#10. Hopsin
#10. Hopsin
Twitter:@Hopsin
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Claim to Fame:
License to Ill:
Straight out of Panorama City comes this razor-tongued triple threat (MC/producer/director). Savage rap is his bread and butter, but Hopsin has proven on his independently released albums that he can spit bars on just about any topic. He occasionally prods his peers for fun but understands whose button to push.
At times brilliant, at times bizarre, Hop is relentlessly engaging. Think Eminem. Think Tech N9ne. Think RA the Rugged Man. Think.
Download:Raw
#9. ScHoolboy Q
Twitter:@ScHoolboyQ
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Claim to Fame:
License to Ill:
Schoolboy Q has a unique style style that combines brain food with stoner rap. Just consult Setbacks for the stripes of Q's potent poetry--lazy evenings described as "nights yawning," skinny blunts as "model thin," fat ones as "plus size." Even more impressive is the delivery behind those lines: crisp flows accentuated by his nasal flow, enlivened by lush production.
One part mind massage, one part street flavor. 100% dope.
Download:Setbacks
#8. Slim the Mobster
Twitter:@SlimtheMobster
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Claim to Fame:
Slim the Mobster = An MC whose approach to rap is, essentially—in form and attitude—about life in the streets of South Central L.A. Slim the Mobster = D.O.C.'s attitude mixed with a Biggie's ease, filtered through 50 Cent's texture. Slim the Mobster = The Left coast's new rap ambassador.
Slim the Mobster = Rocket going North.
Download:War Music
#7. Marcus Manchild
Twitter:@MarcusManchild
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Claim to Fame:
There's something brewing in Houston. No one fully understands it yet, but the consensus is that the city is teetering on the brink of a resurgence. The city's new crop of emcees is making a concerted effort to regain the hip-hop hegemony of 2005.
Whatever it is, whenever it boils over, Marcus Manchild will be somewhere serving it forward. Marcus personifies the essence of Houston rap, equal parts old school charm and contemporary flavor—Slim Thug's finesse, UGK's fabric, in Lil Flip's kitchen.
Download:Preseason 2
#6. Stalley
Twitter:@Stalley
Hometown: Massillon, Ohio.
Claim to Fame:
A generously bearded MMG rapper who looks like he should be a clean-shaven member of the Rawkus cast. Stalley's slow flow and dusty production hearken to the days of backpack raps and signature boasts. And if his stunningly impressive debut, Lincoln Way Heights, is any indication, he just might be the missing link between OutKast and Miami Bass.
Download:Lincoln Way Nights, Stalley
#5. Azealia Banks
Twitter:@AzealiaBanks
Hometown: Harlem, New York
Claim to Fame:
What do Nicki Minaj, Jean Grae, Chaz Bono and Azealia Banks have in common? No, not vagina. They all spent time at LaGuardia High School, which specializes in music and performing arts. Banks, for one, was classically trained there. She's also had many false starts in the music business, including a failed relationship with XL Recordings when she was still rapping under the alias Miss Bank$.
She later gained national attention with her stellar single, "212," an exercise in songwriting and vocal shifts that only hints at her potential. Banks is fun, fierce, and flavorful. For her debut, she recruited "Rolling in the Deep" producer Paul Epworth to help mold her sound. To cap off a fairytale career start, she's also scored a deal with Universal Music.
#4. Action Bronson
Twitter:@ActionBronson
Hometown: Queens, New York
Claim to Fame:
Because of their brief expiration date, there are only two culinary MCs extant: Bizarre and Action Bronson. Bizarre is quick-witted but no one wants to hear an entire Bizarre album, no matter how clever. Bronson, on the other hand, is an MC with a toolkit to die for: a nimble flow, a vast vocabulary, razor-sharp metaphors delivered with the precision of a swordsman.
The former gourmet chef has been busy grilling fire-flame treats in the lab lately. In 2011, he generated considerable buzz after appearing on Wu-Tang's Legendary Weapons. The same year, he released his own longplayer, Dr. Lecter, before joining forces with producer Statik Selektah on the well-received Well-Done. Can you smell what Bam Bam Bronson is cooking in 2012?
Download:Dr. Lecter(It even comes with free stickers!)
#3. Fat Tony
Twitter:@Fattonyrap
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Claim to Fame:
Fat Tony is an entertainer—one of the best in his class. But you never get the point that he's simply trying to entertain. In fact, you never get the sense that he's trying to do anything at all.
This undermines the standard artist-listener contract. Club rap invites you to escape your immediate reality; forget that light bill, come dance to this. Conscious rap is typically condescending and preachy. With Fat Tony, you're not entering any of these unspoken contracts. It's easier to raise your internal guards if you knew—on some unconscious level—that an artist was trying to sell you something. You ignore him the same way you ignore the freckled kid offering you Girl Scout cookies outside Wal-Mart. This absence of agenda in Tony's music disarms even the most cynical of cynical bastards. Just plain good music you can bob your head to, clean your house to, or eat cookies to.
Download:RABDARGAB
Twitter:@MeekMill
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Claim to Fame:
Shhh...don't tell Meek Mill this but no one ever yelled their way to the top. That hasn't stopped the Philly MC from trying, though. Mill raps with a high-pitched flow and a sense of urgency. He's akin to an Indy racer cranking up the speed as he approaches the final lap. It makes sense.
As the only elite member of MMG without a commercial release, Mill can't afford to cruise. He's the team's most inventive lyricist, but a quick glance across his shoulder and he'll see some familiar faces (Stalley and Wale) in the rear-view mirror. Look for Mill to use that friendly competition as an extra drive to power himself through the finish line this year.
Download:Dream Chasers
Twitter:@asvpxrocky
Hometown: Harlem, NY
Claim to Fame:
Rakim Mayers is a Harlem native who spent a good chunk of his life stuffing his face with Houston rap culture the same way New York's Wu-Tang gorged on Eastern philosophy. Because of Rocky's long-distance affair with southern rap, his music is imbued with a fluid style that always seems to be evolving in your ear.
Check 2011's LiveLoveA$AP for proof of Rocky's all-style style. He invokes the spirit of UGK, name checks Harlem, and tips his hat to OutKast on the cover of LiveLoveA$AP. Rocky represents a new rank of rappers with no eyes for regional boundaries. It's not that everything he brings to the table is groundbreaking -- Rocky, like everyone on this list, is also a sybarite who enjoys weed, wine and the company of pretty women. But what he brings is a remarkably fresh style and a crisp flow laved in a pool of lush music. Add that to his $3 million contract with Polo Grounds and his friendship with Clams Casino (aka God's gift to hip-hop), and you're looking at 2012's most exciting rap voice.
Download:LiveLoveA$AP
Twitter:@Hopsin
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Claim to Fame:
- Former face of Ruthless Records
- Collaborative track with Tech N9ne and B.o.B.
License to Ill:
Straight out of Panorama City comes this razor-tongued triple threat (MC/producer/director). Savage rap is his bread and butter, but Hopsin has proven on his independently released albums that he can spit bars on just about any topic. He occasionally prods his peers for fun but understands whose button to push.
At times brilliant, at times bizarre, Hop is relentlessly engaging. Think Eminem. Think Tech N9ne. Think RA the Rugged Man. Think.
Download:Raw
#9. ScHoolboy Q
Twitter:@ScHoolboyQ
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Claim to Fame:
- A member of Black Hippy, alongside Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and Ab-Soul
- Signed to Top Dawg Entertainment
License to Ill:
Schoolboy Q has a unique style style that combines brain food with stoner rap. Just consult Setbacks for the stripes of Q's potent poetry--lazy evenings described as "nights yawning," skinny blunts as "model thin," fat ones as "plus size." Even more impressive is the delivery behind those lines: crisp flows accentuated by his nasal flow, enlivened by lush production.
One part mind massage, one part street flavor. 100% dope.
Download:Setbacks
#8. Slim the Mobster
Twitter:@SlimtheMobster
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Claim to Fame:
- Inked to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment
- Cosigns from Eminem and 50 Cent
Slim the Mobster = An MC whose approach to rap is, essentially—in form and attitude—about life in the streets of South Central L.A. Slim the Mobster = D.O.C.'s attitude mixed with a Biggie's ease, filtered through 50 Cent's texture. Slim the Mobster = The Left coast's new rap ambassador.
Slim the Mobster = Rocket going North.
Download:War Music
#7. Marcus Manchild
Twitter:@MarcusManchild
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Claim to Fame:
- Reams of Internet buzz
- Smokers' Club tour with Big K.R.I.T. and Method Man
There's something brewing in Houston. No one fully understands it yet, but the consensus is that the city is teetering on the brink of a resurgence. The city's new crop of emcees is making a concerted effort to regain the hip-hop hegemony of 2005.
Whatever it is, whenever it boils over, Marcus Manchild will be somewhere serving it forward. Marcus personifies the essence of Houston rap, equal parts old school charm and contemporary flavor—Slim Thug's finesse, UGK's fabric, in Lil Flip's kitchen.
Download:Preseason 2
#6. Stalley
Twitter:@Stalley
Hometown: Massillon, Ohio.
Claim to Fame:
- M-M-Maybach Music
A generously bearded MMG rapper who looks like he should be a clean-shaven member of the Rawkus cast. Stalley's slow flow and dusty production hearken to the days of backpack raps and signature boasts. And if his stunningly impressive debut, Lincoln Way Heights, is any indication, he just might be the missing link between OutKast and Miami Bass.
Download:Lincoln Way Nights, Stalley
#5. Azealia Banks
Twitter:@AzealiaBanks
Hometown: Harlem, New York
Claim to Fame:
- "212"
What do Nicki Minaj, Jean Grae, Chaz Bono and Azealia Banks have in common? No, not vagina. They all spent time at LaGuardia High School, which specializes in music and performing arts. Banks, for one, was classically trained there. She's also had many false starts in the music business, including a failed relationship with XL Recordings when she was still rapping under the alias Miss Bank$.
She later gained national attention with her stellar single, "212," an exercise in songwriting and vocal shifts that only hints at her potential. Banks is fun, fierce, and flavorful. For her debut, she recruited "Rolling in the Deep" producer Paul Epworth to help mold her sound. To cap off a fairytale career start, she's also scored a deal with Universal Music.
#4. Action Bronson
Twitter:@ActionBronson
Hometown: Queens, New York
Claim to Fame:
- Collaborations with Wu-Tang and Statik Selektah
- Blog love
Because of their brief expiration date, there are only two culinary MCs extant: Bizarre and Action Bronson. Bizarre is quick-witted but no one wants to hear an entire Bizarre album, no matter how clever. Bronson, on the other hand, is an MC with a toolkit to die for: a nimble flow, a vast vocabulary, razor-sharp metaphors delivered with the precision of a swordsman.
The former gourmet chef has been busy grilling fire-flame treats in the lab lately. In 2011, he generated considerable buzz after appearing on Wu-Tang's Legendary Weapons. The same year, he released his own longplayer, Dr. Lecter, before joining forces with producer Statik Selektah on the well-received Well-Done. Can you smell what Bam Bam Bronson is cooking in 2012?
Download:Dr. Lecter(It even comes with free stickers!)
#3. Fat Tony
Twitter:@Fattonyrap
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Claim to Fame:
- Three-time winner of the Houston Press Music Awards' "Best Underground Rapper" award
- Collaborative tracks with Bun B, Murs, Das Racist, and A$AP Rocky
Fat Tony is an entertainer—one of the best in his class. But you never get the point that he's simply trying to entertain. In fact, you never get the sense that he's trying to do anything at all.
This undermines the standard artist-listener contract. Club rap invites you to escape your immediate reality; forget that light bill, come dance to this. Conscious rap is typically condescending and preachy. With Fat Tony, you're not entering any of these unspoken contracts. It's easier to raise your internal guards if you knew—on some unconscious level—that an artist was trying to sell you something. You ignore him the same way you ignore the freckled kid offering you Girl Scout cookies outside Wal-Mart. This absence of agenda in Tony's music disarms even the most cynical of cynical bastards. Just plain good music you can bob your head to, clean your house to, or eat cookies to.
Download:RABDARGAB
Twitter:@MeekMill
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Claim to Fame:
- A slew of widely praised mixtapes
- M-M-M-Maybach Music
Shhh...don't tell Meek Mill this but no one ever yelled their way to the top. That hasn't stopped the Philly MC from trying, though. Mill raps with a high-pitched flow and a sense of urgency. He's akin to an Indy racer cranking up the speed as he approaches the final lap. It makes sense.
As the only elite member of MMG without a commercial release, Mill can't afford to cruise. He's the team's most inventive lyricist, but a quick glance across his shoulder and he'll see some familiar faces (Stalley and Wale) in the rear-view mirror. Look for Mill to use that friendly competition as an extra drive to power himself through the finish line this year.
Download:Dream Chasers
Twitter:@asvpxrocky
Hometown: Harlem, NY
Claim to Fame:
- A handful of hot singles (i.e. "Peso" and "Purple Swag")
- Co-signed by Drake
Rakim Mayers is a Harlem native who spent a good chunk of his life stuffing his face with Houston rap culture the same way New York's Wu-Tang gorged on Eastern philosophy. Because of Rocky's long-distance affair with southern rap, his music is imbued with a fluid style that always seems to be evolving in your ear.
Check 2011's LiveLoveA$AP for proof of Rocky's all-style style. He invokes the spirit of UGK, name checks Harlem, and tips his hat to OutKast on the cover of LiveLoveA$AP. Rocky represents a new rank of rappers with no eyes for regional boundaries. It's not that everything he brings to the table is groundbreaking -- Rocky, like everyone on this list, is also a sybarite who enjoys weed, wine and the company of pretty women. But what he brings is a remarkably fresh style and a crisp flow laved in a pool of lush music. Add that to his $3 million contract with Polo Grounds and his friendship with Clams Casino (aka God's gift to hip-hop), and you're looking at 2012's most exciting rap voice.
Download:LiveLoveA$AP
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