1.
Scottish producer S-Type's sound has always gone hand in hand with hip-hop. Mixing a UK ear for dance music with a love and deep appreciation of rap, his hard-hitting, bombastic beats fit perfectly into LuckyMe's canon alongside Lunice, Hudson Mohawke, and Baauer.
After the release of his excellent Billboard EP in 2013, S-Type continued to kill it last year, dropping the Rosario EP and working with Baauer, HudMo, and Nick Hook on the epic Rap Monument project. Just one month into 2015, and S-Type has already take things straight to the club, with his new EP SV8. Collaborating with Lunice, Yung Gud, and Inkke, the new EP sets S-Type up for another big year—don't be surprised if you see his name in the credits of a major rap album sooner rather than later.
With the new EP out now (buy here), we asked S-Type to tell us his 10 favorite new and current rappers (no throwbacks to the greats!), and why he likes each of them. We knew he had good taste, and this just confirmed it.
2. Travi$ Scott
S-Type says:
Travi$ is probably my favorite artist right now, the dude’s just different from everyone. I know he’s been around for a couple years but I feel he’s still really underrated. There’s a rawness to his vocals, some almost sound like demos - the way he mumbles. I mean that in the best possible way. He met HudMo in early Kanye sessions before Cruel Summer and was normal kid. Now he’s became a monster and it’s cool to watch him grow into being so unique.
3. Kevin Gates
S-Type says:
Kevin Gates’ voice is dope, he sounds like he’s been smoking cigarettes since he was born. He sings on a lot of his songs, plays with melodies a lot and puts real emotion in his delivery. I like how he talks about love and real stuff (family), but in a thuggy way.
4. Zuse
S-Type says:
"Red" was an anthem for me last year. We were due to work together last year and have been swapping music for a while. He’s from Kingston but lives in Atlanta now. He’s done a bunch of songs with Young Thug but mad underrated still.
5. Tink
S-Type says:
I’ve only heard a few things by this girl but she’s insane. Tink can sing real well too. Her and Timbo are a perfect combination—I feel like she’s the right person to help revive his career and it helps everyone who’s waiting for new Missy.
6. Bodega Bamz
S-Type says:
Bamz is smooth as fuck. He had my favourite verse on "Rap Monument" for sure, he bodied that shit. Real street rap without being throwback.
7. Novelist
S-Type says:
My favorite new Grime MC, it’s hard to believe he’s only just turned 18—set up to have a good year. Novelist’s working with my boy Inkke just now too.
8. YC The Cynic
S-Type says:
YC is on the intro track on my Rosario EP. My manager put me onto him last year. He’s a real NY dude with something to say. I’m about to do some more work with him.
9. Mick Jenkins
S-Type says:
Sick new rapper from Chicago. Great voice and real soulful.
10. Rae Sremmurd
S-Type says:
Of course! Rae Sremmurd have mad character. They sound great on Mike Will’s cold beats, especially Swae Lee. As kid stars this coulda been really pop and colorful but the record is so minimal and restrained. And the vocal appearances aren’t hidden behind production. They are the stars of the show.
11. Cult Mountain
S-Type says:
I cheated on this last one because it’s three rappers (Milkavelli, Lee Scott, and Trellion), but they can all rap really fucking good so I couldn’t choose.
