5 Hip-Hop Artists to Look For in 2010

Asher Roth, P.O.S, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, and Mike Posner, five artists we spotlighted last year, all made significant noise in the industry in 2009. However, the year is changing and it’s time to spotlight five new artists who definitely have bright futures in hip-hop. XV, Dessa, Jared Evan, Theophilus London and Novel are five artists you definitely want to get familiar with in 2010 so you can tell your friends you were down with them before they went big.

XV

In 2009, Donavan Johnson, better known as XV, dropped one of the hottest mixtapes of the year. “Everybody’s Nobody” garnered much attention for the 23-year-old rapper and his name became well-known throughout the land of the internet.

XV has been rapping for a long while now, and releasing plenty of mixtapes. In 2008 he released “The Square in the Circle,” marking the first time he caught some serious attention. However it was “Everybody’s Nobody” that made the Kansas native a staple in the hip-hop underground.

2010 should be the year of XV. He is very fan friendly, as he is on Twitter often. He even lets the fans know when he is on Xbox live and what game he is playing.

With collaborations alongside Lil’ Wayne, Ne-Yo, Mike Posner, Big Sean, Bun B., GLC, and Wiz Khalifa, XV is ready for people to recognize his flow when he steps up to the mic.

Listen to: “Gobstoppers” featuring Wiz Khalifa. And make sure you hit up his Myspace.

Jared Evan

Jared Evan is another young emcee looking to making a name of himself this coming year. At the age of 21, Evan has found himself on a major label and backed by some hip-hop heavyweights in Rik Cordero and Polow Da Don.

Evan manages to bring a different style to his emcee abilities by not only rapping, but singing hooks that other rappers can only dream about.

His debut mixtape, “Radio in my Head,” saw him rapping over production that most others can’t pull off. Whether it was over Radiohead, RATATAT, or Air, Evan did his thing, and it erupted into one of the hottest mixtapes of the year.

With the right people and youth on his side, Evan has plenty of time to grow as an emcee and make himself widely known throughout 2010. His debut album is expected to be released within the year, which should definitely push him to the top.

For more information on Evan, check out our interview with him, or hit him up on Twitter or Myspace.

Listen to: “They Don’t Know.”

Theophilus London

Armed with a smooth flow and a singing voice that could compete with any soul singer, Theophilus London is an artist who should be easily embraced by all.

London successfully merges the world of soul and hip hop with a hint of pop to create a sound one isn’t used to. With the release of his mixtape, “This Charming Mixtape,” early on in 2009, many ears quickly tuned into and joined the London movement.

Repping the city of Brooklyn, London is apart of this new age of rappers mixing genres to evolve rap music into a whole new species.

Influenced by the likes of Joy Division, David Bryne, and The Smiths, London is making music no one else is used to hearing.

London is hard at work on his debut album but check him out on Twitter and Myspace for now.

Listen to: “Humdrum Town.”

Dessa

Dessa’s much-anticipated debut album, “A Badly Broken Code,” will finally be released on Jan. 19. This will be the first important hip-hop album to drop in the new year.

As part of the Doomtree collective, Dessa has made her mark in hip hop as being one of the finest lyricists around. She has proved she not only can rap, but sing, over any kind of production. Whether it be a melancholic piano-driven beat, or a bass heavy anthem-like  beat, Dessa should be the go to woman of hip-hop.

With the release of her album, hopefully more will catch on and acknowledge Dessa as the best female emcee around. Her debut album should have all the potential to be one of 2010′s best hip-hop albums.

If you aren’t familiar, check her out on Myspace or Twitter. You can also pre-order her album.

Listen to: “Dixon’s Girl.”

Novel

Novel is perhaps the best all-around artist out there right now. Rapping, singing, songwriting, producing, you name it, and he does it.

Probably being the most under-appreciated and under-rated artist alive, Novel has wrote and produced for stars such as Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis, and Beyonce. Behind the scenes, Novel is an all-star, but it’s time for him to come to the forefront in 2010.

Mixing a style of singing and rapping, Novel can do R&B, hip hop, soul, pop, or mix them all together in the ultimate boiling pot of music.

His song, “E.O.T.W,” from his 2009 mixtape, “Suspended Animation,” is one of the best songs of 2009. He’s currently working on his album, and there’s rumor he’s doing a hook for Lupe Fiasco. Novel should become one of the most prominent artists in 2010.

Check him out on Twitter or Myspace.

Listen to: “E.O.T.W aka Donnie Darko.”

Related Posts

1. Boy, XXL Blew It
2. Jared Evan “In Love With You”
3. 5 Hip Hop Artists to Look for in 2009
4. Catching Up with Jared Evan
5. 10 Women Artists We Can’t Get Enough Of

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 27th, 2009 at 11:46 am and is filed under Features, Music and tagged with dessa, Jared Evan, novel, Theophilus London, XV. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.