Jazz Cartier, Jaye Adams
Repping: Toronto
Age: 21
Sound: Travi$ Scott x Mick Jenkins
Key Project: Marauding In Paradise, 2015
Cartier’s debut project, a carefully mastered 16-track LP, was described by his in-house producer, Michael Lantz, as “cinematic trap music.” The description encapsulates the 21-year-old’s sound: a dramatic, in-your-face combination of distorted synths and snapping snare drums. The glorified trap instrumentals Jazz raps over compliment his deliberate flow and delivery.
Lucki Eck$, Lucki Camel
Repping: West Chicago, IL
Age: 19
Sound: Saba x Chance the Rapper
Key Project: Body High, 2014
Chicago is on the forefront of a movement. While the city’s rap scene gave birth to the highly-publicized yet short-lived Drill movement three or so years ago, another sub-genre was peaking through the cracks in response. The category was deemed “psychedelic hip-hop”, with artists like Chance, Vic Mensa and Lucki at the cutting edge. Lucki’s sound falls perfectly into the category of psychedelic rap: an intentionally unforced cadence, heavy drug-focused lyrics and off-kilter, spacey instrumentals that sound slightly out of tune.
Cozz, Cody Macc
Repping: South Central LA
Age: 20
Sound: Ab-Soul x Schoolboy Q
Key Project: Cozz & Effect, 2014
With J. Cole’s Dreamville Records behind him, Cozz is beginning to build a definitive brand for himself. Firmly based in a classic West Coast sound, the 20-year-old emcee’s refreshing flow and stark delivery is earning him comparisons to Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Mobb Deep. In an industry rapidly transitioning into heavy synth-based sounds, Cozz’s organic, sample based production is remarkably a standout compared to his Californian counterparts. It’s no surprise he became a J. Cole signee.
Chester Watson
Repping: Clearwater, FL
Age: 18
Sound: Earl Sweatshirt x MF Doom
Key Project: Summer Mirage, 2015
Ballet dancer turned rapper Chester Watson attributes many of his rap skills to what he learned in Ballet: the idea that “[dancers] don’t make it look hard. They make it look effortless” as well as “how they portray themselves on stage.” With his casual, monotone cadence and a dense internal rhyme scheme, Watson has been compared to the likes of Earl Sweatshirt and MF Doom. The young emcee’s existential lyrics and hazy, jazz-inflected instrumentals have lead him to Pro Era comparisons as well.
Daye Jack
Repping: Atlanta, GA
Age: 18
Sound: Raury x Vic Mensa
Key Project: Hello World, 2014
Nigerian born, Atlanta raised, NYU Comp-Sci major Daye Jack represents a class of rappers that wouldn’t have existed 15 years ago. His semi-melodic, vehement flow and conscious lyrics put him in the category of genre-blurring hip hop artists including Raury, Childish Gambino and Vic Mensa (circa, Innanetape), although Jack feels that he relates more to artists like James Blake. Despite the fact that he grew up on 50 Cent and Jay Z, Daye is on the forefront of a hybrid sound becoming common in modern rap.
Elhae, Jamaal Jones
Repping: Atlanta, GA
Age: 22
Sound: James Fauntelroy x Wale x Drake
Key Project: Aura, 2015
While Drake comparisons have become borderline cliché for up-and-coming artists, it would feel wrong to neglect to mention the similarities between Elhae and the Toronto superstar. What sets Elhae apart from the hundreds of young rap artists who have inevitably succumb to Drake influence is the fact that he sings, raps, writes and produces. With a singing voice similar to James Fauntelroy and a rap cadence/delivery similar to that of Wale, Elhae possesses an undeniable radio sound that should earn him recognition from big-name artists.
Rome Fortune, Jerome Fortune
Repping: Atlanta, GA
Age: 26
Sound: Iamsu x Father
Key Project: Beautiful Pimp, 2013
In a city that churns out disposable copy-cat hip hop artists who release a mix tape or two and then disappear into the elusive Trap, 26-year-old Rome Fortune seems to be a stand out. He’s been around for a few years and continues to grow his fan base into a more diverse (and quirky) group relative to his Atlanta peers. If the turquoise-colored ZZ Top beard wasn’t enough, what sets Rome apart are his unique instrumentals: eccentric, trap-influenced beats with funk inflections and acid-trip synths.
Michael Christmas
Repping: Boston, MA
Age: 20
Sound: The Cool Kids x Odd Future
Key Project: Is This Art, 2014
A self-proclaimed “Overweight Drake,” Christmas’ lighthearted, somewhat self-deprecating demeanor is an anomaly relative to main stream hip-hop. His flat voice and cool delivery works well over the laid-back, boom-bap beats he raps over. While he lacks braggadocio, Christmas is definitely not lacking attention from popular blogs including XXL, Complex and Pigeons and Planes.
Ace Cosgrove
Repping: Gaithersburg, MD
Age: 23
Sound: Capital Steez x Ab Soul
Key Project: USvsRobots, 2014
Despite being the most unrecognized artist on this list, Cosgrove has a contemporary beast coast sound and a tight, Capital Steez-esque flow. He’s loosely affiliated with Hostile Youth, an alternative hip-hop artist collective including the likes of Uno Hype, Goldlink and producer DJ BlackDiamond.
GoldLink
Repping: Washington D.C.
Age: 21:
Sound: Rick James x Childish Gambino
Key Project: The God Complex, 2014
When Diddy’s Revolt.TV asked him to describe his style, GoldLink responded with “[it’s] Rick James meets Justin Timberlake (*NSYNC days) with Backstreet Boys and a little D12 and Tupac.” Although it sounds like a stretch, the Virginia native has received a patchwork of cross-genre comparisons: from house to soul, 90s boom-bap hip hop to reggaeton, it’s clear that GoldLink owns a unique sound that lacks a similarity to anyone in modern rap.
