Rappers that you need to know in 2022 so you can play their music around your friends and feel like a music curator.
Rob49
If you like: Meek Mill, Fredo Bang
New Orleans’ Own. He’s got one of the hardest songs out right now in “Vulture Island” and he’s got some huge co-signs in the form of Icewear Vezzo and Meek MIll. Baton Rouge has been the prominent rap city in Louisiana for the past 5+ years but Rob49 is set to be the artist to bring New Orleans back to the forefront. His music is high energy and his delivery makes some of the simplest of lyrics feel profound.
B-Lovee
If you like: Kay Flock, Fivio Foreign, Pop Smoke
One of the leading faces of the Bronx Drill movement. His song “My Everything” took over Tik Tok and went to another level when G Herbo got on the remix. Bronx drill is still picking up momentum and he’s put himself in position to be one of the faces of the sound along with Kay Flock. Much like Pop SMoke and Fivio Foreign benefited from being the 2 of the biggest faces of the New York drill movement, B-Lovee can have a similar outcome as the Bronx Drill sound continues to become more mainstream.
Baby Stone Gorillas
If you like: YG, Shoreline Mafia
The Baby Stone Gorillas feel like one of the best kept secrets out of LA, but with co-signs from the likes of Drake, Travis Scott, and YG that phase might be over soon. Each member of the Baby Stone Gorillas holds their own weight, and they choose beats that reflect their song content. Even the more introspective records still bump. Hopefully the LA politics don’t prevent this LA group from receiving the spotlight that they deserve. They’ve got meaningful content that accurately reflects not only what city they’re from but what section they’re from as well. Their sound is also not confined to just the West Coast. With that being said, their music is undeniable.
Destroy Lonely
If you like: Gunna, Playboi Carti, UnoTheActivist
It’s hard to overlook what Destroy Lonely is doing under Playboi Carti’s Opium label. The underground rap community is pushing him towards the forefront. Based off the music you can tell that he’s pulled a lot from some of Atlanta’s biggest modern day artists: Young Thug, Gunna, and Playboi Carti. The way his fanbase has grown is very similar to that of Yeat. If Yeat’s rise is an indication as to what may soon happen to Destroy Lonely then he’s on his way to a very successful year.
EBK Young Joc
If you like: SOBxRBE, Baby Tron
The Oakland, CA-born and Stockton,CA-raised rapper is probably the hottest up and coming from Northern California. Since 2019 he’s put out 5 projects and has the whole Northern California playing his music. What has also helped EBK Young Joc’s career trajectory has been his acceptace of the Detroit style beats. The beat on his song “Wack Something” featuring Vallejo’s DaBoii was made by ENRGY, who is responsible for production for Rio Da Yung OG and many others. As long as he can stay out of trouble (he’s currently locked up) he will be one of the biggest rappers in Northern California very soon.1
If you like: JID, Saba, Denzel Curry
The Atlanta, GA native is one of the best new lyricists in the game. He can rap with some of the best of them (See “Much Money” with Freddie Gibbs). Kenny Mason doesn’t say a whole lot, or do any of the over the top antics that some of his contemporaries may be tempted to partake in. Don’t put him in the lyrical miracle box though, he’s a more complete artist than you’d think. He’s actually a quality hook maker and he also tries different sounds. He’s quietly been building a decent sized fanbase that advocates for him. Cordae is a artist that comes to mind trajectory wise for Kenny Mason, the older fanbase will love him for his lyrical ability but his ability to songwrite and make complete songs will catch the attention of the average listener as well.
Aaron May
If you like: J Cole, Cordae
Aaron May is one of Houston, TX’s best kept secrets. His song “Let Go” best encapsulates everything there is to like about Aaron May: the production is smooth and soulful, he’s great vocally as a singer on hooks while maintaining quality verses. For as young as he is he can be very introspective, and that has caught on to many as he’s pushing well over 1 million monthly listeners. The only thing missing from the equation is more music, and when that happens we’ll see him start to enter mainstream discussions.
Yung Sinn
If you like: Nardo Wick, Young Nudy, 21 Savage
The Stone Mound, GA rapper is fresh into the game but he’s backed by major figures in the industry. Meezy, the music manager (21 Savage, super producer Kid Hazel among others) and media personality is in Yung Sinn’s camp as both of them hail from Stone Mound, GA. Yung Sinn is telling you what it is off rip, his single “Ben10” shows his potential. Nardo Wick had a very successful 2021 and Yung Sinn has the potential and skill level to follow a similar route. He’s got the right people in his corner as well. If you listen to him speak in his Dirty Glove Bastard interview on Youtube you can see that he has a real story full of adversity. That will more than likely translate to the music as well. He’s got a lot of potential.
GirlzLuhDev
If you like: 03 Greedo, Wallie the Sensei
The teenage Southern California rapper has managed to come out of the LA area (where it would be extremely tempting to emulate other popping artists) and carve out his own lane. The 18 year old rapper is very melodic, has a knack for quotables in his verses, along with a strong ear for unique production. GirlzLuhDev uses his unique voice to his advantage by “using it as an instrument”, which of course can be accredited to the likes of Young Thug and Future. He’s been very consistent on Youtube and I expect his fanbase to continue to grow in 2022. He’s definitely a factor as we look for the next crop of West Coast artists.
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