Perrion
Borough: Manhattan (Harlem)
Twitter: @PerryEats
Notable song: “Get A Job”
Sounds like: Harlem’s reinterpretation of skate rap, decorated with trees and 40s. Sticking to Golden Era spitting guidelines.
Why you need to know him: Yes, 22-year-old Perrion’s a proud son of Harlem, USA. But don’t expect an overly flashy kid with Alpo fantasies. He’s an Altamont-rocking skater at heart that’s psyched about chilling at the Berrics, and has no problem partaking in the humble festivities of puffing greens and sipping Heinekens with the homies. To Perry and his HOME Team clique, life’s full of stories to share, boasts to make, and beats to zone out to. Cut from the Golden Era cloth that once draped the New York City airwaves, though Perry Eats seems like a hybrid of multiple subcultures, he’s in fact a byproduct of the city’s current landscape.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_jIzwMyjF4Y
Flatbush Zombies
Borough: Brooklyn
Twitter: @FlatbushZombies
Notable song: “Thug Waffle”
Sounds like: Horrorcore/abstract raps over dark, inventive production.
Why you need to know them: As one of the New York crews who operate under the Beast Coast umbrella, Flatbush Zombies have found their angle and ran with it. Consisting of Erick Arc Elliott, Meechy Darko and Zombie Juice, the Flatbush natives have a lot of things that you’ll fall in love with. Their attention to detail for visuals (usually shot in HD), have all gone viral, based on engaging appeal and clear influences from classic films. Plus, reviving the East Coast’s dark early ‘90s aesthetic—a la Gravediggaz—is something hip-hop has been anticipating for a minute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=do9VLONS86Y
Mykki Blanco
Borough: Manhattan (Harlem)
Twitter: @MykkiBlanco
Notable song: “Kingpinning”
Sounds like: Honestly, nothing. But, if you need a point of reference, he sounds like a quick-spitting No Limit rapper with no lyrical boundaries. Also hilariously brutal in his subject matter, similar to Danny Brown.
Why you need to know him: The only thing mainstream hip-hop outlets have to say about Mykki is that he’s gay, but the dude has some amazing left-field confidence, and sounds like a (smarter) young Silkk the Shocker who popped a molly and found a bin full of trap beats. He might represent a very different New York than guys like Joey or Ratking, it’s still a relevant (and awesome) New York scene. And he looks like he’s actually having fun in his videos and at performances. Isn’t that the point of all this rap shit, anyway?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=axQ7CRJNti0
Troy Ave
Borough: Brooklyn
Twitter: @TroyAve
Notable song: ”Chiddy Chiddy Bang Bang”
Sounds like: A hybrid of 50 Cent’s street-smarts and Young Jeezy’s birdplay, sprinkled atop with some Brooklyn flavor.
Why you need to know him: Coming out of Bucktown, Troy Ave is poised on restoring a certain feeling back to not only rap but, the city of NY. Sure it’s a tired mantra that’s been brought up by many before him (and even by a few folks on this list) but, the Brooklyn rhymeslinger could show you better than he could tell you. Aside from successfully merging the streets with the net, thanks to his fan-favorite Bricks In My Backpack mixtape trilogy, Troy is quickly rising as an underground star. He’s already received co-signs from the likes of Fabolous, Pusha T, Pete Rock, Funk Master Flex and has everyone from The Weeknd, Mac Miller and Joel Madden (Good Charlotte) showing love and support for his music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5oxjTjm1IIA
