5 On It: Can't Rewind

5 On It is a feature that looks at five of the best under-the-radar rap findings from the past two weeks, highlighting new or recently discovered artists, or interesting obscurities.

During 5 On It's existence, different city's have emerged as surprise torchbearers full of talent. Milwaukee pops up constantly, a hotbed for rappers as varied as they are plentiful—IshDARR, WebsterX, Mic Kellogg, Reggie Bonds, Bankx, among others. Boston proved tight knit but mighty with the arrival of Cousin Stizz and Big Leano. Toronto proved to be more than Drake and the factory that keeps Drake running with rappers Lais, John River, TOBi, and the New Wave Order crew

If the last few months (though really the life of the column) are any indicator, Baton Rouge is an absolute bubbling cauldron of talent ready to boil over. Add 16-year-old NBA YoungBoy to a list of rappers to watch that includes Hot Boy Major, Caleb Brown, Quadry, and Adam Dollar$, to name a few.

"Everybody under the skies, man they schemin,'" YoungBoy raps in the opening bars of standout track "38 Baby," a resigned understanding of Baton Rouge's daily perils (and an implicit acknowledge of the cold remove and violent resolve necessary to survive in such uncertain conditions). YoungBoy's familiar drawl recalls just how important the presence of Louisiana rappers has been over the past two decades—from Juvenile and Master P through Lil Wayne's reign onto Kevin Gates quiet ascension to stardom—and makes it seem all the stranger that there's never been a unified scene in either of the state's major cities, New Orleans or Baton Rouge.

YoungBoy raps with charisma and calculation in equal measure, his voice bearing the invisible weight of someone who's already lived more than most adults before exiting his teens. It's a compelling combination that makes shines through on "38 Baby" and makes YoungBoy an artist to watch.

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Atlanta rapper/director Vonte Vendetta's "Southside Sunny" bubbles slowly from silence, a pristine late summer jam that sounds like a breezy evening encapsulated in two and a half minutes. Vendetta's rapping is as effortless as it is intricate, a tap dance across muted keys and restrained percussion that barely hangs around long enough to kick into gear. It's the sort of song that could extend on for five or six more minutes and not feel overly long, a mellow mood for a momentary escape from reality.

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Speaking of New York, part of the reason the city started to seem stale in the last decade was a toxic lack of fun. Some music should just be silly and sound good when you're drunk.

Bronx rapper Makinout's "Trending Like I'm Bobby (THE NIGHT I MET YesJulz)" has a ridiculous, click-worthy mouthful of a title that doesn't disappoint in delivering an equally off the wall listening experience. It's fun, funny, doesn't completely make sense, and succeeds for all those reasons. A reminder that any successful scene has its odd voices doing adventurous and occasionally humorous things at the fringes.

St. Louis rapper Amir's "Portal Music" sounds like a transmission from the depths of darkest night, reserved and desperate in equal measures. It floats, nightmarish and meandering, haunting stream of consciousness. Amir's rapping never raises above a simmer, but it suggests rage and paranoia beneath the surface—emotion restrained out of necessity. Director Louie Quatorze's visual accompaniment blends urban landscapes with surreal imagery and editing, shirtless and chained men walking through desolate streets, sweating in terror. (Quatorze also directed St. Louis rapper J'Demul's "University Street," featured in last week's 5 On It; his camera may be shining a light on yet another emergent bed of talent).