In two days we will have entered a new decade. As 2020 is fast approaching, it’s time to reflect on the music we have been blessed with this year. You know what time it is. It’s time to find out what my favorite albums of 2019 are. Let’s get it.

30. Post Malone – Hollywood’s Bleeding (September 6th)

Post Malone has been on a tear ever since his breakout single, “White Iverson”. So much so, that everything he drops immediately becomes platinum. Just like his latest album, “Hollywood’s Bleeding” which only took one month to become platinum. The album was insanely successful as it sold 489,000 units in only the first week. It was Post’s second #1 album in a row, after his previous album, “Beerbongs & Bentley’s” also scored the #1 position on the billboard charts. It was a good-to-decent album where Posts’ fanbase just skyrocketed it to be the one of the biggest selling albums of 2019.

Favorite Songs:

1. Take What You Want ft. Travis Scott & Ozzy Osbourne
2. Hollywood’s Bleeding
3. Die For Me ft. Future & Halsey

29. Jaden Smith – ERYS (July 5th)

After touring with J Cole & Young Thug in 2018, Tyler the Creator in 2019, and headlining his own tour this year with his sister Willow, Jaden Smith isn’t just Will Smith’s son anymore. While he’s already established his own name, his musical exploration speaks for itself. After his debut album, “SYRE” was received very well and peaked at #19 on the billboard charts. While the Msfts waited for Jaden to come with the highly anticipated, “ERYS” he was doing greater things outside of music. And the album resonated with his core fans, and even some outsiders, peaking at #4 on the billboard charts. Jaden has once again proven that he can step outside the shadows of his star-studded family to deliver quality music.

Favorite Songs:

1. I
2. N
3. Again ft. SYRE

28. YNW Melly – We All Shine (January 17th)

After going gold with his last project, “I Am You”, Melly looked to start 2019 on the right foot. However, that was unfortunately short-lived as he was arrested for the double murder of his former friends in February. The sad part is that as you listen to this project you can see the potential Melly has an artist. Versatile in content, great vocal range, and ability to tell a story with his lyrics, Melly has all the tools needed to succeed as a rapper. And the numbers back it up, as his most recent album, “Melly vs. Melvin” reached #8 on the billboard while selling 43,000 units in the first week. Melly’s mother has recently said Melly will be getting out in 90 days, however that hasn’t been confirmed by any legal authorities. It’s the same situation with Kodak Black to me, so much talent just can’t stay out of the system.

Favorite Songs:

1. No Heart
2. City Girls
3. Rolling Loud

27. Young Nudy & Pi’erre Bourne – Sli’merre (May 8th)

Grammy-Nominated Slimeball. Straight out of Zone 6, Nudy linked up with one of the biggest producers/artists in the game in Pi’erre Bourne. The combo then created, “Sli’merre”, a mixture of East Atlanta influence with the fast tempo video game/futuristic type beats that Pi’erre brings to the table. And he wasn’t alone on this project as 21 Savage (his cousin), Lil Uzi Vert, and DaBaby were all featured. Nudy showcased the hardcore trap rap that was founded out of the city he’s from, while flowing effortlessly over the Pi’erre beats.

Favorite Songs:

1. Hot Wings
2. Extendo ft. Lil Uzi Vert
3. Mister ft. 21 Savage

26. Kanye West – Jesus Is King (October 25th)

After the beautiful album rollout of, “YANDHI” happened Kanye took a year off to sit back and have a complete transformation. As only Kanye would, he took on the Christian approach to life as he tried to preach and embody the word of Gods soldier. Kanye has heavily talked about God in his music throughout his career, but this is the first album where he’s said he’s become, “one with the Lord”. He was in the news for mostly his infamous support of President Trump and his involvement in the Drake-Pusha T beef, Ye has done a 360 and is now mostly known for his support and sharing of his own gospel. Which is his music. We can only wait for Kanye’s next move now.

Favorite Songs:

1. Follow God
2. Selah
3. Everything We Need ft. Ty Dolla $ign & Ant Clemons

25. Lil Keed – Long Live Mexico (June 14th)

Another rapper of the Young Thug family tree, Lil Keed became more then just a Young Thug prodigy this year. Him and his brother Lil Gotit are now well known across the country, not just in their native Atlanta. On this project Keed recruited some of raps biggest names to assist him. Obviously his fellow slatt associates were on the tape, but Keed got Roddy Ricch, Moneybagg Yo, Nav, YNW Melly, and Lil Uzi Vert on his project. For Keed’s young career, LLM was massively successful, peaking at #26 on the billboard charts. It’s only up from here for the 21 year-old from Atlanta.

Favorite Songs:

1. Oh My God
2. Pull Up ft. YNW Melly & Lil Uzi Vert
3. Proud Of Me

24. Calboy – Wildboy (May 31st, 2019)

After signing to Meek Mill’s label, “Dreamchasers Records” in March, Calboy went straight to work dropping an album only two months later. Wildboy was Calboy’s coming out party, especially since the first song on the project, “Envy Me” was already certified platinum at the time (now 2x platinum). Fellow Chicago rappers Lil Durk & Polo G both made appearances on the project while Meek, Young Thug, Moneybagg Yo, & Yo Gotti also had features. At only 20, Calboy still has a lot of time to release more music and after hearing this album, I’m excited for the future.

Favorite Songs:

1. Adam & Eve
2. Envy Me
3. Chariot ft. Meek Mill, Young Thug, & Lil Durk

23. JACKBOYS & Travis Scott – JACKBOYS (December 27th)

In my last article, I gave you guys the scouting report for the collective known as, “JACKBOYS”. Travis Scott, Don Toliver, and Sheck Wes came together to deliver a solid project. With standout tracks like, “OUT WEST” and “WHAT TO DO?”, the people now know how Don Toliver stepping. The futuristic/outer space type vibe that Travis and Co. usually brings with their music was apparent in this project, and I enjoyed the hell out of it. I am just 100x more excited for another Don Toliver solo project. Also, thank God for Mike Dean.

Favorite Songs:

1. WHAT TO DO? (Travis Scott & Don Toliver)
2. GANG GANG (Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, Luxury Tax 50)
3. GATTI (Travis Scott & Pop Smoke)

22. NBA Youngboy – AI Youngboy 2 (October 11th)

The king of YouTube streams got himself a #1 album. After getting arrested in May for a shootout with allegedly someone from Tee Grizzley’s camp, Youngboy spent three months behind bars. Upon his release from prison, Youngboy released two singles, “Slime Mentality” and, “Self Control” to get some hype for an upcoming project. After not releasing a full-length project since 2018, Youngboy gave his fans what they wanted. And the fans paid him back, with the album selling 110,000 units in the first week. This gave Youngboy the #1 album in the country and kept it in the top five albums for five straight weeks. And not only does he do well on streaming services, he’s also the undisputed king of YouTube. He’s spent almost three years on the YouTube top 100 charts. Just like other rappers on this list, as long as he stays out of trouble he’ll continue to prosper in the rap game.

Favorite Songs:

1. Self Control
2. Carter Son
3. Seeming Like It

21. Trippie Redd – A Love Letter To You 4 (November 22nd)

After countless instances beefing with former collaborator 6ix9ine, Trippie has seemed to left all that in the past and let his music speak for itself. With, “A Love Letter To You 4” Trippie put his unique talents on display with some slow sad songs (Leray) and emphatic rapping style (The Grinch). Trippie earned his first #1 album with this project, and it was well deserved. The music sounded a lot better than what I’ve heard from his last couple projects. At only 20 years old, Trippie has a lot more potential yet to be unlocked.

Favorite Songs:

1. 6 Kiss ft. YNW Melly & Juice WRLD
2. Who Needs Love
3. Death ft. DaBaby

20. Quality Control – Control The Streets, Vol. 2 (August 16th)

After releasing their first compilation album two years ago, Quality Control decided to double up and release yet another project. With their biggest signees Migos, Lil Baby, & Lil Yachty headlining the project, it was almost guaranteed to do big numbers. 36 tracks though my goodness, who said that was ok? However, there were some really great songs on here so I let it slide.

Favorite Songs:

1. Magellanic (Takeoff)
2. Baby (DaBaby & Lil Baby)
3. Double Trouble (Quavo & Meek Mill)

19. Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers III (July 5th)

After one of the most legendary recording sessions ever documented, the J-Cole backed powerhouse known as Dreamville released their third collar project. Let me just show you how legendary the sessions were.

It was incredible to see how many artists just got together and showed the true nature of the sport. Competition. Everyone was going bar-to-bar and showing their best talents in this project. With standout features from Ty Dolla $ign, DaBaby, and Vince Staples, there’s a reason the album went gold in less than a month. However, that’s not even the biggest accomplishment from this project. It is nominated for two Grammy awards, Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance (Down Bad). Now let’s see what’s next for Cole and Dreamville in 2020

Favorite Songs:

1. Down Bad ft. JID, Bas, J Cole, EARTHGANG, & Young Nudy
2. Wells Fargo ft. JID, EARTHGANG, Buddy & Guapdad 4000
3. Costa Rica ft. Too Many Damn People

18. Mustard – Perfect Ten (June 28th)

Dijon McFarlane, formerly known as DJ Mustard (now just Mustard), released his second album and called it, “Perfect Ten”. And that’s almost exactly what it was. Mustard grabbed his rap friends and made a great album that showcased his ability to produce amazing records. From smooth and slow (Woah Woah) to authentic California up tempo beats (100 Bands), Mustard was able to grab the listeners attention for every track.

Favorite Songs:

1. Woah Woah ft. Young Thug & Gunna
2. Ballin’ ft. Roddy Ricch
3. Perfect Ten ft. Nipsey Hussle

17. Pop Smoke – Meet the Woo (July 26th)

Pop Smoke bust on to the rap scene this year with his song, “Welcome to the Party“. The song sounded like a mix of Chicago drill and authentic New York sound. Pop Smoke, or Bashar Jackson, is straight from Brooklyn and through his music exemplifies the toughness and rawness of New York City rap. His rapid rise to fame has seen him go on to collab with the likes of Travis Scott & has gotten the attention of Lil Yachty. After his huge 2019, Pop Smoke can go up another level in 2020. We’ll see what happens.

Favorite Songs:

1. Dior
2. Welcome to the Party
3. PTSD

16. Lil Tecca – We Love You Tecca (August 30th)

Two years ago Lil Tecca was charging $50 for a feature, now he has an estimated net worth of $3 Million. The 17 year-old rapper of out New York City became a budding star after the success of his song, “Ransom”. The song would go on to peak at #4 on the Billboard charts, giving Tecca a huge boost for his career. The song caught the attention of the late Juice WRLD as he hopped on the remix, which at the time has 27.7 Million streams on SoundCloud. Building off of this hype, “We Love You Tecca” would debut at #4 on the Billboard charts while selling 68,000 copies the first week. Tecca has built a foundation of a strong fanbase, a big presence on social media, and a collection of melodic hits, so I’m definitely excited to see what the future holds for him.

Favorite Songs:

1. Senorita
2. Left, Right
3. Did It Again

15. DaBaby – Baby on Baby (March 1st)

Jonathan Kirk, also known as DaBaby, has arguably had the biggest year out of everyone on this list. Two headlining tours, two albums in the Billboard 200 top 10, three singles in the Billboard 100 top 10, and two Grammy nominations. Kirk has established himself as one of the biggest names in rap in only one year. From scandals to millions, DaBaby is now a commodity in hip-hop. In this project, DaBaby came out with two gold singles (Baby Sitter & Goin Baby) and his first ever gold album. This was DaBaby’s first big project, and I have a feeling you’re going to see him on this list again.

Favorite Songs:

1. Suge
2. Goin Baby
3. Walker Texas Ranger

14. King Von – Grandson, Vol. 1 (September 20th)

King Von is another rapper to emerge out of the Chicago drill scene that Lil Durk and Chief Keef launched around 2012. Von is under Durk’s label, “OTF” or Only The Family entertainment. With “Grandson, Vol. 1” being Von’s first full length project, it put his raw talent and quick rapping ability on display. With songs like, “Crazy Story” and, “What It’s Like” gaining millions of views, Von was put on a pedestal to deliver with this project. He showed a new versatile side with his song, “F*** Yo Man” and still showed consistently why he’s a respected rapper in his hometown of Chicago.

Favorite Songs:

1. Crazy Story ft. Lil Durk (Remix)
2. Went Silly
3. What It’s Like

13. Gunna – Drip or Drown 2 (February 22nd)

YSL records all over this list. Sergio Kitchens, aka Gunna, has risen to the top of the rap world with mixtapes like Drip Season 3 & his collab tape with fellow Atlanta rapper Lil Baby, Drip Harder. Gunna has established his presence in the game with his fashion & laid back rapping style. With this project, he took another step forward gaining three gold singles with, “Baby Birkin”, “Speed It Up”, and “One Call”. The album itself went gold and earned Gunna his first solo top 5 appearance (#3) in the Billboard 200 charts. It moved 89,874 copies in the first week, beating out Offset’s, “FATHER OF 4” by only 465 more copies. With the anticipation of, “Super Slimey 2” building up, Gunna is definitely one of the biggest names on every rap fans radar.

Favorite Songs:

1. 3 Headed Snake ft. Young Thug
2. One Call
3. Wit It

12. Polo G – Die a Legend (June 7th)

Polo G is another Chicago rapper to make the list. After the release of his song, “Neva Cared” in May 2018 his career started to take off and he was getting noticed throughout the country. One year later, he would see his first album debut at #6 on the Billboard charts. While his career started with mostly Chicago drill, Polo showed that he could flow over slower trap beats while telling a story with songs like, “Through da Storm” and, “Deep Wounds”. If I could compare him to anyone, I would definitely say Lil Durk. He has the ability to control his flow for a drill song, but can also go with the slower songs while showing his vocal range. HIs song, “Pop Out” with Lil Tjay peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, the album itself went gold, the song “Finer Things” also went gold, and “Pop Out” went platinum as well. It’s only up from here for the 20 year old.

Favorite Songs:

1. Effortless
2. BST
3. Through da Storm

11. Offset – FATHER OF 4 (February 22nd)

Offset, 1/3 of Migos, did not mess around with his turn at a solo album. After Quavo and Takeoff both released their solo albums in 2018, Offset took a little more time with his. And it evidently paid off. Since Migos first bursted on to the scene in 2013, they have been known for their signature rapping style. Many have since called their music predictable, and some were waiting on Offset to rap about Patek Phillipes for an hour. However, Offset came through with songs that spoke for his soul. For example, in the song, “Father Of 4” he talks about how he should’ve been there for all of his children more, giving the listener a more introspective look into his life. While, “FATHER OF 4” may have been a great success (peaking at #4 on Billboard), I don’t think any of the Migos members should release another solo album. They should focus on getting back to their group albums, as they haven’t released one together in almost two years.

Favorite Songs:

1. North Star ft. CeeLo Green
2. Legacy ft. Travis Scott & 21 Savage
3. How Did I Get Here ft. J. Cole

10. Lil Tjay – True 2 Myself (October 11th)

Lil Tjay is one of New York City’s youngest stars. He came into the game with his first big song, “Brothers” (which is now platinum) and slowly started to catch everyones attention. Tjay dropped, “True 2 Myself” in October and the album succeeded massively. With features from Jay Critch, Lil Durk, Lil Wayne, and Lil Baby, Tjay caught the eye of fans across the country. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard Chart. HIs songs, “Ruthless”, “Leaked”, and “F.N” all went gold while, “Brothers” went platinum. With this being only his debut album, Tjay is one of the most promising young rappers in the game right now.

Favorite Songs:

1. F.N
2. Laneswitch
3. Hold On

9. Juice WRLD – Death Race for Love (March 8th)

Seven months before his abrupt passing, Juice WRLD was on top of the world. He released his second studio album, which would end up going #1 on the Billboard charts and he had a Platinum album (Goodbye & Good Riddance) with three platinum singles (Lean Wit Me, Wasted, & Fine China). Later, he would announce a joint tour with friend Ski Mask The Slump God across 30 venues. Only two months later he would go on to win Billboard’s Best New Artist award, just giving the world a glimpse of his potential. From freestyling his albums to telling heartbreak stories, Juice WRLD’s music found a spot in everyones heart. On December 8th, Juice WRLD tragically passed away from a seizure after landing at a Chicago airport, only six days after his 21st birthday. While we as fans can only imagine what could’ve been, we can reflect on his albums as his expression of his own life to the listeners. Rest in peace Juice WRLD.

Favorite Songs:

1. The Bees Knees
2. Empty
3. Hear Me Calling

8. DaBaby – KIRK (September 27th)

I told you that you’d be seeing DaBaby on this list again. After dropping a top ten album (Baby on Baby), DaBaby decided he wanted more. Six months later his new album, “Kirk” debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts. We are truly witnessing a legendary run. In less then a month (January 26th) we’ll get to see if either of his Grammy nominations win. With two songs from the album already gold (INTRO & BOP) DaBaby is heading into an even bigger year in 2020. Which is crazy to think about what can be bigger from the Charlotte rapper.

Favorite Songs:

1. BOP
2. VIBEZ
3. THERE HE GO

7. Future – The WIZRD (January 18th)

“She belong to the streets“. At first it was just five simple words, however it meant much more. A battle cry that united men across the world. Words uttered by our toxic king, Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn a.k.a Future. After not releasing a solo album for almost two years, Future started off 2019 by releasing, “The WIZRD”. As the year many forgot the greatness that Future displayed on his fifth #1 solo album, but I could never do such action. Future is consistent and concise with his work, always providing what the people need. From, “I just need my girlfriend” to “tell your main n**** he your ex now“, we will always stand by Future.

Favorite Songs:

1. Unicorn Purp ft. Young Thug & Gunna
2. Stick to the Models
3. Temptation

6. Rod Wave – Ghetto Gospel (November 1st)

Rod Wave came on to my radar after a video by genius on YouTube. Someone who looked tough and angry on the outside, but showing the pain and heartbreak that they’ve dealt with through their music. That’s the description of Rod Wave. Since he started releasing mixtapes in 2017, Rod Wave has slowly crept out of a small fan base in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida, to a massive audience across the country. An audience that lifted his debut album to #10 on the Billboard charts. His music has even reached bigger artists such as Meek Mill and 21 Savage, who look like they’ll collaborate with him in the future. It’s only the beginning for Rod Wave, and I can’t wait for the rest of the world to realize what they’ve been missing out.

Favorite Songs:

1. Dark Conversations
2. Green Light
3. Cuban Links ft. Kevin Gates

5. Lil Durk – Love Songs 4 the Streets 2 (August 2nd)

One of the pioneers of Chicago drill, Lil Durk is respected in hip-hop regardless of how well his music does. Just two months prior to this album dropping, Durk found himself in prison in connection to an attempted murder in Atlanta. Durk was forced to turn himself in to the authorities to lessen the possibility of a harsh sentence. The day he turned himself in he dropped a song explaining the situation and claiming his innocence. However in late June, Durk was granted $250,000 bond and was released. And in less then 15 days, Durk put out this album right here. From slower songs like, “U Said” to reflections of his drill roots with, “Like That” Durk hit all the points to make an incredible project. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts, Durk’s highest ever. After Def Jam wanted him to go fully pop, Durk has had an insane career resurgence. He even has his own label now called, “OTF Entertainment”.

Favorite Songs:

1. Green Light
2. Bora Bora
3. Weirdo Hoes

4. Young Thug – So Much Fun (August 16th)

The Slime President. The Supreme Slatt. We have reached our last slatt member of the list. Young Thug stole the show with, “So Much Fun”. It was exactly what the title said. With songs like, “Sup Mate” & “Jumped Out the Window” Thug gave us songs to get up and dance to. With the world’s most unique rapping style, Thug already has an advantage over his rap peers. The change in vocal tones, flows, and intricate bar selection, Young Thug is like no other. “So Much Fun” was Thug’s fourth solo top 10 album, but it was his first #1 on the Billboard charts. It was also Thug’s first gold album, before, “Beautiful Thugger Girls” also earned gold certification in December. An incredible album by an incredible artist. Also, “Cartier Gucci Scarf” just made me smile and appreciate the greatness of Jeffrey Lamar Williams. Like no other artist on this planet can do that. Unbelievable.

Favorite Songs:

1. Hot ft. Gunna
2. Jumped Out the Window
3. P****

3. Tory Lanez – Chixtape 5 (November 15th)

While implementing his own spin to old hits, Tory Lanez went Back to the Future with, “Chixtape 5”. With a refreshing sound to each song, the album provided an opportunity for listeners to reminisce to old memories while enjoying new lyrics from Tory and the featured artists. After not releasing an album for over a year, fans were begging for the long-awaited, “Chixtape 5”. And Tory subsequently delivered, as songs like, “The Take” and “Jerry Sprunger” headlined a rather star-studded feature list. The album was Tory’s fourth album in the Billboard top 5, but his highest yet as it peaked at #2. Even after the success of his album, Tory is already previewing what’s coming in 2020, and I can’t wait.

Favorite Songs:

1. The Take ft. Chris Brown
2. Broken Promises
3. Yessirr

2. Roddy Ricch – Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial (December 6th)

Roddy Ricch is on pace to become one of raps greats. Now that may be a little bias from me because he’s one of my favorite artists, but if you look at his musical content & ability I don’t think you’d disagree. He’s only two project in and he has three Grammy nominations. In his last project, “Feed the Streets II” Roddy had no features and had the album peak at #67 on the Billboard charts with two platinum songs (Every Season & Die Young) and one gold song (Down Below). On this album, Roddy beat out pop star Camilla Cabello & rock group The Who for the #1 album in the country. And the music spoke for itself, with instant hits such as, “The Box” and smooth narratives like, “Prayers to the Trap God”. From Roddy rapping about his upbringing in Compton on, “War Baby” to talking about his newly acquired riches in, “Gods Eyes” he cruises through each song as if it were easy for him. The only skip on this album was the skit that was 23 seconds. I truly enjoyed every single song on this album and almost put it at #1, if it weren’t for this next album.

Roddy Ricch performing The Box live is such a vibe 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/s15bkoDdMY

— RODDY RICCH FAN ACC 🦅 (@ballinlikeroddy) December 29, 2019

Favorite Songs:

1. War Baby
2. The Box
3. Gods Eyes

1. Chris Brown – Indigo (June 28th)

Let me just start this by saying that Chris Brown has remained a pivotal part of the music industry since we were wearing Heelys to school. After his last album, “Heartbreak On A Full Moon” went platinum fans were waiting to see what Brown would do with his next release. Then came, “Indigo”, a two-part album with 30 songs. In this album Breezy reminded fans, and haters, of his talent and ability to sing. His vocals were mainly highlighted on songs such as, “Dear God”, “Part of the Plan”, and “Red”. With mega-hits on every album he’s ever released, Breezy dropped his first song with Drake in, “No Guidance” since 2014. The song immediately went skyrocketing up the charts, peaking at #5 on the Billboard 100. The song was also nominated for a Grammy under the category of, “Best R&B Song“. All 10 albums that Chris Brown has released have charted in the top 10, but “Indigo” was his third #1 album. His first #1 since, “Fortune” in 2012. Just 21 days ago, the album was certified platinum, his eighth. A generational (maybe even millennial) talent, Chris Brown has proven time and time again that he’ll deliver music that oozes creativity and genius. And that’s why Indigo is the official YSN Album of the Year.

Favorite Songs:

1. Emerald/Burgundy ft. Juicy J & Juvenile
2. No Guidance ft. Drake
3. Part of the Plan