Throughout 2025, SoundCloud’s Ascending series celebrated trailblazing artists who are shaping the future of music and culture. This year, we placed a spotlight on 1900rugrat, Erin LeCount, honestav, bunii, YT, BabyChiefDoIt, Josh Baker, SAILORR and FattMack.
Ascending spotlights and accelerates the rise of breakthrough artists who have built a strong foundation on SoundCloud. Each month, our music experts select an artist whose talent, hard work and momentum are making an impact. Alumni of our Ascending series include Grammy nominees Jordan Adetuni and Shaboozey, chart-toppers like Kenya Grace and Jazzy, festival headliners like Mau P, Teezo Touchdown and Odetari, to name a few.
As part of this series, we help amplify these artist stories, from handing them the mic on social media to featuring them on our curated playlists, highlighting them with prominent homepage placements on the SoundCloud mobile app and even celebrating their success with billboards in London and New York City.
Ascending’s Class of 2025 was incredibly diverse, both in sound and geography. From braggadocious Florida rap to alternative indie pop from the UK, to minimal tech house from Manchester to Chicago drill and more, you’re going to want to remember these names and give them a follow. No matter your genre preferences, your next favorite artist is waiting for you on SoundCloud.
Get to Know Ascending’s 2025 Class
1900Rugrat
Hailing from Palm Beach County in Florida, 1900Rugrat oozes braggadocio, and is a firm believer in manifestation. The rapper got his start uploading tracks to SoundCloud eight years ago in 2017, with 2021’s “Bar4Bar,” featuring RICK, Kid7 and L Chapo, becoming one of his first to gain traction on the platform. Unintimidated by the prolific Florida hip-hop scene around him, he consistently dropped freestyles over artfully-chosen samples from artists as diverse as Lil Uzi Vert, Nancy Sinatra and Alicia Keys while perfecting his signature sound. You might have seen his viral “One Take Freestyle” performance on On The Radar in late 2024, but he’s been building since then. Being named SoundCloud's first Ascending artist for 2025 in March, he set the tone for an unprecedented year where he dominated SoundCloud charts and became the first artist to feature in our new series The Booth, where artists are invited to our recording studio in New York City to capture live performance of an exclusive track. This year also saw the release of his long-awaited debut album, ‘Porch 2 Pent,’ which features guest appearances from Lil Yachty, Kodak Black, BossMan Dlow and more. In November 2025, he dropped his latest, ‘Big Ah Kidz,’ which features Kyle Richh, Quavo, BabyChiefDoit and more.
LISTEN TO ‘BIG AH KIDZ’ BY 1900RUGRAT ON SOUNDCLOUD
CHECK OUT 1900RUGRAT’s “SOUNDCLOUD FREESTYLE” RECORDED EXCLUSIVELY FOR SOUNDCLOUD’S THE BOOTH
Follow 1900Rugrat on SoundCloud and read more about his ascent here.
Erin LeCount
April’s Ascending artist, Erin LeCount, is a 22-year-old alternative indie pop artist from Essex, England. Known today for her alternative, indie-pop sound, she began performing at open mics at age 9. As a child, she appeared on a British singing competition television series, an experience that left her with a complicated relationship with music. However, during the pandemic, she rediscovered her voice, teaching herself Logic Pro and writing songs exploring identity, relationships and adolescence. Her mother’s old ballet dance recital videos have heavily influenced her visuals and artistic sensibility, helping her to reconnect with her roots as an artist. Since joining SoundCloud in 2017, Erin has refined her sound, building a fiercely engaged and loyal fanbase along the way. Since her Ascending, she’s capitalized on the momentum, including by launching an exclusive remix campaign on SoundCloud inviting fans to rework her track “Godspeed,” dropping two singles in the last three months and headlining a sold-out show at London’s iconic venue Koko. If you’re stateside, don’t miss her on her North American tour, which kicks off in February 2026.
LISTEN TO “MACHINE GHOST” BY ERIN LECOUNT ON SOUNDCLOUD
HIT PLAY ON ERIN LECOUNT’S #ELCGODSPEEDREMIX PLAYLIST
Follow Erin LeCount on SoundCloud and read more about her ascent here.
honestav
Missouri-raised singer-songwriter honestav broke out in 2024 with his emotional hit “I'd Rather Overdose,” turning years of SoundCloud uploads (often daily) into viral success. His sound blends rap with acoustic guitar, rock, Americana and country, while his lyrics tackle raw themes of addiction, loss and healing that connect with fans across America’s heartland. He kicked off 2025 with his first-ever billboard — hosted by SoundCloud in Times Square — and a 40-date sold-out headline tour across the US, where devoted fans sing along to every word. This year, he also released a deluxe version of ‘hara-kiri,’ blessed The Booth with a live performance of “Livin’ Wrong” and joined us for an in-depth conversation about his career journey on Sound Advice. What’s up next for honestav? So far, he is set to play a New Years Eve show in Springfield, MO, then embark on an Australian tour in April 2026. His latest single, “Wasted,” is a preview of his upcoming album, which is slated for release in 2026.
LISTEN TO “WASTED” BY HONESTAV ON SOUNDCLOUD
CHECK OUT HONESTAV’S PERFORMANCE OF “LIVIN’ WRONG” FOR THE BOOTH
HEAR MORE OF HONESTAV’S STORY ON SOUND ADVICE
Follow honestav on SoundCloud and read more about his ascent here.
SAILORR
SAILORR, who joined our Ascending class in April 2025, is a Vietnamese-American alternative R&B artist from Jacksonville, Florida. Known for weaving her heritage into her music, visuals and aesthetic, SAILORR’s signature black grills offer a modern take on Southeast Asian beauty customs and have become a trademark of her style. Her sound is heavily inspired by ‘90s R&B, hip-hop and pop, from sharing how her sister got her into acts like Destiny’s Child to citing Lauryn Hill, André 3000 and Chief Keef as formative influences. Though she originally dreamed of performing on Broadway, SAILORR came to realize the slog of auditions wasn’t for her. That’s when she discovered music production, learning from local “gear nerds” and collaborating with other artists on SoundCloud. She began uploading indie R&B demos and DJ mixes under the name Sailor Goon, a nod to her favorite childhood anime, “Sailor Moon.” Fast forward to today, SAILORR embarked on a headline tour and celebrated the release of her debut album, ‘FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST.’ Most recently, in December 2025, she released a deluxe edition of the project, featuring two new tracks “RENT FREE” and “DUVET.”
LISTEN TO THE DELUXE OF ‘FROM FLORIDA’S FINEST’ BY SAILORR ON SOUNDCLOUD
Follow SAILORR on SoundCloud and learn more about her ascent here.
Josh Baker
Manchester-based dance producer Josh Baker has established himself as a leading voice in the minimal tech house scene by being singularly focused on his music and the community around it. In recent years, he’s created the respected Hide&Seek Festival, celebrated a decade of his popular You&Me party series-turned-record-label, and launched SYNTHO, a virtual learning platform for electronic producers. As far as his own artistry, Josh remains prolific in the studio. Since joining SoundCloud in 2013, he’s gone on to upload over 750 tracks. His sound blends futuristic house with ‘90s flavor, as exemplified in his 2025 summer hit “Back It Up,” a collaboration with Omar+. His meteoric rise has seen him named as DJ Mag’s Breakthrough Producer of the Year in 2024, as well as lay the groundwork for him to start his own label, Baker’s Dozen. His latest track, “Dr Feel Right,” released in September 2025, is a nostalgia-stirring collaboration with Rome Fortune and the legendary The Egyptian Lover. Continuing to build on his momentum, Josh Baker’s 2026 is already looking stacked, with the Reading and Leeds Festivals booked, and shows lined up from London to Mexico to Thailand.
LISTEN TO “DR. FEEL RIGHT” BY JOSH BAKER FEAT. THE EGYPTIAN LOVER AND ROME FORTUNE ON SOUNDCLOUD
Follow Josh Baker on SoundCloud and learn more about his ascent here.
BabyChiefDoit
This August, BabyChiefDoit stepped into our Ascending spotlight. Hailing from the South Side of Chicago, BabyChiefDoit is known for his aggressive flow and sharp lyricism, bringing a fresh take to Chicago drill with a Southern trap edge. He joined SoundCloud in 2023, and within a year, found himself in the top three of the most-streamed creators by new users on the platform. His 2025 single “WENT WEST” hit No. 1 on the SoundCloud Trending Hip-Hop & Rap charts and marked his debut appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, further cementing his breakthrough. In addition to being named a 2025 XXL Freshman and Complex’s “Rapper to Watch” in 2025, he also recorded a freestyle exclusively for SoundCloud’s The Booth series. Most recently, he released his ‘WARNING SHOT’ EP, dropping five new tracks to carry the momentum of a pivotal year well into 2026.
LISTEN TO ‘WARNING SHOT’ BY BABYCHIEFDOIT ON SOUNDCLOUD
CHECK OUT BABYCHIEFDOIT’S “THE WOODS” FREESTYLE FOR SOUNDCLOUD’S THE BOOTH
Follow BabyChiefDoit on SoundCloud and learn more about his ascent here.
YT
YT is a standout voice in the UK’s underground rap scene, and has become known for his “OI!” tag that punctuates his music. He first joined SoundCloud in 2014, uploading tracks at just 14 years old and recording himself on GarageBand over type beats inspired by his favorite artists like New Boyz, Rangers and Marvelink. During the pandemic, YT stepped it up, balancing Oxford University studies with honing his sound, crediting SoundCloud as his creative outlet. His 2023 SoundCloud-exclusive tape, ‘#SWAGRENAISSANCE’ marked a turning point, introducing the style that defines his music today. Ahead of releasing his March 2025 tape ‘OI!’, SoundCloud’s tweet — comprised solely of the hashtag #oi — went viral in February 2025, reflecting the strength and dedication of the community he’s built on the platform. To celebrate his Ascending Class of 2025 selection, he followed up the highly-anticipated project with an exclusive track for his day-one fans, titled “Sayin Stuff.”
LISTEN TO “SAYING STUFF” BY YT, EXCLUSIVELY ON SOUNDCLOUD
Follow YT on SoundCloud and learn more about his ascent here.
bunii
DIY artist bunii (pronounced "boony") is notably the first Ascending artist to earn the recognition without ever signing a record deal. The 18-year-old self-producing alternative rock artist from LA began teaching himself FL Studio in his early teens to produce beats for rappers. But after frustrating false starts working with collaborators, he decided to double down on his craft and become the artist himself. Gathering inspiration to shape his indie sound, he began drawing from jazz, Japanese rock, early 2000s pop-punk and emo bands, putting his own touch on his sonic and aesthetic direction. In July 2024, bunii uploaded his first recordings to SoundCloud, and has since intentionally cultivated a mysterious online presence — featuring his trademark red-haired cartoon character rather promoting images of himself. In July 2025, bunii released his 11-track album, ‘bastard,’ a project he reflects is his best work yet, from both a storytelling and production perspective. With full album conceived to be played live, we can’t wait to see what bunii does next.
LISTEN TO ‘BASTARD’ BY BUNII ON SOUNDCLOUD
CHECK OUT BUNII’S CREATOR SPOTLIGHT
Follow bunii on SoundCloud and learn more about his ascent here.
FattMack
Rounding out an incredible year of breakthrough talent is FattMack. From Mobile, Alabama, the 20-year-old rapper is known for his emotionally honest lyricism, melodic delivery and melancholic beats. At age 5, he was already performing solos in his Mobile church choir. His cousin, rapper Big Yavo, signed a record deal in 2021, showing him a successful rap career was achievable and inspiring him to sharpen his freestyling skills. His 2023 album ‘Mr. Did It By Hisself’ changed everything — the title wasn’t just braggadocio; it was the truth. Between albums, FattMack shed 140 pounds in eight months, a physical manifestation of the self-focus he now preaches in his music. Most recently, in December 2025, FattMack released ‘McKenzie,’ naming the 20-track project after his real name.
LISTEN TO ‘MCKENZIE’ BY FATTMACK ON SOUNDCLOUD
Follow FattMack on SoundCloud and learn more about his ascent here.
CHECK OUT WHAT’S NEXT IN MUSIC WITH THE ASCENDING PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD NOW
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