Angel Haze
You might know Angel Haze from her feud with Azealia Banks, but her music is better than their Twitter fights would suggest. Haze’s style is bold and innovative. She raps about being pansexual, a rape survivor and a woman in the rap world. Her freestyle over the “Same Love” instrumental—about what growing up as an LGBT youth is actually like—will make you never want to listen to Macklemore again.
DOWNLOAD: “Werking Girls”
LE1F
Speaking of Macklemore, he totally stole the beat for “Same Love” from LE1F’s track “Wut.” LE1F is a gay rapper from NYC who makes killer club tracks bolstered by his amazing, deep voice. Pitchfork called him the “anti–Drake” which might give you a good idea of what he’s like (Drake probably cried about it).
DOWNLOAD: “Damn Son”
Awkwafina
Awkwafina is one of the few Asian–American women to find success as a rapper. Her lyrics are hilarious and crude; for example, she did a cover of “My Dick” called “My Vag.” She likes to rap against the hipsterfication of her hometown: “New York City, bitch, that’s where I come from / Not where I moved to on Mom and Dad’s trust fund.”
DOWNLOAD: “NYC Bitche$”
Mykki Blanco
Mykki Blanco is a gender–fluid, gay rapper with amazing style who makes some of the raunchiest tracks you’ll ever hear. He’s friends with LE1F as well as fellow rappers Zebra Katz and Cakes da Killa, who all rap openly about gay sex and the gay culture in NYC.
DOWNLOAD: “Haze.Boogie.Life”
Brooke Candy
You might recognize Brooke Candy and her pink waist–length cornrows from the music video for “Genesis” by Grimes, but she is much more than her bizarre style. She raps about feminist messages: “You say that I’m a slut / It ain’t your business who I’m fucking with.” She also believes that her sexuality shouldn’t define her, and that her rap should be judged on its quality, not her qualities.
DOWNLOAD: “Das Me”
