Top 122 Projects of 2019 (all genres)
[scroll down for the Hip-Hop only list]

- Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – BANDANA (ESGN/Madlib Invasion/RCA)👑
- Anderson .Paak – Ventura (12 Tone/Aftermath)
- SiR – Chasing Summer (TDE/RCA)
- Little Simz – GREY Area (Age 101)
- Ari Lennox – Shea Butter Baby (Dreamville/Interscope)
- Little Brother – May The Lord Watch (Imagine Nation/For Members Only/EMPIRE)
- Roc Marciano – Marcielago (Marci Enterprises)
- Crimeapple & DJ Skizz – Wet Dirt (Different Worlds Music Group)
- Curren$y & LNDN DRGS – Umbrella Symphony (GDF Records/Jet Life/EMPIRE)
- Tuamie & Fly Anakin – Emergency Raps Vol. 4 (Mutant Academy)
- Billy Woods & Kenny Segal – Hiding Places (Backwoodz Studioz)
- NBA YoungBoy – AI YoungBoy 2 (NEVER BROKE AGAIN, LLC/Atlantic)
- Dave – Psychodrama (Neighbourhood)
- MAVI – Let the Sun Talk (MAVI)
- Loyle Carner – Not Waving, but Drowning (AMF/Virgin EMI)
- Rapsody – EVE (Jamla/Roc Nation)
- Jim Jones – El Capo (Vamplife/EMPIRE)
- DJ Muggs & Mach-Hommy – Tuez-les Tous (Soul Assassins Music)
- Malibu Ken – Malibu Ken (Rhymesayers)
- Big K.R.I.T. – K.R.I.T. Iz Here (Multi Alumni/BMG)
- Wiz Khalifa – Fly Times Vol.1: The Good Fly Young (Taylor Gang/Rostrum)
- Curren$y & Statik Selektah – Gran Turismo (Jet Life/Show Off/EMPIRE)
- Kari Faux – Cry 4 Help (Change Minds)
- Your Old Droog – It Wasn’t Even Close (Gogul Mogul)
- Rigz – Roach Gutta Slums (Da Cloth)
- Daniel Caesar – CASE STUDY 101 (Golden Child)
- Nas – The Lost Tapes 2 (Mass Appeal/Def Jam)
- Quelle Chris – Guns (Mello Music Group/Sony)
- Doja Cat – Hot Pink (Kemosabe/RCA)
- KAYTRANADA – Bubba (Kaytranada Ent/RCA)
- Benny the Butcher – The Plugs I Met (Griselda/Black Soprano Family)
- Snoh Aalegra – ugh, those feels again (ARTium/AWAL)
- Mozzy – Internal Affairs (Mozzy Records/EMPIRE)
- Suga Free – The Resurrection (Buss Clinic LLC)
- Choosey & Exile – Black Beans (Fat Beats Records)
- 38 Spesh – 38 Strategies of Raw (T.C.F. Music Group)
- Maxo – Lil Big Man (Def Jam)
- T-Pain – 1UP (Nappy Boy/Cinematic)
- DJ Muggs & Tha God Fahim – Dump Assassins (Soul Assassins Music)
- Blu & Oh No – A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night (Nature Sounds)
- Westside Gunn – Fly God is an Awesome God (Griselda/Shady)
- Denzel Curry – ZUU (PH/Loma Vista)
- Stack Skrilla & Tha God Fahim – Dump Gawd: The Divine Brotherhood (Skrilla Vision)
- Action Bronson & The Alchemist – Lamb Over Rice (ALC)
- GoldLink – Diaspora (RCA)
- Kehlani – While We Wait (Atlantic/TSNMI)
- PJ Morton – PAUL (Morton Records/EMPIRE)
- Tyler, the Creator – IGOR (Columbia/A Boy Is A Gun)
- Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa – 2009 (Jet Life Records/Atlantic)
- Flee Lord – Gets Greater Later (Loyalty or Death)
- Berner & Curren$y – Pheno Grigio (Bern One Ent/Jet Life Recordings)
- Rod Wave – Ghetto Gospel (Alamo Records)
- Mach-Hommy – Wap Konn Jòj (Mach-Hommy)
- Berner & Mozzy – Silmey Individualz (Bern One Ent/Mozzy Records/EMPIRE)
- Czarface & Ghostface Killah – Czarface Meets Ghostface (Silver Age)
- James Blake – Assume Form (Polydor)
- Future – Future Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD (Freebandz/Epic)
- Dizzy Wright – Nobody Cares, Work Harder (StillMovin)
- People Under the Stairs – Sincerely, The P (PL70)
- MED & Guilty Simpson – Child of the Jungle (Bang Ya Head)
- Sean Price & Small Professor – 86 Witness (Ruckdown/Coalmine/Duck Down)
- Tha God Fahim – Soul Dust (Tha God Fahim)
- Eric Bellinger – Cuffing Season 3 (YFS/EMPIRE)
- Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats – Anger Management (Sugar Trap)
- ScHoolboy Q – CrasH Talk (TDE/Interscope)
- Berner – El Chivo (Bern One Ent)
- Solange – When I Get Home (Columbia)
- Max B – House Money EP (Max B)
- Tha God Fahim – Star Truth (Effiscienz)
- Curren$y – Hot August Nights (Jet Life Recordings)
- Pivot Gang – You Can’t Sit With Us (Pivot Gang)
- Big K.R.I.T. – TDT (Multi Alumni)
- Boogie – Everything’s For Sale (Shady/Interscope)
- Griselda – WWCD (Griselda/Shady/Interscope/Universal)
- Blu & Exile – True & Livin’ (Fat Beats)
- Mereba – The Jungle is the Only Way Out (Interscope)
- Injury Reserve – Injury Reserve (Loma Vista)
- Megan Thee Stallion – FEVER (300/1501 Certified Ent)
- 38 Spesh – The Trust Tape 3 (T.C.F. Music Group)
- DJ Muggs & Crimeapple – Medallo (Soul Assassins Music)
- Mozzy & Gunplay – Chop Stixx & Banana Clips (Real Talk Entertainment)
- Conway the Machine – Everybody is F.O.O.D 3 (Griselda)
- Kanye West – Jesus is King (G.O.O.D Music/Def Jam)
- Jamila Woods – LEGACY! LEGACY! (Jagjaguwar)
- Queen Key – Eat My Pussy Again (Machine Entertainment Group)
- Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers III (Dreamville/Interscope)
- Lizzo – Cuz I Love You (Nice Life/Atlantic)
- Baby Keem – Die for My Bitch (Baby Keem LLC)
- Flying Lotus – Flamagra (Warp)
- Yhung T.O. – On My Momma 2 (SOBxRBE/Rule #1/Interscope)
- 2 Chainz – Rap or Go to the League (Def Jam)
- Steve Lacy – Apollo XXI (3qtr)
- Phonte – Pacific Time (Foreign Exchange Music)
- Big Kahuna OG & Fly Anakin – Big Fly 420 (Mutant Academy)
- Dreezy – Big Dreez (Interscope)
- YG – 4REAL 4REAL (4Hunnid/Def Jam)
- Erick Sermon – Vernia (Def Squad)
- Styles P – S.P. the GOAT: Ghost of All-Time (The Phantom Entertainment/EMPIRE)
- The Opioid Era – The Opioid Era (De Rap Winkel)
- Young Thug – So Much Fun (300/Atlantic)
- Curren$y – Back at Burnie’s (Jet Life Recordings)
- Roddy Ricch – Please Excuse Me For Being Anti-Social (Atlantic)
- Clear Soul Forces – Still (Fat Beats)
- Tink – Voicemails (Winter’s Diary/WD/EMPIRE)
- Khalid – Free Spirit (RCA)
- Larry June – The Port of San Francisco (The Freeminded)
- Ciara – Beauty Marks (Beauty Marks)
- Stunna 4 Vegas – BIG 4X (Interscope)
- wifisfuneral & Robb Bank$ – CONN3CT3D (Conn3ct3d/Alamo Records/EMPIRE)
- Fabolous – Summertime Shootout: Coldest Summer Ever (Street Family/Def Jam/Roc Nation)
- Melii – Phases (Rule #1/Interscope)
- Chris Crack – Crackheads Live Longer Than Vegans (New Deal Collectives)
- Murs & 9th Wonder – The Iliad Is Dead and the Odyssey Is Over (Murs 316/Jamla/EMPIRE)
- Earl Sweatshirt – FEET OF CLAY (Tan Cressida/Warner)
- DaBaby – KIRK (Interscope)
- Future – Save Me (Freebandz/Epic)
- Azjah – Princess Diaries (Rocc Solid Ent/EMPIRE)
- Offset – Father of 4 (Quality Control/Motown)
- DaBaby – Baby on Baby (Interschope)
- Saweetie – ICY (Warner)
- RetcH – Richer Than the Opps (FASTMONEY)
- Gunna – Drip or Drown 2 (YSL)
Hip-Hop only list:

- Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – BANDANA (ESGN/Madlib Invasion/RCA)👑
- Little Simz – GREY Area (Age 101)
- Little Brother – May The Lord Watch (Imagine Nation/For Members Only/EMPIRE)
- Roc Marciano – Marcielago (Marci Enterprises)
- Crimeapple & DJ Skizz – Wet Dirt (Different Worlds Music Group)
- Curren$y & LNDN DRGS – Umbrella Symphony (GDF Records/Jet Life/EMPIRE)
- Tuamie & Fly Anakin – Emergency Raps Vol. 4 (Mutant Academy)
- Billy Woods & Kenny Segal – Hiding Places (Backwoodz Studioz)
- NBA YoungBoy – AI YoungBoy 2 (NEVER BROKE AGAIN, LLC/Atlantic)
- Dave – Psychodrama (Neighbourhood)
- MAVI – Let the Sun Talk (MAVI)
- Loyle Carner – Not Waving, but Drowning (AMF/Virgin EMI)
- Rapsody – EVE (Jamla/Roc Nation)
- Jim Jones – El Capo (Vamplife/EMPIRE)
- DJ Muggs & Mach-Hommy – Tuez-les Tous (Soul Assassins Music)
- Malibu Ken – Malibu Ken (Rhymesayers)
- Big K.R.I.T. – K.R.I.T. Iz Here (Multi Alumni/BMG)
- Wiz Khalifa – Fly Times Vol.1: The Good Fly Young (Taylor Gang/Rostrum)
- Curren$y & Statik Selektah – Gran Turismo (Jet Life/Show Off/EMPIRE)
- Your Old Droog – It Wasn’t Even Close (Gogul Mogul)
- Rigz – Roach Gutta Slums (Da Cloth)
- Nas – The Lost Tapes 2 (Mass Appeal/Def Jam)
- Quelle Chris – Guns (Mello Music Group/Sony)
- Doja Cat – Hot Pink (Kemosabe/RCA)
- Benny the Butcher – The Plugs I Met (Griselda/Black Soprano Family)
- Mozzy – Internal Affairs (Mozzy Records/EMPIRE)
- Suga Free – The Resurrection (Buss Clinic LLC)
- Choosey & Exile – Black Beans (Fat Beats Records)
- 38 Spesh – 38 Strategies of Raw (T.C.F. Music Group)
- Maxo – Lil Big Man (Def Jam)
- DJ Muggs & Tha God Fahim – Dump Assassins (Soul Assassins Music)
- Blu & Oh No – A Long Red Hot Los Angeles Summer Night (Nature Sounds)
- Westside Gunn – Fly God is an Awesome God (Griselda/Shady)
- Denzel Curry – ZUU (PH/Loma Vista)
- Stack Skrilla & Tha God Fahim – Dump Gawd: The Divine Brotherhood (Skrilla Vision)
- Action Bronson & The Alchemist – Lamb Over Rice (ALC)
- GoldLink – Diaspora (RCA)
- Tyler, the Creator – IGOR (Columbia/A Boy Is A Gun)
- Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa – 2009 (Jet Life Records/Atlantic)
- Flee Lord – Gets Greater Later (Loyalty or Death)
- Berner & Curren$y – Pheno Grigio (Bern One Ent/Jet Life Recordings)
- Mach-Hommy – Wap Konn Jòj (Mach-Hommy)
- Berner & Mozzy – Silmey Individualz (Bern One Ent/Mozzy Records/EMPIRE)
- Czarface & Ghostface Killah – Czarface Meets Ghostface (Silver Age)
- Future – Future Hndrxx Presents: The WIZRD (Freebandz/Epic)
- Dizzy Wright – Nobody Cares, Work Harder (StillMovin)
- People Under the Stairs – Sincerely, The P (PL70)
- MED & Guilty Simpson – Child of the Jungle (Bang Ya Head)
- Sean Price & Small Professor – 86 Witness (Ruckdown/Coalmine/Duck Down)
- Tha God Fahim – Soul Dust (Tha God Fahim)
- Rico Nasty & Kenny Beats – Anger Management (Sugar Trap)
- ScHoolboy Q – CrasH Talk (TDE/Interscope)
- Berner – El Chivo (Bern One Ent)
- Max B – House Money EP (Max B)
- Tha God Fahim – Star Truth (Effiscienz)
- Curren$y – Hot August Nights (Jet Life Recordings)
- Pivot Gang – You Can’t Sit With Us (Pivot Gang)
- Big K.R.I.T. – TDT (Multi Alumni)
- Boogie – Everything’s For Sale (Shady/Interscope)
- Griselda – WWCD (Griselda/Shady/Interscope/Universal)
- Blu & Exile – True & Livin’ (Fat Beats)
- Injury Reserve – Injury Reserve (Loma Vista)
- Megan Thee Stallion – FEVER (300/1501 Certified Ent)
- 38 Spesh – The Trust Tape 3 (T.C.F. Music Group)
- DJ Muggs & Crimeapple – Medallo (Soul Assassins Music)
- Mozzy & Gunplay – Chop Stixx & Banana Clips (Real Talk Entertainment)
- Conway the Machine – Everybody is F.O.O.D 3 (Griselda)
- Kanye West – Jesus is King (G.O.O.D Music/Def Jam)
- Queen Key – Eat My Pussy Again (Machine Entertainment Group)
- Dreamville – Revenge of the Dreamers III (Dreamville/Interscope)
- Baby Keem – Die for My Bitch (Baby Keem LLC)
- Yhung T.O. – On My Momma 2 (SOBxRBE/Rule #1/Interscope)
- 2 Chainz – Rap or Go to the League (Def Jam)
- Big Kahuna OG & Fly Anakin – Big Fly 420 (Mutant Academy)
- Dreezy – Big Dreez (Interscope)
- YG – 4REAL 4REAL (4Hunnid/Def Jam)
- Erick Sermon – Vernia (Def Squad)
- Styles P – S.P. the GOAT: Ghost of All-Time (The Phantom Entertainment/EMPIRE)
- The Opioid Era – The Opioid Era (De Rap Winkel)
- Young Thug – So Much Fun (300/Atlantic)
- Curren$y – Back at Burnie’s (Jet Life Recordings)
- Roddy Ricch – Please Excuse Me For Being Anti-Social (Atlantic)
- Clear Soul Forces – Still (Fat Beats)
- Tink – Voicemails (Winter’s Diary/WD/EMPIRE)
- Larry June – The Port of San Francisco (The Freeminded)
- Stunna 4 Vegas – BIG 4X (Interscope)
- wifisfuneral & Robb Bank$ – CONN3CT3D (Conn3ct3d/Alamo Records/EMPIRE)
- Fabolous – Summertime Shootout: Coldest Summer Ever (Street Family/Def Jam/Roc Nation)
- Melii – Phases (Rule #1/Interscope)
- Chris Crack – Crackheads Live Longer Than Vegans (New Deal Collectives)
- Murs & 9th Wonder – The Iliad Is Dead and the Odyssey Is Over (Murs 316/Jamla/EMPIRE)
- Earl Sweatshirt – FEET OF CLAY (Tan Cressida/Warner)
- DaBaby – KIRK (Interscope)
- Future – Save Me (Freebandz/Epic)
- Azjah – Princess Diaries (Rocc Solid Ent/EMPIRE)
- Offset – Father of 4 (Quality Control/Motown)
- DaBaby – Baby on Baby (Interschope)
- Saweetie – ICY (Warner)
- RetcH – Richer Than the Opps (FASTMONEY)
- Gunna – Drip or Drown 2 (YSL)
Other:
AOTY 2019 Review: BANDANA (MadGibbs)
Editor’s Note: Happy New Years! – @TOP5RAPWEBSITE
Rating Categories:
★★★★★: Best in show; pinnacle release from an all-time great artist.
★★★★1/2: Stellar example of genre; peak potential.
★★★★: Excellent; recommended to all fans of artist or genre.
★★★1/2: Very good; a few bland songs or minor flaws throughout.
★★★: Good; fans of the artist will find value here.
★★1/2: Average; does little to establish the artist or maintain quality.
★★: Unexceptional; a few highlights but otherwise bland.
★1/2: Weak; unrecommended for anyone but major fans of the style and/or artist.
★: Seriously flawed; very poor work but relatively listenable.
1/2: Terrible; a true embarrassment and akin to audio masochism.