These days one of the most frequent complaints about rap music is that everyone sounds the same. That a lot of the music making waves on the radio and playlists has no heart, and that everyone is churning music out in a never ending cycle. One thing that has contributed even further to this way of thinking is the boom of the collaboration album, which has made rappers often seem like they don’t care about their music, instead opting for the quick money grab. These collaborations are often recorded over a couple of days and admittedly do sound like that is true. The honest truth is that most rappers find a formula that works and stick with it. Why? Because it’s a business as well. But, there is no point in complaining, because if you are in fact looking for rappers who are making music that is truly different, or venturing into unheard of territory and creating new lanes entirely, it is there, you just have to search for it.
On platforms such as Soundcloud, Bandcamp and Youtube there are tons of rappers sprouting up with new ideas and directions for rap music. Some take from other genres and some use unique flows and voices to bend the genre in ways that purists may be hesitant to accept. However, every genre needs those artists who break the rules and explore new sounds and elements, even if it means the genre they love rejects them momentarily (they'll come around). Being a rapper that doesn’t sound like anybody else is an accomplishment in its own right, and making good music on top of that is even more special and should be appreciated.
MIKE
Soundcloud Followers: 4,292
New York rapper MIKE doesn’t sound like anybody else. MIKE, who is a world traveler having lived in the UK, Bronx, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Nigeria, uses all those experiences in his music. His influences are from a variety of backgrounds, often rapping over samples, and sometimes using a flow that is slightly distorted-- maybe with the closest comparison being a more exuberant DOOM. MIKE also has a mission in his music to create art that embraces the beauty of Black people and his African roots. There is something special about this low pitched teenage rapper finding where he belongs in the world through music.
Night Lovell
Soundcloud Followers: 199,000
Ottawa rapper Night Lovell has made quite the name for himself in the last couple of years, especially when he links up with producer Blank Body. Blank Body often hooks up Lovell up with haunting production that uses theses off kilter drums, and when paired with Lovell’s gloomy voice, they take on new life. Night Lovell, who used to be known on Soundcloud as a producer named KLNV, still dabbles in his own production from time to time too. He's expanded on the sound of some of the earliest Soundcloud stars, such as Xavier Wulf and Bones, and carved out a lane for himself where his deeply dark videos, lyrics and aesthetic are appreciated.
Lil West
Soundcloud Followers: 11,400
One of the most important aspects of a successful rapper is versatility, and Lil West has that. Whether it’s rapping over an acoustic guitar or going full alternative rockstar with Lil Aaron, Lil West has a lot of lanes he can step in whenever he wants to. What Lil West is trying to accomplish has a high degree of difficulty because incorporating things like electric guitar’s into your music and not coming off like you’re trying too hard is nearly impossible. But West manages to pull it off and prove that with the right vision, rap’s fusion with other genres can be seamless. It also helps that his repertoire and chemistry with producers such as the ambitious Dylan Brady is one of the best.
Tracy
Soundcloud Followers: 103,000
Tracy, formerly known as both Lil Tracy and Yung Bruh, has become the central figure in Gothboiclique since the tragic passing of Lil Peep. Just like the name Gothboiclique suggests, Tracy’s music touches on darker topics such as his recently released “Demons” where he speaks about being haunted. But it’s Tracy’s sound where he stands out, using autotune in a way that adds to the moodiness of his tracks. The production Tracy chooses to rap over isn’t that much different than the industry standards but he is able to elevate the production vocally, using a flow that ventures further into mid 2000’s emo territory more than even someone like Lil Uzi Vert, and the special part is, he still remains accessible. Tracy has the catchy hooks, the flows and presence to be a star, but his uniqueness may end up being the aspect that puts him over the top.
Adamn Killa
Soundcloud Followers: 15,900
Chicago rapper Adamn Killa has been blending the lines between electronic and rap music, with production selections coming from artists such as Shlohmo, Ryan Hemsworth, Ikaz Boi and UV Boi. There isn’t much rap in America that comes close to Adamn’s eclectic sound with maybe the closest comparison being Sweden’s Yung Lean (who he has collaborated with), but with a Chicago twist. On top of the obscure production choices vocally he raps at his own pace, sometimes lingering off beat like early iLoveMakonnen, but somehow still managing to have an overall package that feels polished. His most recent project I Am Adamn fully explores this sound and is an interesting look at rap’s possibilities in the brighter side of electronic music.
Get to know him better in our profile/Q&A here.
Lucki
Soundcloud Followers: 93,400
Lucki will test your patience. In an era filled with rappers exploring Xanax as their drug of choice nobody embodies it like Lucki. Lucki’s sound takes everything to the extreme as his flow can occasionally journey into incomprehensible territory. His production is usually extremely slow and drowsy, combined with his voice, taking it even further into that lane. Lucki doesn’t seem to care if you like his music or not and the more he continues down the road of having his music sound like a 3 day Xanax bender, the more he will alienate. But it’s that reluctance to change that makes Lucki one of the most buzzed about artists on Soundcloud.
Sybyr
Soundcloud Followers: 32,900
Sometimes you need that rapper that sounds like he’s preparing for inevitable doom, and that is Sybyr. When you hear Sybyr, formerly known as Syringe, rap you can almost read his facial expression without even seeing his face. On the trippy Tish Vair produced “101 Dalmations” I picture him rapping this with these dead eyes accompanied with heavy rolls and a stuck look of gloom. The most impressive thing about it all is the consistency at which Sybyr creates music, because it’s not the easiest thing keeping music so melancholy in aesthetic fresh.
Nolanberollin
Soundcloud Followers: 23,300
Nolanberollin with his Gap-a-Holics (a play on of Trap-a-Holics) is the funniest rapper on Soundcloud. If you listen to any of his songs you’re bound to find an endless amount of quotables, that if you were to Tweet them without any context, people would probably think there’s something wrong with you. But where Nolan stands out is his baritone flow, which is without a doubt one of the deepest voices you will ever hear. Listening to a voice that shockingly deep over the bouncy production of producers like CaptainCrunch is refreshing.
Pollari
Soundcloud Followers: 47,500
Pollari may be the most unique rapper on this list, but the strange part is that he also has a sound that may most closely line up with mainstream trends. Where Pollari stands out is his nasally voice that admittedly takes time to get used to. Once you do you’re exposed to an artist who wants to be a star but will take his own path to get there. He can write good hooks and get his famous friends such as Lil Yachty to join him on tracks frequently, it’s just a matter of how soon before everyone embraces his quirks.
Cities Aviv
Soundcloud Followers: 6,743
Cities Aviv has been around for a while with his single “Coastin” garnering some buzz almost 6 years ago, but now he’s more mature and a lot stranger as an artist. His songs can often be short and his production can range from lo fi to electronic. There are songs in his catalog where he lets the beat ride for an eternity before coming onto the track for an extremely distorted brief appearance. It’s sometimes confusing what exactly Cities Aviv is aiming at but seeing an artist explore new sounds and leave you guessing with each new song release is fascinating.
Fukkit
Soundcloud Followers: 16,600
Fukkit’s music sounds like it’s straight out of a slasher film. His production often feels suspenseful, and when it’s noy, the sheer pace of the record that's enough to get your heart pounding. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out he was a huge fan of the Silent Hill 2 soundtrack. On top of that Fukkit is also really good at rapping, easily trading flows with himself and using effects such as reverb, while other times, creating a megaphone-like effect with his vocals, to make his music all the more gloriously strange.
Ethereal
Soundcloud Followers: 51,200
Early on, Awful Records rapper-producer Ethereal was known mainly as the producer who crafted many of Playboi Carti’s early Soundcloud hits such as “Lost” and “Beef,” but what some don’t know is that he has a formidable rapping career of his own. His production, which normally leans to the most extreme end of the dreamy spectrum with its heavy synths and trance inducing pace, is a sound not heavily explored in rap. Production like Ethereal’s seems like it would better fit in one of the lesser known pop sub-genres, but that’s what makes it special. And pairing it with his laid back flow further pushes it into beautifully strange territory.
Sheck Wes
Soundcloud Followers: 4,521
Harlem rapper and former fashion model Sheck Wes is buzzing because of his ability to blend some of the modern rap trends with an aggressive vocal approach. Although he’s only a teenager, he already has a video shot with Kanye West’s videographer, White Trash Tyler, and is quickly becoming one of the most talked about artists in New York. In a New York rap landscape with a number of rap movements sprouting up, Sheck Wes doesn’t fit into any of the categories, and his willingness to do whatever with his voice will continue to keep him separate from the pack.
Supa Bwe
Soundcloud Followers: 49,300
Chicago rapper Supa Bwe has been doing this for years and has shown no signs of slowing down. His flow is unique as it often ventures into a scream, but not an uncontrollable punk-artist-scream that most rappers would choose to incorporate. It’s controlled in pitch and seems more professional because of how polished he is as an artist. Supa Bwe has collaborations with everyone from Chance The Rapper to Twista and it’s because even his fellow artists recognize how ambitious his music (that often leaves him overshadowed in Chicago’s rap landscape) is.
Lord Linco
Soundcloud Followers: 11,800
Divine Council is an interesting collective to begin with (get familiar in our Crew Love segment with the whole group here), but Lord Linco is definitely the oddball of the group. Linco doesn’t necessarily have the presence $ilkmoney, the production of Icy Twat nor can he easily fit into rap’s current landscape like Cyrax; he is his own entity. Linco has the most intoxicating voice of the crew with a monotone singing voice that becomes mesmerizing as you listen to it more. He talks about love quite a bit and sometimes transitions into high pitched notes that will take you by surprise. You can slightly feel Kid Cudi in him, and as he continues to grow as an artist his unique voice should continue to polarize, but that’s just a consequence of exploring new sounds.