Within the rich tapestry of Louisiana’s rap scene, superstar Rob49 stands alone. Blending Master P cool and Boosie braggadocio, the MC boasts a booming voice and a dedication to realism that makes him one of the best New Orleans chroniclers since Weezy first began telling us about the Hollygrove neighbourhood in the early 2000s. Rob, who takes the latter part of his name from the 4th and 9th Wards in NOLA where he grew up, carved a unique path to stardom. His family fled from Katrina and moved to Houston, before returning to Louisiana, where Rob went to nursing school. He quickly dropped out because of a preternatural gift for rapping, which is fully displayed on projects like 2022’s Welcome to Vulture Island and 4GOD II. On 4GOD II, Rob makes his case as the new voice of Crescent City rap. His bars are confident and filled with quotable one-liners, but the MC is at his best when examining his rise from scrappy New Orleans hustler, diving into his backstory using childhood trials and tribulations to help illuminate who he is today.