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And as you keep playing them over and over, you’ll pick up on his knack for storytelling, too.
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Possessing an exceptional ear for melody, Morray writes songs that will get stuck in your head after just one listen. For now, though, the quality of his music is more than enough to hold our attention.
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Busting out dance moves and flashing a gold smile, he commands the spotlight, most noticeably in the video for his breakout hit, “Quicksand.” It shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that the North Carolina rapper writes screenplays in his free time and has plans to become an actor someday. If you watch any of Morray’s music videos, you’ll see he has the kind of natural charisma it takes to become a major star. Listen to these songs first: “Quicksand,” “Switched Up,” “Big Decisions” Eric Skeltonįor fans of: Roddy Ricch, Rod Wave, Drake Pulling a hoodie over his head whenever he steps outside, $NOT presents the image of a rapper who likes to keep things low-key and mysterious, but if he keeps making addictive hits like “Mean” and “Like Me,” he might have to adapt to life as a superstar. The 300 Entertainment signee has been steadily building momentum over the past couple of years, earning a placement on the Euphoria soundtrack, releasing viral hits like “GOSHA,” and tapping director Cole Bennett for Lyrical Lemonade’s first back-to- back videos with the same artist. Separating himself from fellow Florida rappers who exploded on SoundCloud with loud and aggressive songs, $NOT uses his naturally deep voice in a more laid back way, effortlessly gliding over bass-heavy production as he delivers deceptively catchy melodies. “Some people say my sound is dark, but I don’t really see that,” $NOT told Pigeons & Planes. Listen to these songs first: “GOSHA,” “Mean,” “Like Me” These are Complex’s picks for the rappers to watch in 2021.įor fans of: Denzel Curry, Xavier Wulf, Tyler, the Creator So, if you want to stay ahead of the curve on what’s happening in rap and get a preview of what the future of the genre will sound like, here are the artists to keep an eye on. We also tried to avoid artists who were all over our Best of 2020 lists, like Sada Baby and 42 Dugg, so we could leave more room for rappers who we expect to break through and reach much larger audiences on a national level than they have in the past. So, while we expect to see rappers like Baby Keem ( 2019’s list) and Flo Milli ( 2020’s list) have big years in 2021, you won’t see their names here. Throughout 2020, new rappers figured out ways to make a splash during an extremely tumultuous year, and many of them show signs that they’re about to level up in 2021.įor the purposes of this list, we excluded artists who have been featured on our Rappers to Watch lists in past years. Will a new app like TikTok pop up and change the way people share and consume new music? How will virtual events evolve as the pandemic continues? Will festivals and major concerts return by the end of the year? Despite the uncertainty, however, there are clues that indicate which artists are closing in on their big breakout moments. And as we enter 2021, there are more questions than answers about what will unfold in the next 12 months.
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Should rap ever die, which isn't likely, it would be far too late to prevent its effect on most other music forms, from R&B to rock to jazz.Each year, there are new variables that shape the success of up-and-coming artists. They were doing the same thing when, roughly 20 years later, the same MC released his tenth album, and they'll probably continue to do so as long as the genre exists. Detractors were still calling rap a fad in 1985, when LL Cool J released his first single. Instrumentalists, a sampled breakbeat, or a drum machine can form the backbone of a track, while an arrangement can be spaciously spare or chaotically dense, and a chorus can range from atonal shouting to a sweet melody. Rap's core components are beats and rhymes, but that simplicity belies the wide range of sounds that have sprung from them. (with each region taking on its own specific flavor) and then to countless countries. Since then, rap spread from its New York epicenter throughout the remainder of the U.S.
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Rap's germination is sometimes attributed to the righteous street poetry of the Last Poets and the Watts Prophets, but it didn't begin to take full shape - and earn its tag - until after the Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight" in 1979.
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