F&F's 15 Artists To Look For In 2015

In this Soundcloud era of music we’re in, it’s way easier to get put on to new artists. But with that, it’s harder to find the dope ones. Every year different artists have their breakout years (seemingly out of nowhere). But lately in music, it’s been the one hit single that elevates artists to the mainstream. Yet...with the direction that Hip Hop is going in, we're going to see those one-hit elevations happen less and less and we're also going to see that artists are going to need a credible catalog of material before they're elevated... So some undefeated ears have devised a list of not every single artist you should look for this year but a list of 15 artists that have all the ingredients and resumes to make a lot of noise in 2015.

F&F's 15 Artists To Look For In 2015:
Tory Lanez:

Tory Lanez is by no means to a “new artist”, he’s been flourishing for some time now with a very impressive catalog of mixtapes but all signs point to 2015 to be the breakout year for the Toronto native. “Lost Cause” was his most complete effort to date and was a testament to the statement: Lanez can make music at a high quality level. And do it consistently.. Raping. Singing. Combining both. Tory Lanez has a wave on his hands and no one should be surprised one bit if this is the year he breakouts.

Luke Christopher:

Coming from the west coast, with a deep and a solid catalog with him is an artist by the name of Luke Christopher. Luke's another one of the new-age artists that can combines his singing/rapping abilities for dope music. And with a few projects and a handful of singles, he's maintained a buzz and name for himself and we can expect him to further that in '15. 

Dave East:

Who? Dave East. The end of 2014 East went a tirade, whether it was his “Black Rose” project that showed his originality and songwriting skills or his “Straight Outta Harlem” ‘tape that showcased him flexin’ over industry beats. Either way, be very ready for some major moves from the Harlem artist this year. You can’t just be anybody and get a cosign from Nas so just imagine what he sees in East. His wavy, street flow and dope story-telling skills can take him very far and everyone should keep a close eye and ear out for Dave East.

Tink:

A rapping-singing double threat out of the streets of Chicago comes in female form. Her name is Tink. Whether she’s spitting bars or singing lyrics, she got skills and her handful of mixtapes and singles tell us that. Timbaland has been her Mr. Miagi and with her talent and that coaching, how can she fail? Look out for her in 2015 though because all her singles that ended 2014 sound like she’s been brewing up something very very major.

Young Lito:

Young Lito’s only been rapping for about two years but that doesn't matter because he doesn’t have a ceiling. Out of the BSB camp, he automatically has that “work hard and put out nothing but quality” mentality and its been proven time after time. Recently he dropped off BSB Vol. 6 which was his first solo ‘tape and it showed us he’s here to stay. A gritty/rugged flow, authenticity in his bars, punchlines galore and charisma. Lito has natural raw talent and he has the recipe to cook up a big year in 2015.

Gio Dee:

Gio Dee is easily one of Boston’s diamonds in the dirt. After a couple years of finding his sound, a couple name changes, a couple hits, a couple ups, and a couple downs.. Gio Dee has been on a hot streak. Whether he’s on the East Coast or handling in business on the West Coast. Either way he's getting the job done. His ability to shine on any type of song and hold his own with whoever on whatever song tells us he has star-like quality. And with “TOTB2” slated to drop early this year, that’s even more of a reason to have Gio Dee on your radar in 2015.

Lil Herb:

One of Chiraq’s shining stars is Lil Herb and if he plays his cards right, 2015 will be his biggest year to date. 2014 was a busy year for him as he dropped quality singles holding his own with veterans in the game like Nicki Minaj and Common (on a single which was Grammy nominated). Two mixtapes that showed his growth and natural skillset and numerous guest verses that he shined on. Storytelling… Aggressiveness.. G Herbo can just flatout rap. And his “Pistol Pete Project” showcased him making thorough records from every angle. Street records, party records, story records. Everything. A couple right moves and 2015 could be his year.

Bryson Tiller:

Tiller hasn’t been around too too long but that doesn’t matter. In the short time he has been, he’s already gotten cosigns from Hip Hop Heavyweights like: Timbaland, and Busta Rhymes. Not to mention he has one of the biggest online buzzes right now. Pen Griffey Jr. will surely make some noise this year. In a time in music where traditional R&B is hard to find with all the new wave-party R&B filling the speakers, Kentucky’s Bryson got the wavy, bedroom music which sort of combines both traditional and party R&B and is only getting better.

Tungi Ige:

In Philadelphia, born and raised..the studio is where spends most of his days. Tungi Ige is a talented artist influenced by artists like Kanye and DMX and as awkward as that combination sounds.. Ige blends the two together masterfully. A lot of people were arguing for his “The Love Project” mixtape for Hip Hop project of the year and with good reason. His music is deep and heartfelt but most importantly it sounds amazing. Just off the way he impacted Hip Hop at the end of 2014 is a solid enough reason to look out for Tungi Ige in 2015.

Craigy F:

CraigyFMusic.. aka One Half of The Ridge aka The R&B Wave Of The Northeast. aka The Conneticut Cassanova... aka The Good Guy. aka Young Heartbreak Kid.. Craigy F has a thousand nicknames and he has a wave with him too. And that wave shows no sides of stopping or slowing down anytime soon. Based on his last couple of releases, his next project could very will be the one that that spreads the wave across all the masses. So get familiar with Craigy and his music before it's too late.

Daniel Caesar:

There’s three cities that will probably always have competition when it comes to music. New York, Atlanta and Chicago. But I think 2014 showed us you can add Toronto to that list. One on the rise, from the Toronto scene is Daniel Caesar. Very versatile. Very soulful. All around very dope. He calls the genre “new soul” and that’s fine by me. Caesar’s EP “Praise Break” was well-received across the board and it’s only the beginning. Daniel Caesar is definitely one you can expect big strides from the ‘15.

Lucki Eck$:

This Chicago youngin’ has his own lane. Don’t get me wrong, you can have your own lane and still be basura but that’s not the case with Lucki Eck$. Everything he has to date give proof that his future is indeed bright. He draws some similarities to Chance The Rapper but his image and sounds is darker. His project was called “Alternative Trap” and that’s a fair title for his genre. With his fanbase growing and his music getting better, expect to see his name a lot this year.

 Chris Smith Jr.:

Missouri has it's own gem with Chris Smith Jr. A unique sound in Hip Hop is always refreshing and when you have talent it makes it that much better. Contagious melodies and smooth vibes seem to be his foundation and it all comes together in a jiggy way. With a series of strong singles that have gotten him recognition and his “Zero Fatigue” mixtape coming soon, Chris Smith Jr. is going to make his presence felt in ‘15.

Tony Moreaux:

Mr. AMX has been doing his thing for a few years now and he’s finally picking up steam. Tony’s “Had You At Hello” EP dropped at the top of 2014 and things have been going upwards ever since. Releasing a series of dope singles and tough remixes since then that just add to the deep resume and the next project he drops should elevate his career to the next level. Confidence, content, and lyricism define Tony Moreaux. He’s a dope mix of old school meets new school and this year all the masses will hear his voice if he continues to give our speakers the heat he does.

Al Doe:

Bronx native- Al Doe is another artist to look out for in 2015. With a sound similar to the greats Big Pun and Fat Joe, Al Doe brings hunger and energy to his music. His "Keys Of Heaven" mixtape was what really got his name buzzin' and a series of thorough singles/freestyles since just help the buzz grow.

Yours Truly,
The Boy (@NateSaid)