5 Rising Artists Who Are Ready To Break Out

2015 has already been an incredible year for Hip-Hop. We have reviewed numerous albums from some of the major players in the game and there will be plenty more in the upcoming months. And while the mainstream segment of the genre has been at the forefront of everyone’s attention, the independent scene has also been thriving in 2015. There are an endless list of artists who are making quality music, with some making great strides as they work to gain national notoriety.

Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up The Super Bowl With Bold Drake Diss And Surprise Guests

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime performance was nothing short of legendary, leaving fans buzzing with surprise cameos and bold moments that took his long-running feud with Drake to new heights. Kicking off with an unreleased song snippet and followed by “Squabble Up” from his latest album GNX, Kendrick immediately set the tone for a game-changing performance. Fans eagerly waited to see if Kendrick would play his diss track Not Like Us, especially with Drake's ongoing lawsuit against him and his label for defamation and harassment. Lamar's performance included an unexpected appearance by SZA and a quirky cameo from Serena Williams, along with Samuel L. Jackson’s comedic interruptions, all building the suspense around the Drake drama. In the middle of his performance, Kendrick turned up the heat, looking straight into the camera and directly addressing Drake with his famous lyrics, “I heard you like them young," as fans held their breath. Despite the tension, Kendrick censored himself when it came time to call Drake a "certified lover boy" and avoided saying “pedophile,” which had been widely speculated. Social media lit up with mixed reactions, with some fans mocking the performance as a "mid mashup" and others noting the intense hostility toward Drake. With the hashtag #KendrickBowl trending, it’s clear that Kendrick’s performance was a cultural moment that pushed boundaries—but has he gone too far, or is this just another chapter in hip-hop history? Only time will tell, and Drake has yet to respond.

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Keeping this theme in mind, HHNM has decided to compile a list of 5 rising artists who are on the verge of moving beyond the “internet fame” and into the next grouping of household names in the world of hip-hop.

Learn about each artist below and be on the lookout for more feature articles from us in the near future!

Vic Mensa

One surefire way of frustrating an artist is to constantly compare him/her to one of their peers. Early on in Vic Mensa’s career, he was continuously categorized in the large shadow of Chance The Rapper due to both artists coming from the same camp. However, fast forward to 2015 and it is Mensa who has set himself up for mainstream success whereas Chance has opted to stay on the independent route with his Social Experiment band. Since releasing his breakout mixtape INNANETAPE, Mensa has naturally switched up his style to a sound that caters more to the urban contemporary radio audience (see “Down On My Luck”). Mensa has also greatly benefited from his relationship with Kanye West, with his feature on “Wolves” and Ye’s assistance on “U Mad?” resulting in mutually rewarding collaborations. All of these factors have been essential in Mensa’s recent signing to Roc Nation, and the sky is the limit for this multi-dimensional artist who has both the hunger and skill-set to be a leading force in the years to come.

Must Listen Project: INNANETAPE

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