15 Artists To Watch Out For In 2014

Complex co-sign for 2014.

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Complex Original

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These days, thanks to the hyper-speed blur of the information superhighway, the time it takes to go from no-name struggle to marquee stardom seems shorter than ever. In the blink of an eye, the latest blog sensation you hear about blows up overnight. But in reality, most so called "overnight sensations" have put in years of work on their paths to success. In 2009, for most of us, it felt like Drake came out of nowhere and hit the game like a tidal wave with his So Far Gone mixtape. But fans of Degrassi: The Next Generation were all too familiar with the man born Aubrey Graham and a.k.a. "Wheelchair Jimmy." Meanwhile, mainstream pop fans had probably never heard of Wiz Khalifa until his song "Black and Yellow" became a No. 1 hit in 2010. But closer-listening rap fans knew Wiz from his excellent 2010 mixtape Kush & Orange Juice, and true Wiz fans had been following him since his first independent album, Show and Prove, dropped way back in 2006. 

But this happens all the time. Look at Miley Cyrus. Only 21, the kiddie-country-singer-turned-ratchet-starlet spent years on the Disney channel before becoming one of the most talked about artists of 2013. Twenty-year-old Chance The Rapper blew up thanks to his mixtape Acid Rap last year. For most listeners, that was the first they'd ever heard from the Chicago rapper. But Acid Rap is his second release. He put out his first, 10 Day, in 2012. 

The point is, after a year or two of hard work (sometimes, many years), if you play your cards right and get really lucky, the stars can align and your career can truly take off. That's important to keep in mind in our list of 15 Artists To Watch Out For In 2014. This isn't a list of brand-new acts that might make their first splash this year. Instead, it's 15 artists we've had our eye on for a few months or even a few years. While they've all had varying levels of success so far, we're willing to bet they're going to have their "moment" in 2014—and maybe even crossover into the mainstream. Keep your eye on them, and get ready.

RELATED: The Most Anticipated Albums of 2014
RELATED: Green Label - Artists to Watch For In 2014

Vic Mensa

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Age: 20
From: Chicago, IL
Label: N/A

Before Chance The Rapper, before Chief Keef, before even his own group Kids These Days, Vic Mensa was a teenaged rapper who earned the attention of major label suits and seemed on the verge of breaking out. Kids These Days performed at Lollapalooza in 2011 and gathered attention from critics and big names like Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, who produced their debut album Traphouse Rock, but in the year-plus that it took to craft the album, the tensions within the group (and Chicago's growing profile outside of it) caused the Kids to rupture.

Finally liberated, Vic dropped an impressive 2013 solo project, Innanetape, which was enough to establish him as a promising new national artist, although perhaps not enough to quite disentangle himself from Chance's suddenly looming shadow.

"I still get jealous of Vic," Chance spit on his song "Acid Rain," "And Vic still gets jealous of me," capturing in two sentences the dynamic of these friends and artists. Even before Chance was a known commodity, Vic had pioneered the lane he capitalized on: a bit streetwise, a bit of a backpacker, and 100% pure talent, Vic has the ambitions and abilities to make himself a major player in 2014—assuming he can make a statement that puts him out in front of his competition. —David Drake

Jhené Aiko

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Age: 25
From: Los Angeles, CA
Label: Def Jam

Jhené Aiko has been working her way up to this point for years. She's been in the music industry since age five. Although she released her mixtape, Sailing Soul(s), in 2011, last year she started to get major mainstream looks. She was featured on "Beware," the lead single from Big Sean's Hall of Fame, as well as "From Time" from Drake's Nothing Was The Same. So now hip-hop fans have had the opportunity to get a taste of what Jhené can deliver sonically.

Riding on the wave created by both of those tracks, Jhené dropped her EP, Sail Out, which featured verses from Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Vince Staples and the standout track "Bed Peace" featuring Childish Gambino. The EP debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200. Jhené is set to drop her debut album, Souled Out, through Def Jam sometime this year. Between the pending projects and what Jhené has already shown with her soft, seductive voice, there's only one way to go but up. —Elva Aguilar

RELATED: Who Is Jhene Aiko? 



Vince Staples

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Age: 20
From: Long Beach,CA
Label: Def Jam

If you’re a fan of Odd Future, you’ve definitely heard of Vince Staples. We first heard him on Earl Sweatshirt’s "epaR" off the 2010 album, Earl. But last year, he made waves by releasing his Stolen Youth mixtape (which was entirely produced by Mac Miller, under his producer alias "Larry Fisherman") and by killing all three of his guest spots on Earl’s second album, Doris.

Staples was able to establish himself outside of OF’s shadow because while Tyler and Earl might rap about raping and pillaging (subjects they’ve started to move away from as their music has matured) under the guise of youthful angst, Staples raps about the real-life gun-busting and gang-banging he experienced growing up in Long Beach, California (where Snoop Dogg and the Dogg Pound are from.)

So while the cement is setting on who and what most of the members of OF are known for and capable of (most of them have released multiple projects) we’re looking at Vince with new eyes. The stage is set for his next project, Shyne Coldchain Vol. 2. If the project comes with as much vitriol and vigor as his verses on Earl’s album, then he can carve his own lane. —Insanul Ahmed

RELATED: Who Is Vince Staples?



SZA

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Age: 23
From: Maplewood, NJ
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment

Complex recently felt the wrath of SZA fans on Twitter when we neglected to include her on our list of The Most Anticipated Albums of 2014. (Thankfully, SZA said she wasn't upset.) Despite the omission, we're very excited about her upcoming year. And unlike recent the TDE signee—Isaisah Rashad—she's actually released a few projects in the past (including See.SZA.Run which Complex premiered back in 2012). So it's fair to say she's slightly more established than Rashad and a better fit for this list. 

SZA has let her music speak for itself so far. While she sounds nothing like her Top Dawg Entertainment counterparts—the 23-year-old Jersey girl is not only TDE's first R&B artist, but also the first woman on their roster—her gutsy, but vulnerable voice can only bolster the L.A. label's burgeoning movement.

Last year she dropped S, the first installment of a trilogy the songstress has lined up named after the initials in her name. With the buzz building off her cameo during TDE's cypher at the BET Hip-Hop Awards and her performance alongside Kendrick Lamar during the 2013 American Music Awards, SZA seems set to start sizzling. —Elva Aguilar

RELATED: Who Is SZA?



A$AP Nast

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Age: 23
From: Harlem, NY
Label: A$AP Worldwide

The major gripe against Harlem's A$AP Mob since their rise in 2011 has been their eschewal of the gritty New York sound of the 1990s. A$AP Rocky's style has obvious roots in UGK and southern rap while A$AP Ferg's distinctive chanting claims the term "trap music." That's why A$AP Nast is a breath of fresh air. (Or, being that we're talking about New York, not so fresh.)

This year, A$AP Mob is looking to drop their second album as a collective, Lords. The lead single "Trillmatic" is helmed by Nast and features a guest verse from gritty '90s rap stalwart Method Man. The song, accompanied by its trippy video, takes rap fans back to a time when New York was the epicenter of hip-hop. 

Up until the release of "Trillmatic," Nast has been just another face in the A$AP crowd. But the same could be said for A$AP Ferg before the release of the first Mob album, Lords Never Worry, which featured his breakout single, "Work." The same formula used to push Ferg into the forefront with the first Mob project could work for Nast in 2014. — Elva Aguilar



Grimes

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Age: 25
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Label: 4AD

Grimes' 2012 project Visions was the kind of indie record you didn't have to be an indie head to love. Its electronic production, disembodied vocalizations, and snappy songwriting made it a project that was broadly appealing, that came from an unabashedly hip context, but faced outward, never sacrificing accessibility for affect. All it really needed was wider exposure.

Attention snowballed in the time since its release, and Grimes has become a flashpoint for a wide variety of important discussions, but with a Roc Nation management deal in the bag and an increased profile, the release of new music in 2014 could very well make Grimes a much bigger star—depending on whether or not she keeps the same open, accessibly personal approach to production and songwriting that led her to so much success in 2012. —David Drake

RELATED: Who Is Grimes?



Rich Homie Quan

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Age: 24
From: Atlanta, GA
Label: T.I.G. Entertainment

It's already impossible to write off Rich Homie Quan as a "one hit wonder." The Atlanta upstart was not only responsible for one of the hottest songs of last summer, "Type of Way," his collaboration with YG and Young Jeezy "My Nigga" was a smash too. Who's to say he doesn't have another banger up his sleeve? 

Despite the constant comparisons to Future, Rich Homie Quan's appeal is more than the warbly hook on "Type of Way." He raps fluidly and confidently and he prides himself on not using Autotune when he sings on hooks. Yes, the 24-year-old might have been lucky to have a lane open up when Future stumbled last year. But remember, there once was a time where we thought Future would be nothing more than the guy who made "Tony Montana." —Elva Aguilar

RELATED: Who Is Rich Homie Quan?



Sampha

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Age: 24
From: London, England
Label: Young Turks

Sampha Sisay is a British vocalist/producer/musician who has been making music since 2009. But he ramped it up in 2013 by releasing his EP, Dual, in July followed by collaboration with SBTRKT, Live. But he really made his mark by doing a guest spots on Beyoncé's "Mine" and Drake's "The Motion" and "Too Much."

These collaborations have captured the eyes and ears of hip-hop fans all over, so it will be interesting to see how he takes the newfound attention and focuses it on his own work in 2014. —Elva Aguilar



G Herbo (Formerly known as Lil Herb)

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Age: 17
From: Chicago, IL
Label: N/A

Chicago has spent the last two years a lightning rod for controversy and a source of great music, but a void has opened up in its overcrowded hip-hop scene—a position the artist formerly known as Lil Herb seems perfectly positioned to fill. While Chief Keef dominated Chicago's 2012 with pugnacious street raps and blunt, hooky songs, and Chance The Rapper took 2013 with dexterous rapping, a poetic ear, and a conscientious, reflective approach, G Herbo splits the difference.

Topically, he's more street-oriented than Chance, repping the No Limit crew from the South Side's Terror Town neighborhood. At the same time, his intricate rap style is faster and denser than GBE, over beats with similarly cinder block-sized heft. And his secret weapon is former Cash Money rapper and Kanye collaborator Mikkey Halsted—an artist who similarly bridged worlds in his own heyday. Halsted has been mentoring Herb, and the tracks they've worked on together have found Herb's vocals gaining in presence and focus. His Welcome 2 Fazoland tape is liable to make a considerable impact when it drops this year. —David Drake

YG

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Age: 23
From: Compton, CA
Label: Def Jam

2013 was the best year of YG's career. Although he scored a hit in 2010 when his song "Toot It and Boot It" landed at No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100, he scored a legit smash last year with the Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan assisted banger “My Nigga.” He also did guest spots for DJ Mustard, Yo Gotti, and Wale. But the cherry on top was when Drake hopped on the remix for his song “Who Do You Love.” If that song can take off or YG can manage to cook up more hit, than the anticipation for his album My Krazy Life (which is currently slated for March 18) might hit a fevered pitch. —Insanul Ahmed

RELATED: Interview: YG Talks About the New Song He Has With Drake That May Cement His Place in the Mainstream

Young Thug

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Age: 21
From: Atlanta, GA
Label: 1017 Brick Squad

Young Thug's name might be somewhat less than distinctive, but that hasn’t stopped him from creating a healthy buzz in 2013. He gained a fervent, if small, with one of the best albums of the year, 1017 Thug. And won a valuable cosign when Gucci Mane said in an interview, "Thug is one of the most talented rappers I ever met."

Young Thug’s ability to switch up his delivery in his songs, as well as his knack for carrying a hook, has him looking likely to blow. His recent song "Danny Glover" is moving an ever-bigger crowd while his smoking anthem from last year, "Stoner," is approaching two million views on YouTube. Now that Gucci Mane is back from jail, Thug has the opportunity to have the head of Brick Squad helping him full time. All he needs is one monster song to match with his high energy. —Elva Aguilar



EA

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Age: 25
From: Odense, Denmark
Label: Sony Denmark

It's almost unbelievable how much good pop music is coming out of Scandinavia. The styles range from weird and organic to bubbly and synth-drenched, but one thing that a lot of Scandinavian pop has in common: it's experimental and accessible at the same time.

Danish singer MØ takes her love for pop, hip-hop, and electronic music and boils it down into something modern, extremely catchy, and unique. She even caught the attention of Diplo, who worked with her on "XXX 88." Her debut album, No Mythologies comes out February 24, and if the album sampler is any indication, it should be one of the strongest debut pop albums of the year. —Jacob Moore

Joey Bada$$

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Age: 18
From: Brooklyn, NY
Label: Pro.Era

Joey Bada$$ hit the scene in 2012 with his song "Survival Tactics" which impressed us with its impressive lyrics and great video. That song, along with "Waves," helped create a buzz for Joey to release his well received debut mixtape, 1999. In 2013, he released another one, Summer Knights, but it didn't feature any true standout cuts and did little to increase his appeal. His name has been growing incrementally but his career could use a shot in the arm. 

There's no denying the Brooklyn rapper can spit—we've seen him hold his own amongst some of rap's most talented young rappers on  A$AP Rocky's "1 Train." And it's not often you see a young rapper as poised as Joey. The question for his upcoming debut album, B4.D@.$$, is whether it can win him the recognition ne needs to become a true force in hip-hop or if it will just solidify him as an underground presence. —Elva Aguilar



P. Reign

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Age: 27
From: Toronto, ON, Canada
Label: Reps-Up

When it comes to P. Reign, we’re just gonna have to take Drake’s word for it. On his recent "We Made It" freestyle, Drake rhymed, "OVO, Reps Up, and P. Reign is next up/Watch Gway go crazy." Such a shout-out alone, coming from one of the biggest stars in hip-hop, is enough to put Reign, who’s been kicking around the Toronto scene for a few years, on the national radar screen.

Does Reign have as many hit songs or well-received full length projects as some of the other people on this list to warrant his spot? No. But again, Drake's words carry weight.

And it's not just because Drake is one of the biggest rappers in the game, but because he's proved to have has pretty good taste. Not only did Drake introduce us to bunch of talented producers like 40, T-Minus, and Boi-1da but he was also quick to co-sign and give looks to acts like The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, and Future who all went on to become legitimate stars. Same for Migos this past summer. It’s not far-fetched to think the same could happen for P. Reign. —Insanul Ahmed

RELATED: Who Is P. Reign? 



Lil' Boosie

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Age: 31
From: Baton Rouge, LA
Label: Asylum

Lil Boosie isn't remotely a new artist—his first album, Youngest Of Da Camp, was released in 2000, and he was recording with Baton Rouge supergroup Concentration Camp even earlier—but should he finally be freed from prison later this year, the game could easily be his. He's already proven capable of making big hits. Though neither was officially attributed to his name, his standout guest spots on Foxx's "Wipe Me Down" and Webbie's "Independent" went far towards making those songs huge hits in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Boosie was nearing his popular peak in hip-hop's last great rebuilding year, 2009, when he was thrown behind bars.

Since that time, he's been repeatedly hammered by jail time as the Baton Rouge PD struggled to keep him behind bars, dinging him for probation violations and smuggling drugs into prison. After they failed to convict him for ordering the 2009 murder of Terry Boyd, though, the day when Boosie is again a free man is on the horizon. And although he's spent enough time behind bars to kill a lesser career, the rapper remains immensely popular nationally, never mind in his hometown and Down South hip-hop Mecca Baton Rouge. —David Drake

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