Getting tired of listening to that song you played 30 times in one day? Well, here are five new and personally-approved Rap and RnB artists guaranteed to jumpstart your latest playlist. Some of these artists are very underrated and others have songs that you probably haven’t listened to but definitely should. Making a playlist is an important task and the songs you pick must be ones that fit your vibe. Now and again, it can be fun to spice things up-venture out of your comfort zone and perhaps listen to something you haven’t yet. Hopefully, these recommendations can lead you to your newest song obsession.
- AG Club
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In first place, we have my all-time favorite artist AG Club. They like to say that they make genreless music, but I can see the slight influences of rap and RnB on each of their albums. A personal favorite of mine, Halfway Off the Porch, is an album that I could listen to one hundred times and not get bored. Some especially noteworthy songs from there are “Dusk/Dawn,” “Last Year,” “Paprika,” “Fight!!!,” and “Snaeks.” Here, we also hear their breakout song, “Memphis,” which got them a feature with A$AP Ferg and NLE Choppa. Their newest album, Imposter Syndrome, also just released a few weeks ago, where songs like “Mary” and “Candice” use soft and more euphoric melodies while delivering introspective lyrics while songs like “Kevin and Tattoo” counter with faster raps and more energetic beats.
- SZA
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Everyone knows her for her beautiful song “Good Days,” some of us even know her from her collab with Kendrick Lamar on “All the Stars” from the Black Panther movie. SZA encapsulated the world with her breakout album, Ctrl, and with that songs like “Broken Clocks,” “Love Galore,” and “The Weekend” soared to the top of the charts making way for the double platinum that soon followed. She just released the deluxe version of Ctrl, and I highly suggest giving it a listen, especially “Prom,” “2 AM,“ and “Tread Carefully.” If you want some of her other older projects, try out “Child’s Play,” “Julia,” and “Babylon” on her album, Z.
- Denzel Curry
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Since breaking out with his classic hit “Ultimate,” Denzel Curry has been one word: versatile. Ranging from drill rap to more jazz and melodious music, he delivers every time and gets his message across in a meaningful way. If you’re looking for more rap and harder beat drops, look no further than his album Taboo, especially songs like “SWITCH IT UP|ZWITCH 1T UP,” “SIRENS|Z1RENZ,” “BLACK METAL TERRORIST|13 M T.” For those looking for a song with a message, try out his album since breaking out with his classic hit “Ultimate.” For those looking for more of a message, try out his album Imperial and listen to “ULT,” “Good Night,” “Me Now,” and “This Life.” Now, in his most recent album Melt My Eyez See Your Future, he experiments with jazz and more melodic influences with the chords and beats. Some personal favorites from this album are “Melt Session #1,” “Mental,” “The Last,” “Worst Comes to Worst,” “Angelz,” and “Zatoichi.”
- mac miller
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Mac Miller was considered a classic the minute he was inducted into the 2011 XXL Freshman Class. Over the years, he evolved his discography from just fast-flowing raps to ethereal melodies about all types of topics. My hands down favorite album of his is Swimming. On this album, there are some fan favorites like “Self Care,” “2009,” and “So It Goes,” but some underrated ones are “Jet Fuel,” ” Dunno,” and “Come Back to Earth.” His posthumous album Circles is a close second and is virtually a no-skip album with songs like “Blue World,” “Good News,” and “Circles” at the top of the charts and songs like “Woods,” “That’s On Me,” “Everybody,” and “Complicated” being hidden gems in a masterpiece album. When looking back at some of his earlier projects, some absolute classics that come to mind of his best songs to date are “Objects in the Mirror, Yeah-(bonus version),” “Perfect Circle/Godspeed,” “The Spins,” “Loud, Of the Soul,” “Congratulations,” and “Dang!.” Mac Miller’s illustrious career can be seen in all of these songs, as he pours his heart out and lets us take a walk in his mind.
- Kehlani
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Kehlani is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated RnB artists to date. With the ability to harness beautiful vocals accompanied by strong beats and chords, they create strong, powerful songs about themself and everything they have faced. In their latest album, blue water road, they deliver exactly this with songs like “melt,” “alter,” “everything,” and “wish I never.” My personal favorites, “Too Deep,” “RPG,” “Toxic,” “Water,” “Advice,” and “In My Feelings,” showcase the depth of their entire discography and how their artistic style has changed over the years. Kehlani has taken the world by storm, collaborating with various other artists, enhancing the song, and providing it with an extra layer of intricacy. Try listening to their feature with Post Malone on Feel as they deliver ethereal vocals and add to the dimension of the song.
Consider adding these five rap and RnB artists to your Spotify rotation, you won’t regret it!
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