The 5 Next Biggest Names In Aus Rap
With an insane year of releases and projects in the Australian Hip-Hop/Rap scene it is amazing to think that our scene is just now breaking through ceilings thought impossible only a few years ago. With multiple successful international collaborations and huge projects coming from some of the biggest names in our scene, it is exciting to imagine what lies ahead in the near future and what the scene will look like in 5 years time. Today however, we take a look at some of the biggest up and coming artists that you need to pay attention to in 2021.
5 - KZ DA BANDIT
A fresh and young face in the scene, KZ Da Bandit has been rapping for a short time now and has been improving constantly. KZ made waves around 2016/17 with his early SoundCloud releases “JBLOCK” and “Out Da Chains” gaining over 100K+ listens very early on, leaving a huge impact on his streaming totals and introducing himself to the scene. Backing a gangster rap sound with impressive lyrical ability, KZ also manages to craft some incredibly catchy hooks whilst maintaining a sound that can appeal to the masses. 2020 saw all of these traits come to light with his 3 video releases and singles. His first video and drop of 2020 came in the form of the fast paced, lyric heavy, onetake style clip titled “6 To One”. It was this track that first gave us an insight on his creative lyrical style and unique voice gaining almost 15K views. It was his second release however, that opened many of our eyes to the up and coming artist from Logan. The track, “Chargin”, is a party and trap banger with fast paced lyrics and booming 808’s the song become’s undeniably catchy with KZ’s hook remaining in my mind for weeks. This release did a lot better than his first gaing a current total of 40K views in it’s 6 months of upload time. The Logan City rapper came back for a third time in 2020 (Oct 16th)with his trap anthem “Pablo”. Yet again featuring another incredibly catchy hook and KZ’s unique battle-hardened voice. With every music video and track having a higher production value than the last it is hard not to imagine KZ Da Bandit’s name alongside some of the big names of Australian Drill in the upcoming years. KZ Da Bandit brings so much to the table in terms of his lyrical ability, creative style, lyrical content, and most of all his unique voice. 2021 will be an incredible year for this young and upcoming artist from Logan, KZ is planning on releasing his first project early this year, not a whole lot is known about the project this far so make sure to follow the artist through the links below!
4 - Nokz78
2020 was a huge year for our scene, and that remains true for our second artist on this list, releasing a total of 6 tracks and 5 accompanying music videos last year. Nokz gave everyone a taste of his creative ability for the first time in June 2020 with his single “Warm Up”. The one take style track features impressive wordplay and punchlines interlaced between the booming 808 kick and drill influenced percussion. The two and a half minute song is riddled with creative set-up and punchlines, a theme that would become present in all his music so far. “Warm Up” now has a total of over 250K views on YouTube. A short 2 months after dropping his first two songs and videos, Nokz raised the ante another fast paced one take style track titled “Chat”, and for many, it was the first time hearing the impressive lyrical ability that Nokz78 possesess. Although arguably a better and more uptempo track than “Warm Up”, “Chat” has a current total YouTube views of over 170K as of writing. Nokz78 sounds like a hybrid of Chillinit’s lyrical ability and Lisi’s energy and delivery. But it was the later months (Oct 9th)of the year that Nokz showed us his alternative styles and his flexibility within genres, proving to be extremely versatile with tracks such as: “Drop”, “24”, “FTB”, and “Into Drinking” backing a much slower and relaxed energy than his other releases. It was his extreme versatility, workrate, and lyrical ability that set Nokz apart from the others last year, and will likely be the fuel to his future success in the years to come. Be sure to stay updated on all his upcoming projects by following his social media channels below!
3 - The LC official
In October 2019 a new duo of rappers broke into the scene under the group name “The LC” with their debut single “STATEMENT” featuring Henny. The LC, made up of rappers “Juxso” and “Maynukz” made their debut alongside Henny in the four minute long track that features intense and aggressive deliveries over a sampled acoustic guitar drill beat. Emerging from the streets of Logan City, QLD, the group took inspiration from their hometown to form their name, even going as far to include a news sound bite from a documentary style news report on Logan City, titled “The Woodridge Diaries”. It is this unfiltered repping of their hometown that likely led to their initial success having less fans and streams than the other artists on this list. The duo’s impressive lyrical ability and flawless deliveries that quickly captured everyone who listened laid the foundation for the duo’s success and is highlighted in all three of their releases. Their second song, “FADE EM’”, also features Henny and is a slower paced track that really let’s the lyrical abilities of the duo stand out and breathe. Featuring the same aggresive lyrical content as their first track, “FADE EM’' utilises a softer and slower delivery than their debut track. The track has a simple and memorable hook that seamlessly transitions the listener between verses. Post release, the duo took a break for reasons unknown, returning in late 2020 (Dec 11th) on the Runaway Wraith YouTube channel for their new single “GREAZY”. The track shows the groups improvement and increase in production qaulity, featuring a unique sample over the bouncing 808 and kick drums and the same impressive lyrical content and delivery they have become known for. These two have an extremely bright future ahead of them both as “The LC” and as independent artists alike, the effortless yet flawless delivery of the visually memorable lyrics is only matched by some of the biggest names in our genre. As of writing, Juxso has released his first independent track in the form of a remix to Nelly’s “Hot In Here”. The track further showcases his creative lyricism and cadences that veer from the track's original flow scheme. Be sure to keep an eye on these two this year through their social media channels below!
2 - DonDrino
Every once in a while you hear someone rap and you just know their energy is different, and there is no doubt in the lyrical content and delivery, it just hits differently. DonDrino is a perfect example of this, first being noticed when his promotional video for “Gonna Die” went viral on Facebook. DonDrino is a perfect example of an artist who can say a lot through few words, in his debut track, Drino’s lyrical content is especially great at conjuring vivid mental imagery whilst being extremely blunt and straight to the point. This skill is perfectly balanced with his subtle storytelling abilities and creates a listening experience similar to Huskii, NTER, and Lil Sknow. Bringing to the table his street influenced lyrical content and on point song structure, Drino has come as a surprise to many and fortunately he is here to stay. Releasing his second track in late 2020 (Dec 11th) titled “I Promise”, a track which we featured in our December 11th edition of Dropped This Week, Drino returned with another street influenced trap anthem just in time for the summer. It is clear that DonDrino is going to make a lot of noise in our scene in the upcoming years, with a few projects coming along early this year we are extremely excited to see what this amazing new artist has to show us. Stay up to date and support Don Drino by following his social media channels and watching his music videos below!
1 - Isaac Puerile
Now Isaac Puerile has been in the scene for a minute now, releasing his first YouTube music video early 2016 titled “Blood”, but it was his second YouTube video that opened many listeners eyes to the immense talent and creativity of Isaac Puerile. The track, titled “Trainspotting” featuring DEADENDZ. The track is guided by the Blacktown native’s melodic tones and deliveries whilst the beat is driven by the metro sample and booming 808’s. Gaining only 10K views as of writing, it is Puerile’s most viewed video but is arguably one of his weaker songs. His two 2020 releases titled “2012” and “Days In The Rain” (Nov 21st) contain a much more mature and refined version of the earlier Puerile, with even more creative, emotional and expressive freedom displayed through his lyricism and delivery. “2012” pays hommage to the clique and times he was a part of in the aforementioned year 2012. Featuring a slow paced laid back production and lyrics to match, the track is intriguing and has a very distinct sound and vibe associated with it. This is similar to his latest release, “Days In the Rain”. The alternative melodic trap anthem features lyrical content detailing his various struggles and hardships faced in life, even mentioning a personal story in the song's music video, interlaced within the opening monologue. Puerile was thrust deeper into our scene with his 2020 feature on NTER’s “Silverspoons”, casting him out into wider audience and further cementing his legacy within our scene. Although it seem like everything is silent on his end we are sure that this year will be the breakout year for Isaac Puerile and is definitely worth keeping a close eye on, his unique fusion of melodic rapping and trap influenced lyrical content when added to his immense talent is a combination that is sure to take this incredible young artist to heights unimagined.
And so, what a year it has been, we saw a multitude of great projects and releases in our rapidly growing scene this year and the journey so far has been amazing. We take this time to politely thank our active readers and social media followers, as well as the talented and driven artists that provide us with the dope music to begin with! We hope you all had a great holiday season and have a wonderful year to come.
