Billion Dollar Baby artist Stunna 4 Vegas continues to carve out his own lane outside of DaBaby‘s success. The young North Carolina artist’s career has been fine-tuned by DaBaby, but as he releases more projects—including his latest, Rich Youngin—Stunna is picking up steam and reveling in the successes his rap star life affords.

Aaron J. Thornton / Stringer / Getty Images

Stunna caught up with DJ Smallz to talk about Rich Youngin and what the process was like weeding through songs to come up with the final 12 that ended up on the record. He said he had plenty of tracks to choose from, but he and DaBaby took about an hour and a half to hand-pick the final dozen. Smallz wanted to know if there was a method they leaned on when deciding the order such as something like choosing two high-energy tracks and then something more mellow.

“I’m up all the time,” Stunna said of his music’s vibe. “So, it’s up, I’d say it don’t go down. It’s probably neutral like, ‘Walk Up’ [and] ‘Russian,’ but I’m up on them, too, at the same time. I’m up on everything. It’s energy. I make energy music. I’m not a sad-ass rapper. Ain’t no girl break my heart. Sorry, I don’t make that type of music for y’all,” he added with a laugh.

“But hey, I’m versatile, though,” Stunna continued. “I got that mellow music. I got that in the cut. But even then, the way I come on the track is up at the same time so it’s gonna be energy every time with me.” Watch Stunna 4 Vegas with DJ Smallz below.

DaBaby is officially grill-less, as the rapper showed off his pearly whites alongside his buddies Blac Youngsta and Moneybagg Yo, the latter of which recently got his diamond fronts removed as well. DaBaby can almost always be seen smiling. The rapper’s wide grin has become a signature part of his silhouette, but now when Baby flashes a smile, it’ll look totally different. DaBaby shared a clip of himself surrounded by his friends Moneybagg Yo and Blac Youngsta, beaming from ear-to-ear to show off his recent dental work. “Pearly white sh*t,” DaBaby can be heard saying in the clip, before pointing out the obvious: “I took the grill out.”

“All smiles,” Moneybagg declares in the clip. He, himself, recently debuted a brand new smile, after taking a trip to Colombia to visit Dr. Mario Montoya. Specifying that he did not opt for “the big cheap teeth,” Moneybagg’s shiny white veneers are practically perfect.

DaBaby later shared another clip of himself, Moneybagg, and Youngsta joined by Yo Gotti and Stunna 4 Vegas. “Whole lotta rich ass country n*ggas in the building,” Baby says of the group.

While Moneybagg, Youngsta, and Yo Gotti all reside from Memphis, Tennessee, Baby and Stunna are both North Carolina natives, the former from Charlotte and the latter from Salisbury. Baby will be returning to his hometown later this month to assist Diddy and the rest of the Combs Cartel on the judging panel for the Making The Band reboot auditions in Charlotte, and there’s no doubt he’ll be flaunting his brand new smile the whole time. 

The first-ever iteration of Rolling Loud in Portugal is about to be historic. In the reign of the five-year hip-hop festival, Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif have brought Rolling Loud to Miami, Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Australia, and other world destinations over the years. It’s time to bring the brand to the beach now, potentially creating a version of Fyre Festival that’s actually worth attending.

While this isn’t being advertised as a luxury fest, Rolling Loud is worth the price of admission solely for the experience of seeing all your favorite rappers in one spot. If you haven’t been able to grab tickets to the Miami dates coming up — and even if you have… — you’ll want to check out details for the upcoming version of the festival in Portugal, for which the lineup has just been announced.

Tickets for the Portuguese version of Rolling Loud, which is happening at Praia De Rocha Beach, are officially on sale and the line-up is nuts. This is the first-ever iteration in the European country, bringing headliners Wiz Khalifa, Future, and A$AP Rocky to the main stage from July 8 to 10. Further down the card, DaBaby, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Young Thug, Playboi Carti, Meek Mill, Rae Sremmurd, Roddy Ricch, Tyga, Lil Tecca, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, NLE Choppa, and many more have also been announced.

Check out the full lineup above and let us know if you’re planning on buying a flight out to Portugal this summer.

Now that DaBaby has established a name for himself, his next focus is putting on other artists that he believes have potential. He has already completed the first step to accomplishing this goal: founding a label. When the Charlotte rapper said "I'm a young CEO, Suge", he was referring to the fact that he has his own imprint under Interscope Records. Considering that DaBaby is still in an early stage of his career, this is quite impressive. Stunna 4 Vegas is the first signee to Billionaire Baby Entertainment and DaBaby is doing all in his power to make sure he prospers. Stunna dropped a new album on Friday, entitled Rich Youngin, so DaBaby is thinking up ingenious ways to spread the word about it. 

DaBaby just hosted a Twitter Q&A and, in order to participate, inquirers had to tweet out a link to Stunna 4 Vegas' project and attach its cover art. Many eagerly followed these guidelines to get a chance to interact with the one and only DaBaby. One person asked him which artists were on his wish-list to work with this year and he named: NBA Youngboy, Drake, Young Thug, Roddy Ricch, Lizzo, Meek Mill and more. Given how bright DaBaby's star is shining right now, all of these artists would probably agree to collaborate in a heartbeat. 

Earlier this week, Stunna 4 Vegas revealed that his new project, Rich Youngin, will be dropping on January 17. He made this announcement with the help of DaBaby, who is the founder of the label Stunna is signed to, Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment. So far, Stunna has been the only artist that DaBaby has been pushing through his imprint. The two have collaborated on a handful of tracks together that could be found on their respective projects. Stunna just served as the opener on DaBaby's "KIRK Tour". Overall, they seem to have a strong and fruitful partnership. 

DaBaby went as far as to star in trailers for Rich Youngin to promote his signee's work. So far, two trailers have been shared on DaBaby and Stunna's Instagram pages. They both show the rappers exercising their acting chops in short comedic sketches. The first trailer features Stunna using one of the twelve bathrooms in DaBaby's crib, being forced to profusely spray air freshener and use $100 bills as toilet paper. The most recent trailer follows a stingy DaBaby going sneaker shopping with his girl, but after refusing to pay $17 to buy her a pair of shoes, Stunna ends up pampering and stealing her. 

While you await the 17th, check out Stunna's single, "Up The Smoke", featuring Offset.

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I hope @dababy don’t be mad fr nigga got like 12 bathrooms ? #RICHYOUNGIN @billiondollarbabyentertainment

A post shared by BIG 4 ? (@stunna4vegas) on Jan 10, 2020 at 5:25am PST

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@dababy better spend dat lil paper he acting like we ain’t having ??‍♂️ #BDBENT ?

A post shared by BIG 4 ? (@stunna4vegas) on Jan 11, 2020 at 9:07am PST

Every year we see a new artist break out. 2019 just so happened to be the breakout years of DaBaby and Megan Thee Stallion, who undoubtedly entered 2020 stronger than they did 2019. The year prior, Lil Baby and Gunna took the rap game by storm. However, this year is different — 2020 marks not only a new year but a new decade, and artists who emerge this year have the potential to define an entire era of music; no easy feat.

It’s hard to predict what trends might be set in this decade but presumably, TikTok will have a heavy hand in it considering its current influence in taking relatively unknown songs to the top of the charts. However, regional forces, paired with the power of tech, will still be thriving this year. An artist like Yung Baby Tate has been heavily buzzing in Atlanta and without a doubt will make a major mark on a national scale in the new year. With the rise of Brooklyn drill, specifically in the last few months, it’s safe to say that we’ll be hearing a lot more from artists like Fivio Foreign and Pop Smoke in the coming months.

As we enter a new year, we’ve made a list of artists that we’re genuinely excited to see grow and breakout in 2020.

Who are you excited for in 2020? Let us know in the comments.

Yung Baby Tate

Yung Baby Tate is a little bit of everything — she’s a singer, a rapper, producer, and overall creative force that’s bound to shift the culture. In the last five years since buzzing in the local Atlanta scene, she’s made national waves with the release of her 2019 album GIRLS and the deluxe version that followed months later. Ahead of its release, she was invited to Dreamville’s legendary Revenge Of The Dreamers III session, earning a placement on “Don’t Hit Me Right Now” alongside Bas, Cozz, Buddy and Guapdad 4000.

Entering 2020 with her first Grammy nomination, Yung Baby Tate has a promising year ahead of her. Paving her own lane as a rapper, producer, and singer, among other things, she’s readying to lead a new wave of ladies into the 2020s.

Sheff G

At a time when Brooklyn’s regional drill movement is beginning to reach national heights, Sheff G is finally beginning to get his rightful credit. Helping usher and define the Brooklyn drill sound in 2017 with “No Suburban,” he released his debut project, THE UNLUCCY LUCCY KID in 2019 and officially stampedhis name in the rich history of NYC’s hip-hop scene. Although it featured appearances were limited to Mozzy and Sleepy Hallow, Sheff G is slowly gearing up to bring his reality to the world through his music. It’s grim, it’s abrasive, but Sheff captures the raw reality of his neighborhood without compromising his roots in lyricism as a New York City native.

Lil Berete 

Atlanta defined rap this decade without a doubt but it would be incredibly unfair to downplay the contributions Toronto made as well. The Weeknd and Drake’s influence shifted hip-hop and R&B simultaneously while Tory Lanez was one of the most prolific songwriters of the decade. While these artists topped the charts, there’s a sea of raw talent bubbling in Toronto right now. Among them is Lil Berete who’s been making major strides outside of North America. Blending international sounds such as afrobeats, grime, and dancehall with Northern Trap, all while keeping his music personal and vulnerable, makes him an artist that encompasses a lot of aspects of Toronto– from the racial and economic disparity to cultural boundaries meshing together in one. 1 Way Out, his 2019 project, had him squaring off with artists from the UK and the States. His versatility is his strength but at 22-years-old, the Regent Park-bred rapper is surely becoming a voice for his own hood, and beyond.

Sleepy Hallow

Brooklyn Drill will  be the wave in 2020 so don’t be surprised about the amount of New York rappers on this list. Sleepy Hallow has been slowly rising the ranks alongside Sheff G. Only emerging about a year and some change ago, he’s gained a strong regional buzz within Brooklyn through tracks like “Panic Part 2” and his appearances on Sheff G’s The Unluccy Luccy Kid.

Formally introducing himself with DON’T SLEEP, Sleepy Hallow delivered a body of work that shows promise. The rawness in his music is vividly portrayed through his lyrics but at the same time, songs like “2 Fake” serve infectious hooks with grim undertones reflecting his environment. Alongside Sheff G, Sleepy Hallow is revving up for a big year ahead of himself.

Melii

Truthfully, it feels like Melii’s time should’ve arrived in 2019. The star potential has always been there, even as far back as her 2018 single, “Icey.” Although co-sign’s aren’t necessarily needed, artists like Meek Mill and Tory Lanez, the latter signed her to his label One Umbrella, saw early potential in her. With the year 2020 upon us, Melii’s already proven that she has the it factor to become a huge star in her own right. She recently announced that she’ll be taking a step back from music in 2020 but we’re only hoping she changes her mind. She has the looks, can rap, sing — in both English and Spanish, might I add — and has the ability to shapeshift from R&B singer to reggaeton artist and head back to her New York City roots as an MC. 

After releasing two projects in 2018, phAses and MOTIONS, Melii has undoubtedly proven to be a rare commodity in the music industry, especially as Latin urban music, hip-hop, and R&B continue to dictate and determine the sound of pop music.

Pop Smoke

As previously noted, Brooklyn Drill will be the biggest thing in hip-hop this year and Pop Smoke’s has a heavy hand in that. Needless to say, he will likely be the hottest thing in hip-hop in 2020, whether or not his career sustains — which it likely will. First getting a major co-sign by Pusha T, who’s manager, Steven Victor signed him to his label, Meet The Woo hit the streets at a perfect time when both Brooklyn Drill and UK Drill began moving past its notoriety into a mainstream light. “Welcome To The Party” officially ushered in a new era in East Coast hip-hop, especially in New York City and later received the official stamp of approval from Nicki Minaj and Skepta, both of whom remixed the track. 

Capping off 2019 with the release of his anticipated collab with Travis Scott, “GATTI,” Pop Smoke is currently working on his debut album which is set to drop this year. Although no release date’s been set yet, Pop Smoke’s on a journey to claim his stake in the rap game.

Rod Wave 

The lines between rapper and singer have been blurred in the past decade and Rod Wave walks a very thin line between the two. The St. Petersberg, Florida-bred artist bares his soul on every track, detailing pain as if it’s being inflicted on him and bellowing his sorrows as he wrestles his demons on wax. Through all of that, he became a beaming light to emerge from the South, honing elements of R&B, soul, and gospel over trap-infused production.

The release of PTSD and the Kevin Gates-executive produced Ghetto Gospel showcased what Rod Wave’s capable of doing. With elements of street and gospel fusing together, Rod Wave has proven that he’s a unique force.

Polo G

Drill has not died at all. While Brooklyn and London have co-opted the sound regionally, Chicago’s drill sound hasn’t phased out but evolved since its emergence with Chief Keef and Lil Durk. Polo G is one of the artists carrying the torch into the 2020s. Along with artists like Calboy and Lil Tjay, he’s ushering the new generation of rappers who are surely on their way to greatness. If you don’t believe me, look no further than his debut project, Die A Legend. Influences of G Herbo and Lil Durk can be heard throughout his music as details the pain and paranoia from growing up in a ruthless environment.

Polo G might be one project deep but we’d be foolish to think that he doesn’t have more in the arsenal. He’s an exceptional rapper with the ability to croon over Mustard production just as easily as he can freestyle on Funk Flex’s show.

Teejayx6

There are two things that are certain in 2020: Detroit’s having a musical renaissance and Scam Rap is officially on the rise. And the thing is, the rise in both coincide as is slowly becoming known as a hub for fraud. Among those leading this movement out the D is Teejayx6, the 19-year-old self-proclaimed scammer who’s delivering anthems and game on how to actually finesse on the Internet. In the span of a year, he gained prominence in Detroit as Scam Rap began to take off while dropping gems on the trade with sprinkles of humor throughout. “Swipe Lesson” is a prime example of this. Titled “Teejayx6 – Swipe Lesson (Official Music Video) *FREE MONEY & METHODS*” on YouTube, Teejayx6 doesn’t bother with a rhyme-scheme, instead, he provides the step-by-step process of scamming.

Teejayx6 might not end up being a chart-topping artist but he’s certainly paving his own lane, dropping gem on the trade of fraud like how Biggie did for the crack game. 

Sada Baby

Sada Baby surprisingly hasn’t blown yet but there’s something to be said about the fact that your favorite rapper probably has a few of his tracks on his playlist. Skuba Steve has already been dubbed one of the hottest artists in Detroit by a few people, including Danny Brown, but he also has music in the stash with Chris Brown and more. As he’s maintained a strong buzz in the past two years, and continued to flood the street with music, he has a cult following of sorts. 

Fresh off the release of his new project Brolik, Sada Baby kicked off 2020 on a solid note that seems like a strong indication of what he has in store this year.

Lil Tjay

Lil Tjay came into 2019 hot. Already racking up millions of clicks on Soundcloud, he emerged as one of the hottest newcomers in the game. A native of South Bronx, he’s a product of a sound that A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie helped spearhead regionally. His song “Brothers”  propelled his career into the limelight, as did his appearance on Polo G’s “Pop Out,” but his debut, True 2 Myself gave a glimpse at his promising future. He raps for the fellas, sings for the ladies and makes hits fitting for the radio. 2020 will usher in a new star in the hip-hop world. Although it’s too early to determine who it might be, Lil Tjay has a good shot at taking the throne.

Fivio Foreign

Another Brooklyn drill artist rising the ranks right now is Fivio Foreign. You may have seen the name pop up on your timeline a few times in the last few months. With the release of “Big Drip” making waves, his impact has already been seen. Axl, the producer behind “Big Drip,” explained to Complex that it was that song that apparently made Drake’s people reach out which resulted in the release of “War,” the song that many believed Drake bit Fivio’s flow on. Aside from potentially inspiring the biggest artist on the planet, he’s made major strides in recent times on his own accord. “Big Drip” received a remix with Tory Lanez (it’s since been removed from Soundcloud) and he’s worked with Rich The Kid on “Richer Than Ever.” As drill continues to dominate hip-hop nearly a decade after its introduction, Fivio Foreign is among the artists emerging from New York to keep an eye out for. 

Stunna 4 Vegas 

2019 was undoubtedly the year of DaBaby but he didn’t make strides across the world without Stunna 4 Vegas by his side. Signed to Billion Dollar Baby Ent., Stunna 4 Vegas has shadowed DaBaby during his reign in the music industry while releasing a steady output of quality music on his own. BIG 4x, Stunna’s Interscope debut, had him swapping bars alongside Lil Durk, Offset, Young Nudy, and more, even while he was only beginning to introduce himself to the world. 

Stunna 4 Vegas is certain for a big year ahead of him. Making appearances on Jimmy Fallon and booking slots at Rolling Loud, DaBaby’s fans are already familiar with Stunna 4 Vegas. Now, we wait for the rest of the world to catch on.

On DaBaby and Stunna 4 Vegas’ 2018 collaboration, “4x”, DaBaby asserts: “Real talk, I’m the best motherfuckin’ rapper, Stunna the best young n**** rapper. Bitch, we takin’ over.” Since then, DaBaby has definitely lived up to the bar he set for himself. While Stunna 4 Vegas may still be waiting on his major breakout moment, his musical output has proved promising so far and we trust DaBaby’s word. 

In May, Stunna 4 Vegas dropped his BIG 4x mixtape under DaBaby’s imprint, Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment. The project got his name buzzing, as did him opening up for DaBaby on his “KIRK Tour”. Now, Stunna is about to show again that he’s got something to offer the game. It has just been announced that he will be dropping another project, titled Rich Youngin, on January 17. In a post sharing the cover art on Instagram, Stunna made a timely joke: “IM START WWIII WHEN I DROP DIS BOMB.”

DaBaby also raised awareness for Rich Youngin by writing on his own IG page: “Its only 9 days left before the HOTTEST youngin show the world who the HOTTEST youngin… All my freaks turned on me last time he dropped ?. They say Big 4X make em feel like a gangsta.” While you await the 17th, check out Stunna’s single, “Up The Smoke”, featuring Offset. 

DaBaby has experienced incredible success this year alone and his loyalty reflects in his dedication to his fans and loved ones. Stunna 4 Vegas is one of DaBaby’s day ones who is also signed to his label. And since he’s come up, criticism has flared around the true reasons why Stunna 4 Vegas is relevant today. We have all seen multiple interviews with DaBaby where Stunna sat by, offering input from time to time, but always closeby. It is thus obvious that the two have an amicable bond. Yet, fans appear to think otherwise. While a lot of folks continuously offers support to both artists, many feel Stunna 4 Vegas would not be relevant had it not been for DaBaby’s fame.

In a recent interview with VLADtv, DaBaby’s protegee offered input on the hate he’s been getting. He highlighted: “I see it a lot. If I comment on Baby’s shit, his fans just attack me,” he admits. “They be like “n**** stop dickriding,” and I’m like what?” he then laughs. “N*** signed me, bruh. He changed my life.” He spoke on the comments being irrelevant to him as it would only truly matter if DaBaby was the one saying it. Stunna 4 Vegas states he owes his life to DaBaby for signing up and that it is nothing more than that. Furthermore, he appears excited to make his own way in the rap game through his individuality as an artist.

It’s an unspoken rule that no one should run up on DaBaby. The North Carolina rapper had numerous incidents in 2019 that turned into physical altercations, whether it be with the man who attempted to heckle him at the Loius Vuitton store or fans who tried jumping on stage while he was performing. Many of these occurrences were caught on camera, and it was clear that the easy-going Kirk rapper had a limit to his friendly interaction.

Bennett Raglin / Stringer / Getty Images

Aside from critical opinions about his music, there haven’t been many people who have come forward with bad things to say about DaBaby. The rapper’s protegé, Stunna 4 Vegas, recently sat down with Vlad TV and asked the host to name DaBaby’s flaws. “[DaBaby] is at the top right now. I think if a rapper can come out his mouth and say DaBaby...anything wrong about the n*gga, it’s just hate,” Stunna said. “Bruh, tell me one thing flaw about this n*gga.” Vlad answered that DaBaby has a short temper. “That ain’t no flaw, bro! You can’t say that,” Stunna responded. Vlad explained that he believes DaBaby is too rich to have such a short fuse.

Stunna agrees, but he added, “The people that can say that are people in your shoes… Can’t nobody else say [that]. Baby don’t start with nobody. So that’s… He don’t even promote ‘I’m on bullsh*t.’ If you come up on Baby on bullsh*t and he just teach you…” Vlad interrupted and said he made his comments respectfully because it only takes one incident to lose everything.

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, but watch this,” Stunna replied. “‘Cause they livin’ different from you. If I say you can’t find a flaw you can’t say short temper. Street n*gga gon’ say, ‘Short temper? You can’t play with that n*gga Baby.’ They gon’ tell you they love him because of that. He done spared n*ggas. A street n*gga gon’ get so happy off he way he act ’cause they love rappers who don’t cap.” He added that he doesn’t want to sound racist, but white people love that Baby will go off. Watch his clip in full below.