Rod Wave — SoulFly

As Rod Wave sings on “Blame On You,” “It ain’t a loss it’s just a lesson and a story to tell.” The St. Petersburg, Florida #UpNow artist has built a booming career and rabid fan base from these lessons, weaving his pain into stories that cover the trappings of fame, broken relationships, and past traumas. His third album, SoulFly, is more sincere, heart-on-sleeves emotion from the wounded crooner, with a lone guest feature from Polo G.

Watch Rod Wave perform "Rags2Riches" for Trap Symphony.

KAROL G — KG0516

Over the last decade, KAROL G has established herself as the biggest woman in Latin music. Led by smash single “Tusa” with Nicki Minaj, the Colombian singer-songwriter’s third album was the result of a pandemic-prompted refocusing. As she told Rolling Stone, KAROL tossed out much of a near-finished album and recorded a new collection of songs that better satisfied her expectations and incorporated her influences. Featuring J Balvin, Anuel AA, Nicky Jam, Ozuna, Camilo, Wisin Y Yandel, Ludacris, Ivy Queen, Nathy Peluso, and more, KG0516 expands on KAROL G’s blend of reggaeton, pop, and trap to include traces of reggae, country, R&B and more.

Yaw Tog — TIME

In late 2020, Yaw Tog released “Sore,” a street anthem that quickly went viral, putting the world onto Ghana’s Asakaa movement and becoming a cultural touchpoint for the influence of drill music around the globe. The 19-year-old artist is taking advantage of the moment, grabbing Stormzy and Kwesi Arthur for the official remix, and following up with his debut EP, TIME, expanding his sound to more melodic territory.

Read our feature interview: "Yaw Tog Is Ghanaian Drill’s Golden Boy"

Intence — Public Enemy No. 1 Mixtape

One of dancehall’s fastest-rising artists, Intence has released a steady stream of singles over the past few years, breaking through with his bouncy 2020 single “Yeng.” The Kingston native now embraces his status as Public Enemy No. 1 with his long-awaited debut project, which spans 14 tracks and features frequent collaborator Iwaata, along with Govana and Jah Cure.

Armand Hammer & The Alchemist — Haram

“I swore vengeance in the seventh grade / Not on one man; the whole human race,” snarls billy woods to open “Indian Summer.” As duo Armand Hammer, rapper woods and rapper-producer ELUCID have released six albums, amassing an acclaimed catalog of New York rap that delivers razor-sharp intellect with the blunt-force hostility of an armed robbery. On Haram, the duo’s thick, often disorienting style is complemented by the lush psychedelia of The Alchemist, resulting in 40 minutes that feels as much like a mushroom-induced odyssey as it does an album.

Intence

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