Artists To Watch In 2022

There's still lots of time left before the conclusion of this year but already, we've witnessed the rise of so many talented hip-hop artists at the start of 2022 that we decided it was time for a list of Breakout Artists. Despite only a few months passing by since last year's list, which included Coi Leray, Morray, BIA, Baby Keem, and others, 2022 is shaping up to be a special year for hip-hop newcomers. There are dozens of up-and-comers who deserve the spotlight, and we're handing it to them, displaying some of the strongest rising rappers and singers with a new 2022-focused list.

Between the viral success of stars like Yeat and Yung Kayo, the sugary-sweet voices of veteran songwriters like Muni Long, and the arrival of international stars like Fireboy DML and Shenseea in the American mainstream, we take a look at some of this year's most promising breakout stars, celebrating their achievements during the first quarter of the year as we anticipate powerful pushes from each of the artists listed. You'll see some overlap between the artists listed below and those who make up Rap Songs That Blew Up On TikTok, too.

Let us know which young star you're most excited about in the comments, and stay tuned for all of these artists to make some noise in the coming months.

Witnessing Saucy Santana’s ascent to the top of the entertainment business has been wildly refreshing. Just a few years ago, Santana was known and loved simply because of his proximity to some of the top female rappers in the industry, including Yung Miami, who has remained one of his closest friends. While many seemingly undervalued Santana’s own skills on the mic for years, as well as his pen game, the 28-year-old Florida-based rapper has proven his potential to the entire world with viral dances on TikTok, some of the catchiest songs on the platform, and enough charisma and sass to keep us entertained for days.

With songs including “Walk,” “Material Girl,” and “Shisha,” Saucy Santana is, without a doubt, one of this year’s clearest breakout stars in hip-hop. With an upcoming collaboration on the way with Lil Nas X, the two openly gay Black men will only continue to break boundaries in a genre that has not historically been very accepting of people like them. 

Saucy Santana has yet to brush the ceiling of his potential to be a great artist. One of the most entertaining characters in the music industry, fans can’t wait to hear what Santana’s next full-length project will sound like.

A product of his time, Portland, Oregon-based rapper Yeat is one of the hottest rappers in the world right now. Whether his music is soundtracking Olympic-level pole vaulters as they break world records, or shutting down nightclubs because of the dangerously-high rage levels, the 22-year-old rapper has seemingly been unavoidable throughout the start of this year.

Following the release of his new studio album, 2 Alivë, the balaclava-wearing young rapper enjoyed his highest chart success in his career to date, locked into a #4 debut on the Billboard 200. It seems the upward trajectory will continue for the rapper, who has cultivated a cult-like fanbase with his post-Whole Lotta Red sound. 

Yeat is capturing the carefree and youthful energy of his generation perfectly. With his upcoming tour kicking off in April, his hot streak will surely continue as he gains favor in many hip-hop circles.

Priscilla Renea Hamilton, better known as Muni Long, is anything but a newcomer to the music industry. For much of the last decade, the 33-year-old Florida-based singer has worked with some of the biggest names in music, writing for Ariana Grande (“Just Like Magic,” “Imagine”), Mariah Carey (“A No No”), K. Michelle (“V.S.O.P.”), Pitbull (“Timber”), Mary J. Blige (“It’s Me,” “Wonderful”), and so many others. At the end of 2021, her song “Hrs and Hrs” started gaining traction on social media platforms, especially TikTok. Now, the track is one of the biggest songs in the world, anchoring a breakout campaign for Muni Long as she looks to make her presence known as one of the most talented artists in the game right now.

With her unmistakable vocals and unmatched writing ability, Muni Long has everything it takes to be a huge star in the music business. “Hrs and Hrs” might be her hit song but many songs from that same project, Public Displays of Affection, have been hailed by fans as equally strong records, including “Time Machine” and “No R&B” with Ann Marie.

In the past, established songwriters have had difficulty breaking into the artist lane but it looks like Muni Long will be able to pull off the transition seamlessly.

Already a well-known international dancehall superstar, Jamaican-born artist Shenseea is breaking out into the American music scene, experimenting with her sound through her partnership with Interscope Records. Despite some of her day-one fans not understanding her musical switch-up over the last year, the 25-year-old artist redeemed herself largely through the release of her latest full-length studio album, ALPHA. 

Containing all sorts of different vibes from dancehall to R&B to pop to hip-hop, Shenseea’s new album cements her as one of the next big stars in the music industry, bringing her one-of-a-kind flair and eccentric personality to the bright lights of Hollywood. With features from Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, Sean Paul, Tyga, Offset, and more, there’s a song for everybody on Shenseea’s new album. Regardless of whether you like her older material better, or if you’re feeling her new direction, ShenYeng is showing no signs of slowing down as she fearlessly takes over one of the biggest music markets in the world after already establishing herself globally.

It didn’t take long for Jacksonville, Florida-based rapper Nardo Wick to evolve into the next hip-hop superstar. With his unique flow and unconventional vocal delivery, which has been praised by Lil Durk and many others, the 20-year-old jumped into the spotlight with his breakout hit, “Who Want Smoke?” After the song grew with millions of streams coming in just a few weeks, Nardo grabbed Lil Durk, G Herbo, and 21 Savage for the track’s remix, which would go on to outperform the original.

With the industry behind him and co-signs from many of rap’s biggest names, including Lil Baby, Future, Drake, and more, it looks like Nardo Wick’s ascent to the top of the game will happen organically. We got to learn a lot about the rising superstar on his debut album, Who is Nardo Wick?, and we can’t wait to see how he follows up on his next full-length, which is already highly anticipated.

This has been a monster year for Central Cee, the London-based rapper who has been making tons of noise stateside. With nearly ten million monthly listeners on Spotify, the 23-year-old emcee is undeniably one of the biggest stars from his home country, and he’s making quite an impression across the globe too. With viral songs including “Obsessed With You,” “Retail Therapy,” and “Khabib,” Central Cee has become one of the UK-based artists to watch closely in hip-hop’s general landscape, proving that he knows what people want to hear and introducing plenty of personality in his music.

This year, he followed up his Wild West mixtape with 23, which topped the charts in the UK and continued to cement the rapper as one of the hottest musical presences in the world. Central Cee is definitely setting himself apart from the pack and it’s looking likely that he will be a star for years to come.

There’s a new it girl in the rap world and her name is Kali. The Toxic Chocolate princess hails from Georgia and she’s taking over as the latest rising woman in rap, showing promise with her unique delivery and trendy lyrics. At this point, the 21-year-old rapper has released a few viral songs, including “MMM MMM” and “Do A B*tch.” She has positioned herself in somewhat of a Future-esque role among the ladies in hip-hop, showcasing her toxic side on her new EP and showing that the girls can be equally poisonous with their words. 

With show-stopping performances at Rolling Loud and other festivals, Kali earned herself a spot on Latto’s 777 tour alongside Saucy Santana and Asianae. The charismatic and confident artist is at the start of her creative journey but she’s showing that she can potentially take over the game in the next few years.

After winning awards in 2019 with his breakout single, “Jealous,” Nigerian-born artist Fireboy DML has become a bonafide international superstar, collaborating with the likes of Madonna and Ed Sheeran in recent months. His boundary-breaking single “Peru” captured the hearts of millions as one of the best songs of last year, and it has helped to anchor the 26-year-old artist’s career for years to come. 

“Peru” has since also been remixed by 21 Savage and Blxst, among others. One of the most exciting international artists to have broken out in years, Fireboy DML leverages his ability to create some of the catchiest melodies with smooth, groovy beats that work perfectly to position him as one of Africa’s strongest musical talents right now.

One of several new signees to Top Dawg Entertainment this year, Florida-based hip-hop artist Doechii has a strong chance of becoming the latest woman to take over the rap game. With guidance from the same team that helped build Kendrick Lamar into the superstar he is today, Doechii has incredible backing, an unstoppable creative spirit, and bars to match.

The multi-hyphenate is already a fashion icon, a viral hitmaker, and so much more, and she’s about to show the world what many have already known for years: she’s the full package and a total superstar. With her new Kal Banx-produced single “Persuasive,” Doechii formally announced her signing to TDE, which followed her appearance on Isaiah Rashad’s new album, as well as the tremendous success of her song “Yucky Blucky Fruitcake.” 

Look for Doechii to accomplish some incredible things in the coming years.

Texas has always been home to some of the nation’s finest hip-hop talents and San Antonio-based rapper Mike Dimes is continuing the tradition with his own brand of music from the Lone Star State. With charisma flowing through his veins and unwavering confidence, Mike Dimes has quickly become one of the state’s finest representatives of the ever-evolving hip-hop culture.

His music has crossed state borders in recent months with Dimes continuing to rise as one of the next superstars in rap. His most recent project, IN DIMES WE TRUST, includes several of the rapper’s biggest songs, which stand out because of Dimes’ creative flows, enthralling stories, and complex production. At this point, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before Mike Dimes is unavoidable in this rap game. 

The Bronx has a few very promising young rappers making noise across the country right now, with B-Lovee leading the pack alongside the currently-incarcerated Kay Flock. The 21-year-old drill rapper experienced a major wave of support following the release of his song “My Everything,” which inspired thousands of dance videos on TikTok. As the social platform continues to drive success for so many up-and-coming artists, B-Lovee has seemingly found a formula that works perfectly for him as he has earned recent co-signs from the likes of A Boogie wit da Hoodie, G Herbo, and many more.

Alongside Kay Flock, B-Lovee has hopped on the trend of sampling recognizable classic songs in their music, flipping Wayne Wonder’s “No Letting Go” for “IYKYK” and using Mary J. Blige’s “Everything” to create his viral hit, “My Everything.”

On pace to have his biggest year yet, B-Lovee needs to be on your radar as one of The Bronx’s hottest artists of the moment, drawing inspiration from iconic records and repurposing them to fit right into BX’s booming drill scene.

Atlanta-based hip-hop artist Omerettà The Great has been around for a few years, earning local recognition as one of the most capable female rappers from the A, but it seems like she’s finally getting her flowers nationwide in 2022. The viral success of her recent song, “Sorry Not Sorry,” which classifies what the rapper considers – and doesn’t consider – to be part of Atlanta, has created controversy and bolstered Retta’s spot in the rap world, introducing her to a whole new audience as she shows the country what Atlanta already knows: she can really spit and her authentic and raw storytelling is setting her up beautifully for a successful career as an artist.

As she continues to earn her namesake as a great up-and-coming rapper, Omerettà has earned co-signs from Latto and others, following up her short stint on Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta last season with the most successful stretch of her career thus far. Retta is booked and busy in 2022, and she is showing why she deserves to be in the conversation as one of the strongest female voices in Atlanta’s rap scene.

The youngest member of Young Thug’s Young Stoner Life Records, 18-year-old hip-hop artist Yung Kayo is also one of the most promising up-and-coming stars on the label, developing a die-hard fanbase over the course of the last few years. In 2022, the rising artist released DFTK, a project which features Yeat and Gunna, and shows the present direction that Kayo is headed in.

The most representative collection of the teen rapper’s sound evolution, fans are excited to see where Yung Kayo ends up as he has earned co-signs from Playboi Carti, recently teasing a possible collaboration with Opium Records, Carti’s label imprint that also houses breakout talents like Ken Car$on. 

After appearing on the #1 album Slime Language 2, Yung Kayo has a very bright future ahead of him and we’re gladly following along his journey.

Why did anybody ever think to doubt Vancouver-born hip-hop artist Boslen? The 22-year-old trailblazer is back with a vengeance following the release of his latest full-length, DUSK to DAWN, entering his Gonzo era and promising an exciting ride for all who hop on the journey with him.

One of the hottest rising Canadian hip-hop artists, Boslen draws inspiration from Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Kanye West, and many others, experimenting with sonic boundaries and pushing the confines of traditional music genres with alternative production styles and cinematic soundscapes. His recent single “LEVELS” provides the perfect eye into what we can expect from Boslen’s next studio album. Embarking on a tour across Canada and Europe later this year, 2022 is looking like it will be the biggest campaign for Boslen since breaking out as a rising artist a few years ago. He is definitely an artist you will want to keep on your radar.

Did we miss anybody? Let us know who your favorite breakout artist of 2022 is so far in the comments.