With 2012 having come to an end, we take a look into our hip hop crystal ball to tell you which upcoming artists to watch out for this year.
Ab-Soul
After TDE label mate Kendrick Lamar saw a pretty successful year in 2012, with his debut album good kid, m.A.A.d city, it looks like 2013 is Ab-Soul's turn to blow. The Californian born rapper certainly delivered with his 2012 solo project Control System, which many critics would regard one of the best projects of the year and with his upcoming collaborative album Unit 6 with JMSN, the talented young rapper and songwriter is undoubtedly one to watch in 2013.
A$AP Ferg
Following in the footsteps of fellow A$AP mob member A$AP Rocky, it looks like the New York rapper is about to be thrown into the spotlight. The rapper gained a lot of attention from his appearances on the Lord$ Never Worry mixtape, combining his vicious flow and lyrical talent with dope production. His stand out verses include those on 'Work' and 'Underground Killa$'. Ferg will definitely be carrying the A$AP flag into 2013 and we're likely to see great things from him this year.
Azealia Banks
The 20 year old Harlem native saw huge success in 2012, with the release of both her
1991 EP and her
Fantasea mixtape along with the launch of her MAC '
Yung Rapunxel' lipstick and chart success with her debut single
212. There's been a massive hype surrounding the fiery femcee and she's built up a cult like following over the past year. Banks plans to release her debut album this year, titled '
Broke With Expensive Taste' and with collaborations with the likes of
Lady Gaga and
Kanye West, it's safe to say the young rapper will see another successful year!
Earl Sweatshirt
Being a member of the Los Angeles based hip hop collective Odd Future, Earl gained a solid following before disappearing from the scene for 12 months after his mother reportedly sent him to military school. After fellow group members Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean tasting success, 2013 could be Earl's year to shine. Returning in late 2012, Earl showed off his skilled rhymes and laid back flow on the track 'Chum' and on his feature on Frank Ocean's 'Super Rich Kids'. With plans to release his highly anticipated album 'Doris' before the year's end, it looks like success is calling the 18 year old.
Joey Bada$$
Pro Era front man
Joey Bada$$ took the hip hop community by storm in 2012, with his nostalgic 90's style flow and clever word play. The 17 year old Brooklyn native was thrown into the spotlight when he featured on the
2012 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher with his cypher stealing verse. After dropping his debut mixtape '
1999' to critical acclaim, working alongside the likes of
A$AP Rocky and
Mac Miller and featuring heavily on
Pro Era's joint effort '
P.E.E.P: the aPROcalypse', it's no surprise that 2013 is set to be a big year for the young rap star.
Robb Bank$
The South Florida rapper has taken the internet by storm, gaining a strong following through Twitter, Tumblr and Youtube. The young rapper dropped his mixtape Calenders last year, proving that at just 17 years old he already has a pretty commanding flow and lyrical talent. His single 'Looks Like Basquiat' shows off some venomous rapping, not to mention the fact that this guy is friends with the likes of SpaceGhostPurrp suggesting there could be some future collaborations in line. Let's see what 2013 brings for this young talent.
ScHoolboyQ
This year TDE rapper ScHoolboyQ showed us that he has what it takes to be one of the next big rap stars with his single 'Hand on the Wheel' featuring A$AP Rocky as well as touring with TDE label mate Ab-Soul and releasing an independent album. After scoring a join record deal with Interscope records and Aftermath Entertainment, he is set to release his major label debut Oxymoron, which will aspire to match the impact of fellow Black Hippy member Kendrick Lamar's debut."Kendrick left me no choice but to drop a classic" the 26 year old stated,
and if his album's half as good as Kendrick's then
2013 is definitely going to be a good year for
ScHoolboyQ!
The Weeknd
Ok, so I know he's not a rapper but rising Canadian R&B star The Weeknd is definitely one to watch this year! After gaining online attention with his three critically acclaimed mixtapes House Of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes Of Silence, releasing remastered version of the mixtapes as his debut album titled Trilogy and working with the likes of fellow Canadian Drake, Florence and the Machine
and Wiz Khalifa it would seem the 22 year old is certainly going to be one of 2013's rising stars. With his sophomore album due before the end of the year and a UK tour, it looks like the singer-songwriter is set for a massive year ahead.
Trinidad Jame$
2012 was quite a year for Atlanta based rapper Trinidad James, with his hit single 'All Gold Everything' becoming one of the most searched for videos of the year. His mixtape 'Don't be S.A.F.E' picked up a buzz over time and by the end of the year there was quite a hype surrounding the gold teethed Youtube sensation, eventually scoring a major record deal with Def Jam as well as founding his own record label Gold Gang Records. It will definitely be interesting to see if the Trinidad born rapper, who found recognition through The Source Magazine's Unsigned Hype column, lives up to the hype this year.
Capital STEEZ
It took me a while to compile this list of artists and I put quite a lot of thought into it. One rapper who instantly stood out as someone who was about to be the next big thing was
Capital STEEZ. From the moment I heard him on the track '
Survival Tactics' with
Joey Bada$$ I could tell he was destined for greatness. Sadly, the 19 year old passed away on the 24th December 2012 but I felt it was only right to include him on this list. He was a young lyrical genius and I hadn't seen anyone like him for a long, long time - the way he combined sharp lyrics and great production with elements of old school, 90's nostalgia and a new school feel too. My thoughts are with his family, friends and the whole of
Pro Era now. He had so much talent and potential and was about to be the next big thing.
R.I.P Capital STEEZ. Thank you for the beautiful music you left us all with and for sharing your gift with us.
