As we enter a new year, we want to prepare you with superior knowledge of artists set to blow. We’ve covered a lot of ground so far, but there’s still a vast sea of artists that are awaiting mainstream exposure. Come take a look at what you’re probably missing out on right now.
I’m excited to be spotlighting even more artists as we begin a new decade. I’m growing more and more hopeful of the future of music as I’ve been constantly looking for fresh talent; there’s clearly no current shortage of artists with a notable music ability. We’re starting 2020 off hot with four artists who are sure to have a big year.
BaeBae Savo
Our first artist on this edition of “Undiscovered Gems” hails from Cleveland, Ohio. You might have seen his name as a feature on YSN Flow‘s smash hit, “Want Beef?” or on his collab with rap superstar DaBaby. Either way, now is a great time to get familiar with BaeBae Savo. With “Want Beef” at 14M views on YouTube and 1M views on his his track “Scared To Book Me”, it is pretty apparent that 2020 is going to be a breakout year for the Cleveland native. I get really excited about finding artists like BaeBae who are posted at this stage on the cusp of breaking into the mainstream. He clearly has Cleveland locked down, and demonstrated an industry-savvy understanding of the game with the timing of the DaBaby cut. The collab resulted in a 13k subscribers increase for him on YouTube. It’s safe to say the best is yet to come for BaeBae Savo, and the time is near.
JUGGER
Our next artist hails from Toronto, Ontario, and is a close affiliate of super-producer Wondagurl. I actually became hip to him through following Wondagurl on social media, as she boasted a collab with the relatively unknown artist (at the time). Consider this post your introduction to future star JUGGER. The notable collaboration was a good start, and once I heard his uniquely gritty collection of music, I was sold. Upon listening, I immediately became a fan, and anxiously approached his next release after his initial project “PSYCHO”. About 8 months later, he blessed me and the rest of his following with the drop of his second project, “BOOGEYMAN”. Both projects contain top-notch production along with an original approach to the beats, something I consider to be a winning combination. I’m certain that the future is bright for JUGGER, and it’s about time the rest of the scene gets hip. Check out the latest from one of Canada’s best up-and-comers below!
Rye Balla
Out of Hempstead, NY is Bronx native Rye Balla. He is one of the most promising acts out of Long Island right now, as he is steadily generating a lot of local buzz (along with some additional hype in his hometown of the Bronx). So far, he’s racked up over a million cumulative streams on SoundCloud, and did some solid numbers on Spotify as well (with 200k+ annual streams, after his first year on DSP’s). Some of my favorite tracks of Rye‘s include “Brothers”, “My Lil’ Baby”, and “Hot Like Fever” featuring Blackway. The work with Blackway is a big step for Rye Balla, as he shows that one of Long Island’s best is behind him. Blackway is most known for his appearance on the soundtrack of the Golden Globe-winning film, “Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse”. Some of Rye Balla‘s most notable work can be found within his latest project, Pre Season. Check it out and get familiar with yet another fire artist on the come up.
Junior Varsity
On Instagram, I noticed a duo hailing from LA that goes by the name of Junior Varsity. Their real names are Greg and Zach, and they’re bound to make a massive impact with their reckless-looking approach to performing. Their promise is pretty apparent, as they already have a Tokyo tour booked without even dropping any music. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a thing, even throughout all of the thorough artist-scouring I’ve done. It seems appropriate to summarize the duo’s mission with one of Greg’s responses in their Pigeons and Planes interview: “I just wanted to rage”. Their Instagram puts this theme on display, as most pictures are of them performing, which boast a gritty, punk look. I’m a huge fan of this “performance-first” approach, it seems like a genius way of capturing the energy of the rambunctious group. Although we mainly post links to music, this will serve as an exception to the rule, as they have no music up right now. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of questions, I certainly do too. Let’s see what Junior Varsity does on their deliberately low-key path through the development process as artists. Take a look at their Instagram below, and familiarize yourself with one of music’s most promising acts.
