Editor’s note: We love getting in the mood for the festival by previewing the best artists to watch. This post is the thirdof a series covering the best talent at the fest. Listen now, then add these acts to your festival schedule. This first round of artists to watch comes from @atxconcert.
Lil Dicky
Lil Dicky made his name with a repertoire of well-produced, viral music videos, and a persona that’s not so much a character as an exaggerated version of his own reality: a white, upper middle-class, Jewish, unkempt guy who raps about being white, getting too high, and the insecurities of meeting a new girl’s ex-boyfriend.
Estelle
Estelle is a British singer-songwriter, rapper, producer and Grammy Award winner from West London, England. In league with other contemporary British sirens like Amy Winehouse, Adele and Duffy, Estelle is known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including R&B, soul, reggae, grime, hip hop, pop and dance.
Montana of 300
Montana of 300 is a rap artist from Peoria, Illinois. He gained prominence following the release of his “Chiraq” reaching over 2 million views on YouTube. Kanye West has had a history of mentoring young Chicago talent, and it appears Montana is his latest protege.
Nao
Airy heartfelt ballads and off-center pop-funk typified the early output of Nao, one of the more exciting alternative R&B artists to surface during the mid-2010s. Through the sleek, progressive, and occasionally dark material, she prompted easy comparisons to contemporary vocalists FKA Twigs and Kelela.
OG Maco
Bringing the slurry, slanted sound of Mystikal into the age of cloud-rap, Atlanta rapper OG Maco burst on the scene in 2014 with the single “U Guessed It.” Angered by his sound engineer and some bad service at a restaurant that offered both voluptuous women and chicken wings, OG Maco improvised most of “U Guessed It” in the studio while the tape rolled.
Denzel Curry
Denzel Curry is an emerging emcee, producer and former member of SpaceGhostPurrp’s Raider Klan from Carol City, Miami (he also goes by Aquarius’Killa and Raven Miyagi). He appeared on MTV’s Rap Fix and performed at Coachella and in 2013.
Petite Noir
After dabbling in metal and chillwave growing up, 24-year-old Cape Town, South Africa artist Yannick Ilunga is now making dramatic, hypnotic pop as Petite Noir. Think TV on the Radio meets LCD Soundsystem.
Earthgang
EarthGang is an American rap duo composed of emcees Johnny Venus and Doctur Dot from Atlanta, Georgia. Their LP Shallow Graves For Toys peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart and was largely well-received, with Noisey calling it “one of the most well thought-out releases of the year” and praising the album’s “playful delivery and biting lyricism.”
Be on the lookout for more artists to watch as the fest approaches! Follow @ATXConcert on Twitter and Instagram for more fest RSVPs, rumors, and news. Want to hear the best of the fest? Check out the 2016 playlist. Want help with fest RSVPs? Order RSVPster now.
