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As Spring breathes new life into us once again, we’re introduced to a new selection of rising artists making their marks in music. This season, Hypebeast is focusing on nine artists who are creating and exploring their unique sounds in the realms of Afrobeats, indie rock, rap, bedroom pop, trap and more, further underscoring the notion that genres no longer serve as confines for the next generation of musical artists.
Artemas
For fans of: Montell Fish, Toby Mai, Isabel LaRosa
Intertwining grunge with melodic pop, Artemas’ self-taught sound was born from the confines of quarantine. The 24-year-old began releasing music in late 2020, producing and honing his craft from his bedroom in Oxfordshire, New England. Currently based in London, the singer and producer has landed hits with introspective tracks such as “cross my heart” and “if you think i’m pretty,” both of which appear on his experimental new mixtape, pretty. Reminiscent of early 2000s indie, Artemas favors a darker side of the genre, with songs seemingly designed to stream on a late night drive.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Friko
For fans of: Horsegirl, Glass Beach, Jeff Rosenstock
The full-bodied, wide reaching sound of Friko is somewhat deceiving — some may be surprised to find out that the band is solely made up of vocalist and guitarist Niko Kapetan and drummer Bailey Minzenberger. Hailed for their high-energy live shows, Friko is currently touring its debut album Where we’ve been, Where we go from here, a record years in the making. The Chicago band has been hailed as a leader in the next-generation of indie rock, evolving a sound made popular by bands like Phoenix and Arcade Fire. Like those bands, the up-and-coming Friko and its growing discography is complex – scrappy and DIY yet ambitious, artsy and symphonic.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
KARRAHBOOO
For fans of: TiaCorine, Draft Day, Anycia
KARRAHBOOO started as Lil Yachty’s assistant. In 2022, she dropped her debut track “Money Counter” and Yachty signed her to his Concrete Boys label at the top of 2023. Last fall, she and the rest of the Concrete Boys – Camo!, Yachty, DC2Trill and Draft Day – showed out on On The Radar with KARRAHBOOO’s verse garnering viral attention on social media. “Ain’t no n**** that I trust to knock off the dust / Walk with that sack under my arm, ’cause stackin’ up a must,” she opens her verse, closing out the nearly six-minute freestyle. She then dropped off her third single “Running Late” at the end of 2023 and appeared on Anycia’s “SPLASH BROTHERS” among a slew of other Concrete Boys one-off projects.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
LULU.
For fans of: Ms. Lauryn Hill, Tems, Jamila Woods
Afrobeats and Soul come together in the work of LULU.. Hailing from South East London, the 21-year-old British-Nigerian singer/songwriter is already piquing the interest of the industry with her first two singles, “Save Me” and “Yesterdays.” Growing up an active member of her Church’s choir and a musically-inclined father, LULU. fuses her background with her influences like Lauryn Hill, Moelogo, Tems, Burna Boy and Teni to curate her own unique sound. Her rich vocals and smooth beats create a captivating pairing, and deliver soft and remarkable tunes for easy listening.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Midas The Jagaban
For fans of: Amaarae, Rema, Ayra Starr
You don’t need to know what lies behind the mask of Midas The Jagaban, all you need to do is listen. The young artist — whose only intention to deliver music — continues to dominate ears after an extended hiatus in 2020. The Afrobeats/R&B artist’s South London roots and Nigerian heritage comes into play with her intricately-written, snappy party anthems, with her latest EP Midas Touch Vol 2: Return of the Mask exploring aspects of techno, Ampiano and traditional Afrobeats music. As the masked icon rises through the ranks, she makes it a point to ensure that the flowers given to her are for her art — everything else is secondary.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
mk.gee
For fans of: Dijon, Toro y Moi, Bon Iver
Mk.gee – Pronounced McGee, as the name of his 2018 debut clarifies – is one of our generation’s greatest emerging genre-benders. While Pronounced McGee and its follow-up A Museum of Contradiction flew rather under the radar, the 26-year-old New Jersey artist is finally getting the attention and acclaim he deserves after presenting an atmospheric mélange of a third studio album dubbed Two Star & The Dream Police. The 12-track project melds a captivating array of bedroom pop, indie, and R&B influences and leans heavily on glimmering guitars and synths. Mk.gee contributed to Dijon’s 2021 album Absolutely, and worked closely with the the fellow genre-bender on the feature-less Two Star & The Dream Police; he’s also garnered cosigns from BNYX, Kenny Beats and Omar Apollo. Last month, Mk.gee performed at Jil Sander’s Milan Fashion Week, and next month he heads out on his first-ever headlining tour.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Seafood Sam
For fans of: Tyler, the Creator, Larry June, Isaiah Rashad
Long Beach’s rap heritage is alive and well in Seafood Sam. He’s spent the last few years perfecting, then elevating, his take on the melodic and funky West Coast sound, as evidenced by his earlier releases like Du-Rag Dreams all the way to 2023’s Afros In The Wind. Sam’s latest tracks “Saylo” and “Can’t Take the Hood to Heaven”— which arrive ahead of his upcoming album Standing on Giant Shoulders — are filled with lush live instrumentals that support his soulful baritone vocals, providing him with the space to deliver both laidback cuts and energetic offerings infused with hints of the ’70s.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
TyFontaine
For fans of: Joony, SoFaygo, Lil Tecca
Hailing from the DMV is independent trap artist TyFontaine. With a handful of albums and mixtapes under his belt, the 23-year-old started off his career signed to Internet Money and went solo in 2021. Since then, he’s dropped off Ascension in 2021 as well as its deluxe – which saw features from Lil Tecca, Trippie Redd, Joony, SoFaygo, Cochise and Summrs – followed by Beautiful Michi Girls and WTF Is P¡NK in 2022. In 2023 alone, Ty delivered three LPs: Black Truck Life and its deluxe, YUHEAME and 264. Last month, the emerging rapper unveiled his first single of the year “Adventure Time (racks on my body)” as fans wait for the imminent Ascension 2 album.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
Vyla Melinkolya
For fans of: Drowse, Ethel Cain, Have a Nice Life
Vyva Melinkolya’s lo-fi music has quietly circulated on the internet for nearly a decade, yet little is known about Angel Diaz, the real name of the artist behind the moniker. Diaz began recording as Melinkolya when she was 16 years old. Now 25, she’s gained a small cult following for her slow, dreamy sound, introduced on her 2018 self-titled album and markedly evolved on her recent sophomore release, a collaboration with Midwife entitled Orbweaving. Reverbs and metal-inspired guitar are plenty, as is glitchy internet-era style vocal harmonies.
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music
