IAMDDB is a 21-year-old artist from Manchester, England who’s been taking the game by storm with her unique trap-meets-jazz sound that could be described as “urban jazz.” On the heels of her buzzing “Shade” single, she’s managed to become one of the most promising acts out of the UK in less than a years time. A lot of her influences come not only from her Portuguese and Angolan roots, but also inspiration from Bob Marley, Nat King Cole and Samba.
Sounds like: Jorja Smith, RAY BLK, Ravyn Lenae
IAMDBB
Ramone Rochester, better known as Ramz, is a 21-year-old rapper and singer-songwriter from London, UK. The rapper is best known for his song “Barking,” which hit No. 2 on Billboard’s UK Singles Chart in January. The song currently has 32 million plays on Spotify and its video, uploaded by GRM Daily, currently sits 26 million plays. Born in Mitcham, South London, Ramz studied at the University of Portsmouth before dropping out focus solely on music. After leaving university, Rochester worked at supermarket chain Sainsbury’s while he released songs online. UMG subsidiary Polydor signed Ramz once his “Barking” video hit a million views.
Sounds like: J Hus, Dave, Not3z
Ramz
With the resurgence of Philadelphia’s hip-hop scene in full force with a roster including Lil Uzi Vert, Chynna Rodgers, and Tierra Whack is one of the most interesting new faces in the game. At a young age, Tierra rapped under the moniker Dizzle Dizz. In 2011, she was catching the attention of hip-hop fans in Philly because of her raw freestyles and got a chance to rap in front of big names like A$AP Rocky and Meek Mill. Years later, she changed her name and found her sound, blending her witty lyrics with a singing voice that’s as versatile as anyone in the industry. Her single, “Mumbo Jumbo,” would become a hit, however, her recent project, Whack World, would make her one of the freshest faces in hip-hop. Each song on the 15-song project was one minute long and showed off Whack’s versatility. Tierra Whack is one of the faces of the city of brotherly love that should be here for a while.
For Fans of: Noname, Ravyn Lenae, Snoh Aalegra
Tierra Whack
Soccer Mommy, real name Sophie Allison, is one of the new faces of indie rock that has quickly become a popular talent in music. Until recently, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter, was a music-business major at New York University. Her lyrics are sharp and relatable, singing about heartbreak, loneliness, and letdowns. Over the last handful of years, she released a handful of projects that built her a solid fanbase. But her debut album, Clean, which was released earlier this year, showed the world why she is the future of Indie Rock. If her trajectory continues the same, she will become one of the biggest names in the music industry.
For Fans of: Clairo, Japanese Breakfast, The Marias
Soccer Mommy
Proving himself in the same scenes that BadBadNotGood, Frank Dudes, Charlotte Day Wilson and other endlessly-creative artists run in, Toronto-reared singer-songwriter is now ready to make an impact on the global scene. Billed as “pop’s new auteur” by Pitchfork and “Toronto’s newest enigma” by NPR, MorMor — aka Seth Nyquist — stretches and twists the boundaries of his genre to create something new, eclectic and exciting using recognizable pop sounds. Both accessible and forward-thinking, MorMor’s music is the perfect soundtrack for those seeking something fresh and unique in 2018. Having just dropped his debut project, he’s ready to conquer the limelight.
For Fans of: Blood Orange, Toro Y Moi, Frank Ocean
MorMor
After the incarceration of Bobby Shmurda in 2014, it’s been a struggle for New York to find a rapper enjoyed by both young and older fans of hip-hop. Jay Critch, a Brooklyn-born 21 year old, might be the most promising contender to fill that gap. Signed to Rich the Kid’s Rich Forever label alongside Famous Dex, Jay can drop triplet rhymes on a trap beat as well as any of his “mumble rapping” peers. At the same time, Critch can also get lyrical to appease New York hip-hop traditionalists, as shown in songs like “Thousand Ways” and his cypher on Funkmaster Flex. Racking up tens of millions of views on multiple platforms this past year, Jay Critch is gearing to be a household name in hip-hop in no time.
For Fans of: Rich The Kid, Smooky Margielaa, Drake
Jay Critch
Kodak Black may have been one of the most talented and original voices from Florida of this decade. However, due to multiple legal charges and currently serving time in prison, the Pompano Beach rapper’s career has come to a halt. Enter GlokkNine, a 17-year-old rapper from Orlando. When his first big track, “JailHizeeBluez,” hit the net three months ago, most listeners compared his style to Kodak’s; many have even pointed out that Glokk is more lyrically inclined than the “Tunnel Vision” rapper. Now, after several other big hits including “Crayola,” “10 Percent,” “Chain Gang,” “I Don’t Need No Help,” “Armed & Dangerous” and “Kill Kill,” it is more than apparent that GlokkNine can hold his own. The aforementioned tracks have all accumulated millions of views on YouTube and SoundCloud – at this rate, it looks like Florida will have bred another national star in no time.
For Fans of: Kodak Black, JayDaYoungan, NBA YoungBoy
GlokkNine
At 28 years old, Eyedress is ready to take his personal take on Filipino culture around the globe. Several years after the release of his debut project, the boundary-breaking artist is doing an impressive job of highlighting his region’s political and social issues and attracting the attention of mass online media. Continuing to crank out intensely-personal pieces, Eyedress is connecting with a worldwide audience better than ever before, and stands poised to become of the most talented and effective creatives in his field. Now with Lex Records, he is ready to blur genre lines and crossover into the mainstream.
For Fans of: Neon Indian, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out
Eyedress
Afrobeat as a genre has seen tremendous widespread popularity over the past few years, in large part due to work put in from Nigerian producer and certified hitmaker, Burna Boy. What Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti pioneered in the ’70s as means of music and political activism has since gone to become a source of inspiration for music all around the world. More recently, Drake’s platinum-selling ‘More Life’ album saw Burna Boy credited on five different records. As one of genre’s biggest hitmakers, he’s also captured a number of awards over the years including Best New Act, Best Pop Song, and Best Album of The Year at the MTV South Africa Awards.
For Fans of: J Hus, Wizkid, Mr Eazi
Simply put, ALLBLACK is the best up-and-coming rapper in the Bay Area and one of the West Coast’s strongest talents. With an aggressive, acrobatic flow that commands attention like Tupac or Spice-1 once did, the 26-year-old Oakland native paints a hectic, cinematic picture of the many late nights he spent hustling in his East Oakland’s “Murder Dubs” neighborhood. While others who test the waters of Westside pimp-rap have done so in a way that places them on a diamond-encrusted throne above the listener, ALLBLACK weaves together his tales in a way that places him directly in your face, Tacos Sinaloa-stained sweatsuit, dirt-streaked cleats and all. His approach has paid off well so far: he’s swiftly putting together his own Play Runners Association movement and crew, and has created modern classics with every other major newcomer making noise in his state.
For Fans of: YBN Nahmir, SOB x RBE, Shoreline Mafia
Burna Boy
ALLBLACK
New Gen is HYPEBEAST’s new series that spotlights the most promising up-and-comers in the music game. Every season, we will highlight 10 of the most talented and/or buzzworthy new artists from all corners of the globe without limiting to a single genre.
We’re only halfway into 2018 and have already witnessed a handful of burgeoning new artists on the come up. In the last two years, artists have found their own way to climb up the industry ladder, making their way into the mainstream limelight in a relatively short time — proving that there are many new, unconventional ways for rappers, musicians and producers to build their careers successfully. Now, we are seeing another wave of artists using similar methods — like SoundCloud, Instagram live recording sessions and digital showcases — to make their mark in the industry and gain large, organic fanbases. Below are 10 of the most promising up-and-coming artists of Summer 2018.
Ten artists to put on your radar for summertime.
New Gen Summer 2018:
