Music moves quickly these days. With so many new artists popping up, it can be difficult for any rap fan to keep pace. Our monthly column 10 Rappers You Should Know Right Now cuts through the noise to tell you the rising hip-hop artists on Audiomack you should be paying attention to. Listen to standout selections from all 10 artists as a playlist below.

Talibando

Hometown: Detroit, MI

Talibando may still be an underrated rapper compared to some of his contemporaries in Detroit’s flourishing rap scene but his latest full-length, WAR LORD, is a compelling case for his rising profile. Mostly soundtracked by slightly off-kilter Detroit production and homages to Cash Money’s heyday, one of the project’s standouts comes via Southern California producer RonRon, best known for producing hits by Drakeo The Ruler and Shoreline Mafia. “The Way It Goes” is built around an instantly recognizable Con Funk Shun sample, and Talibando uses the beat to deliver entertainingly deadpan boasts and threats.

OT7 Quanny

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

First establishing himself as a force in Philly with the dynamic group NR3 a few years back, OT7 Quanny has been on an unstoppable solo run, his menacing raps and interesting beat selection working in tandem to bolster his growing catalog. On “New Money,” his latest single, he connects with Detroit’s GT and the two trade verses over a haunting vocal sample. Quanny’s aggression matches perfectly with GT’s calm composure.

Murda B

Hometown: Bronx, NY

Since emerging at the end of 2022 with a string of hard-hitting songs and videos, Murda B has established herself as one of the most exciting voices in the crowded Bronx drill landscape. Her On The Radar freestyle, among other standouts, established her aggressive, clipped-vocal delivery. “New Face Of This Shit” is a ferocious victory lap of the progress she’s made already, complete with disses and emphatic “suck my dick” ad-libs.

Yus Gz

Hometown: Bronx, NY

In the wake of the tragic death of Pop Smoke in 2020, it seems like the voices rising out of the drill scene in New York have only gotten more coarse and harsh. The default vocal tone of drill in New York, for both women and men alike, has become a gravelly and commanding yell. No rapper has taken this to a further extreme than Yus Gz, who sounds like he’s delivering every one of his threatening lines through gritted teeth. “Taking That Risk,” a recent single, qualifies as a more lowkey song in his catalog. Unlike many sample drill songs nowadays, the ethereal, chopped vocal sample is more minimalist, allowing the Bronx rapper’s voice to take center stage as he raps about PTSD and fleeting relationships.

HMT Tray

Hometown: Hollywood, FL

Over the last year and change, Broward County rapper HMT Tray has been a leading influence in shifting Florida’s rap scene towards a new sound shaped by current Detroit production and its circuitous ‘90s New Orleans influence. On his MISTY WORLD project, released at the tail end of 2022, he provides a fleshed-out portrait of this sound. “Triple Cross,” a standout from the project, leans more into the New Orleans influence, its bounce and percussion recalling Beats By The Pound, as HMT Tray relays a story of treachery and deceit.

Lil Crix

Hometown: Lauderhill, FL

Lil Crix has been making waves in South Florida in the past year, collaborating with the region’s reigning hero Kodak Black and rising star Real Boston Richey. On his latest single, the Lauderhill rapper teams up with another one of his state’s recent stars, Nardo Wick, for the slow-rolling “Kick Yo Doe.” Crix’s laidback flow is punctuated by ad-libbed gun sounds and sound effects, while Nardo slides in at the end with the sort of ominous verse that’s become his trademark.

Niontay

Hometown: Kissimmee, FL

Niontay has a way of playing with popular sounds while subverting them. On “ain’t shit,” a single from last year, he raps over a beat replete with Michigan’s stylistic influence and a bright steel drum melody, infusing some of his own family history and an infectious hook. For his latest track, “BlitzBerg,” he again returns to the Detroit soundscape, bringing his own unique take to the beat and giving us entertaining bars like, “Might rob an A&R, for the culture.”

Dee Aura

Hometown: Queens, NY

Though the sample drill sound has become most associated with its explosion in the Bronx, the sound really came together in Queens with artists like Shawny Binladen and Dee Aura. Though Dee Aura has since expanded beyond those origins, he still plays with the sonics of what sample drill can be, pushing it towards its margins. On “Activated,” a recent single from his #Hoodluv2 mixtape, he raps over sped-up, skittering percussion and a Japanese jazz sample many will know from Young Nudy and Playboi Carti’s “Pissy Pamper,” double-timing his flow to match the energetic beat.

G Foe

Hometown: Pine Bluff, AR

G Foe’s “Dangerous” has been on a rapid upward trajectory since the Arkansas rapper released the video for the single last fall, beginning to gain traction on TikTok and other online platforms. The sparse track follows a similar formula as other viral rap songs in recent years: a beat that’s exclusively bass and percussion and an emphasis on entertaining rapping. For just over two minutes, G Foe flows breathlessly over the simple production, throwing out lines like, “Glock came with a dick and, pervert, I’ma show it.”

Miah Kenzo

Hometown: Queens, NY

Since appearing on Asian Doll’s Let’s Do A Drill album last year, a showcase of the current scene, Queens rapper Miah Kenzo has been on a tear, often collaborating with a who’s who of up-and-coming talent in the subgenre across New York’s boroughs. For her latest single, “Pretty Demons,” Miah Kenzo links with Bronx rapper Shani Boni over a fittingly chaotic beat. True to the song’s title, the two rappers sound menacing and self-assured as they trade verses, hyping each other up and celebrating their growing status.

Dee Aura

Total Account Plays

Followers

Top Albums