Spotify playlists are in the process of slaughtering the rap radio star. An artist’s career can be launched into the stratosphere if a buzzing song is placed on a popular playlist. The world’s biggest streaming service has created an ecosystem integral to the future of most musicians, and so far, hip-hop has embraced this new playing field more than any other genre.
As streaming has taken over the world, a once-favorite pastime of digging through blogs and obscure forums for under-the-radar artists has died. But you can still do the same thing if you follow the right playlists on Spotify. We did our best to pick the playlists that are showcasing new rappers to the world without sacrificing quality for quantity. They range from Spotify-built, label-designed, and blog-curated. Nevertheless, each of them will help you find a world of rappers that years ago might have been destined to toil in obscurity forever.
Fresh Finds: Fire Emoji
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When Spotify introduced a playlist called Fresh Finds that focuses on new music from independent artists of all genres, it became an immediate hit. So they followed that up with a “Fire Emoji” version that focuses on hip-hop. Despite the somewhat corny name, this is an excellent playlist for discovering young, hungry rappers who have yet to sign label deals. If you find a song on this playlist that you like, stream the hell out of it and the Spotify revenue will go directly in the pocket of the artist—without any label splits. Plus, you're all but guaranteed to be earlier on them than any of your friends who don't pay attention until someone is backed by a major label.
Most Necessary
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If “Rap Caviar” is the streaming equivalent of a hip-hop varsity team, “Most Necessary” is comprised of the scrappy and hungry players vying for a slot in the starting lineup. It is where a deluge of paupers get the opportunity to turn into princes to see if they have what it takes to be future kings. “Most Necessary” is curated by the global programming head of hip-hop at Spotify, Tuma Basa, who also curates “Rap Caviar.” Therefore, both playlists share similar musical sensibilities and have a symbiotic nature.
If you’re totally checked out from hip-hop, “Most Necessary” isn’t a bad place to get informed about the overall sound of the culture at any given time. You won’t impress your friends by name dropping “Most Necessary” perennial mainstays like Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty, or Kyle, but you definitely won’t get caught slipping next time a song like “Magnolia” comes on in the club.
We Everywhere
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“We Everywhere” is a Spotify-curated playlist centered around the global dominance of hip-hop. You’ll find typical rap playlist fodder like Drake, Kendrick, and Future, but the greatness of the playlist lies in listening to new artists that create certified bangers in their own native tongues. Hearing Lil Uzi Vert’s “XO TOUR Llif3” transition into RIN’s “Bro” is a dizzying experience that shows just how vast trap’s influence has become. RIN is a German rapper, but his delivery, beat selection, and effortless flow would have you think he grew up in Zone 6. The playlist even gets cheeky at times, placing beefing UK artists like J Hus and Kojo Funds right next to each other. This sort of fluidity mixed with meta-type tracklisting is the hallmark of the selection.
Don’t let the language or culture barrier of “We Everywhere” deter you from delving into the international music of this playlist. The curation here is good at weaving in big hits from U.S. between rap from the UK, Asia, and beyond.
Mad Decent Weekly
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If there is one thing Diplo is known for, it is his ability to discover worldly sounds and repackage them for the masses. Some might call it a form of cultural appropriation, which is a (valid) discussion for another day. Regardless, when rappers want a hit that can conquer the world, they often call Diplo and co. In the last two years alone, Diplo has had his hand in producing, remixing, or releasing songs with Nicki Minaj, Wale, Travis Scott, Quavo, Lil Yachty, and XXXTencacion, to name a few, either as himself or as a part of Major Lazer.
That is what makes “Mad Decent Weekly,” named after the Diplo-founded, twelve year-old record label of the same name, a breeding ground for what is next in all aspects of music. “Mad Decent Weekly” features rappers, but isn’t strictly a rap playlist. The collection of songs is home to Mad Decent artists like Party Favor, Ape Drums, and Poppy, but is far more than just an avenue for these artists. On this playlist, you’ll find songs like the Shlohmo remix of PnB Rock’s “Selfish,” “Marsupial Superstars” by SahBabii, underrated producers that occasionally dabble in or outright influence hip-hop, like Lunice, and SoundCloud superstars like Yung Pinch. If you’re a fan of EDM, but are interested in getting into hip-hop without fully taking the plunge, listen to “Mad Decent Weekly.”
Lowkey Flex
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When you’re constantly scouring websites and using social media and word-of-mouth for new music, it's hard to understand that isn’t a component of the everyday life of more casual music fans. The “rising stars” one music obsessive co-signs are obscure unknowns to the next man. “Lowkey Flex” by Filtr (a playlist aggregator owned by Sony) is a good beginner playlist if you want new popular rap that is a couple rungs removed from a Jay-Z, Kanye, Drake, or Kendrick. As its description states, “Lowkey Flex” is for “standout hip-hop and R&B tracks that the general public is sleeping on.” While artists like Bryson Tiller, Joey Bada$$, and ZAYN are hardly slept-on, there is new music from artists that genuinely deserve to have a bigger spotlight on their work, like Cousin Stizz and Smino.
Fool's Gold Weekly
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For the last decade, A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs’ Fool’s Gold Records has firmly entrenched itself as one of the greatest incubators for emerging music. The label helped launch the careers of Kid Cudi, Danny Brown, The Cool Kids, and countless other artists. Therefore, it makes sense their playlist, “Fool’s Gold Weekly,” is home to the same energetic sense of discovery. What separates “Fool’s Gold Weekly” from other playlists is the fact that it truly feels curated, and not beholden to the statistics that make most “new music” playlists seem interchangeable. A-Trak and Catchdubs will place songs by Xxxtencacion and Montana of 300 next to Wu-Tang’s “For Heaven’s Sake” to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Wu-Tang Forever.
Grime Shutdown or Fire: Grime & UK Rap
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Grime as a genre is one of the hardest sells to make to an American audience. The genre is influenced by hip-hop culture, but isn’t what Americans necessarily know as rap. The strong and sometimes harsh delivery of UK accents has barred grime rappers from truly crossing over to the states. I remember thinking, as far back as 2003 or 2004, Dizzee Rascal being the grime artist who was going to make the jump. It never happened, and in years since, American publications have tried to make names like Lady Sovereign, Chip, and countless others stick to no avail.
In the last few years, though, grime has been gaining traction, largely because artists like Skepta, Stormzy, and JME have stayed true to their roots and let love from the U.S. come to them. Because we love memeing lines like Giggs’ “Batman, da-na-na-da-na,” the influence of grime will continue to grow. If you want to dip your pool into the grime water, try Spotify’s curated “Grime Shutdown,” which boasts 445,913 followers as a primer. “Grime Shutdown” is home to Drake co-signed artists like Dave and Giggs, while also featuring new, but buzzing artists like J HUS, who released his phenomenal album Common Sense in May. If you’re looking for something longer with more variety, check “Fire: Grime & UK Rap.” It is the smaller of the two playlists with 23,291 followers, but has more music than its bigger Spotify-run brother.
P&P Weekly
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Pigeons and Planes is one of the best destinations for new music. (To be completely transparent, my first published piece ever was on P&P it was about Drake and wasn’t very good). Regardless, in the same way they gave a new writer a shot, Pigeons and Planes gives countless new artists a spotlight to showcase their music. The great thing about P&P Weekly is that it truly feels like an organic experience. You can tell P&P Weekly is put together with care. You’re going to hear Drake-inspired Midwest rapper/singers like Amir Obè next to 2 Chainz, or SoundCloud phenoms like a Trippie Redd sharing space with the latest Lorde single. P&P Weekly is going to introduce you to every corner of the rap world, but in the process, also open your ears to new R&B, rock, EDM, and everything in between.
