Dr. Dre's Compton has hit most hip hop-lovers speakers by this point, and one of the most defining characteristics of the album are the largely unknown artists that make up the features.
Of course, heavy hitters like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Ice Cube, The Game and Kendrick Lamar are there. There's also some notable up-and-coming artists that we're already familiar with like King Mez, Marsha Ambrosius, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Jon Connor. But Dre wasn't going to simply remake The Chronic or 2001 with this album, and he chose to put on a variety of underground rappers alongside the well-known cats.
We wanted to shine the light on these MCs: Candice Pillay, Anderson .Paak, Asia Bryant, Justus, Dem Jointz, Cold 187um, and Sly Paper. We discovered them through listening to Compton. If there's one thing you can do with the type of notoriety Dre has, it's put on some young studs, and the great Doctor did just that with the release of his first album in fifteen years.
Who did you discover?
Candice Pillay
Hailing from South Africa, but now calling Los Angeles home, Candice Pillay is a pop-driven singer-songwriter. Her new album The Mood Kill features Dem Jointz (another Compton-featured artist) on every track and can be downloaded for free right here. You can also listen below.
Check her out on Facebook.
Anderson .Paak
Anderson .Paak puts a fresh new twist on an old sound. His music is most definitely soulful, but it doesn't sound like anything that came from the golden era of R&B. Instead, Anderson is constantly collaborating with experimental beat producer (and To Pimp a Butterfly contributor) Knxwledge under the name NxWorries. He also released a solo album last year called Venice, which blends his soulful voice along with the sounds of trap, footwork, house, garage, R&B, hip hop, and more. If you're a fan of the alternative R&B trend, but want a fresh new voice to vibe to, Anderson .Paak is your boy.
Check him out on Facebook.
Asia Bryant
If you're down with R&B in the vein of Jhene Aiko or The Weeknd, there's a good chance you'll dig on Asia Bryant. On Compton, the Atlanta-based singer appears alongside The Game, providing the hook for an instant-classic hip hop track. However, she also has a fair share of her own tracks that you can listen to on Soundcloud.
Check her out on Twitter.
Justus
Potentially the least-known artist on the album, Justus hails from Dallas, TX. Real name Justin Mohrle, the 24-year-old MC was signed by Dr. Dre earlier this year, as we reported. As far as we've learned, he's been in the game about five years and was linked up with Dre through N.W.A.'s creative force Tracy Curry. With a voice that is not entirely unlike Drake's, it'll be interesting to see if the young artist can rise to notoriety with a little help from Compton.
Check him out on Twitter.
It takes 5 years to blow up over night
Dem Jointz
Dem Jointz is a producer who has already worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Boyz II Men, fellow Compton contributor Marsha Ambrosius, and more. With contributions to five of the album's sixteen tracks, we won't be surprised if many of your favorite artists start hollering at Dem Jointz for some bangin' beats soon.
Check him out on Twitter.
Cold 187um
Gregory Fernan Hutchinson aka Big Hutch aka Cold 187um is hardly a new rapper, so forgive us for not knowing about the California MC. Having been in the game since 1989, Hutchinson was a member of Above The Law, a lesser-known West Coast rap group that worked with Dr. Dre and Ruthless Records before he went on to work on Death Row.
From the early G-funk tunes to the newer tunes you can hear on his 2014 album The Big Hit, Cold 187um has had quite the ride in the hip hop world. He's new to us, and has a ton of music to dig through if you've never sunk into his music either.
Check him out on Twitter.
Sly Pyper
Sly "Pyper" Jordan has been producing records for a while now too. As part of Tha Piecemakerz, he's worked with everyone from Talib Kweli to Jessica Simpson. His music is kind of hard to track down, especially since he isn't the primary performer in any of his best-known stuff, but if you're interested in learning more about him, check out this YouTube playlist of hooks he's credited with.
Check him out on Twitter.