Rappers To Watch In 2015

We know you're probably sick of all the year-end lists from last year, but we're already in the second month of 2015, and we're hypothesizing who will get their big break in the coming months. This time last year, Bobby Shmurda came across a particularly fiery Jahlil Beats production on YouTube. Months later, iLoveMakonnen would see Drake remixing his song on Instagram. Crazy shit happens in hip-hop, and we wanna stay ahead of the curve. Some of the names on this list will be more familiar than others, but all these rappers have the potential to have huge come-ups in 2015. They may not instantly become household names, but they will definitely make their presence known and further solidify their spot in the game. Keep an eye on these guys, and more importantly, check out the incredible work they've already done. 

Who do you see making moves in 2015? Let us know in the comments.

Mick Jenkins is a unique voice in Chicago's still-thriving young rap scene. That's partly because he's not from Chicago. Born in Huntsville, Alabama, Mick moved to Chicago when he nine years old, and returned to 'bama for his college years. He's an outsider in Chicago, but the city's influences can still be heard in his raps--somewhere between the jazzy poetics of Chance the Rapper and the unforgiving intensity of the drill scene. With a hint of southern cadence, it's difficult to pin his voice to a particular region, and that's Mick's biggest asset--his voice.

Mick is only 23, and his street-level observations show a perceptiveness far beyond his years. He doesn't just have great stories, though; his use of metaphor, his ear for melody, and the stunning clarity of his voice make him a master storyteller. Last year's The Water(s) was met with universal acclaim and placed number five on our Hottest Mixtapes Of 2014. He still hasn't released an album, but with production on The Water(s) coming from the likes of DJ Dahi and Statik Selektah, we'd do just fine with another mixtape. 

Mick Jenkins - The Water[s]

Less than a week ago, Rome Fortune was released after spending three weeks in jail. For his fans, it was a shock to go almost a whole month without any new music. If there's any positive to the situation, we hope the stint served as a respite from a prolific 2014 and a motivator for an even better 2015.  

Last year alone, he released two critically-acclaimed solo mixtapes--Beautiful Pimp II and Small VVorld, a joint EP with OG Maco, a joint mixtape with Dun Deal, and a handful of other loosies. He's already hooked up with some of the best producers in Atlanta and beyond, and he can work in all kinds of different styles, showing he values every aspect of the songcrafting process. 

Rome Fortune - Small VVorld

Like Too $hort before him, BeatKing only fucks with gangsters & strippers. His Gangster Stripper Music mixtapes are just that. No one's more loud, raunchy, and all the way turnt up than BeatKing. And few are more talented. 

When you hear, "BeatKing made this shit," a tag he proudly displays on his t-shirts, prepare for a dramatic increase in heart rate and a decline in rational judgement. Oh yeah, he makes his own beats--and as BeatKing will tell you, "You can't compete with the rapper that makes his own beats." Last year alone, he released Gangster Stripper Music 2, Pole Sex EP, Underground Cassette Tape Music, an excellent joint mixtape with Memphis lady-legend and former Three 6 Mafia member Gangsta Boo, and he curated the Houston Vs. Everybody compilation. This year, he's already put out Club God 4, which features Riff Raff, Paul Wall, and Danny Brown, among others. 

With productivity like this, BeatKing Kong, the Club Godzilla, is quickly becoming Houston's top dawg. His domain is obvious--the Club--but it's one he owns like no one else.

Boogie is a single father from Long Beach who caught our ears with last year's exceptional Thirst 48 mixtape. He's been compared to Chance the Rapper, but he's got a style that's all his own. Versatile with his pacing, he goes from quick-fire raps, to singing, to spoken word--never losing his rhythm. He's unlikely to score a viral hit, but his talent is undeniable. 

His biggest song is "Bitter Raps," on which he treads the line between opinions and bitterness. His reflections on this thirsty generation are as sharp as they come. He knows he's a part of this generation, too, and he laces his tracks with wry self-deprecation. He's not letting the thirst affect his music, though, which, to this point, has remained unadulterated underground heat.

Boogie - Thirst 48

If you've been keeping up with Atlanta's "new wave"--a label Key! fiercely rejects--you've heard him "Look At Wrist" with Father and Makonnen. Key! was an original founder of Two-9 along with Curtis Williams, but he left the group in order to focus on his solo career. While you can hear Key! on the "Extended Version" of OG Maco's viral smash "U Guessed It," Maco scrapped him from the main single. Maco has now signed with Quality Control and Two-9 with Mike WiLL and Ear Drummers. This doesn't phase Key!, though.

Key! has already fucked with nearly every crew out of Atlanta, but he's remained independent, not once compromising his style. Key!'s beats are loud, his raps filled with punchlines, but he's not in it to make hits. Key! crafts, for lack of a better word, near-hits--like those of his best friend Makonnen and his frenemy Maco--but rawer and uglier. It may not get him a Drake cosign, but he just doesn't care. 

The next few months will be very telling for Nikko Lafre. At the end of last year, Nikko inked a deal with 300 Entertainment, whose roster includes Migos and Young Thug. His first official single will drop next week, and for those of us who have kept up with Nikko's young career, we only hope that signing hasn't blunted his razor-sharp edge. 

He has two full-length projects coming out, Troubled Soul and In My Own Words, which he says are opposites; each project a separate side of his rapping style and personality. Troubled Soul will be an introspective, deeply personal record, while In My Own Words will focus on his charisma as an entertainer. Together, they will showcase an artist who can delve into dark, personal matter, without it bringing down his hustle or his confidence. 

Nikko Lafre - MPLS: West End Stories

GoldLink may be the most "underground" rapper on this list. He didn't release his identity until months after his excellent debut mixtape The God Complex started buzzing on the blogosphere. You can get an idea of his sound by seeing some of the producers he's worked with, such as: Chet Faker, Sango and Kaytranada. He has a fascination with experimental hip-hop beats, and like the productions he favors, he switches his flow and cadence to match each track's disparate elements. 

In "When I Die," GoldLink dies and and looks back on his life from above. He tries to tap into this perspective because he knows death isn't merely a distant fantasy. He knows he'll be the only one who can give a proper judgment on his own life. You can't play God, even when death is staring you right in the face. It's tracks like this that show GoldLink is more ambitious than any other rapper who, like him, only has one mixtape under his belt. 

Euroz has been a HNHH favorite since he was the top Heatseeker in 2012. "Summer's Ours" became a hit off his debut mixtape The Foundation and was remixed into "Exorcism," with a Meek Mill feature.

Since, he's released five mixtapes, including The Foundation 2, which was hosted by DJ Drama. He's already 27, but Euroz hasn't been in the game for very long. After serving four years, Euroz got out of prison in 2010, and that's when he decided to embark on his rap career. He's obviously naturally gifted, and he continues to polish his rhymes as he goes. He can really sing too. He switches from bars to sultry hooks with ease, and he's got the potential to put Las Vegas, whose roster now boasts up-and-comers like Dizzy Wright and Yowda, on the map.

Euroz - Summer's Ours

Peewee Longway was the last signee to 1017 Records before Gucci Mane was sent to prison. The timing was unfortunate, but he got the undeniable Guwop cosign, and he has the ability to blow up. He sounds a lot like a previous Gucci understudy, namely Young Thug, who's now arguably Atlanta's biggest star.

But there are differences, and Peeway needs to zone in on these differences if he's gonna blow up in Thugga fashion. He doesn't have quite the vocal dexterity of Thug, but he doesn't need it. Even when he's most screwed up, he can match the intensity of a Zaytoven or Metro Boomin beat. His raps are loud, catchphrase-heavy, and, frequently, hilarious. 

Peewee Longway - The Blue M&M

Tunji Ige is a student at West Chester University located just outside of Philly. The way his young rap career is going, though, he may not be a student for long. Tunji is another guy on this list who makes his own beats, and there's no compromising his deeply personal aesthetic. Last year he released The Love Project, and though it's really our only project to go off, it's enough to show Tunji has a very bright future.

The Project is as titled because all the samples Tunji pulls come from old love songs. When Tunji's done with them, though, they're love songs no more. Tunji warps his innocent source material into something much more raw and uncut. The most popular song off the mixtape, "Day2Day," was remixed by Michael Christmas and iLoveMakonnen, which has given Tunji some much-needed recognition.  

He's created all his work by himself in his college dorm room. We hope he graduates to a more professional studio, but he doesn't need any more hands touching his work.

Tunji Ige - The Love Project

If A$AP Rocky is that pretty motherfucker, Father is Pretty Boy Satan. The head honcho of the Awful Records crew, Father always juxtaposes his undeniable swag with something weird--something, well, Awful.

His biggest hit was, basically, made by repeating the word "Wrist." Influenced by Miami bass, his repetition of bizarre turns of phrase get stuck in your head like a bad trip--or a good one, depending on how Awful of a person you are. He raps about typical motifs--drugs, sex, even murder, but he does so with a deadpan humor that's both alluring and disorienting. Last year, he released Young Hot Ebony via Bandcamp, which, more than anything, serves as a proper introduction to the most fascinating crew in Atlanta.

As a guy from Toronto who raps and sings, Tory Lanez is automatically in the shadow of the guy who put the 6 on the map. But Tory's well on his way to becoming Toronto's next hopeful. He's a part of Drake-led scene of guys blurring the line between rap and r&b--a scene out of Toronto that's proving very influential. Tory has also lived in Atlanta, and he's definitely maintained the city's trap imprint on his sound.

Last year he blessed us with the Fargo Fridays series, giving away a song every Friday, and each installment got a lot of love on our charts. Highlights include "Say That Shit," a trap ballad conducted by Sonny Digital and "I'll Be There," which features Meek Mill and French Montana. Another high spot of his best year yet was his hook serenade on "Me & My Bitch," the lone throwback slow jam on YG's My Krazy Life. What's more, Tory produces many of his own songs, and he's written songs for some big artists--big like Travi$ Scott's "Upper Echelon" and Jeezy and Akon's "Been Getting Money." 

The first thing you notice about Fetty Wap is the left eye. Admit it--you won't offend Fetty. In fact, he'll stare you down with the good eye and deliver the year's biggest trap song, which is, simultaneously, the most romantic trap song maybe, ever? "Trap Queen" surfaced last March, was co-signed by Bobby Shmurda before he got locked up, and somehow found its way to the charts about a month ago.

Now it's everywhere. It was remixed by French Montana, and two weeks later, Fabolous added to said remix. Wap's biggest moment came just last week, when he was one of many guests, including Pusha T and 2 Chainz, at Kanye's NYC pop-up show in support of "Yeezy: Season 1." Kanye says "Trap Queen" is his favorite song right now. If that doesn't put you on to young Fetty, I don't know what will.

He has another banger, "RGF Island," undeniably overshadowed by the success of "Trap Queen."