Famous Dex
Originally called Black Migo Dex, Famous Dex is an up–and–coming 22-year-old Drill rapper out of Chicago, following in the likes of fellow Chicago rapper Chief Keef, who revolutionized the hard–hitting and lyrically grim and violent Chicago Drill movement in 2010. He has a loyal following and drops music videos weekly to keep his fans happy. He is starting to gain some traction, with 2.5 million views on his two biggest songs, “2 Times” & “Hoes Mad.” He curates his own unique style: He rocks short red dreads, uses a hoverboard in most of his videos and captivates audiences with his goofy, infectious flow. Dex’s Watch Out Remix is one of the better remixes out there and had AXP’s basement popping during their snowstorm party when I got the aux.
Chris Travis
Memphis rapper Chris Travis doesn’t confine himself to the lyrical and stylistic boundaries that most radio hit rappers do. He is a cloud rapper, following in the vein of artists like Spaceghostpurrp, which involves an unconventionally slow pace with a hard–hitting, confident delivery. Chris Travis’ voice complements that hard–hitting flow and seems to slap you in the face when he first hops on a beat. He has a strong international following and has been in the underground rap circuit for years. "Sci Fi" is the best end of the night song, with its trippy multicolored video and trance inducing beat. His hit song with over 3.5 million youtube views, "Crunch Time," blew out my subwoofer (yes, really), and will likely find a spot in your Pottruck playlist. Check out his newest mixtape here.
Wiki
Wiki speaks to his generation of New Yorkers. He’s a 22–year–old rapper from the Upper West Side who raps with a tough grit behind his nasally voice. His ability to find unique rhythms in his flow and always catch the listener offguard is entertaining. His harsh boom bap flow is dangerous when he chooses to go there and is enhanced by colorful production from producers like Kaytranada. He first gained acclaim for his individual song that truly displays his lyrical and flow-switching prowess, "Wikispeaks" which was released in 2012, but currently associates with his New York trio RATKING. Rolling Stone recently ranked his new individual album Lil Me the 24th best rap album of 2015, and he is a frequent collaborator with British rapper Skepta. The video below is for a song he recorded with Earl Sweatshirt that is perfect for the next time you get your hands on an aux cord during a smoke sesh at TEP.
Playboi Carti
This ATLien is probably most famous for beating up somebody named Ass Pizza, but he actually makes really good music. He is signed to A$AP Rocky’s Collective A$AP Mob, is good friends with fashion guru Ian Connor, has a good relationship with Awful Records and is moving in with Fredo Santana to record in Los Angeles (despite not having a mixtape out yet). His recent come–up can mostly be attributed to his two hits, “Broke Boi," and “Fetti,” (watch below) the latter of which has a hypnotic beat which will not let you stop listening. Watch out for Playboi Carti. He’s in a good position in the industry to make some noise soon.
Ramriddlz
One of Drake’s newest proteges, Toronto native Ramriddlz, is now on the O.V.O.X.O bubble. O.V.O.X.O is a collaborative Canadian rap group with Drake (October’s Very Own) and The Weeknd (X for ecstasy and O for Oxycodone), and they often pick up new artists to promote. Ignoring the fact that Ramriddlz looks super goofy and has a penchant for rolling his belly, his oddly calming whiney voice, soft flow and melodic beats combine to make a relaxing sound similar to that of Post Malone. He works with dancehall producer Dubbel Dutch regularly and has released a whole EP on Soundcloud since he blew up due to the popularity of his catchy song "Sweeterman," that Drake later jumped on. I guarantee you won’t be able to get this song out of your head in your GSR after listening to it on your walk to Huntsman.
Trill Sammy
Trill Sammy became a Vine sensation after one of his friends released a series of freestyles that went viral on the Internet, including most famously, his Netflix & Chill freestyle. Since then, he has worked in tandem with another Houston rapper, Dice Soho, who has been in the game in Houston since he was nine-years-old. They have the lively, young and energetic dynamic that has come to be expected from a young trap duo. Their "Just Watch" video (below) has been getting increased hype and has prompted rappers such as Slim Thug and Soulja Boy to reach out and appear on Trill Sammy’s newest mixtape. Just Watch is a go–to pregame song to pump you up before hitting the EDM heavy frat parties.
