The Top Artists To Look Out For In 2015

Each year, Hip Hop music and culture finds a way to surprise us. As much as 2014 was powered by legacy emcees and young upstarts making their way, we saw pleasant surprises in the form of J. Coles’ December release 2014 Forest Hills Drive and a slew of great projects from our TDE family with Kendrick’s follow-up dropping sometime this year. Regardless of the region they claim or the amount of projects they’ve released, we looked at a group of artists with intriguing storylines that we felt were worth keeping an eye on in 2015.

Will a new year bring continued success for the Atlanta Rap scene and a return of albums by Hip Hop’s biggest names? Will Hip Hop’s one percent continue to put the Rap game in a chokehold? Will Hip Hop see its first multi-million dollar art-piece album? With a dozen similar storylines fighting for attention, here are the emcees we’ll be following closely for 2015.

Father

Atlanta’s emerging alternative Hip Hop scene has already brought a few successes recently after Drake brought iLoveMakonnen over into his OVO Sounds fold and wildchild OG Maco gained a viral hit through “U Guessed It.” Next in line could be described as the epitome of the new cultural trends within a city more known for cultivating Trap contemporaries from Migos to Young Thug. That man is Awful Records founder and residing lead Father. Already known for buzzworthy single “Look At My Wrist” featuring ILoveMakonnen and ATL wildchild Key!, he’s already gained huge co-signs from Odd Future’s Tyler The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt. Father and Awful Records’ movement may surprise many this year.

Mick Jenkins

Chicago’s very own Mick Jenkins wandered into the ring of buzz with The Waters, a metaphorical romp through ethics, mortality and the healing effects of H20. The result was not the bumbling effort one would normally expect. Instead, we received a deeply thought out missive. A yawp out into what he perceived as the dark of Pop culture excess and wasteful extravagance. But what’s next? The Cinematic Music Group emcee’s teammates include Big K.R.I.T and Joey Bada$$, whose albums were nuanced and deeply committed to a personal aesthetic. Perhaps he will continue the streak.

Namebrand

Though Namebrand became somewhat overshadowed by fellow local native O.T. Genasis. While the former L.A. County landscaper successfully spit fierce bars with vivid narratives, The Conglomerate rapper showed the world how much he loved the “Co Co.” Regardless, 2014 was subversively a grand year for him. After signing a lucrative deal with Epic Records, he followed up with an exceptional mixtape in Great Tape II(acronym for Getting Ready to End All Troubles) featuring slow burners “I Don’t Wanna Know” featuring BJ The Chicago Kid along with the Thurz and Sha’leah Nikole assisted “Holograms.” Not bad for someone whose earlier material turned local legend Ras Kass into a mentor. Expect Namebrand to be on the tongues of many by the year’s end.

Your Old Droog

The Brooklyn emcee and Nas’ dead-ringer had a ridiculous 2014. The emcee literally came out nowhere to drop his eponymous mixtape Your Old Droog. And, in the process, set off a Scooby Doo mystery. Who the hell was Your Old Droog? Theories were leaping from nowhere, doing tricks, then dying. Eventually, even the New Yorker had to get involved, and they eventually outed the emcee as not Nas, but a Coney Island prose-avenger with a penchant for Golden Era shenanigans. There’s no doubt the debut tape was superlative, but what does he have left? Those 90s waters have been plumbed to their depths already, so he’ll have to start anew if the buzz is to continue.

YG Hootie

Brick Squad’s Compton connect may share the same abbreviated prefix of one established rapper from the area but, YG Hootie has spent more time in Atlanta’s Trap movement for quite some time. Since making his breakthrough feature verse on Waka Flocka’s major label debut Flockaveli, guest appearances from him have been peppered through many releases from the label. Taking some time for himself in the spotlight, he dropped Destroy & Rebuild last October. Alongside sonic cameos from Flocka and Ty$, the project also features one of the most under-rated Kendrick Lamar guest verses of 2014. Is the world potentially ready for three mega-star rappers from Compton? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Lucki Eck$

Another emcee from Chicago, and, of course, another sound altogether. If people thought the Chief Keef’s of the world were leading the second city back to Hip Hop prominence they were only half right. The drill crowd pushed the spotlight on to the town that MJ built, but it’s acts like 19 year old Eck$ that’s been keeping it there. Druggy and floaty, the exact opposite of the drill scene, Lucki’s work ventures away from the protean aggression prevalent in Chi-town’s other offerings. Instead, he delves into tweaky artiste-ship, working with XL recordings own FKA Twigs last year as well as giving us Body High, a deft work Xanax’d aptitude. Either way, 2015 awaits his careful stammer.

Travis Scott

Featured on last year’s list, Travis Scott didn’t really pop the way many expected despite having a pretty good 2013. That year saw him lend assistant production to Kanye West’s Yeezus and Jay Z’s Magna Carta Holy Grail. 2014 seemed dry until Days Before Rodeo became one of DX’s most cherished mixtapes of last year. The Houston-native may finally live up to this potential in 2015 if he can pull off a fraction of what was done on project that gave us “Mamacita” and “Don’t Play.” Evolving into Hip Hop’s first potentially great rapper/producer post-Yeezus, Scott’s lyricism is as distorted as his production and it works more so than not.

Cozz

Perched between two worlds, Cozz is a curious enigma. Raised in South Central, he stayed away from the twin terrors of violence and apathy, setting the stage for his startling entrance. His rise has been meteoric by most measures, going from relative unknown to Dreamville signee in a New York minute. His 2014 effort, Cozz & Effect was taut and effusive, a showing of his significant upside. But, for the L.A. rapper, where he goes from here has everything to do with what he can fit into his perspective between now and his next project. The first one is your whole life, but what about the second? If Cozz is to truly break out, he’ll have to answer that question with aplomb.

Tink

It’s been ten years since Missy Elliott’s last album The Cookbook which noticeably saw her branch off from go-to producer Timbaland. Before then, Timbo unsuccessfully tried to turn Philly native Ms. Jade into a star. A few years back, there was hinting that he would attempt to sign New Orleans spitta 3D Na’tee before things went south. Looks like the legendary producer may have found exactly what he was searching for in Tink. The Chicago native made noise after Timbaland released her original featured verse on Rick Ross’ Jay Z guest “Movin’ Bass.” However, Tink can experiment as well thanks to an amazing collaboration with indie noise-pop outlet Sleigh Bells for “That Did It.” If she can keep up that ability to blur genre lines, she may fit in well with the Iggy’s and Nicki’s of the world.

O.T. Genasis

“CoCo” was everywhere last year, buttressed by the Long Beach native’s enthusiastic ode to poppy plant’s most used product. The beat itself is a rehash. Juice 808’s joint can be found elsewhere (if you are so determined), but it lacks O.T.’s infectious charisma. Stardom can not be made on one song alone, though, and where previous decades would have seen him ascend into one-hit-wonder ubiquity, 2015 requires an extra step or three. But, if there’s anyone who can stay his course it’s Hip Hop legend Busta Rhymes. And the Conglomerate Records owner has more than enough experience to help guide the youngsters career. If anything, this isn’t his first hit. That would be “Jackie Chan” for those counting at home.

Key!

Atlanta rapper Key! has seen or at least had some hand in almost every movement the city has had in the past several years. Last year saw him join up with fellow ATLien OG Maco for Give Em Hell. Spawning the titular single, the project ended up being more of a launch for OGG due to the viral hit of “U Guessed It.” Later on in the year, he appeared on another local anthem through Father and iLoveMakonnen “Look At My Wrist” before teaming up with “FDB” producers Fki for freebie EP Fkeyi. Could this be the year Key! transitions from his local trappings to mainstream notice? The balls in his court.

Andre Grant is an NYC native turned L.A. transplant that has contributed to a few different properties on the web and is now the Features Editor for HipHopDX. He’s also trying to live it to the limit and love it a lot. Follow him on Twitter @drejones.

Ural Garrett is an Los Angeles-based journalist and HipHopDX’s Senior Features Writer. When not covering music, video games, films and the community at large, he’s in the kitchen baking like Anita. Follow him on Twitter @Uralg•