65) Splurge

Among the gamut of under-20 budding stars on this list is Arlington’s Splurge, who’s coming off of a busy, 4-project 2018. Though he hasn’t managed to break 10 million in any of his videos so far, he’s racked up a fair amount of attention for a number of his releases such as “Free Granny” and “Beat By Jeff”. Splurge doesn’t fit in an easily defined wave nor scene, but there’s familiarity in his music: his indoor-voice (sometimes whispered, like in “Steve Nash”) threat bars bring Hoodrich Pablo Juan to mind, and his sparse, bass-heavy production wouldn’t be out of place in SoundCloud’s early DIY trap syndicate. His videos add another angle of character to his songs, too — a kind of Chief Keefian effortlessness present that a lot of artists don’t possess, like Splurge just walks around rapping.

This is designer, this shit not from PacSun

It’s my shooter’s birthday, I bought him a MAC gun

We smokin’ niggas, we don’t smoke cigarettes

Feel how you feel but keep me off your internet — “Free Granny”

66) Squidnice

Staten Island’s Squidnice had a great 2017, but hasn’t quite been able to reach “Trap By My Lonely”s success. That being said, his off-kilter melodies and paranoid production make for some interesting songs like “Everywhere I Go”, and he‘s managed to continue releasing solid material like late last year’s “ASTOUNDING”. But it’s a hard fall to go from 5 million to 50 thousand, and may not make the best case for Freshman status (though that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check him out). He also pulled up on Skinnyfromthe9, though nothing happened because Skinny was hanging out with like twenty cops.

Everywhere I go I got cheese on me like nachos

Yeah need my side hoe in my back pocket like an iPhone

These niggas can’t talk shit, can’t talk grips cause we got those

I don’t really got time for you I be in a different time zone — “Everywhere I Go”

67) Thutmose

I accidentally saw Brooklyn’s Thutmose live in Oakland when he opened for Billie Eilish (it was for a zine, I promise) in 2017. I was pleasantly surprised by an excellent performance with a ton of energy, riling up a crowd who had likely never heard of a then-barely-5k-on-Instagram opener from the East Coast. Since then, I’ve seen his name pop out on occasion — a few Spotify radio shuffles or YouTube autoplays brought me to “Blurry Nights” and “Rounds” ft. Jay Critch, and most notably found him on “Memories” from the Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse OST. He’s got a lot going for him: he can write songs, has solid presence on a track, and is a capable performer. Now he just needs the attention.

Cops come around, never get involved

Run to the bank, get a withdrawal

Mask off, mask off, Jack Frost, half off

Bath salts, back up, back up, lights up — “Rounds”

68) TJ Porter

Harlem’s TJ Porter isn’t quite popping off yet, but he’s bubbling. When “Tricky” hit a few million plays on SoundCloud, Porter got picked up by Def Jam in 2018, allowing him to set up for a major debut this year. The former basketball prodigy works in the vein of artists like A Boogie with a Hoodie, with fast-paced melodies riding on top of trap instrumentals like in “Heartless”. He’s still looking to hit a million on one of his YouTube music videos, but with strong label support and a circulated debut may be able to give his career a real jumpstart.

I got a snake on my sneaker, I’m making more money than my teacher

It’s game time, screamin’, “We gon’ ball,” remember I sat up on the bleachers

Wherever I go they screaming my name and playing my tunes on the speakers

Fuck all of them bitches who curved and got on my nerves, now all of them some eaters — “Tricky”

69) Tierra Whack

I knew Philly’s Tierra Whack was going to be a star when I first listened to (and saw) “Whack World” and “Mumbo Jumbo”. Innovative usage of vocals, creative lyricism, and stunning visuals make her one of the most distinctive artists on this list, and moreover, in the scene today. Most of her current releases fall in line with quirky, idiosyncratic alternative R&B like “Only Child”, but she’s a wordsmith when she wants to be, as evidenced by this Say Cheese freestyle. Her songwriting ability is A1, she’s got a great voice, and her videos are gorgeous. Though she’s racking up millions of plays across various platforms right now, I’ll be honest — I’m confident that compared to how big she’ll be in a couple years, it’s still early enough to hop on board.

Spiteful and malicious, hope that other chick got syphilis

Sick of this, hard to stomach, now that nigga shittin’ bricks

Hypocrite, punch you in yo’ lip, oh shit, you slippin’, sis

Used to arch my back for you and now I’m your arch-nemesis — “Only Child”

70) Tokyo Jetz

Jacksonville’s Tokyo Jetz came up off of car freestyles, and since then hit 15 million on “No Problem” last year. For fans of aggressive, traditional trap in the vein of TI over contemporary instrumentals, Jetz is a torch-carrier: avoiding the pitfalls of modern trap rap, possessing a classic style while maintaining relevance. “Baller Alert” highlights Jetz’ powerful command of flow alongside an incredibly smooth Kash Doll feature, making it one of the better duo cuts I’ve heard thus far. Though she isn’t currently on an upward trajectory, she’s still releasing well-received Floridian trap bangers on the regular, with a project slated to come out this year.

Don’t care ‘bout no pillow talking or none of your stupid friends

But I thought you bitches knew, can’t keep no nigga with no kid

Let me guess, you heard about me, can tell you what they said

I’m just gon’ have several seats on your baby daddy’s head — “Down in the DM Freestyle”

71) Tyla Yaweh

Orlando’s Tyla Yaweh found his momentum the past six months out of nowhere. “SHE BAD” hit several million views within a few months of its release, and followup single “High Right Now” just hit 3 million in less than three weeks. Somewhat of a Swae Lee soundalike, Yaweh’s got a great voice and touches his instrumentals with guitarwork and rock elements, resulting in somewhat of a realization of mainstream emo rap with Top 40 potential. And his recent signing to Post Malone’s London Entertainment, as well as his affiliation with Post could be keys to the top if he uses them right.

Rolling Gelatto, are we staying stanky

Ride with the gang and they stay with the glizzy

And my ring is Versace, so bitch, kiss my pinky

Sipping so much lean, I’m losing my kidneys — “Salute”

72) Valee

I don’t know what it is about Chicago and GOOD Music’s Valee that makes me certain he’s a genius. I mean, he hardly says anything sometimes, like on “You And Me Both”. It must be the weird-ass earworm flows on “Miami” and “Womp Womp”, or the fact that rappers decided to utilize them so soon after they were released. Or maybe it’s just that Valee is doing something special, something subtle, and crafts interesting songs that not only find themselves stuck in your head, but lack comparison in today’s saturated hip-hop meta. Aside from “Womp Womp”, and maybe “Miami”, Valee doesn’t make songs for international play — but it doesn’t sound like he’s trying to, and I personally like it that way.