Megan Thee Stallion has been crafting her career for over a year now, first with 2017’s Make It Hot EP and then with 2018’s Tina Snow full-length, but it wasn’t until the sleeper success of Tina Snow‘s “Big Ole Freak” that Megan became inescapable. The song got the twerk-filled video treatment earlier this year, and even more people have been drawn to the force that is Megan Thee Stallion since the video came out (like Solange, and Lizzo who we spotted front-row when we saw Megan Thee Stallion at the She Shreds SXSW showcase this year). The Houston native grew up on Southern rappers like Pimp C and Three 6 Mafia (“all the raunchy music,” she adds), and she’s gotten compared to Pimp C a lot (and Tina Snow is named after him), but she re-imagines that music from a woman’s perspective and it’s a big deal to see a woman owning her sexuality like this in such a traditionally male-dominated realm. (It’s worth noting that, in the “Big Ole Freak” video, there’s not a man in sight.) “Big Ole Freak” deserves all the hype it’s getting — Megan fills the song with cutthroat bars and the hook is one of the catchiest in recent memory — and Megan’s already got more up her sleeve. She just dropped another great new single, “Sex Talk,” and she’s gearing up to release a new project called Fever this year. Our anticipation for it is high.

Lil Nas X is the artist on this list whose longevity seems the most unpredictable, but even if his 21-million-views-and-counting hit “Old Town Road (I Got The Horses In The Back)” is a flash in the pan, this song — and the story surrounding it — will have undoubtedly defined 2019. The Atlanta rapper released the ten-song Nasarati EP last year and it’s a perfectly fine collection of modern trap songs, but the minute and 50 seconds that make up the country-rap song “Old Town Road” is the reason no one can stop talking about him. Over a trap beat and a banjo line (sampled from Nine Inch Nails’ “34 Ghosts IV”), Lil Nas X sings in a Southern twang about cowboy life, and he released the song with a visualizer made up of flips from wild wild west video game Red Dead Redemption 2. The song quickly became a basis for a meme on the Vine-like app TikTok, where people film themselves listening to the song, and as soon as the beat drops, the shot changes and they’re dancing and decked out in cowboy gear. (If you’d rather just see it for yourself, here’s a compilation video.) It’s all happening along with the rise of the Yeehaw Agenda, but unlike the aforementioned DaBaby who just dresses like a cowboy, “Old Town Road” actually cracked Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart (as well as the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the Hot 100). But then, Billboard controversially removed the song, issuing a statement to Rolling Stone saying that the song “does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version.” This led to widespread accusations that Billboard made the choice because of Lil Nas X’s race, not because of the sound of his music. White country singers (like Florida Georgia Line, who co-signed Lil Nas X) have incorporated rapping into their songs without getting removed from the country chart, and as we speak, Post Malone — a white artist who collaborated with Aerosmith and Red Hot Chili Peppers — currently occupies the top two slots on Billboard‘s Hot Rap Songs chart with songs that mostly feature him singing. It’s not hard to see why it seems very much like a race issue. Lil Nas X himself avoided the topic when TIME asked him about it, but he did feel strongly that it belonged on the country chart. “The song is country trap. It’s not one, it’s not the other. It’s both. It should be on both,” he said. The narrative surrounding “Old Town Road” is perhaps even bigger than “Old Town Road” itself, but at the end of the day, this all started because it’s such a likable song. You might be cynical that a meme turned it into a hit, but memes also turned “Black Beatles,” “Bad and Boujee,” and “In My Feelings” into hits too. Those songs outlasted their memes because they were good, and “Old Town Road” is good too. It’ll be interesting to see if lightning will strike twice for Lil Nas X, but even if it doesn’t, he’s done a lot of good already. He helped start a much-needed conversation about how we perceive race and music in 2019, and he created a catchy fucking song in the process.

Queen Key broke out last year with a standout verse on Joey Purp’s QUARTERTHING, a tour with G Herbo, and her very good debut album Eat My Pussy, its title an affront to the toxic male stereotypes that often dominate rap music (“This dude replied like, ‘I’ma name a project, Suck My Dick.’ That made me go, ‘You know what? That’s exactly why I’m naming my project Eat My Pussy.’ This the problem right here. The simple fact that a dude would even feel like he needs to name his project Suck My Dick. Only because mine is Eat My Pussy,” she told Pitchfork.) As good as Eat My Pussy was, though, the singles from its upcoming sequel Eat My Pussy Again (due April 26 via Machine Entertainment Group, pushed back from March 22) suggest that Queen Key is about to release her best project yet. Lead single Ratchett” is the most immediate song she’s released yet. Its “Make these hoes get ratchett” hook feels built to light up a club, and Key earns the right to dish out all the braggadocio verses she dishes out. It may not be long before “Bitch I’m Queen Key, so you know this shit a classic” is self-evident. Followup single “Can’t Take It” is less of a banger, but just as satisfying in a different way. Key fires off slick bars over lush, head-nodding production, sounding like something Jay-Z would’ve done in the early 2000s. It’s just as confident as “Ratchett” but a bit more melancholic, and it’s a sign that Queen Key is far from a one-trick pony.

Blueface’s rise was quickly met with controversy because a slew of rap fans considered his unique flow to be off-beat to the point where it was safe to say he simply had no talent as a rapper. But if your music is making people that mad, winning over a whole bunch of other people, and sounding unique in the process, you’re probably doing something right, and Blueface is definitely doing something right. If that wasn’t clear the day he dropped his 2018 album Famous Cryp, it became clear by the time its song “Thotiana” became one of the biggest hits of 2019. It’s one of those times where an up-and-coming rapper just crafts one of the most undeniable hooks imaginable — like an “I Don’t Like” or a “Trap Queen” — and the song quickly caught on with some established rappers who jumped at the opportunity to remix the song and add their own verses: first YG, then Cardi B. Any song with reigning rap queen Cardi B is a must-hear, so naturally that version has surpassed the original, but as with, say Kanye’s guest-filled “I Don’t Like” remix, it’s the original hook that powers the song, no matter how great Cardi’s verse is. He is also meant to be working on a new hit single songs which will out a stop to his album rumours. He recently said he is too busy at the moment with his tour and would consider an album in the future just not in this current moment of time.

North Carolina rapper DaBaby (who used to go by Baby Jesus) has a handful of mixtapes dating back to 2015, but his moment officially came earlier this year with his single “Walker Texas Ranger” and its over-the-top video. In the video, DaBaby is dressed similarly to the Chuck Norris character the song is named after, and it plays out like an intentionally-poorly-acted B movie. It’s a fun and funny clip, but “Walker Texas Ranger” is a banger even without the video. It’s got the kind of addictive melodic rap hook that brings you back to when Southern rappers like T.I. ruled the radio, but you don’t need to be nostalgic for the mid 2000s to be won over by “Walker Texas Ranger” — it feels entirely in the now. DaBaby quickly followed “Walker Texas Ranger” with his Interscope debut, Baby on Baby, and throughout its 13 songs, DaBaby proves he can easily blend his throwback Southern rap side with modern-day trap, and the album seamlessly works in features from modern radio-friendly guys like Offset, Rich Homie Quan, and Rich the Kid. And as much as he’s got pop appeal, he can also rap his ass off when he wants to. He shows off a technical side a few times on the album, and he really embraced that side of him a few weeks after releasing the album with the “Baby On Baby Out Now Freestyle,” He raps a mile a minute and almost never stops to take a breath, and this non-album freestyle has racked up as many views as some of his proper songs. DaBaby can’t be stopped, and it feels like this is only the beginning.

People in the hip-hop world and beyond are reeling from the death of Nipsey Hussle. The widely beloved LA rapper was shot outside his Marathon Clothing Company store in Hyde Park yesterday, and many of the biggest names in music have paid tribute. Perhaps the biggest among those names is Drake, who posted a lengthy message to Instagram honoring Nipsey.

The two rappers go way back. Drake guested on a song from Nipsey’s Bullets Ain’t Got No Name, Vol. 3 way back in 2009, when Drake was in the throes of his rapid rise with So Far Gone. Above, they’re pictured in 2010 at a nightclub with T.I. And in his message, Drake says he had been communicating with Nipsey about linking up for another single this summer.

Here’s what Drake wrote:

Fuck. My whole energy is just at a low right now hearing this. We just linked for the first time in years and said we were gonna do a new song this summer cause it had been too long. You were having the best run and I was so happy watching from distance fam nobody ever talks down on your name you were a real one to your people and to the rest of us. I’m only doing this here cause I want the world to know I saw you as a man of respect and a don. Rest easy my g.

Bruno Mars also worked with Hussle before he was a superstar. On Twitter, he shared a note about his experience collaborating with Hussle:

Nipsey was one of the first artist[sic] I ever worked with about 10 years ago when I started producing. When he showed up to the studio not only was he extremely talented but I remember him being an absolute gentleman. like an old soul. As he grew more successful I would watch his interviews and tell everybody how much I loved the way he carried himself and the positive things he was doing for his neighborhood and the community. It was very obvious he had so much more to offer than music. It breaks my heart to see he’s gone. Im praying for his family and friends. R.I.P NIPSEY. Thank you for blessing so many people.

Another superstar who publicly mourned Nipsey last night was Rihanna, who wrote, “This doesn’t make any sense! My spirit is shaken by this!” Among the many other figures honoring him were Pharrell, Chance The Rapper, Meek Mill, Dr. Dre, Kehlani, 21 Savage, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Vince Staples, Issa Rae, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Steph Curry, and Michael B. Jordan.

Born Ermias Davidson Asghedom in 1985, Hussle had been a force in the SoCal rap scene for nearly 15 years. He released his first mixtape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, in 2005, when he was 20 years old and dedicated to living up to the name he chose for himself, “hustle.” His sound was defined by a reverence to the West Coast gangsta rap of the 1990s, his flow markedly different from the more pop-adjacent hip-hop dominating the radio in the mid-aughts. His sound left an impression among the local indie scene he toured in. And buzz around the 2005 tape caught the ear of executives at Epic Records. In 2008, Hussle released two mixtapes with the label: Bullets Ain’t Got No Name Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Hussle, who was 33 years old when he died, was a Grammy-nominated rapper — as well as an entrepreneur, community activist, and father of two. Within the music industry, he was an established presence who had collaborated with artists as big as Drake and Diddy. News of Hussle’s death went viral and led to an online outpouring of grief and love from huge names in the music industry and beyond, from Chance the Rapper to Colin Kapernick to Ava DuVernay.

Hussle’s death continues to boost the artist’s renown within a mainstream that hardly knew him. Social media eulogies from celebrities have started to familiarize those unaware with Hussle’s music, but Hussle was much more than that. His death has made it clear that his legacy will also be anchored to his successful journey out of the roughest corners of LA to become a community-focused business leader.

The killing of rapper Nipsey Hussle involved a personal dispute with the gunman and was not gang violence, Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore said today. Hussle and the suspect, Eric Holder, 29, knew each other, but Moore did not reveal how they were acquainted or any details about what the dispute involved.

Hussle was fatally shot Sunday afternoon outside his South Los Angeles clothing store. Moore said Holder repeatedly approached Hussle and talked with him before returning with a gun and opening fire. Holder then fled in a waiting car driven by a woman, the chief said.

Moore told reporters at a news conference televised live that he was certain Holder was watching and urged him to surrender. Moore and the president of the city’s Police Commission had been scheduled to meet with Hussle on Monday to discuss the relationship between the police force and the inner city.

The chief said he was devastated when he learned that Hussle had been killed. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Hussle’s killing occurred during an upsurge of gun violence that followed significant decreases, and announced plans to deploy an array of resources to roll it back. Authorities urged that Hussle’s killing not be followed by more violence.

A disturbance at a memorial for Hussle Monday night left at least 19 people injured, including two people who were taken to local hospitals in critical condition. Dozens of police officers cleared the memorial site after a fight apparently broke out and a stampede ensued.

At least one of the critically-injured persons was struck by a car and the other one had a “penetrating injury,” although it was unclear whether that person was stabbed or cut by broken glass, a fire department spokeswoman said. Two other people suffered serious injuries and 15 had injuries that were considered non-life threatening.

KSI, real name Olajide Olatunji’s rise to music fame was not an easy ride to say the least. Before we go into his music history let’s start off at the very beginning of his journey to the top. Jide as he is referred to by his family members and close friends is a Youtube sensation who basically made his millions by playing video games inside his room and posting it on youtube. Yep you heard it right HE MADE MILLIONS BY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES. For years youtube was his number one job and only had eyes on that but as he said himself he likes to switch things up and make it interesting and that’s when the music came into place.

Although he experimented with different sports and even acting, his love for music has always been one of his main focuses. He has always loved music and used rap as a way remember his homework and to study. He had joke songs at the start like heskey time and fifa funny’s. His first hit song was Lamborghini which was released in March 2015 was an instant hit and got over 100 Million hits as of today. After the success of Lamborghini he released his first EP Keep Up which also had hits such as Keep Up and Kilimanjaro. He also performed some of his main hits all over the UK. He released his second EP Space in June 2017 after taking 3 months away from the Internet and working on himself. The EP Space was something he felt he needed to do and his way of expressing his feelings. The main hits were Transforming and Creature. The summer of 2017 was a hectic couple months as the group he’s in called The Sidemen who included W2S, Miniminter, Zerkaa, Behzinga, TBJZL, and Vikkstar123 were making disstracks at each other and other people.

He also made songs from the start with Randolph but only started making proper music together last year and their first song together was ‘Slow Motion’ which they released April 2018. They also released songs such as Beerus and Red Alert. They have reveled that they are going on tour in the summer of 2019 which means they will be making more songs in the near future for their joint album.

UK rapper Cadet sadly passed away on the 9th of February 2019 while in travelling in a taxi on his way to perform. This death was a massive shock to the entire UK rap scene as Cadet was just getting noticed for the music is was producing and his death caused a big upset. All big UK artist who knew him all came with their support on social media to show their gratitude and love for him and the image he protruded. Cadet was a upbeat happy character who loved making music and people smile. He often said having a supporting family and great group of friends was the best thing about life and when he died you could see the amount of support he got from everyone who supported him. Even the ones that never knew him could tell he was a great and unrated rapper who was gone too soon.

He made a number is big hits one being Advice featuring Deno which has hit more than 17 million views on YouTube. Cadet was always brutally honest with his lyrics and put his absolute all in his work. He wanted his music to mean much than just words in a random song but something you can relate to.

“I want my music to mean something. I feel like there’s a big difference between songs for the sake of having music and songs.”

“I feel like music is meant to mean something where you can show your children and parents. I try to make sure my music does that. I want my music to be timeless.”