In 2023, the hip-hop genre had a bit of a down year in terms of mainstream releases. Overall, the quality was not particularly on par with the level of talent that these big names have. There were a few exceptions to the rule, but generally speaking, most of the highly-awaited projects fell a little flat. Hence the reason why it took over a year for a rap song to go number one on the charts.
On the flip side, it was the up-and-coming artists that stood out to a lot of people, including us. There were a lot of fantastic releases this year, but not too many would know because they do not possess the same backing. That is why in this article we wanted to shout out five talents that we feel are going to succeed in 2024 and for many years to come. These are in no particular order, just people we wanted to bring some spotlight to and who we feel deserve your attention.
redveil
Our first entry on this list is redveil. Legally known as Marcus Morton, the D.C. native is just 19 years old and already has some impressive features and projects under his belt. He started to gain some attention in 2022 for his third full-length project, learn 2 swim. It featured some standout tracks such as "pg baby," "diving board," "morphine (da ways)," among others. Because of the quality of the material, some of the most talented artists have been chomping at the bit to work with him. As we mentioned he has been able to nab placements on great releases. Artists such as Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, Denzel Curry, and Kenny Mason are just the tip of the iceberg for redveil. He possesses similar traits to others like some of the names we just listed as well as JID and Earl Sweatshirt. He can rap over any instrumental and has tremendous lyricism. That is the crazy thing about him. He is so young but already wields this vast amount of talent.
midwxst
What makes hip-hop so interesting is that there are so many unique ways to mix it with other genres. The South Carolina-born multi-talent has been releasing music for roughly three years. midwxst has a couple of songs that received some buzz, even as early as this year. "Tally" with Denzel Curry is a more typical trap/pop rap track that is agreeable to a lot of people. But, as we just mentioned, midwxst knows how to experiment effectively, so do not put him in the stereotypical one-trick pony box. If you want to listen to a more daring album, check out E3. It is a very personal major label debut album that delves into relationships good and bad. He combines hyperpop, digicore, R&B, pop, emo and more. Some songs to pay attention to include "pretty girls," "lost," and "heartache blues." Overall, it was an interesting record and one that is scratching the surface for midwxst’s full potential.
BLP KOSHER
Throughout the year at HotNewHipHop, a lot of the artists we have been shedding light on have come from Florida. It was quite difficult to narrow it down to just one to talk about because there are a lot that have made noise in 2023. However, the one we decided to settle on comes from Broward County and has Jewish roots. Those who have been paying attention to East Coast rappers you know we are referring to BLP KOSHER. The 23-year-old character started popping off this year after the release of his second hilariously-named tape, Bars Mitzvah. On that project, he worked with another potential star from Tallahassee, Luh Tyler, and even the iconic producer, DJ Premier. In addition to that, he also landed another big fish with cloud rap mogul Yung Lean on "Violent Lullaby." His comedic tone is something that is making him stand out but in a good way. He is the perfect example of "don’t judge a book by its cover."
KayCyy
KayCyy is someone who got the bulk of his notoriety from his writing credits for bigger artists. He has worked extensively with Kanye West, as well as Travis Scott, and Lil Wayne. However, he is now carving out more time for his music career, especially next year. He is expected to come out with two projects. The first of which is his debut album, Never Been So Sure. That is expected in January and then his second album will be WHO IS KAYCYY? In 2023, the Kenyan-born singer and songwriter made waves with his vocal on Travis' UTOPIA cut "THANK GOD." After the features were revealed later on DSPs, his name was not included. So, in a sort of response, he released the single "My Jeans." It displayed his versatility to fit seamlessly into other styles of production. His explosive and moody EP, TW2052, with Gesaffelstein, was another highlight that saw him flourish on songs like "THE SUN" and "ROLL THE DICE."
Roisee
The "last" placement here got a huge opportunity and ran with it tenfold. That is Roisee (pronounced Royce) and she is a 23-year-old artist from St. Louis, MO. She has a very minimal catalog, even though it dates back to 2017. 2019 was Roisee's most productive year, as she dropped her first LP, Summon the Roisee. However, she went radio silent until 2023. She came back with a five-track EP, Not for Nothing. The singer borrows mostly from the realms of rap and R&B. Roisee possesses a deeper voice, somewhat similar to 070 Shake. As we stated a little bit ago, she received a frankly life-changing shot at widespread notoriety in August of this year. One of the biggest films of 2023, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, featured a stellar soundtrack. It was curated and produced by another St. Louis native and producing superstar, Metro Boomin. Roisee and A$AP Rocky were placed onto the grand track, "Am I Dreaming." It quickly became a fan favorite and her vocals were a big part of that.
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