5. “Johnny Dang”

That Mexican OT, DRODi & Paul Wall | Lonestar Luchador

“Is that … Paul Wall?!”

That was my initial reaction while hearing a snippet of this song on Instagram over the summer, his verse a very welcome surprise from an artist I don’t think I’ve heard from since I was a freshman in high school. The whole Houston rap takeover felt like it came and went in short order, but Paul Wall’s departure from the mainstream was probably most disappointing: “Sittin’ Sidewayz” was a legitimate hit, and his feature on “Drive Slow” remains in my rotation (and yours too, be honest). Just hearing that voice in its full Texas twang made me want to investigate even further.

Turns out Paul somehow might have the third-best performance on this thing, his appearance ultimately a gateway to hip me to the talents of both DRODi and That Mexican OT, who submit bravura efforts alongside the rap legend. I’m just rhyming words, I don’t even know how to rap is among the best line deliveries of the year, bar none. After just one listen, it wasn’t a matter of if this song would make the list, but how high would it place.