Rap music is in an interesting state of development--old enough to have classics, but new enough to maintain the mainstream interest. It seems to be caught between its own established image and its continuously evolving culture. In a high-speed world full of a multitude of music-makers, most rappers are aware that, to the public, they are only as good as their last album. With upcoming releases from big names like Eminem, Kanye West, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Big K.R.I.T., it might be time for eyes of the mainstream to turn to some new artists. Consequently, this is a great time to get into rap music. With so many emerging artists waiting to dethrone the top, in a few years, your new favorite moderately successful rapper could be one of the biggest names in music. To help you out, here’s a sampling of the various names slowly emerging out of the contemporary rap scene. Of course, one list cannot encompass all of the different styles of a global hip hop culture, but familiarizing yourself with these artists is a good start to understanding the state of contemporary rap.
Danny Brown
Danny Brown has the most clearly original and individual style of rappers who are still active. Hailing from Detroit, he first gained attention with his release XXX. The album combines mind-bending, awkward production with truly evocative and at times disturbing lyrics to illustrate a character crazed by the streets of Detroit and driven to manic, self-destructive partying. One distinctive aspect of Danny’s style is a choppy, high-pitched delivery. Sometimes, though, he drops into a low, more classic style. It can be difficult to imagine both voices coming from the same person. He followed XXX up with Old, an album basically split into two halves. The first half continues the abstract production style, but lyrically focuses more on surviving through illicit means on the streets. The second half returns to the party scene and brings in pretty typical trap production. Throughout his music, Danny Brown maintains a manic, unpredictable character that can both deliver a powerful message and please the crowd.
Recommended Tracks: “Die Like a Rockstar,” “DNA,” “Wonderbread,” and “Side B.”
Black Hippy
It’s quite a stretch to call Black Hippy an emerging group. Composed of Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock, the group has already made waves in both mainstream and underground music. From South Central, Los Angeles, they claim to be the successors of west coast rap legends Tupac and Dr. Dre. While this may be true, their reach has certainly expanded. Kendrick seems to be featured on every other rap single released since 2012 when he proved his worth on good kid m.A.A.d. city, which has been widely accepted as a modern rap classic. ScHoolboy also garnered attention with his release Oxymoron, where he showcased his ability to combine social commentary without sacrificing a genuine image. Throughout it all, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock seem to have been passed over. Ab-Soul partially explains this when he raps: “They wanna see me wearing Polo drawers / Put two chains on and that ain’t wrong / But that ain’t me.” With his complex wordplay and sometimes heavy-handed messages, Ab-Soul refuses to tailor himself to the public crowd. Similarly, Jay Rock refuses to adapt his realistic, naturally confrontational delivery to fit the public image of rap.
Recommended Tracks: “The Art of Peer Pressure,” “Hoover Street,” “The Book of Soul”, and “Hood Gone Love It.”
Run the Jewels
Made up of El-P and Killer Mike, Run the Jewels combines noisy, yet groundbreaking production with a lyrical range that can easily jump topically from typical punch lines to socially conscious rhetoric. For instance, they intelligently cover police brutality on “Early,” where Killer Mike raps, “I apologize if it seems like I got out of line, sir / Cause I respect the badge and the gun / And I pray today ain't the day that you drag me away / Right in front of my beautiful son.” At the same time, though, he can rap “tiptoe on the track like a ballerina,” and make it sound cool. El-P handles the production by seamlessly combining sometimes borderline avant-garde, electronic elements with hip hop sensibility. Together, the two make for a duo that in two years has already released two excellent records and shows no signs of letting up.
Recommended Tracks: “Sea Legs,” “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry,” “All My Life,” and “Early.”
Freddie Gibbs
Gibbs’ music is perfectly summarized in a video taken of him responding to YouTube comments on one of his music videos. The comment asked if Gibbs was trying to portray selling cocaine as cool. Gibbs responded by saying that it wasn’t cool, but it was a reality for people who lived where he is from–Gary, Indiana. While Gibbs’ rapping is not lyrically complex, his low, raspy delivery gives it an air of authenticity. Although he’s released a couple mix tapes and full albums, he gained a lot of attention with his collaboration record with producer Madlib released earlier this year. Gibbs’ technical prowess combined with Madlib’s layered production created what could be considered a classic.
Suggested Tracks: “Thuggin',” “Real,” and “Knicks.”
Vince Staples
Vince Staples was previously known for being a regular feature on Odd Future tracks, but, with his recent EP Hell Can Wait, he has established himself as a socially critical, serious voice in rap. On “Limos” for instance, he raps about girls who are looking for love but keep getting used and taken advantage of by guys. He also has a lot of tracks with traditional gangster rap lyrics, but, like Gibbs, Staples refuses to portray the lifestyle as fun. Production throughout the album ranged from New Orleans funeral blues to trap-influence beats. With one solo EP notable for its lyrical maturity and sonic variety, it’ll be interesting to see where Staples’ career will take him next.
Recommended Tracks: “Limos,” “65 Hunnid,” and “Hands Up.”
Flatbush Zombies
Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, this rap group is part of the “Beast Coast” movement headed by Joey Bada$$ of Pro Era. Basically, the movement is an organization of hip hop groups from Brooklyn. The group is made up of Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick Elliot. Elliot does most of their own production and their last mix tape, BetterOffDEAD, showcased his moody, dark beats. When first listening to the Zombies, Meechy Darko’s deep, guttural delivery is the first noticeable aspect. This combination of raw production with uncompromising rap styles makes Flatbush Zombies an interesting, authentic group that seems set to release more worthwhile material in the future.
Recommended Tracks: “Palm Trees,” “Amerikkkan Pie,” and “222.”
Earl Sweatshirt
A member of the hip hop collective Odd Future, Earl tried to redefine himself as a more mature personality with his 2013 release Doris. While in Odd Future, Earl’s cool attitude naturally balanced Tyler the Creator’s exaggerated character, but, in solo, Earl has lately had a tendency to sound melodramatic. His use of assonance in his style borrows heavily from quasi-underground legend DOOM, but Earl’s greatest strength is his seamless incorporation of imagery and metaphor in his rhymes. Thematically, Earl can go from heartbroken teenager to sociopathic individual in a few heartbeats. While Earl’s music might not set out to deliver any message of meaning, it is an interesting listening experience.
Recommended Tracks: “Earl,” “Luper,” “Hive,” “Hoarse.”
Lil B
All hail the based god: Lil B brings a much needed satirical voice to the rap world. It speaks volumes about mainstream rap that there is a significant amount of people who cannot tell if Lil B is trying to be funny in his songs. Even more amazing is how Lil B is able to release 100 song mix tapes biannually! Still, there’s a reason he’s given lectures at universities like NYU and MIT; he delivers a positive message that resonates with everyone, rap fans or not.
Recommended tracks: All of them.
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