Hip-Hop Essentials

This installment of the Weekly Download is guest-curated by Gabe C, a hip-hop DJ and host of The Lookout by SoundCloud on SiriusXM. The Lookout extends SoundCloud’s playlists into a weekly radio show, elevating Hip-Hop Nation’s mission of discovering the next generation of hip-hop legends. 

Mentored by his older brother, the Carson, California-raised hip-hop obsessive came up DJing at backyard parties and club residencies as a teenager in the 2000s. Today, he’s a core voice in the west coast hip-hop scene; hosting radio and DJing for rapper Blxst, and keeping an ear to the streets. In the spirit of The Lookout, this installment of the Weekly Download focuses on the next generation of hip-hop artists who are poised to achieve greatness and refigure the hip-hop template.

Today, hip-hop is a playful paradox: a broad sonic and cultural term, full of experimentation and cross-style influences, while also maintaining some fundamental genre elements. In recent years, different camps of hip-hop have emerged. For a generation of kids raised on the internet rather than at hip-hop block parties and club nights, hip-hop is fertile ground for cross-genre experimentation, drawing from sounds as broad as alternative rock, punk, hyperpop, digicore and EDM. Much of this is heard in the next evolution of SoundCloud rap, also known as rage; led by acts such as Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Ken Carson, Yeat and slayr, among others. 

For Gabe C, this scene taps into the deep rebel spirit of the original hip-hop scene, with renegade artists experimenting with new technologies and creating sonic palettes that push the genre forward in online and live spaces. Here, we also see rappers folding in rock performance elements like mosh pits and rage-filled vocals.

“The sheer volume of music being released means that it can be hard to keep up with an individual’s evolutions,” Gabe C says. “Today, it feels like younger artists are willing to take broader sonic risks and take from different genres to see what works best for them. They’re finding their niche in real time, out loud and online.”

In tandem with this increasing popularity of the rage sound, there’s a darker strain of R&B being brought into hip-hop, too, bringing together jazz, funk, and chopped & screwed vocal and production techniques. “A decade ago, the dominant R&B sound in this space came from artists like Drake, The Weeknd and Party Next Door,” Gabe C says. “Now, I see artists like Brent Faiyaz, Isaiah Falls, and GIVĒON coming through in a big way.” 

With all this hyper-accelerated cross pollination going on, who’s holding it down for the hip-hop fundamentals and refreshing the genre with a deep knowledge of its sonic, aesthetic and cultural roots? For Gabe C, it’s young artists who “clearly grew up in hip-hop-loving households, studied the greats, and live and breathe the culture,” he says, and who let the 808s ring out and bring regional styles like bounce and jerk into wider circulation. In this school, he name-checks rappers like Liim, Lord Sko, MARCO PLUS, Mark Lux and Samara Cyn, among others. 

Dive into this collection of fresh tracks — featuring artists like Larry June, Eem Triplin, 03Greedo, Loe Shimmy, Judah Weston, Fatt Smaxk and more — and discover Gabe C’s top recommendations from this new generation of hip-hop artists.

_{Listen to DJ Gabe C on The Lookout by SoundCloud on SiriusXM here. Tune into SoundCloud Radio on SiriusXM here.}

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LISTEN TO THE HIP-HOP ESSENTIALS PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD

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Nipsey Hussle, Bino Rideaux, “500 Horses”
Recorded before Nipsey Hussle’s death in 2019, this collaborative track with Bino Rideaux showcases classic rap stories of overcoming adversity while sounding fresh. The track features on Nipsey’s posthumous album, ‘PROLIFIC,’ and was released in August 2026.

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Larry June, DJ Fresh, “Organic Motion”
Larry June’s laid back, sample-based sound moves at a lavish tempo. On this latest track — and his July 2026 album ‘Who Coppin’ — he has that Californian player feeling.

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P-Lo, Karri, “10 OUTTA 10”
An innovative figure from the San Francisco scene, P-Lo brings Bay Area bounce into the hip-hop template, presenting regional styles in an accessible sound palette.

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Samara Cyn, “Katana”
On this track, titled after the Japanese sword, rapper Samara Cyn cuts through a more uptempo beat than her usual boom-bap sounds. She dropped her latest project, ‘Detour,’ in March 2026.

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BabyChiefDoit, “Ghetto Love Story”
Teenage rapper BabyChiefDoIt brings a Chicago bounce and loose, playful flow to this party-starting track from his 2026 album, ‘Rise Against My Broken Odds.’ Named as part of SoundCloud’s 2025 Ascending class, check out BabyChiefDoIt’s “The Wood Freestyle,” recorded exclusively in NYC for SoundCloud’s The Booth.

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Deante’ Hitchcock, “Gotta Be More”
Georgia rapper Deante’ Hitchcock presents sample-driven beats and a timeless flow with an old soul vibe. His latest is May 2026’s ‘Junkie in The Sun.’ 

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Mark Lux, “muse”
A disciple of Kendrick Lamar’s layered sonics and storytelling, LA-based Mark Lux blends a darker style of R&B and hip hop, as heard on 2025’s ‘opened gates.’

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CUZZOS, “Can’t Pretend”
The five-piece, all-women MC group is bubbling in LA’s underground, gaining a reputation for their engaging live performances.

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Loe Shimmy, Brent Faiyaz, “Run The World”
Floridian vocalist Loe Shimmy weaves between dark trap beats with his melodic R&B-rap flow on this latest track with Brent Faiyaz. 

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03 Greedo, Ty Dolla $ign, “If I, Pt 3”
The underground LA rap legend 03 Greedo connects with Ty Dolla $ign on this latest track, part of his ongoing ‘If I’ series about loyalty through times of hardship. 

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Judah Weston, Iso Keys, “Toe on the Gas”
Rapper Judah Weston and collaborative producer Iso Keys bring a rebellious edge to the contemporary New York City rap scene. His latest is July 2026’s ‘Why So Much Hate.’

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Jay Worthy, George Clinton, LNDN DRGS, “Atomic P”
On their 2026 album ‘Generation P,’ duo LNDN DRGS bring that Funkadelic vibe into west coast rap — so it’s apt they work with the iconic George Clinton on this album track.  

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AZ Chike, “Packed Up”
Having featured on Kendrick Lamar’s ‘GNX’ and worked with Tyler, The Creator on “Look Like my Mama,” rapper AZ Chike is presenting his darker take on the regional LA rap style. 

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Thirteendegrees, “Da Problem Solva”
Chicago rapper-producer Thirteendegrees blends Tumblr-era internet aesthetics with R&B and trap, led by his melodic rapped-and-sung vocals. His latest is August 2026’s ‘GHETTO HIPSTER.’

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Hurricane Wisdom, Gunna, “YK Where It’s Goin”
XXL Freshman pick Hurricane Wisdom goes bar for bar with new gen rap heavyweight Gunna on this track from the former’s 2026 album, ‘Weathering The World.’ Check out Hurricane Wisdom’s exclusive live performance of “Lately” on SoundCloud’s The Booth.

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Liim, “R.I.P Peace”
New York-raised rapper Liim dropped his second studio album, ‘A Sunflower Garden In Harlem Is Hard to Find,’ this summer. This track showcases how he takes big swings and hits hard, with a hint to ‘80s hip-hop sonics.

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‍Isaiah Falls, LateNightJiggy, “LAVISH”
Leading a new strain of darker R&B-rap crossover sounds, Isaiah Falls blends funk, jazz and a chameleon-like vocal style on ‘LVRS PARADISE (SIDE B).’

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Blxst, “Right Back”
Hailing from South Central LA, Blxst brings together classic hip-hop, soul and R&B with a streetwise edge on his June 2026 album, ‘Labor Of Love.’

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Kalan.frfr, Wallie The Sensei, “WHAT’S YOUR INFO”
Part of a new wave of hip-hop artists from California, Kalan.frfr is part of the frfr (“for real, for real”) crew, who mix R&B and funk sonics with a rap cadence. 

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8RO8, Nueve Lioh, “Monsta”
8R08’s June 2026 debut album title translates as “things that aren’t supposed to work together, yet do” — which is apt; the Hawaiian artist bridges Hawaiian reggae, R&B and rap, and is poised to break out of the popular regional scene. 

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MARCO PLUS, “Peace Sign”
With a flow heavy on layered wordplay, Atlanta rapper MARCO PLUS feels like an old soul raised on a diet of ‘90s rap — but with the sonic range of a young head.

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SOB X RBE, “Ten Summers”
After being on hiatus for many years, DaBoii, Yhung T.O., Slimmy B of West Coast group SOB X RBE are back: with a reunion show this summer, and a new album on the way. 

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Fatt Smaxk, Playboi Carti, “Smaxk Or Die”
After dropping multiple street mixtapes, Fatt Smaxk is on the ascent: on this track, he collaborates with his core inspiration and fellow ATLien, Playboi Carti.

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slayr, “keep me going (BIRDBRAIN)”
The Philly rapper/producer blends anime, EDM, rock and digicore influences into his experimental rap sound. Find out more about the SoundCloud Ascending artist here. 

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ovrkast., “PANE”
Taking his name from the cloudy weather of his native Oakland, California, this rapper/producer is on a genre-bending tip on 2025’s ‘While The Iron Is Hot.’

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Lord Sko, Statik Selektah, “WISH UPON A STAR”
Raised on a diet of DJ Premier-led, golden era hip-hop, rapper Lord Sko goes to underground favorite producer Statik Selektah for this latest track. 

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Nippa, Blxst, “Homegrown”
North London vocalist Nippa brings his soulful flavor of R&B to this collaboration with Blxst. Nippa’s latest full-length is 2025’s ‘Hope She Hears This.’

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Sainte, “Groovin”
British rapper Sainte had a viral hit in 2021 with “Champagne Shots;” now, he’s bridging styles with his melodic rap vocals on his July 2026 EP, ‘Late Checkout.’

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LISTEN TO THE HIP-HOP ESSENTIALS PLAYLIST ON SOUNDCLOUD