41) Lil Wop

As evidenced by the like/dislike ratio of his Lyrical Lemonade debut in “Wokstar”, the fine connoisseurs of YouTube-driven trap evidently aren’t ready for Chicago weirdo Lil Wop. Absurdly out of place in a scene marred by high saturation and uniformity, the 1017 signee is a croaked death rattle of fresh air, his voice less of a vehicle for luxury bars and more of a texture. If Young Thug ‘uses his voice as an instrument’, Wop uses his as harsh noise, power electronics: something to invoke discomfort rather than melody. He isn’t an artist who’s going to fit into a popping Freshman Class, but he’s something special. You might even enjoy him. Listen to “Sinister” — hear the way Wop utters [ a̞͇̳̮̹̐̅yͥͥͬ̇҉̶̙̟̪̪͕͕͇͠ͅy̢͓̜̳̎̋̒̅͘y̐ͪͪ̏͊́͘͏̳͍̲͉̤̖̟].

Please don’t trust me, cause I’m sneaky nigga, I’ll wipe yo nose

I’ll take money out yo pocket and go Givenchy my toes

I’m either wit a nigga bitch or in the store or on the stove

I feel like Tony, Gucci slippers, in the trap house in the road — “Lost My Mind”

42) Loso Loaded

ATL denizen Loso Loaded logically should have blown up by now, but may have left his momentum in early 2017. A series of features at pivotal points in their careers including 21 Savage (“Extortion”), Lil Yachty (“Loso Boat)” and the 50 million view golden goose “Pull Up Wit Ah Stick” with SahBabii came one after another, but did little to ensure a passage for Loso’s own success. Not that he isn’t a capable artist with plenty of solid material: the above-embedded “Bad Energy” came out a few months ago and is a great track, but the view counts aren’t signs of a bubbling career, making a Freshman Class inclusion unlikely.

Gualla in the briefcase, I just won a sweepstakes

Extortin’ pussy niggas out they gulla through the weekday

Ridin’ in a 10 speed in that muthafuckin’ V10

Extortin’ pussy niggas outta anythin’ nigga we ain’t ever been friends — “Extortion”

43) LouGotCash

Another Republic signee, LouGotCash hasn’t eclipsed his 2017 peak in party anthem “Make 10”, a song I actually enjoy quite a bit. Capable of delivering some professionally executed sing-song trap melodies, he may possess talent that isn’t translating to viewcounts, though his lack of consistent content may be to blame as well. That being said, as a label-owned songwriter, Lou might have some presence under the radar — he’s included on the Into The Spider-Verse soundtrack alongside Ski Mask the Slump God and Jacquees on “Save The Day”.

Silly me, I thought you were the right one

Now you’re broke, yeah, you should have had my damn son

Want me back, but you told me it was damn done

Let you go, yeah, I guess it was no fun — “Make 10”

44) Matt Ox

God, that haircut is fucking wack, but lil bro is still doing his thing. He’s so young that I’m almost sure the years are going to mold him into a legend. Remember “Overwhelming”? Chief Keef remembers.

Had to chase the bag ’cause I heard the money callin’

Heard the money talkin’, they like, “What it costin’?”

Drippin’ with the faucet and the Prada walkin’

Chasin’ guap like Sonic, too much in my pocket — “Zero Degrees”

45) Megan Thee Stallion

Houston’s Megan Thee Stallion is a gradually rising competitor in an warlike race to claim dominance over a new wave of dynamic female emcees. Less enveloped in gunplay-centric trap than her peers (but just as lethal), Megan’s style is significantly more rooted in Southern bounce and sexual aggression, the latter reminiscent of Missy Elliot’s bad-bitch MO. “Last Week in HTx” is most representative of her overall style, though lyrically combative tracks like “Stalli Freestyle” aren’t out of place either — both are amazing tracks that place Megan as a contender for an approaching blowup.

And your last bitch mad ‘cuz I’m coming up fast

I’m passin’ bitches up like they running out of gas

Your favorite rapper only use onomatopoeias

You don’t wanna hear it cuz you only wanna see her — “Stalli Freestyle”

46) Melii

Harlem’s Melii is more ghetto love stories than she is murder tales, but is just as expansive in repertoire as other bubbling female artists on this shortlist. Nocturnal club R&B like “See Me” doesn’t sound anything like the angry-as-fuck “Sh*t Talk” and speaks to Melii’s versatility, and the bilingual transitions do the same. “HML” dropped a few months ago and is creeping towards 3 million, which may not be enough to secure a place in an incredibly competitive shortlist, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Melii topping charts in the near future.

I ain’t tryna be ya friend only me and Benjamin

You know that I got the juice I’m a legend living proof

Pretty Mama in a coop for the haters bullet proof

You know I can never lose am a beast at what I do — “Sh*t Talk”

47) Mir Fontane

Jersey’s Mir Fontane vocalizes with a strained, soulful cadence, rapping about everything from barefaced jealousy (“Frank Ocean”) to harsh reflections of his environment (“Down By The River”). It’s somewhat shocking to listen to what sounds like surefire viral success and realize they all sit below a million hits — he’s truly a talented artist with an ear for melody and a knack for storytelling. It’s easy to call an artist ‘underrated’ if you rock with them and feel as if they aren’t heard by enough, but when observing the care put into Fontane’s music and his dynamic approach to delivery and lyricism, it’s a term I can comfortably use to describe him.

Coolant in the street, dead bodies on the ave

Heart beatin’ fast but my niggas just laughed

And we ran a red light, drove off in the night

And I ain’t ever been so scared in my life — “Down By The River”

48) Molly Brazy

Detroit’s Molly Brazy just turned 20, but has insisted that she’ll fuck you up for a few years now. I believe her. The attitude present in tracks like “Trust None” and “Pop Shit” is not, in fact, on some pop shit: there’s a grit and exasperation here that comes across as incredibly genuine (in the best way possible, like a Bhad Bhabie who’s about it). If the primary cohort of upcoming female hardcore rappers — the Ricos, Dolls, and Stallions — has an aggression power ranking, Molly sits way, way at the top. Permanently snarling, her delivery and lyricism can be best described as hostile, and music best described as warlike.