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Photo: ï»¿Image via Rolling Loud / @Snap_LL

Rolling Loud California is just on the horizon. The international hip-hop music festival is set to shake the Hollywood Park Grounds March 3 - 5 and feature the likes of Playboi Carti, Future, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, and more. Outside the absolute titans of the scene, Rolling Loud will see some of the hottest rising names in hip-hop music making a case for why they’re up next. And if you’re not sure where to start when it comes to dissecting the undercard, then you’re in the right place.

Chow Lee

Location: Hampstead, NY
Genre: Sample Drill, NY Drill

Few artists have had a run the past year like NY’s very own Chow Lee. Between his recent project 2 SLIZZY 2 SEXY, a collaborative effort with fellow NY upstart Cash Cobain and his recent On The Radar Freestyle, the young drill phenomenon has stayed busy lately capturing the attention of both our eyes and ears. Armed with an impressive knack for clever songwriting and downtempo drill energy that levels energy and ambiance at every moment, it may be safe to say that Chow Lee’s rise to prominence has been anything but accidental.

Ice Spice
Location: Bronx, NY
Genre: Sample Drill, Trap

What left is there to say about the viral Bronx superstar and Spice Cabinet leader Ice Spice? You know who she is, I know who she is, and most importantly, she knows who she is! From the seamless virality of virtually every track she’s released to the cultural importance of her introducing words like “smoochie” and “munch” into the zeitgeist, the past year has without a doubt been the Year of the Spice. With her collaborations with Lil Tjay and PinkPantheress blowing up right now, I’m crossing my fingers that more lay just beyond the horizon.

Eem Triplin
Location: Jonestown, PA
Genre: Psychedelic Hip-Hop

Last September, Eem Triplin humbly posted a video of him performing at Rolling Loud NY to a small (yet devoted) crowd of eager fans. “performed at rolling loud for 13 people,” the burgeoning PA artist wrote, “gotta start somewhere.” As you would expect, his humility paid off. Six months, millions of impressions, and an unimaginable amount of TikTok virality later, our king returns to Rolling Loud California. With a distinct psychedelic sound that pairs cozy instrumentals with electronic vocal layers, Eem Triplin is an artist who sincerely deserves your presence—not just during the festival, but 2023 in general.

Hoosh
Location: Miami-Via-Sudan
Genre: Alternative Rap, Indie

One of Rolling Loud’s most interesting and multilayered artists is Hoosh, a young Sudanese rapper whose music often occupies a genreless space between upbeat, energetic, and meditative pensiveness. His music covers an even broader range of topics, exploring themes of race, trauma, identity, self-doubt, and everything in-between. “Kabasa,” a track instilled with new-age soul meets dancehall energy, displays a complicated picture of romantic tension that is far from the average love song. His most recent track “False Prophets” released earlier this month, and hopefully is just a hint that more music is fast approaching.

Nana
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Genre: West Coast Hip-Hop, Soul

Since March’s Rolling Loud will be taking place in Los Angeles, it seems only right that Crenshaw’s very own Nana makes an appearance as a featured performer. Between releasing his last LP From The District To The World, making a short-film, and performing at Day N Vegas before supporting Token on tour, Nana has been putting in a serious amount of work the past year. Despite everything, our hero has still found time to hit the studio and prepare new music for 2023 but only time will tell what that looks like. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, so waiting for new music from Nana never feels like a chore, especially when he’s performing in your backyard. If you’re a fan of So-Cal Soul, well-written hip-hop, or anything that TDE has dropped over the past decade, Nana is a can’t miss artist this weekend.

Bktherula
Location: Atlanta, GA
Genre: Cloud Rap, Plugg

Is Bktherula still 'one to watch?' Admittedly, probably not. When you pair her undeniable charisma with endless amounts of success and TikTok virality, Bktherula looks more and more like a modern hip-hop titan with every passing day. Beyond it all, Bktherula is an artist in every sense of the word. Tracks like "FOREVER, PT.2 (JEZEBEL)" with Destroy Lonely and the eponymous "SANTANNY" display an effortless affinity for any style she puts her mind to—no matter where they lie on the abrasive/angelic spectrum. Though she’s been around for a minute, Bktherula is an artist that always surprises, always takes risks, and always sticks the landing, and I’m so excited for everything she has planned this year.

Strick
Location: Atlanta, GA
Genre: Trap, Southern Hip-Hop

To many, Strick is the secret weapon of YSL—a special ingredient that helps push tracks like "Wokstar" and "Moon Man" well over the line (and then some). To those in the loop, however, Strick is a generational force of culture eagerly waiting to shine outside of YSL’s shadow. Though his ATL origins may evoke comparisons to more artists than I have space to mention, every release from the young rapper establishes him further and further as existing in his own unitary lane. His recently release "Wassup" is a perfect example of this. Strick may stand on a strong Atlanta foundation, but his candor and originality will separate him from the pack every time.

Belis
Location: Charlotte, NC
Genre: Cloud Rap, Pop Rap

Matching Southern plugg stylistics with a distinct flair for everything ‘online,’ Belis is easily one of my favorite must-see acts on RL’s California line up this year. Her music bridges the gap between the energetic and the ethereal, with every track so painstakingly polished that I feel like I’m levitating every time tracks like "Hysterical Glamour" or the recent "LONEDANCER" come up on shuffle. Whether she's trading verses with Tiacorine or MIA GLADSTONE, it's obvious that Belis is a much-needed breath of fresh air in hip-hop’s landscape.

Highway
Location: Seattle, WA
Genre: Rage, Trap

In a world full of Opium copycats and Travis Scott imitators, Highway stands alone. For the uninitiated, the burgeoning PNW star is the progenitor of a much more intoxicating take on the current rage phenomenon. He's a cultural iconoclast—think Future but born a decade later and inspired by SoundCloud culture and alternative hip-hop. Highway’s originality has done more than just earn him a spot on Victor Victor’s roster; his self-titled project was decorated with bangers that became an undeniable part of 2022's underground soundtrack. Today, he’s in the express lane headed towards the pantheon of today’s mainstream greats, so consider this your last chance to call yourself an ‘early fan.’

Gloss Up
Location: Memphis, TN
Genre: Memphis Rap, Trap

Though literally my one job is to write about my favorite upcoming artists on the Rolling Loud California lineup, words cannot describe my love for Memphis’s Gloss Up. But still, I type, for I cannot deny the incredible magnetism of Quality Control’s newest signee. Synthesizing a legendary Southern Crunk style with a uniquely modern sound, the young TN star has wasted no time taking over hip-hop’s landscape. Alongside her fellow Memphis heavyweight, “BestFrenn” features Gloss Up and GloRilla trading punches and exuding charisma at every step. If you’re looking for me at Rolling Loud, you’ll know where I’ll be.