My Top 5 Newcomers to Hip-Hop
5. Fashawn: The Grizzly City native may be under a lot of people's radars, but if you consider yourself a true rap fan you will immediately download this dude's music. I was hesitant on Fashawn when I saw he planned on remixing and re-doing Nas' critically acclaimed album, 'Illmatic'. I was curious as to whether or not he could pull it off, and holy shit did he prove me wrong. He sounds like a young, west coast Nas and has been able to really make some good music. His biggest problem is exposure, but I say if he keeps putting out gems like he has been he'll be ready to take the game by storm. It also doesn't hurt that he's got a good relationship with J. Cole, Exile, Blu, and XV.
Notable works: "Boy Meets World" "Higher Learning Vol. 1 & 2" "Ode To Illmatic"
4. Blu: He's not really a newcomer, but he's not well known, which is a slap in the face to real music. He's started to get a little more of a following since he was inducted into the All City Chess Club. Blu is perhaps the most lyrically-gifted rapper in the game; even Lupe has said that he intimidates him. Blu had critical acclaim for the album he did with producer Exile, "Below The Heavens" with his story-telling ability and uncanny double meanings he was able to slip in. If you haven't heard of Blu, you should by now. His biggest flaw is his inability or unwillingness to really move away from producer Exile and a lot of his songs sound the same. I would really want to see Blu take on a different direction, but even if he doesn't I'll still be listening.
Notable works: "Below the Heavens" (With Exile)
3. The Cool Kids: A duo with a lax, bass-happy style that seems to really come together. Their music may come accross lazier than a Snorlax who just smoked 1,000 blunts, but for some reason it's incredibly hard to stop listening to their music. Chuck and Mikey definitely go together like salt and pepper and their slow-paced intricate flows feed off one another. Not the deepest stories you're gonna hear, but you will definitely find something to take away from one of their songs. The production is usually handled by themselves and features a lot of bass and hardly ever do they sample. It's hard to describe, but it's something I could produce on Fruity Loops, but they seem to make it sound like it came from protools. Anyway the only drawback with the duo is their lack of exposure, like Fashawn, but they have been ready to release their heavily anticipated debut LP for a while; the question is through which label.
Notable works: "The Bake Sale EP" "Gone Fishin'"
2: Show TuFli: Show has been one of my favorite rappers since I heard him featured on Charles Hamilton's "Sonic The Hamilton". Keep in mind, Show probably is the least well-known of the bunch, but if you read the title this is MY opinion so I have to be somewhat biased. The first mixtape I downloaded from him was "This Fli Life" which plays like an album more than a mixtape. It was a catalog of music that was influenced from Charles Hamilton's debut LP, "This Perfect Life" and I really enjoyed it because he stayed away from the feature bug. It was practically only Show who was rapping. Then I got to downloading all of his tapes and have listened to them over and over again. He's got nice rhymes, but his beat selection really gets you hooked and with producers like Woody, Sha-Leik, and occasionally Charles Hamilton you can expect some catchy tunes. Show is probably my favorite to listen to on a daily basis, but he just doesn't provide the same lyrics as CH, which isn't a bad thing because he is not CH. I just expected him to really be a lyrical freak like his friend. Still he should be MUCH more well-known and his twitter is @ShowTufli
Notable works: "TuFli Tuesdays" "This Fli Life" "Without a Doubt"
1. XV: Now I'm really biased with this, but hear me out. For a few years now Vizzy has been creeping up and up to becoming a mainstay in rap. In fact he's not really that new anymore. I am very biased though because I have had the pleasure of working with him I had to show my respect to X. Bias and everything aside though Vizzy is just the complete package. He garners as much respect as Lupe, spits with as much intensity as Kanye, and is probably the most humble dude in rap. I got hooked on his music when I was introduced to "Everybody's Nobody". Mirror's Edge is still one of my favorite tracks by him. But since then XV has continued to grow and become better with each project and single. 40 Days/40 Nights was amazing and showed a crazy amount of determination on XV's part and his most recent tape, "Zero Heroes" is flat out incredible. He has the lyrics, the stories, the team, the co-signs, and the swagger you don't see everyday. XV will probably blow up in 2012, and be featured on XXL's freshmen class too for good reason. I have to show the guy respect and give him the top spot.
Notable works: "Everybody's Nobody" "40 Days/ 40 Nights" "Zero Heroes" "Vizzy Zone"
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