AP' Artists to watch out for in 2019 - 1FIGURES
Posted by Ras Figures on2018 was pivotal in transcending the music scene to heights never seen before, with the new year promising to be even better. Last October we witnessed what some deemed to be groundbreaking pertaining to UK Hip-hop, the chorus-less song ‘Funky Friday’ by Fredo and Dave debuting at No 1 on the UK Singles Chart. The achievement must have meant a lot to both artists involved but does much more for the UK music scene, with songs with similar aesthetic also performing well on the charts. We wanted to curate a list that expresses who we thought was on track to have a dope 2019.
Russ -
Russ started off the year strong by releasing the highly anticipated remix to his song ‘Gun Lean’, amassing 1.8 million views on YouTube in just 4 days and achieving the highest 24-hour view count in GrmDaily history. This song has exposed him to new level of viral fame and will surely set him up to have a good year but also aids the ongoing battle between drill and mainstream music. I am excited to see how Russ grows within the scene because the possibilities are endless, he has all the potential to become a household name in the UK and I look forward to seeing if he can build toward making that happen.
Loz Smith -
The industry usually glamourises the good things that come with being in the public eye and we rarely hear of the problems that fame brings, Loz has voiced her opinion regarding trolls and bullies on the internet and has documented the problems she has had to withstand. In a time where transparency is perceived as weak, I commend her for allowing her audience to take this rough journey with her. Loz shot to fame after a clip of her freestyling went viral on Instagram, she followed that up with a music video that currently sits on 527k views on YouTube. Depending on what she decides to do she could have a respectable year, whether it be via music or other means such as YouTube, I’m sure we will see more of her.
Headie One –
Notorious for his controversial songs and unique adlibs, Headie one was introduced to the UK masses when he released ‘Know Better’ in January 2018. The song was made in reaction to a video that went viral on Instagram of Headie being cornered by his adversaries, so many sit in jail or dead for physical retaliation so I can only praise him for his decision to hit back with music. This song single handedly put Headie one in a new tier and he has followed it up with track after track surpassing a million views on YouTube, his latest release ‘18HUNNA’ featuring Dave has been on the Official Singles Chart for two weeks peaking at number 6 and currently at number 11. This first quarter release positions Headie One perfectly to have a huge year and I will be watching closely, especially since the recent rumours of a Wizkid feature.
NSG –
A new genre of music coined ‘afroswing’ has recently took the UK by storm with help from artists such as Jhus and Kojo Funds, NSG have also helped to keep this genre alive with several songs doing well on the internet. The group of 6 from Hackney take pride in their originality and it shows through the music and style, their latest release, ‘Options’ featuring Tion Wayne has managed to chart without any backing from a major label. The NSG fan base grows every day, videos of supporters dancing to the song have been flooding the timeline and in result of this ‘Options’ continues to climb the charts, I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the rest of the year.
Digga D –
If you enjoy dark gruesome content Digga D may be your pick of the bunch, he depicts his life on the streets of London with perfect lyrical delivery no matter how provocative. With a few videos surpassing the million-view mark and arguably the best verse on his appearance on Russ’s ‘Gun Lean’ Remix, he may be on his way toward solidifying himself within the scene. Drill music has been shunted in the past but 2019 looks positive for the notorious genre and Digga D may be one integral part of making that happen.
Yxng Bane –
Yxng Bane is an artist with undeniable star power, with the ability to rap and the confidence to hold a note not many can make music as well as he can. Bane has had immense success with single releases, in 2017 his remix of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’ went viral, and he continued that trend by dropping the single ‘Rihanna’ later that year, which also done well. In July 2018 he came out with a joint 10 track project with Dblock Europe called ‘Any Minute Now’, the project was very cohesive, and it came at the perfect time because of the demand for both artists. The project really allowed Yxng Bane to show much he has grown as an artist over the years and I’m excited to see if he sticks to bringing out more vulnerable content.
Written by AP
24/01/19
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