Allan Kingdom, a 22-year-old rapper from St. Paul, Minnesota, got a serious boost in popularity when Kanye West put him on "All Day." Although he doesn't get a proper verse out of the feature, a credit alongside the likes of Paul McCartney and Kanye was enough to put the industry's eyes upon his talent, a well-deserved reward for Allan, as he's been grinding on the mixtape circuit since 2011.
In January, Allan released Northern Lights, a mixtape that featured rising reggae star Chronixx and eccentric Virginia up-and-comer D.R.A.M., a sign of Kingdom's versatility. As he continues to grow as an artist and gain recognition in the hip-hop mainstream, we figured it was time to highlight his essential tracks for our readers. Skim through, and if you like what you hear, give Northern Lights a listen in its entirety.
"Evergreens"
Linking up with Plain Pat, Allan Kingdom helped produce this gem off of his Future Memoirs tape, released in summer 2014, and then crushed it with his verses. The double-threat of an emcee who can also produce has become all the more common in 2016, but Kingdom thrives at both skills in a way that certainly stands out.
"Wavey" (feat. Spooky Black)
Linking up with fellow Minnesotan Spooky Black, Allan Kingdom crafts a "Wavey" joint that would have Max B excited. Chill out and vibe to this one...
Sipping on hallucinations
Smoking on what you be craving
Kinda wish I had more time with you
Kinda wish that I was fine with you
"Blast"
The last couple of tunes have been rather chilled-out. Here's proof that Kingdom can go HARD.
"Souls"
Getting deep on 2014's Future Memoirs, the EP's opening track showcases Allan's determination to be a become a better person, an effort that's sometimes muddled as a newcomer in the rap game. Along with its wild visual, it's easy to see why "Souls" is one of Allan's essential tracks.
"UVAJE'D"
In 2012, Allan Kingdom was already juggling a diverse range of musical influences, as evidenced on his single "UVAJE'D," one of his more experimental tracks to date. The song was also made into a strange and compelling music video. The man donning the reindeer mask would be terrifying were it not for the blissfulness of the song.
"Achilles"
On 2013's Talk To Strangers, Allan Kingdom dropped a self-produced track that recounts his particular hardships in trying to make it as a rapper in Minnesota.
"GOAT"
Here's Allan's reminder that if you're gonna go down a particular career path, you should strive to be the greatest to ever do it. On second thought, he muses, a "GOAT" at least has to have a unique vision, which is surprisingly rare these days. As evidenced in the video, Allan has certainly forged his own lane, one in which he's the undisputed GOAT.
"Thirsty"
We had to include a track off Kingdom's debut tape, Trucker Music, before he had earned any sort of recognition. In the early days, he was grinding young emcee who provided DIY-style visuals to accompany his illest tracks, steadily building an Internet fan base that's still with him to this day.
Pouya - "Heed" (feat. Allan Kingdom & Alex Wiley)
Kingdom has no shortage of material to his own name, but some of his features are worth highlighting, too. Young Miami rapper Pouya enlisted Kingdom for a track titled "Heed" last year that also features Chicago artist Alex Wiley. It's a wavy joint that has become one a well-known tracks for all three emcees involved.
Kanye West - "All Day" (feat. Allan Kingdom, Theophilus London & Paul McCartney)
Last but certainly not least is Kingdom's most notable feature to date. His contributions to the song are relatively minor, though his refrain was an essential part of one of the biggest bangers of 2015. Not everyone who receives to Ye cosign goes on to achieve mainstream success, though we expect the career of Allan Kingdom to be a long and fruitful one.