Artists Set To Blow In 2019
In 2018, a few young artists made some impact in the music industry, whether it was on a local or national level. Some of these artists that made good progress last year are poised for a jump to stardom in 2019. I take a look at a few artists, in no numerical order, that look to be ready to make that jump.
King Combs
The young rapper is the heir to the Bad Boy Records throne, and has set himself up for stardom. In 2018, the CYN ringleader gave us one of the year's best mixtapes with 90s Baby, as well as being an intricate part of a successful record with a great feature verse on his fellow CYN member Kai Cash's single "The West" along with 03 Greedo. With hard work comes success, and even though King Combs comes from line of success, he's used the cards he's been dealt to his advantage.
For more on King Combs, read my article "Upholding A Legacy: King Combs"
Kai Ca$h
This CYN member got major buzz last year with his hit single, "The West". The song got over 1 million plays on all major platforms, and was a social media sensation as well. With a hit song under his belt, as well as a few solid features on King Combs' debut mixtape, Kai Ca$h set himself up for a strong 2019. This year, he's already been featured on the remix to Mare's "On Option", as well as released his "Lost In Love" freestyle. Bad Boy Records' future is in good hands between King Combs and Kai Ca$h.
Guapdad 4000
This Bay Area artist has been making music for a little while now, but he's starting to get a more national recognition as of late. He released his most recent single, "Red Flags", on December 5th, 2018, and on it he displayed his versatility, giving solid verses and doing the chorus himself as well. The artist was invited to the Dreamville sessions in January, showing that he is being recognized as an artist that is on the rise. With strong features on Buddy's new album, Harlon & Alondra, as well as an upcoming feature on Higher Brothers new album, Five Stars, I'm excited to see what the rest of the year holds for the Ferragamo Falcon.
YBN Cordae
This YBN group member ha been on the come up for a while now, and a cosign from the iconic Dr. Dre has pretty much cemented his status among the next generation of artists, specifically rappers. Even though he's young, he knows his hip-hop history, as his newest single, "Locationships", was directly inspired by Jay-Z's 2001 hit, "Girls, Girls, Girls...". His debut album is coming this year, and I'm looking forward to what he's coming with.
Ari Lennox
This Dreamville singer has been putting out music since 2016, but in 2018, she was able to be a part of the soundtrack for the movie Creed II, and people began to take more notice of her talent. Her voice gives off strong vibes of Erykah Badu, and with that being said, any music from Lennox is going to be appreciated. Dreamville has a lot of music coming this year, and I'd be surprised if Ari Lennox wasn't a part of this roll-out.
Blueface
This LA rapper shot to stardom late last year with his Bay Area-esque music and rap style. Compared to E-40 and Suga Free (in terms of flow), he has made a name for himself with the hit single, "Thotiana", which was just remixed with LA's own YG. Legal troubles may be an issue for Blueface, as he was just arrested last week for an alleged shooting on the freeway, but we'll have to wait and see. He's also signed to 4 labels, as he was signed to Cash Money West by Wack 100, so hopefully his finances and masters are in order as well. Blueface also needs to make sure he pays homage to where he's getting his now famous style from, which he and Wack 100 unforntunately failed to do on Hot 97 with Ebro last week.
Rico Nasty
This Brooklyn born female emcee has been making music since 11th grade, and was signed to Atlantic Records last June. Her fourth mixtape, Nasty, released and made major waves. Her most popular song of 2018 was her aggressive single, "Smack a Bitch", as she roared over the record being thankful for avoiding confrontation. Her most recent release was "Roof" on January 29th, 2019, and she recently inquired about a potential collaboration with the iconic DMX, so 2019 seems to look bright for the young upcoming star.
