Passion of the Weiss's Best Albums of 2019

When the Florida rapper broke through in 2017 with “Murder on My Mind,” the song was striking in its unvarnished account of shooting a friend who would die in his arms; a year later, some would say it incriminated the rapper, who is currently facing trial—and potentially the death penalty—for the alleged 2018 murder of two affiliates. (Melly maintains his innocence.) These are dark circumstances under which to release your debut album, but the mood of *Melly vs. Melvin* is surprisingly upbeat, like on “Bang Bang,” where Melly floats over a buoyant flip of Nelly’s 2008 hit “Body on Me.” But then there’s “Two Face,” essentially the album’s thematic cornerstone, on which he breaks down the dueling sides of his personality: “I’m a slimeball, and I’ll admit it, dawg,” his more devious half confesses.

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Not unlike that of the game-changing Gucci Mane before him, Young Thug’s commanding influence over hip-hop marks one of the most notable success stories in the genre’s history. While he began as an almost extraterrestrial presence in Atlanta’s trap scene, his idiosyncratic high-pitched delivery blurred the lines between rapping and singing in a way that ultimately became a viable and pervading format employed proficiently by a new generation of young hitmakers. Co-signed to Thugger’s own YSL imprint, Lil Keed executes that liberating style with a precision that belies his relative youth. Coming off the strength of last year’s *Keed Talk To ’Em* mixtape and its auspicious chart-topping standout “Nameless,” he all but matches the sublime cadence and manic tone flips of his *Barter 6* benefactor on cuts like “HBS” and “Snake.” Yet unlike those in the game content to merely mimic, Keed makes the sound his own, which becomes evident when he contends with heavy-hitter guests like Moneybagg Yo on the luxe “Child” or Lil Uzi Vert amid the flute trills of “Pull Up.” Energetic and nearly effortless alongside his younger brother Lil Gotit on the ethereal drip of “Pass It Out,” Lil Keed seems close to fully outgrowing his rising star status.

“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.