Author's Note: I intially wrote this post in June after the list came out. The topic is pretty stale, but I thought it would be interesting to look at where each of these artists have gone in the months since. I included current updates below my initial posts.
Ah yes, an early summer tradition like any other: getting annoyed at XXL magazine. At this point, their annual list of rising artists to watch is some of their most interesting content, and it still carries a lot of weight with artists. Past picks have ranged from on the money (Chance the Rapper, the core members of TDE, Future, etc.) to awful (Lil Twist! Roscoe Dash!) with lots of picks that fall somewhere in the middle. It is by no means a perfect science, but that doesn’t stop people from dissecting the list (mostly just to shit on it). I’ve organized my reactions into tidy little categories where you will find at least two of this year’s inductees. Remember, these are just my opinions, so listen for yourself, form your own opinions, discuss. First up…
100% YES
Playboi Carti- I love seeing this dude on the list, and he certainly has produced the content necessary to deserve a spot. Carti delivered his self-titled debut album/mixtape fans had been waiting for this spring after grinding it out on SoundCloud and amassing millions of plays on songs like “What,” “Fetti,” “The Omen” and others. He has a potential song of the summer brewing with “Magnolia,” and has signed with A$AP Worldwide (headed by A$AP Rocky) and should remain relevant for years to come. Nobody will mistake him for a lyricist, but his mix of ad-libs and actual bars are endlessly quotable, and he has been graced with hazy, bumping production from some of the best producers in the game today. The hype surrounding Carti seems to be well-founded.
Update: Carti was all over Cozy Tapes Vol. 2 and “Magnolia” was indeed a smash hit. His profile has grown significantly and shows no signs of slowing down. He stays here.
Kamaiyah- XXL caught some heat last year for failing to include a female artist on their list, and it’s nice to see them respond to that critique. Still, Kamaiyah absolutely deserves her spot here. Her catalogue is pretty small, but last year’s A Good Night In The Ghetto made many lists as one of 2016’s best drops. Her rapsy, low voice is a perfect companion for modern takes on the familiar bass lines, drums, and synths of Bay Area production. The album is, at a very basic level, about living life, but Kamaiyah delivers her message with confidence and conviction. She’s having trouble with sample clearances for her upcoming Don’t Get It Twisted mixtape, but hopefully it’s coming soon.
Update: We got the tape, instead titled Before I Wake, and it delivered, making it onto several 2017 wrap-up lists under “best albums.” She too stays.
Madeintyo- “Uber Everywhere” was a smash, but Madeintyo hasn’t stopped working since his first big hit. He followed that with “I Want” and “Skateboard P,” and has dropped off a mixtape, a beat tape, and a collab tape with his brother 24hrs in the last year. Even before then, he had several projects up on SoundCloud and dozens of tracks with over a million plays. He shares excellent chemistry with producer K Swisha, who cooks up trap-tinged beats for Madeintyo’s tidy bars that are strong enough to keep you listening. He seems to have a knack for hit-making, and it will be interesting to see how he handles his first album/major project release.
Update: His True’s World mixtape was underwhelming, as were the singles intermittently released during the second half of the year. The formula is getting a little stale, but flashes like the song “MADEINBOOMIN” offer some hope. He slides to “Solid Choices.”
SOLID CHOICES
Aminé- I can feel myself coming around on this guy, but I just need to spend a little more time with his music. I thought “Caroline” would be it from Aminé, but his subsequent singles have been strong, culminating in the “Heebiejeebies” collab with Kehlani. A quick run through his most recent full project Calling Brio from the pre-Caroline days reveals an artist who makes upbeat, eccentric music that gives off nothing but good vibes. He has collaborated repeatedly with Kaytranada, which is a strong positive indicator of Aminé’s stylistic tastes. He has all the pieces in place to firmly establish himself in the music landscape.
Update: I initially liked his debut Good For Your, but found it unbearably corny after repeated listens. He can make good music, but the shtick could get old quickly. He remains here.
Kyle- I feel like much of what I said about Aminé holds true for Kyle; I need to let his music grow on me. He can rap and sort of half-sing, but he recognizes his rap chops and doesn’t try too hard with the singing. He has a quick wit and delivers rapid-fire bars in his annoying, nasally, weirdly endearing voice. The content matter is usually on the lighter side, but he explores commonly explored topics like love and growing up with a unique energy and production heavily influenced by electronic music. I really enjoyed his Beautiful Loser album and am glad to see “iSpy” finally propelled him into the mainstream. His spot on this list has been years in the making.
Update: Not much activity here, save for three pop singles dropped around October. They were not anything to write home about. He too stays.
YES AND NO.
Kap G- I really like a few things about Kap and really dislike a few things, which is why he’s in this grey area. First off, I like how Kap owns his Mexican-American identity. His style is flashy and exciting (the hair, the teeth, the Young Jefe cover art) that still shows love to his heritage. It’s how he separates from the pack, and he has done so successfully. His style is very slick, and you can hear the influences from his upbringing in College Park, GA as well as his born state of California and, of course, Mexico. He can absolutely spit when he wants to, and has a strong cosign from Pharell Williams. And he was great in the movie Dope. However, he gets a little lazy from time to time and either slips into tropes, doesn’t rap as well as he can, or chooses middling production. I get that it’s hard to be in total control of such things early in your career, but you would think guidance from Pharell would result in more consistency. Still, there’s a lot of promise here and I do enjoy a lot of Kap’s work to this point. He wouldn’t be my first choice for a spot on this list, but he does deserve it.
Update: Not much noise here, and no music worth your time. He stays.
NAH CHILL
XXXtentacion- X was unsurprisingly the winner of the fan vote, thus XXL gets a break here. All I will say here is that X has cultivated an incredibly loyal fan base while being literal human trash. Still, I must emphasize the value of distinguishing between an artist and their music. By all accounts, X deserved to be in prison. His past does not paint him in a favorable light, but he still has a lot of living to do to improve himself. BUT, his music is exciting. He did not invent SoundCloud or “SoundCloud rap,” but he has refined rock-infused hip-hop prodcution to great effect and used much of the anger from his past to fuel the furious music he is putting out. Everybody is angry deep down inside, and X’s combination of hysterical yelling, explicit lyrics and muddled, raw beats speaks to something primal within. Should he be on this list? No. Do I think he’s a good person? No. Do I like the music he’s released so far? Yes.
Update: As his music improved, his public perception worsened. 17 was an unexpected artistic move, but it worked in an intensely sad, almost haunting way. Meanwhile, X is facing a lengthy prison sentence and shaved his eyebrows off. The four tracks dropped right before Christmas might be the last we hear for a long time, but they reminded me of his early stuff. He slides up to “Yes and No.”
Ugly God- Remember, he was the guy putting a lizard on his nose before the internet really acknowledged him as a rapper. I won’t spend too much time here because I feel like most people don’t take him seriously as a rapper and am uncertain if he really takes himself seriously as a rapper. That isn’t to say his music isn’t catchy or fun; I think he’s hilarious and really enjoy some of his stuff. But here are some facts; he hasn’t released a song in four months, he doesn’t have a full project to date, and his second most popular song is called “I Beat My Meat.” Funny, sure, XXL Freshman, no.
Update: The Booty Tape did nothing to dispel the accusations made above, though it’s becoming harder to deny he has mic skills. He stays here.
WILDLY OVERRATED
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie- I’m very lukewarm on A Boogie. He has a good ear for beats and an autotuned style to match that has earned him millions of plays on SoundCloud, but his music just feels really forced to me. It’s tough to explain, but you can listen to “My Shit” and learn most of what you need to know about A Boogie. It seems like he’s trying to be a rapper but at the expense of his music. He’s got the lyrics, beats, image, swag, etc. down to be a rapper, but his music remains stagnant. In other words, style over substance. I will applaud his prolific output and work ethic, but he will have to stretch his style/content beyond the stereotypical modern-day rapper image and sound. I don’t want to hear his music right now.
Update: “Drowning” was decent, but The Artist wasn’t, and he tried to jump Lil B. He is eternally condemned to this category.
PnB Rock– PnB and A Boogie are basically in the same lane, and it’s packed. They both have tons of tracks on SoundCloud, a couple catchy hits, and millions of plays overall, but they are CORNY AS FUCK. Yes, PnB is fine as a feature or good for some radio airtime. But I do not want to spend an hour of my life listening to this guy hit me over the head with weak, autotuned bars about girls, cars, clothes, the like. It’s fine to talk about those things, but creativity and originality are needed. It’s becoming harder and harder to do so, and that’s why we have so many of these guys running around and clogging up the same lane. I applaud the dude for putting out so much material and have no problem with him taking this route to make far more money than I will ever make, but I refuse to acknowledge his music as good.
Update: My opinion here is not swayed. He stays.
FUCK THOSE TWO. WHO INSTEAD?
Cousin Stizz- There’s a lot of local pride here, but Stizz coming up out of Fields Corner, Boston, MA is truly impressive. Monda was one of the best projects of last year, and Stizz has proven he’s got the raps and the beats to make it. I’m not surprised he didn’t make it because Monda didn’t have any huge singles or much mainstream impact, but informed rap fans know that another solid project and a big single will likely land Stizz on the list next year.
Update: “Headlock” was the big single, and One Night Only was solid. Stizz is taking all the right steps to make the list.
Famous Dex- I feel for Dexter. He coulda had it last year, coulda had it this year, and now will wait a little longer. It remains uncertain whether he will get it next year, but it’s still a tough pill to swallow for the Chicago native, especially when less established, less talented acts are getting their shine. If you haven’t, check out Dex’s Instagram post as well as his No Jumper interview for his thought process behind the XXL lists and his career in general. Questions abolut his domestic violence charges and video footage of the incident remain the black mark keeping Dex off the list.
Update: “Pick It Up” was the big hit for Dex, and the feature on Still Striving was also a big moment. He just dropped a mixtape, but hopefully a polished album is still on the way. Dex’s case remains as it was.
There we have it, another XXL list in the books. I will salute XXL for performing this very important function for the hip-hop community. It has more importance than many people want to admit, and I don’t see anybody else stepping up to compile a similar list to give young artists that kind of shine. So thank you XXL, keep doing what you do. Until next year…