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12 Massachusetts Artists To Watch In 2018
In the city of Boston, some may that the town is too small to ever make something of yourself – so, they revert to moving to bigger cities like New York City or Los Angeles to make it. However, what they fail to understand is if you can’t get love in your own city, you’ll never make it anywhere.
Following the groundwork of BIA, Cousin Stizz, Gio Dee, and several others, these artists have laid the foundation of their music career in the one city they know and love. Later moving to Los Angeles for business purposes, they’ve always returned home to show their city some love.
Joyner Lucas has also made a name for himself hailing from the central part of Massachusetts. After killing his part in the 2016 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher, it’s been up for the Worcester naive ever since. Earning the respect of industry OGs while sparking conversation with his most controversial record yet, “I’m Not Racist,” Lucas doesn’t allow the spotlight to deter him from his long-term goals.
As these artists continue to lay the groundwork for those who come after them, here are twelve Massachusetts artists you should watch closely this year.
D Black
D Black has been doing everything under the sun to keep the Boston music scene on tilt. From hosting his own Boston Cypher series to support local artists to dropping viral videos full of gems via social media, this is a rapper who you just can’t get rid of.
Currently embarking on Capitol Front Bookings Presents: Artists To Watch tour, D Black is off to a great start in 2018. Be sure to stream D Black’s most recent project Bully Bread here.
Back in 2017, Triy released his long-awaited EP, The Care Package. Prior to that, the Boston artist released the official video to “Fuck it Up” which garnered up over 21,000 views on Youtube. Recently treating us to his latest single, “Saint Tropez,” we look forward to the visual release, as well as his forthcoming project, The Unexpected Journey in 2018.
Alejandro Blanco
Part of the FEARLE$$ MUSIK collective, Alejandro Blanco is slowly becoming a fan favorite in the city. Releasing his debut EP August and appearing on SuperSmashBroz Family Cookout project in 2017, Blanco is sure to become a triple threat in the music game.
Caleb McCoy
An up and coming artist from Boston, Caleb’s “2017 Rap-Up “amazingly touches everything that went down in the year with ease! Though he hasn’t released a project since 2016, we have a feeling that McCoy is cooking up something serious for the year of 2018.
Daetym3
Daetym3 provided fans with visuals around the clock in 2017. Releasing his Bar City Dreams mixtape a couple months back, the Persian Prince made sure to showcase his lyrical abilities over popular instrumentals like “Xo Tour Life,” “The Get Back” and “Miley Cyrus.” As he continues to gain notoriety through the city, the rapper definitely has a fan base growing by the minute.
Terod Belle
Though we don’t know much about Terod Belle, he caught our eye last year with his single, “Hunger Pain.” We’re interested to see what this rapper will bring to the table in 2018, alongside the FEARLE55 MUSIK collective.
Treva Holmes
If you’re not hip to Treva Holmes already, you better get it on it. Known to add an R&B twist to your favorite record, Holmes can help you catch a vibe anytime, anywhere. Releasing his highly anticipated cut, “Girl Next Door” towards the end of 2017, the singer has laid down major groundwork throughout the year to make 2018 a successful one.
Jo Sammy
The new girl on the block, Jo Sammy’s “Bonnie & Clyde Sh*t” single with Boston rapper Nyce Franklyn has already hit major airwaves and is a smash in the clubs. As she continues to promote her debut single, the songstress also spends time helping local business with her fellow partners of the Wealthy Wisdom brand. We’re excited to hear more from Jo Sammy in 2018 and hopefully see some visuals soon.
Darius Heywood
On the scene for some time now, Darius Heywood has been kept fans tuned in during 2017 with a slew of releases including, “Safe Song,” “Hillside Eyes,” and “Lose You.” Performing at numerous showcases, as well as doing interviews with ItslitBoston, BoomBox Basement, and BasedBoston, we’ll hopefully see Heywood do ten times more of what he did in 2017 and release a follow up to his 2016 project, Black Diamond.
Xander
Taking his career more seriously last year with his September EP, Xander has garnered up to 125,000 streams to date on Soundcloud. Though we haven’t seen much visuals from the Massachusetts artist, we know 2018 is promising for the rapper-producer. Xander is a rapper who puts a lot of reflection in his music whether it’s about life, relationships, or sacrifices. We hope to see him take things to the next level.
Vanni
Releasing Love Me Now 2 last summer, Vanni spent the rest of 2017 quietly making moves as he took part in D Black’s Boston Cypher and ended the year off performing at DJ Alcide’s Good Music Showcase. In the year of 2018, the rapper-singer-songwriter promises more visuals and showcases throughout the year.
Koo Koo
An up and coming artist hailing from Roxbury, Ma., Koo Koo describes himself as having an unorthodox style and uptempo sound. We can certainly agree after hearing his latest single, “I Ain’t Shit.” Introducing himself to us back in 2017 with his single, “Ten Four,” we’re interested in Koo Koo to develop his sound in 2018.
