Stunna 4 Vegas began his career as an affiliate of DaBaby, but quickly became a rising star in the North Carolina rap scene. Granted, DaBaby was still a year away from releasing his groundbreaking 2019 LP, Baby on Baby, when he was featured on Stunna’s 2018 “Animal,” but his regional success catapulted Stunna to a level he had yet to achieve on his own. Stunna, born Khalik Caldwell in 1996, quickly rode “Animal” into more collaborations with DaBaby, including Baby on Baby’s “Joggers,” but he truly made a name for himself when he released BIG 4x on DaBaby’s Billion Dollar Baby label in affiliation with Interscope. That album established the MC’s airhorn delivery and minimal beats with fury and precision. His success was earned, but some were unwilling to grant him his just due. “There are always gonna be haters,” he said to Apple Music, before adding, “But the love outweighs the hate every time.” On 2020’s RICH YOUNGIN, Stunna’s talent is unimpeachable. His flow is loud and aggressive, and he is confident in his skill and verbal dexterity. Take “PUNCH ME IN 5,” where he holds court over little more than hi-hats as he raps, “Big speaker like Bagg, big stepper like Gates/If I said the word, he get put on a plate.” Stunna’s turned a valuable cosign into private jets and belts that cost more than most apartments. Still, he’s on the lookout for doubters. “I’m smarter than a lot of people think, but I don’t complain about nothing,” he told Apple Music. “It comes with being a rapper.”