Artists We'd Sign if We Had a Record Label

These days, artists get picked up quickly. When a good artist comes out, the buzz spreads fast, and by the time blogs and media outlets start picking up on something new, labels are already taking interest. It's one of many signs that the industry is still changing, and in many ways, labels are (finally) starting to adapt. But there are still plenty of good free agents out there, and we've rounded up some of the best unsigned talent that we'd sign if Pigeons & Planes Records was a thing that existed outside of our imaginations. Here are 10 artists we'd sign if we had a record label.

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2. Lucki Eck$

In any genre, but especially hip-hop, there are a lot of posers. Flows get jacked, style turns into a game of follow-the-leader, and when a trend catches on, the flocks are relentless. These days, the hardest thing to find is individuality—the ability to do something completely unique. Chicago's Lucki Eck$ may not have reached his creative peak yet, but as a teenager he's already showed more creative spark than most artists who have spent years developing their craft. Lucki's got a natural ability to adapt his flow to untraditional soundscapes, over production that most rappers would struggle to wrap their heads around. His latest mixtape, Alternative Trap, is just a glimpse into what he's capable of, and if he surrounds himself with the right people, he could be the next guy that the flocks are following. Even if he's not, it's hard to believe that he'd ever be the guy flocking, and that alone makes him worth investing in, if you ask us.

3. Sunny & Gabe

Any time you hear something that you love but can't quite put your finger on, you've got yourself something special. There's no single thing that Sunny & Gabe are particularly excellent at. Their songwriting is solid, the production is always interesting and ambitious, the singing is unique if not technically impressive, and the cohesion is loose but present. But there's something, or maybe a combination of things, that comes together so perfectly for Sunny & Gabe. It's their unique set of influences and styles, their balance of far-reaching ambition and the immediately striking, and the meeting of chaos and simplicity. There's no way to put your finger on any one thing about Sunny & Gabe that explains why they've got a shot of making it big, but that's usually how it goes with the special ones.

Get their Free Candy project for free here.

4. Dillon Cooper

There's a surge of new energy in hip-hop right now that's so strong it's almost tangible. What's ironic about this though, is that most of the sound associated with this new wave of talent is derived from that of early '90s hip-hop, featuring sharp beats paired with thoughtful and reflective lyrics. You see it in the workings of some of rap's youngest and most exciting emcees—the Earl Sweatshirts, the Joey Bada$$es, the Chance The Rappers. Dillon Cooper is the latest artist you could add to this list of revivalists. At just 20 years old, he's already turned heads with the release of his fantastic mixtape Cozmik, which featured that essential mix of confidence and talent that's so crucial to an artist's success in today's rap world. And while it's easy to draw comparisons to fellow rappers, Cooper has this undefined, signature element that ensures his ability to stand out. It's this unique combination—a sound that's so popular while still possessing this untapped potential—that make someone like Cooper record label gold.

5. Tobias Jesso Jr.

Tobias Jesso Jr.'s "Just A Dream" may only be a demo from his ongoing studio sessions with ex-Girls member Chet "JR" White, but it's all we need to know that this man could become a star. There's a simple elegance to his songwriting on "Just A Dream," and while the simple, piano-based song is pretty much perfect as is, if it were beefed up with some percussion, guitar, and maybe a string section, it could be a massive hit. While we're yet to hear anything else from this clearly highly talented singer/songwriter, off the basis of this one song we'd definitely sign him to P&P Records.

6. Pate

Pate has the sharp delivery of Pusha T, but he's also got the mindset of not always wanting to deliver those straightforward, catchy songs that people can latch on to. He's been buzzing in Philadelphia for years now, but he hasn't had that breakthrough moment yet, and he's been hit-or-miss with what he decides to put out, putting out mixtape cuts using other people's beats or inconsistent production that does little to define his lane. But without fail, Pate's delivery has that bite to it, and like Pusha T, he strikes magic whenever he's in his zone. Signing Pate would require picking a direction and helping him mold his skill into more of an art, because there's a big difference between a skilled rapper and a well-rounded artist. Pate's got the rapping part down, and once he figures out the rest, he's going to be unstoppable.

Download his Take Off in T-Minus 2 mixtape here.

7. Hucci

Since the world discovered the crowned prince of trap Hucci, he's been knocking out a number of solid remixes for U.K. artists, including a track featuring none other than Busta Rhymes. With his signature, bass-heavy 808 sound and a solid grasp of how to freak all kinds of samples, imagine if a stable like G.O.O.D. Music or Roc Nation gobbled up Hucci as a in-house producer? He could bring some meaty beats for rappers to go ham over, or turn down some neck-snapping trap-esque tapestries for vocalists to get turnt up to. His lane might not extend past trap lovers and those who can vibe with that sound with a proper vocalist, but just imagine if Hucci went on a Neptunes/Timbaland-esque spree of production credits for artists like Beyonce or Rihanna.

8. Young Thug

Lil Wayne may have cemented himself the spot as hip-hop's first true "alien," but now there are more and more rappers pushing the envelope of experimentation and incorporating bizarre new elements into not only their lyrics and beats, but their whole aesthetic. At the extreme end of this new movement sits Young Thug, who has created his own odd niche. With his untamed voice and outlandish lyrics, the rapper has established himself as one of the most unique in the game. Whether or not that catches on is still to be determined, but if it does he could be a Future-type artist who sings hooks, lends verses, mixes the weird with the accessible.

THE WEIRD TURN PRO: YOUNG THUG

9. Arkon Fly

Catchy, warm dance music that looks back to old school house for its inspiration, but does something new and exciting with the sounds of the past, could not be more popular right now. With artists like Disclosure gaining massive mainstream popularity without losing the respect of (most) of the dance music scene, Arkon Fly are a duo who could be big. "Through The Fire" may be under three minutes long, but it proves that the London duo have an ear for a catchy melody and a dancefloor slaying bassline, not to mention that the vocals are the band's own, not sampled. One thing is clear—Arkon Fly have all the tools to tap into the current dance music craze with great success.

10. Vaults

Not only have London band Vaults got the whole mysterious thing going for them, they've backed it up with great music. "Cry No More" is a gorgeous, slow-building pop song, powered along by the lead singer's rich, emotional vocals, and backed up by glittering, mystical production. In less than a year, London Grammar, a band to whom Vaults bear definite similarities, have gone from unknowns to blog-beloved soon-to-be-superstars, and we'd hope that Vaults would follow the same path.

11. Chance the Rapper

This one is obvious, right? Right.

Just under a year ago, Kendrick Lamar proved that up-and-coming rappers can find success by focusing on an artistic vision, substance and lyricism. Chance The Rapper has those things in abundance, and more. Easily one of the best—and most unique—rappers in the game, he dazzled on this year's Acid Rap with a combination of technical showmanship ("Juice"), impossible-to-not-relate-to nostalgia ("Cocoa Butter Kisses"), and a direct plea for the rest of the world to see the violence in his hometown of Chicago the way it really is ("Paranoia"). All this while balancing a completely unique aesthetic and unshakeable sense of fun. Chance already made his debut hit—one that made it to the Billboard charts without a price tag—it'd be stupid not to sign him, and it's pretty clear that the labels are all after him, so it might take some tough negotiation to get Chance to sign with P&P records.

CHANCE THE RAPPER BRINGS "ACID RAP" TO NEW YORK CITY

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