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The Best of the 1st Half -*2019 Pundit’s PlayLi$t*

Yeah so quite a bit has gone down since the ball dropped.

Everyone talks about how having a baby can change a person, but in my opinion it doesn’t change a person as much as it evolves a person into someone that can still love all of the stuff they always loved, *plus* a little person that they now put before anything else in their day to day life. My friends, that is where I am at in this moment in life. No, I do not write as much as I used to, but I’m happier now than have been in some time, and I love music just as much as I ever did. I am still learning the balance, but I’m also pretty excited to have a little daughter that I will be able to share my highly opinionated thoughts on hip-hop with, whether she wants to hear them or not (most likely not).

These rankings are based on the following key factors: my personal favorites (this is technically not just a list of my favorite songs), plus songs that I thought were especially well done or influential (even if they may not have resonated me as much as everyone else), diverse (I didn’t want to have 10 songs from the same artist, but I would have if I was only basing this list on personal faves), especially strong production and/or verses, and the song had to be officially released prior to July 1st.

As for the year in rap music in general up through the close of June, it has been a strong one. What the genre has lacked in strong “mainstream” releases, it has made up for with enough fantastic underground hip-hop projects that belong in steady rotation for a long time. So here it is, at last, my list of the best rap songs of the first half of 2019… 🙏

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

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

(Bandana is quite an album, and “Palmolive” is quite a song. One terrific verse from Freddie, a great hook from Killer Mike, and then a verse of the year front runner with Pusha’s verse, all over a soulful Madlib back-drop?? Yikes. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib have made all rap fans very proud in 2019.)

2. “Thank God” - Tree

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

(Tree’s We Grown Now is such an amazing album. I can’t recall the last time I heard a project that felt like a living, breathing work of art that logs the life of a man that has been through life’s ups and downs and is just happy to be here to talk about it.)

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

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

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

4. “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. A wonderful homage to his father, and the Carol City of which he hails.)

5. “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.)

6. “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 too aggressive rhymers do this all day.)

7. “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.)

8. “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.)

9. “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.)

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 on the album’s first song it’s so clear that Bandana is a special project.)

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

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

(Good luck picking the best verse here! All three kill it, but Spesh may end up pulling ahead with a few key haymakers.)

12. “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’ absolutely sensational contributions on this one.)

13. “Cokewhite” - Goldlink feat. Pusha T

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

(One of a few verse of the year contenders from King Push.)

14. “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.)

15. “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 it’s 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.)

16. “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.)

17. “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!?)

18. “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!)

19. “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 travelling companion for moving through the streets of NYC, and this song may be the crown jewel. This has the feel of a classic New York anthem and I am crazy for it.)

20. “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?)

21. “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 the hungriest parts of upstate NY.)

22. “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 so far.)

23. “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.)

24. “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.)

25. “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 rapping.)

26. “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.)

27. “AUTOMATIC” - Denzel Curry

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

(Denzel Curry and Tay Keith prove to be a potent combination on this ZUU banger.)

28. “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.)

29. “Make No Issues Of It” - Jim Jones

https://soundcloud.com/jim-jones-capo/make-no-issues-of-it?in=jim-jones-capo/sets/el-capo

(Jimmy did his thing...but Heatmakerz kicks the damn door down.)

30. “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.)

31. “Deadass” - Kemba

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

(Unfortunately, in any other era this should have been a huge rap hit. Fortunately, in this era it can be praised as one of the best underground smashes of the year.)

32. “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.)

33. “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, what’s even more impressive is the final product manages to meet expectations.)

34. “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.)

35. “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...)

36. “Eedeot Bwoy” - Mach-Hommy feat. Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim

https://soundcloud.com/mach-hommy/eedeot-bwoy-feat-tha-god-fahim?in=mach-hommy/sets/wap-konn-joj-1

(What a great year for both Mach & Droog. This joint feels like 3:00AM Wake Up Show music...and I love that!)

37. “2016” - Jamal Gasol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxEBzhV6Ar4

(True Stories is quite possibly my favorite project from Gasol’s impressive discography, and this one has been in my rotation for all of 2019 thus far. Jamal is another one of upstate New York’s gem MCs, so if you’re a fan of Benny and Griselda, definitely check out Niagara’s Jamal Gasol.)

38. “Field Negro” - Royce Da 5′9″

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yDmU881LTo

(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???)

39. “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.)

40. “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.)

41. “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.)

42. “Last Supper” - Eto & DJ Muggs feat. Meyhem Lauren

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCc47fVzptU

(A dope song from a dope album, sure...but it’s that Meyhem verse that catapults this joint into the top 50 of the year through June. “I don’t have kids just clothes, cars & cribs” is easily one of the year’s best opening bars!)

43. “$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.)

44. “HolOnHolOn” - Fly Anakin & Tuamie

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

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

45. “Jason Statham, Pt. 2” - Pivot Gang (Joseph Chilliams, Saba, MFnMelo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy57oefUZXg

(A very dope song from a very dope album. Pivot Gang’s project deserved all of the attention that Revenge of the Dreamers received, and then some. This is Chicago all-star work.)

46. “CAROLMART” - Denzel Curry feat. Ice Billion Berg

https://soundcloud.com/denzelcurryph/carolmart-feat-ice-billion?in=denzelcurryph/sets/zuu-3

(One of the bounciest joints on a very bouncy album, here Denzel successfully harkens back to the regional style that influenced him without sounding even the slightest bit dated.)

47. “Down” - JID, Bas, J. Cole, EARTHGANG & Young Nudy (Dreamville)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibvxfN7G6Gs

(The names in this line-up were enough to keep the hype building for Revenge of the Dreamers 3. However, it’s the performance of the artists on the track that have kept it in heavy rotation over here.)

48. “207” - Your Old Droog

https://soundcloud.com/your-old-droog/207-1

(Weaving funny lyrics with poignant observations has always been one of Your Old Droog’s specialties. By tackling personal topics such as agoraphobia and his general anti-social behavior Droog is able to elevate this song to stand-out status.)

49. “Only Built For Corrilinks” - Quadry & Tuamie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZXufjWO1E4

(Travelling waaaay under the radar is Baton Rouge’s Quadry, who dropped a stellar project helmed by rising underground producer extraordinaire, Tuamie. The duo’s Emergency Raps, Vol. 5 is a quick but impressive listen.)

50. “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.)

***Selections #51-#100***:

https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/186668563851/the-best-of-the-1st-half-2019-pundits