2013 was a really good year in terms of music, but we predict that 2014 will be an even better year. Particularly for the following musicians.
Born Chancelor Bennett, and raised in Chicago, the same city as his influencer Kanye West. The 20-year-old rapper has worked with the likes of other budding rappers like Joey Bada$$ and Childish Gambino. Soon he’ll be touring with Mac Miller and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
The young rapper is in high demand, with many record labels trying to scoop him up because as he says, “At this point I’ve been wildly successful without having to actually sell an album.” So now imagine what we can expect when he does finally decide to drop a studio album if his mixtape “Acid Rain” was nominated for Best Mixtape at the BET Hip Hop Awards.
Jhené Aiko (pronounced juh-nay. ahh-ee-ko) could easily be a successful model or United Nations model, with an gorgeous mix of African-American, Japanese, Native American, Spanish and French heritage, if she hadn’t pursued a musical career with the success of her mixtape.
In an interview with The Independent she says “I really like working with rappers,” which is evident in the long list of rappers she’s worked with from Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, Drake, J. Cole, Danny Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean and Childish Gambino. She explains that she feels that “they really take their time with what they are writing and I do that too.” With the success of her mixtape “Sailing Soul(s)” which was released in 2011 and her EP “Sail Out” which is available now, we’re really excited to hear what her upcoming debut studio album “Souled Out” has to offer.
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Jillian Banks starting making music as a way of dealing with her parents’ divorce at the age of 15. Fast forward to 2013; she’s in the running for BBC’s Sound of 2014, (along with my other favourites- Sampha and Kelela). She recently got the opportunity to join the The Weeknd on his Dreamland tour as his opening act and she is on the cover of the latest issue of CLASH Magazine. She has since blown up after being signed up to The Weeknd‘s ‘Dreamland’ tour. Check out her!
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The self-proclaimed loner ditched her aspirations of becoming a professional ballet dancer (although she does take lessons from time to time) to pursue her passion of singing and making music. Her music is sensual and trippy and powerfully entrancing. Aesthetically she’s just as interesting to look at as she is to listen to, with her big brown Bambi-like eyes, pale perfect porcelain skin and tiny fragile limbs that look like they can snap as easy as twigs ( Yes, that’s how she got her name).
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The most obvious artist on the list, Lorde is everywhere at the moment. With over 126 million views on Youtube, 3 Grammy nominations and this 17 year-old girl from New Zealand is seriously one to watch out for next year.
I have to admit the first time I heard of her, I dismissed her as just another young teen pop sensation that seem to be coming out a conveyor belt these days. But after watching her performance of her smash hit “Royals” at the Grammy Nominations Concert, I must say I was impressed. She’s young and yet not about that generic poppy nonsense that kids her age are into, yeah I’m talking about One Direction.
Plus, I love the fact that she seems to have some sort of a rivalry going with America’s hillbilly sweetheart Taylor Swift.
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Before you think that there’s nothing to look forward to in terms of local artists, we look at a 25 year-old rapper from Potchefstroom. Tshegofatso Seroalo, 25, better known as Ginger Trill and/or Mr Verified Twitter- since being the first South African rapper to be verified, is gaining popularity after being featured on Reason’s “Bump the Cheese Up” and the remix of “No Sleep”. His debut album “Rookie Of The Year (R.O.T.Y)” is available now on Itunes.
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Follow Lethabo Afrika Bogatsu on Twitter @CallMeAfriKa and tell us who you think we should look out for in 2014.
