crews are definitely acceptable providing the project they put out this year was a group release.
i'll start with Jonwayne i suppose, since OH left me hanging.
As far as the architect for being a popular rapper in 2017, Jonwayne shouldn't exist. He isn't flashy, he doesn't blow you away with lightning quick lyrics and wordplay, he doesn't smash you over the head with 808s and club anthem bass. In fact, I would go as far as to say that instrumentally he's one of the more reserved emcees working. He lays down a beat for atmosphere, and speaks to you. His style breathes honesty and passion. He's working hard at his craft and if you follow the trajectory from his other projects, you'll notice he's hit a new high.
MIKE
Anyone familiar with the New York based emcee and my taste in hip-hop won't be surprised by this choice. With the Beast Coast movement in the early 2010s we saw a return to the boom bap street style of NYs past, it was nice while it lasted but the nostalgia wore off. That's where someone like MIKE comes in to the scene. His experimental production may be a little off-putting to some at first, but his ice cold flow and Earl Sweatshirt inspired song structures are too good to pass up on. It's clear with his latest release May God Bless Your Hustle that he is onto big things in the future.
Jam Baxter
Earlier this year I found myself exploring the the UK hip-hop scene more than I ever had before. Part of that journey led me down the rabbit hole of abstract hip-hop in the UK. Spoiler alert: there are some great artists. Jam Baxter is, in my personal opinion, one of the most promising. I don't know much about the guy, but his releases date back to at least 2010 so he's been at it for awhile at the very least. What really stuck with me after listening to his album is that he truly can spit over anything. The production is all over the place, but he keeps his flow straight, and rides the beat like a surfer does a wave. Truly impressive stuff.
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