Hip-Hop Artists To Watch In 2021
BYLINES: NOAH SORIA & PHILIP SUAH
BLXST
“I ain’t heard one bad Blxst song, gevity gon’ last long” - “Pressure”
A no brainer. Los Angeles’ Blxst has been a rising star that has been getting more & more attention these past two years. From his collaboration project with Bino Rideaux titled Sixtape in 2019, to his solo debut project No Love Lost which he released last year. He is a triple threat; he can rap, sing, and produces all of his music. He showed a knack for orchestrating quality hooks on tracks like Mozzy’s “I Ain’t Perfect” & “Streets Ain’t Safe”. He capped off a breakout 2020 with the deluxe version of No Love Lost featuring guest verses from heavy-hitters such as Dom Kennedy, Ty Dolla $ign, & Tyga. A Sixtape sequel with Bino is rumored to be on the way this year, as well as a solo full length project from Blxst. Expect to hear his name a lot more during 2021. - Noah
SHEFF G
One of the forefathers of Brooklyn Drill, Sheff G had been making noise along with the likes of Fivio Foreign, Pop Smoke, 22Gz, Sleepy Hallow and others who were responsible for putting Brooklyn Drill on the map. Sheff G popped up on many’s radar with his 2017 track “No Suburbans”. Since then, Sheff G has expanded his sound to not just Drill music but structured songs on non-drill beats. He’s showed his ability to grow as an artist which has lead him to see success on songs such as “We Getting Money” and “Weight On Me” which samples Money Man’s hit single “24”. He’s been doing it on his own for the most part outside of his collaborations with his unofficial duo partner Sleepy Hallow (who’s also an artist to watch in 2021). Sleepy Hallow caught his first mainstream hit with “Deep End Freestyle” and 2021 looks to be the year Sheff G makes his mark on rap’s mainstream audience. - Philip
BLUEBUCKSCLAN
DJ & Jeeezy has emerged as one of the best duo’s to come out of Los Angeles since Shaq & Kobe in the early 2000s. The LA underground scene is significantly under appreciated, but the rest of the country is currently on notice. BlueBucksClan (easily one of the best group/band names ever) are fairly new to the game, they started releasing projects on all streaming platforms in 2019. They have grown a solid fanbase that has began to outgrow Los Angeles. They even got Diddy’s attention, and he said that BlueBucksClan has the potential to be the next N.W.A. The duo has some of the best sports rhymes in the game, and the future is bright. At the rate these two are moving, expect a big 2021 from BlueBucksClan. - Noah
KENTHEMAN
The city of Houston, TX has had a run over the past couple of years with acts such as Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, Don Toliver, Maxo Kream and others. Recently, Houston has seen a wave of upcoming talents led by the likes of KenTheMan, OMB Bloodbath, Lil Jairmy, and Corey Morris. Following in the line of the mainstream women acts of today such as Megan Thee Stallion, City Girls, Saweetie and others, KenTheMan’s lyrics about having her way with different men connect with her audience. She’s got a talent for creating lyrics that turn into Instagram captions, if you’re in the Houston area you’ll definitely come across numerous Instagram captions using a lyric from Megan or KenTheMan. She’s followed her mixtape success by featuring on OMB Bloodbath’s “For Me” produced by the Cactus Jack affiliated CHASE B. The song is bubbling right now and with the right push I wouldn’t be surprised if this song blows up in 2021, shining a mainstream light on some of Houston’s best underground talent and catapulting them both to new levels. - Philip
EST GEE
Louisville, Kentucky is steadily becoming a force to be reckoned with in the hip-hop community. In recent history we’ve seen Bryson Tiller, Jack Harlow, & Vory all go on to achieve mainstream success. Next up out of there is EST Gee. After a strong 2020, where the 26-year old released two full length projects that included guest features from Yo Gotti, 42 Dugg, Moneybagg Yo, and Kevin Gates, among others. EST Gee looks to maintain that promising momentum, and take that next step towards a broader audience in 2021. - Noah
NOCAP
The Never Broke Again affiliated rapper from Mobile, Alabama has been making a lot of noise in the south. His standout project “Steel Human” featuring the likes of Boosie, DaBaby, Lil Uzi Vert, and Jacquees has brought more attention to the rising Alabama artist. To even have those names on your project tells you the kind of noise NoCap has been making in the industry. On top of those features he’s also put in his work as a feature artist over the last few years, hooping on songs with Bleu Vandross, NBA Youngboy, Lil Baby and others. NoCap is probably a project away from being one of the more premier young talents out the south with the numbers to back it up as well. - Philip
CAPOLOW
For those wondering, the Bay Area is in good hands for the present, and future years to come. Artists like Symba, Rayven Justice, and Guapdad 4000 are all representing Northern California to the max. Another artist who you should be aware of coming out of East Oakland, is Capolow. The MC is a former member of the group Trill Youngins, and has since become a solo artist. In 2020, Capolow was as busy as anyone. He released two solo full length projects in Room 304 & Kid Next Door, and teamed up with fellow Oakland native Kamaiyah for a joint project titled Oakland Nights. He is looking to maintain his consistency, as he gears up to release another album that’s set to drop sometime early this year. Be prepared to hear more of that signature “AYE AYE!” ad-lib this year. - Noah
KALAN.FRFR
The west coast has been able to transcend every single generation and era of Hip Hop and continues to do so in 2021. With the likes of Roddy Ricch and Kalan.FrFr, the west has embraced the melodic type rap that the Drake’s, Future’s, and Young Thug’s have set forth over the years. Kalan has one of the biggest followings out west amongst the new up and coming artists because of his ability to have great melodies and song structures, his single “Scoring” was recently featured all throughout the NBA Playoffs, a great indicator that his music is not only connecting with the masses but also with the tastemakers in control of deciding what music makes it on to the biggest stages such as the NBA Playoffs. He’s starting to collaborate with bigger names in music as well such as his single “Get In” featuring Stunna 4 Vegas. It’s really only a matter of time before Kalan.FrFr pops, his star potential is evident. - Philip
MBNEL
Stockton, California has been mostly known for being the birthplace to UFC fighters Nick & Nate Diaz. However, the hip-hop scene there is starting to get attention from the outside world. A big reason for this is MBNel. The young MC has been consistently releasing music since 2018, and even scored a record deal with EMPIRE. In 2020, Nel teamed up with frequent collaborator $tupid Young for the project Yellow Tapes 2. He also released 12 tracks in total for his Child of the Trenches EP series. He’s using this momentum to gear up for the release of a studio album that’s set to release within these next couple months. - Noah
POOH SHIESTY
Memphis’ own Pooh Shiesty made a lot of noise in 2020. After signing to Gucci Mane’s 1017 Label Pooh Shiesty hit the ground running by appearing on the 1017 Compilation tapes So Icy Summer & So Icy Gang, Vol. 1. His singles “Monday To Sunday” featuring Lil Baby and BIG30 and “Back In Blood” featuring Lil Durk have kept his name hot despite not having his own solo project out as of right now. With Gucci Mane backing him and some early co-signs from some of the biggest artists in the game right now, everything is lining up for the Memphis native to have a huge impact on music in 2021. - Philip