The hottest emerging artists to look out for in 2021 are here.
These artists proved that no matter what 2020 brought their way, they were to determined to jostle extra hard for attention. As newcomers, they’ve definitely proven that they’re worthy of our attention. Hopefully one day in the very near future they will appear on stage to prove it.
From dreamy bedroom R&B to heartfelt spoken-word rap, these are the hip-hop artists you need to be keeping an eye on this year.
BERWYN
Berwyn Du Bois is a Trinidad-born singer, writer, rapper and self-taught producer who grew up in England. He pulls no punches in his lyrics, articulating with heart-ache honesty of his struggles with immigration, sleeping in his car and having a mother in jail, between soulful singing and sections of spoken-word and rap.
After the success of rapper Dave, it shouldn’t come as a shock to see a rapper sat at a piano. BERWYN plays too, sounding frank and emotional on songs which tell a brutal story of his personal struggles.
He performed ‘Glory‘ in the summer on a lockdown edition of Later… With Jools Holland. This debut single led to the release of ‘DEMOTAPE/VEGA’, a project originally made in 2017 during a period of intense uncertainty in BERWYN’s life.
These days, things are looking up for BERWYN. His music is connecting, and he has created a strong fan base who are keen to hear more from the emerging artist.
Listen: Vinyl
Mustafa the poet
Scribz Riley
East London-born singer-songwriter, rapper and producer Scribz Riley has previously worked with some of the biggest artists in the world, including J Hus, Khalid, H.E.R and Cardi B – winning two Grammy Awards for his work on Cardi B’s rap album ‘Invasion of Privacy’.
But now working as an individual artist, Scribz Riley has finally released his own project ‘Wish Me Luck‘ which features 10 songs, including the singles ‘East Side‘, ‘Mandy‘ and ‘Impress Me‘ (feat Headie One)’.
Along with the project, Scribz has put together a three-part series on YouTube discussing his ideas and journey in writing and producing the tracks for his album.
Featuring big names such as 6lack, Kaash Paige and chart-topper Headie One, Scribz demonstrates his versatility across a range of tempos and flows and a rich, layered production.
The singer-songwriter explores themes of love, heartbreak and trust in some extremely raw tracks, which will definitely put you in the feels.
Listen: East Side
All three artists appear to be at the top of their game, holding their own with each of their sounds. We can’t see what the future holds for them.
Let us know who you think we should be listening to @pieradioUK.
