bounce through the filters of Afrobeats, dancehall, street rap, and UK pop (among others), seasoning it all with the rumble of post-trap sonics. (There is also the curiously titled “Spanish Song,” where GoldLink has buried any semblance of ethnic identifiers deep into warm and cascading synth lines.) The list of collaborators on *Diaspora* is equally diverse, with features from LA antihero Tyler, The Creator, British-Nigerian producer Maleek Berry, American pop crooner Khalid, Afrobeats superstar Wizkid, and hip-hop bully Pusha T, to name a few. GoldLink has managed to make sense of plenty of voices here, and if *Diaspora*’s relationship to IFFY FM proves nothing else, it’s that he’s making the exact kind of music he wants to be listening to.

There aren’t many rappers who can claim to have the stylistic influence that Young Thug has had—a fact that may or may not have slowed the once prolific artist’s rate of output. Never lacking in feature work, the majority of Thug’s career saw him release multiple projects annually before dropping the Future collaboration *SUPER SLIMEY* and the YSL Records showcase *Slime Language* in 2017 and 2018, respectively. A little more than halfway through 2019, Thugger awards his fans’ patience with *So Much Fun*, an album that not only reminds us what we’d been missing, but one whose title seems to speak directly to the experience of creating it. Thug sounds elated to be making music across *So Much Fun*, unloading quirky stream-of-consciousness bars like rounds from one of the many guns he so often cites. “I put on my brothers, I put on my bitch/Had to wear the dress, ’cause I had a stick,” he raps on “Just How It Is.” He gets explicit on “Lil Baby,” telling us, “She put my cum in her cup like it was shake/I’ll never fuck this bitch again, it was a mistake,” but also proclaims via “Ecstasy,” “I don’t wanna talk about no hoes with my dad.” Fair. The production on *So Much Fun*, along with the way Thug processes it, is based in trap but equally indebted to video game scoring and some unplaceable fantasy world. Frequent collaborators like Wheezy and Southside, as well as friend and former tourmate J. Cole, have pushed themselves to their weirdest in attempts to keep up with Thug’s vocal experiments. Here, they include playing with British slang (“Sup Mate”), aping Louis Armstrong’s singing voice (“Cartier Gucci Scarf”), and punctuating bars with Michael Jackson-reminiscent ad-libs (“Light It Up”). The MC is very clearly in his bag on *So Much Fun*, something that we might attribute to the peace he may have found as one of rap’s most revered innovators. He alludes to this himself on “Jumped Out the Window,” rapping, “I been in the top room at Tootsie’s, they ain’t stunt me/They know I got money, and I don’t want nothing.”

Few producers have steered hip-hop quite like Pete Rock, whose presence on countless Golden Age classics ensured his canonization. But the New York native hasn’t rested on his laurels in the 2010s, working with Smif-N-Wessun and Smoke DZA on one-off album projects that expand upon his legacy. Teaming with Brooklyn MC Skyzoo, he unveils freshly programmed boom bap and even reaches into his vault of untouched gems to give the lyricist some heat to flow over. “Glorious” lays out the duo’s righteous agenda, with its soul-saturated beat and loquacious bars flecked with social-justice consciousness. Styles P makes an appearance on “Carry the Tradition,” while Rock himself grabs the mic on “Truck Jewels” to remind that he still has plenty of 16s left to spit.

A testament to all the real MCs in Bun and Statik’s inner circle. The original, 10-track version of *TrillStatik*, the collaborative album between Houston rap legend Bun B and Boston producer Statik Selektah, was reportedly recorded over the course of a single 12-hour session. Featuring no fewer than 17 guests, singers and MCs worthy of Bun and Statik\'s bar-rich catalogs, it’s a marvel of both efficiency and curation. The deluxe version of the album, with its four bonus tracks and three additional guests, is an extension of the same mission, with Bun acting as a sort of host MC for the project’s guests, allowing them airspace to spread their wings over Statik’s consistently jazzy instrumentals. Veterans such as Method Man, Fat Joe, and F.A.M.E. (of M.O.P.) sound inspired in their features, while another generation, represented properly by Westside Gunn, Smoke DZA, and Meechy Darko, likewise relish the opportunity to run with hip-hop legends. There are just two Bun B and Statik Selektah-only collabs, but the album is nonetheless a testament to one characteristic the MC and producer share: investment in a community of talented collaborators.

Zambian-born hip-hop artist Sampa the Great (born Sampa Tembo) is based in Australia, but don’t call her an Australian rapper. “That’s not completely getting who I am,” she tells Apple Music. “Zambia is a part of my identity, and I wanted to show that story.” Her flow is as polished, exciting, and rich as the production, and her lyrics are poetic, clever, proud, and deeply, necessarily truthful. Tembo’s debut album isn’t just an introduction to her story, it’s part of it. And when she visited her home to perform for the first time, it changed her story altogether. “For me, I was the person who *had* a place to go to, a home to go to,” she says. “I was writing from that perspective until I did my shows there. People would say, ‘You know, you kind of sound different. You sound a bit watered down. You haven’t been home for a while, your accent has changed.’ It put me in this funny place. It hurt. I felt like I was finally home, but the people from home were like, ‘You’re not from here.’ And so it really opened me up to a part of my own life that I didn’t think existed. And it made me understand the emotions that come out of those circumstances for others—there are a lot of people from where I come from who *can’t* go home.” Read on to learn more about the stories behind some of her favorite tracks on *The Return*. **“Mwana” (feat. Mwanje Tembo, Theresa Mutale Tembo & Sunburnt Soul Choir)** “It’s the first song you hear on the album, on my journey. It’s literally my return home, physically, but also spiritually. My sister and mum are on the song, and it’s the first time I’ve ever done a song in Bemba \[the Bantu language spoken by Sampa’s family\]. The album is supposed to be about reassuring yourself of who you are, where you’re from, and how to navigate that, and this is such a special song to me and for the album. And the Sunburnt Soul Choir are amazing. Their voices are beautiful. I love the level of connection there.” **“Freedom\"** “It’s very important to me to talk about the risk that artists take. Everybody knows the artist through their songs, but they don’t know the artist *behind* the music. It’s important for me to highlight that sometimes the business, the money, and the hustle to put your music out there and earn a living can give you some compromises. ‘Freedom’ is me expressing how, as a young up-and-coming artist, it’s so important to know who I am and to not compromise that.” **“OMG”** “‘OMG’ reminds me of home and the music that I heard when I was young. Homesickness was getting in the way of me being content with everything that was happening professionally. Hearing my music is on a radio station \[in Australia\] is beautiful, but it’s not personally reaching me because I didn’t grow up here. It was different when we did go home. I was interviewed by a rapper I listened to when I was younger, who I’d wanted to meet as a child, and then the radio station by my high school played my songs. I don’t take \[being in Australia\] for granted, but I also know that my inspiration, all my music and artistry comes from my home. So to be able to bridge those two—who I am and where I’m based—has made me more assured of who I am.” **“Final Form”** “‘Final Form’ shaped the sound of the album. It’s very cinematic. I felt like I was bringing people into a movie of my life. I’ve not fully told my narrative or my story, and the problem with that is then the story is created for me, instead of the other way around. So I’m showing you where I’m from. In the video, I show you my parents, the school I went to. Whatever you create out of that, that’s your business, but this is my story. I needed to create that musically and visually.” **“The Return” (feat. Thando, Jace XL, Alien & Whosane)** “We broke down in the studio while recording this. It’s such a vulnerable, special song, because of the perspectives it brings to the forefront, stuff that I didn\'t write. Everyone on the song is speaking from their individual perspectives, their lives, and how they’re affected by the places they stay in. What I know to be true is that your real home is your soul. Your body. For people who can’t go home, that’s their alternative. They have to call a place that’s not really their home, their home. ‘The Return’ talks about getting to the crux of who you think you are and where you think your home is, and trying to recreate that within yourself. We really broke down, but we let the world hear how vulnerable and scared we are. That’s what I love about it.”

Sampa The Great creates a sense of home on her debut album - “The Return”. A characterful record, its reference points range from classic hip-hop to ancient Southern African sounds. Built on four years of personal and musical soul-searching, it’s an assured statement, the product of meaningful musical connections and of Sampa having to redefine her self-identity away from the comforts of family and old friends. The album follows the recently released single ‘Final Form’, which was hailed as Zane Lowe’s ‘World Record’ and received incredible support from the likes of The Guardian, OkayAfrica, The Independent, Clash, gal-dem and many more. It was also the #1 Most Played track on Triple J the week of release, and received love from Ebro Darden (Beats 1 / Hot 97), Annie Mac, Mistajam & DJ Target (Radio 1), Gilles Peterson & Lauren Laverne (6 Music), Jason Kramer & Anthony Valadez (KCRW), John Richards, Larry Rose & Atticus (KEXP), and more and more. On “The Return” Sampa has enlisted a string of esteemed collaborators and peers to create the album. Mixed by Jonwayne (of Stones Throw notoriety), MsM (Skepta/Boy Better Know) and Andrei Eremin (GRAMMY-nominated engineer for Hiatus Kaiyote and Chet Faker), productions are by Silentjay, Slowthai producer Kwes Darko, Clever Austin (Perrin Moss of Hiatus Kiayote), Blue Lab Beats and Syreniscreamy. The album also features collaborations with Ecca Vandal and London jazz collective Steam Down. Many of them are the fruits of the network Sampa has built since first making waves in 2015 - following time spent studying in San Francisco and LA - as a new arrival in Sydney’s hip-hop and jazz freestyle nights. Since then, she’s performed with Denzel Curry on his breakout track ‘Black Balloons’ for Triple J’s ‘Like A Version’, and toured globally, supporting the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Thundercat, Joey Bada$$, Hiatus Kaiyote, Noname, Ibeyi and Little Simz. Following recent live performances at Glastonbury, Love Supreme Jazz Festival, Dark MOFO (Tasmania - alongside FKA Twigs, Kelsey Lu, Nicholas Jaar), Down The Rabbit Hole (Netherlands) and a headline show at Hip-Hop Collection (Paris) - Sampa plays alongside Sons Of Kemet at Somerset House on 13th July, before joining Burna Boy - recent recipient of the BET Best International Act award - in New York’s Prospect Park on 19th July plus headline solo shows at Elsewhere in Brooklyn on 18th July and Gold Diggers in LA on 22nd July. She returns to the EU in November for a headline tour that includes XOYO in London, as well as stops in Manchester, Bristol, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and more.

In the video for “Walker Texas Ranger,” Charlotte, North Carolina, MC DaBaby sports a weathered leather jacket and a cowboy hat while he drives a pickup truck clear off a cliff. This, along with the clip for “Suge,” where he can be seen dancing in a mail carrier’s uniform (“Pack in the mail, it’s gone”) and donning fake bodybuilder muscles, has led rap fans of a certain age to liken him to animated superstars past like Ludacris and Busta Rhymes. But to let DaBaby tell it, this innate wackiness is as much a part of him as the tattoos and jewelry he sports. “I\'m not too serious for myself,” he told Apple Music’s Ebro ahead of the release of *KIRK*. This album comes seven months after *Baby on Baby*, the rapper’s breakout project and home to the aforementioned “Walker Texas Ranger” and “Suge.” “A lot of n\*ggas are too serious for themselves, and that\'s not even them behind closed doors or off camera. As consumed as your time is in a business like this, being yourself got to be the smartest thing a person could do.” *KIRK* might be more DaBaby than he’s ever been: On “INTRO,” he gets deep into his family history, speaking candidly about losing his father in the midst of his rise. It’s a theme he revisits on “GOSPEL,” a song featuring straight-faced verses from Chance the Rapper and Gucci Mane as well as some R&B support from Florida singer YK Osiris. As past hits would attest, DaBaby is well-equipped to carry a song by himself, but he sounds great in tandem with voices like Nicki Minaj on “iPHONE” (“DaBaby and Da Barbie,” she quips), Lil Baby and Moneybagg Yo on “TOES,” and Migos on “RAW S\*\*T.” DaBaby’s rap style in particular features the kind of endlessly amusing non sequitur most of these artists made their names on. Every verse is a chance to show off, and is usually rooted in some kind of nonlinear storytelling. The chorus of “VIBEZ” takes listeners on an abbreviated journey through a day in the life. “She wanna fuck with me but I don’t got the time/I just hopped off a private plane and went and hopped on 85/Go call my chauffeur, bitch, ’cause I don’t like to drive/We in Suburbans back to back and we gon’ fill em up with vibes.” An aim to come off well as a rapper is something the MC does not take lightly but is also, as DaBaby would claim, just another facet of who he is. “I let the music take me there, but at the end of the day, I\'m just not no dumb n\*gga,” he tells Ebro. “I can walk into a building and have a conversation with somebody that went to school for 10 years and not miss a beat. And have them on the same frequency I\'m on. And vice versa. Then, I go in the hood and talk to any n\*gga in the hood. I\'m just a versatile person. And I got the brains to be able to play around with words.”