<p>Predicting breakout sensations months before they happen seems like an increasingly difficult task when memes have become more effective at popularizing music than labels or even blogs. I stumbled upon Lil Yachty about a year ago during a late-night Soundcloud binge, but wouldn&#8217;t have bet $5 on him brushing shoulders with Kanye a month later if I was given 1,000 to 1 odds. But thanks to that viral &#8220;1 Night&#8221; video, or &#8220;Minnesota&#8221; blowing up, there he was on the &#8220;Pablo&#8221; stage in theaters across the country. Elsewhere, Kamaiyah came out of nowhere with a dope debut tape and an assist on a YG single, Desiigner blew up off a similar Kanye cosign, and Rae Sremmurd scored their first #1 single thanks to a bunch of people standing still. </p>
<p>Our <a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/breakout-artists-of-2016-news.26411.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Breakout Artists of 2016 list</a> did have a few artists on it whose 2015s primed them for huge ensuing years&#8211; Kodak Black, 21 Savage, and D.R.A.M. were definitely at the top of my list as potential 2016 success stories at the top of the year&#8211; but the majority were people I&#8217;d never even heard of until less than 12 months ago. Now comes the time to train our sights on artists we <strong>have </strong>heard of, but who we expect to reach much larger audiences in 2017. Here are the ten, listed in alphabetical order, who we think could do it. </p><br><h2>Aminé</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/04/13/1483381304_dc994ecd4d034da1d7d4b4cfa7f49037.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>Portland, Oregon&#8217;s never been a city with a major hip hop presence, but last year, Aminé began making moves to put his city on the map. His single &#8220;Caroline&#8221; blew up in a big way, and having risen from #16 to #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 just last week, it&#8217;s showing no signs of cooling down quite yet. What&#8217;s more, when he showed up to the Tonight Show to perform the track a few weeks ago, he added in some spectacular Trump-dissing bars to boot. He&#8217;s also got another heater in the form of &#8220;Baba,&#8221; which dropped in November, so don&#8217;t sleep on what&#8217;s sure to be Aminé&#8217;s biggest year yet. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/291317353&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p><h2>Dae Dae</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/77/13/1483381377_060248f43459ab8aed610193d56fa209.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>Atlanta&#8217;s Dae Dae already had a pretty big year thanks to regional hits &#8220;What U Mean&#8221; and &#8220;Spend It,&#8221; which got big remixes featuring Lil Yachty and <a href="/profile/youngthug" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Young Thug</a>/Young M.A., respectively, but look for him to hit the rest of the country this year. He&#8217;s also fresh off the excellent London On Da Track collab tape <strong><a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/dae-dae-and-london-on-da-track-the-defanition-new-mixtape.116619.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The DefAnition</a> </strong>(which spawned my favorite Dae Dae track yet, &#8220;Woke Up&#8221;). If he manages to curate a solo project with appearances from rappers and beatmakers of that caliber, watch out. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GcV3l5Y4l0g" width="100%" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-L9UAvmJ-vs" width="100%" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p><h2>Mozzy</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/56/14/1483381456_216f646fe03f0fb98cc544642833ae84.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>Another artist who&#8217;s already well on his way to success thanks to a rabid local following, Mozzy is undoubtedly the hardest rapper on our list. The Sacramento native put out a whopping 12 albums last year, including the recent <strong><a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/stream-trae-tha-truth-and-mozzy-s-tapped-in-lp-news.26393.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Tapped In</a> </strong>collab LP with Trae Tha Truth, and saw his tracks &#8220;Bladadah&#8221; and Future remix &#8220;Perk Callin&#8221; blow up online. Next up for Mozzy is cementing his cred, sound, and rapping ability into the commercial full-length <strong>Fake Famous</strong>, which is dropping this month and should be all he needs to take his Sacramento movement national. Check out his latest track below, and our recent interview with him <a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/meet-mozzy-the-fearless-torchbearer-of-sacramento-hip-hop-news.24370.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/299351847&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p><h2><a href="/profile/nav" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Nav</a></h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/05/15/1483381505_5e384cc96fb68212ccd3d4858bdee502.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>Since we were introduced to this Toronto native last year via &#8220;<a href="https://soundcloud.com/navmusic/nav-the-man-prod-by-nav" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">The Man</a>,&#8221; which got played on OVO Sound Radio, the singer/rapper/producer has collaborated with Belly, Metro Boomin, and <a href="/profile/TravisScott" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Travis Scott</a>, and been spotted hanging with The Weeknd. Nav&#8217;s managed to keep a low profile thus far, but that should change in 2017 thanks to <a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/metro-boomin-announces-collab-album-with-nav-dropping-in-2017-news.26703.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">a full collab album</a> with Boomin, his first since cementing 21 Savage&#8217;s star status with <strong>Savage Mode</strong>. Check out the video for his <strong>Birds In The Trap Sing McKnight </strong>cut &#8220;Beibs In The Trap&#8221; below. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zmFm9Yp80dE" width="100%" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p><h2>Russ</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/62/15/1483381562_71c710eaa4a2c9f292b9720790e4f3d8.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>ATL&#8217;s Russ has been on our radar since 2014&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/russ-kiki-new-song.1958192.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Kiki</a>,&#8221; but he seems more poised than ever for a run at stardom in 2017. Last year, he went on a crazy run of Soundcloud loosies, all unified by a dope aesthetic, and increased his followers on the site from a couple thousand to 300k. His tracks now regularly surpass a million views, and just as I&#8217;m writing this, another one dropped. Check out the singer/producer&#8217;s &#8220;Sideline Number&#8221; below. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/300605191&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p><h2><a href="/profile/Smino" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Smino</a></h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/42/16/1483381642_5c6623b802ee9eafeb96d06180e079f9.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>Another Soundcloud sensation on the cusp of greatness is St. Louis-via-Chicago rapper Smino, a member of the Zero Fatigue crew. He recently popped up on tracks with fellow Midwesterners Saba (on &#8220;<a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/saba-world-in-my-hands-feat-smino-and-legit-new-song.1969477.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">World In My Hands</a>&#8220;) and Chance The Rapper/Big Sean/Jeremih (on &#8220;<a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/chance-the-rapper-living-single-feat-big-sean-jeremih-and-smino-new-song.1970691.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Living Single</a>,&#8221; though he didn&#8217;t appear on the final version), so things are looking up for him. Next up for Smino is the tape <strong>blkswn</strong>, the Sango-produced title track of which you can listen to below. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZB9f12KcIbc" width="100%" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p><h2>THEY.</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/89/16/1483381689_f7c6875ce00bf6e8391fc44f94529987.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>We&#8217;ve been fans of singer Drew (Love) for quite a while now, but last year he linked up with producer Dante to form THEY., and elevated his game substantially. They&#8217;ve (no pun intended) already been on tour with PartyNextDoor and Jeremih, and have a debut album due out in February. Listen to their latest track below and check our 2016 interview with the duo <a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/meet-they-mysterious-randb-duo-news.21048.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">here</a>. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/292549254&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;visual=true" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p><h2>YFN Lucci</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/44/17/1483381744_ba6af70cebae01da50d7ffa789e9d31d.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>Lucci&#8217;s probably the biggest star on this list already, as he&#8217;s been a household name in ATL since 2015 and had quite a big hit with &#8220;Key To The Streets&#8221; last year. That being said, the singer/rapper has increased his popularity in each of the past years, so who&#8217;s to say that he won&#8217;t again in 2017? Just in the past month, he&#8217;s teamed up with Yo Gotti and fellow Think It&#8217;s A Game artist Rich Homie Quan for new tracks, so expect to see more big collabs and a blowout solo tape from YFN this year. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:track:5ZWwLNhwmJXM7yKZJ5sxN1" width="348" height="80" frameborder="0"></iframe> <iframe loading="lazy" src="http://www.audiomack.com/embed4-large/fresh/ya-ya" width="100%" height="250" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p><h2>24hrs</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/96/17/1483381796_801c4eb95e23e09de3e1fb62208d9d12.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>24hrs has been bouncing around the game for a minute with multiple opportunities to blow up, but his latest venture seems to be most likely to succeed. First known as Rolls Royce Rizzy, then just Royce Rizzy after a cease-and-desist from the car company, the former rapper was once singed to Jermaine Dupri&#8217;s So So Def label. After watching his little brother, Madeintyo, blow up last year, he&#8217;s now pivoted to a singing career and changed his name to 24hrs. Since first hearing from his new project in August, we&#8217;ve seen an unbelievable glo-up in effect, which has included collabs with Yo Gotti, Murda Beatz, Ty Dolla $ign, Gucci Mane, Roy Woods, Wiz Khalifa, <a href="/profile/hitboy" class="text-word" target="_blank" >Hit-Boy</a>, and Post Malone. Not bad for four months. He just dropped the <strong>24hrs In Tokyo </strong>project (below) with his bro a few days ago, and has a collab project with Dolla $ign in the works, so watch out for 24hrs in 2017.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="embedded-mixtape" src="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/m/116735" width="100%" height="337" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe></p><h2>6lack</h2><figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://editor.urbanlinx.net/wp-content/uploads/gallery/47/18/1483381847_17e9ff5d0a18b5020fdcb7274eb084cd.jpg" alt="10 Artists To Watch In 2017"></figure><p></p><p>ATL&#8217;s 6lack is undoubtedly the newest artist on this list, as we first heard from him in November 2016 with the track &#8220;<a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/6lack-just-in-time-4-the-weeknd-new-song.1971928.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Just In Time 4 The Weekend</a>.&#8221; Since then though, we&#8217;ve seen his debut project <strong><a href="http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/stream-6lacks-debut-album-free-6lack-news.25564.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">FREE 6LACK</a> </strong>blow up and become one of the most talked-about albums of the tail end of 2016. We still don&#8217;t know much about him, but 6lack is riding a huge wave into this new year. Check out his latest, the &#8220;Ex Calling&#8221; video, below. </p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Rh0228Xx0A" width="100%" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>

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