Nowadays, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed by the amount of new music that’s being made. However, there’s always going to be standouts, and there’s always going to be new people coming through. But who are we gonna see rise to the very top of their game?
The beef between Cardi B and Nicki Minaj is currently dominating social media. No matter what music you listen to, you’ve picked a side (and we’re Team Cardi). Unlike the beef between Pusha and Drake, where there was a clear winner, this one threatens to be a lot closer. You’ll have to wait to see who the winner is. There’s something about Cardi’s confidence that has many people nominating her as the next Queen of Rap – something that Invasion Of Privacy confirmed.
However, Nicki’s no slouch either. In many ways, she’s paved the way for the rest of the rappers to come through, and to this day remains as relevant as ever. From Superbass, Anaconda, Starships and more, there’s too many hits to choose from when it comes to Nicki. She’s never been afraid to back down, and you’ll want to catch her when she’s out here headlining FOMO in the new year. Both of them have serious claims to being the best female rapper in the world, and if rumours are true that Cardi’s writing a Nicki diss track, then you’ll want to stay tuned.
But hip-hop doesn’t have to be all negative. Some people are above the beef, and Janelle Monae is definitely one of them. She dropped Dirty Computer this year, her third studio album, and it’s full of certified bangers. While she hasn’t toured Australia since 2012, there’s surely something around the corner – after all she told Double J, “I hear that Australia has a lot of [Dirty Computers], so I will definitely be back there.” The rapper, actress, singer, songwriter and model has been killing it for over a decade, and when she’s not shining on the big screen, she’s dropping concept albums that aren’t just catchy and instantly listenable, but keep you coming back for more. Describing Monae’s music isn’t the easiest of jobs (and a lot of music journalists have tried) but she’s one of the best going around. We’re still waiting on her to reschedule her tour with Kimbra, something that we hope happens soon.
When it comes to the hottest names at the moment, there’s a couple you have to remember. Chicago’s Noname might just be the best rapper to come out of the city since Kanye (sorry Chance), and Australia has already fallen in love with her, shown not only by her legendary set at Meredith Music Festival, but her performances at this year’s Listen Out festivals. This year’s Room 25 is one of the best albums of the year, and if you haven’t heard it, then you’re missing out. She’s a Noname in moniker only, and if you saw her perform at Listen Out, you'll know she’s going to be playing stages a lot larger soon, not only in Australia, but overseas.
Speaking of up and comers, Saweetie only released her first major project, High Maintenance, in March this year, but she’s already making huge waves in the music scene. After blowing up on Soundcloud last year, and getting featured in Rihanna’s ad for Fenty Beauty during the Superbowl (which in itself is absolutely killing it), Saweetie had Zaytoven and CashMoneyAP on production for her EP. There’s big things to come from Saweetie, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. Her and Noname might have a different sound, but there’s one thing they both have in common – they’re showing the world how good hip hop can be.
When it comes to hip hop, we’re well and truly in a new age. Boom-bap is out, and trap beats are in. However, there’s someone out there for everyone, and these are our queens!
