Rhymes: Dwight Schrute's Baby Beets (Part 1)

Here at BRL we decided to make a list of up and coming rappers for 2010. This list is somewhat similar to XXL's Freshman 10. Note that most of these rappers are not "Babies" or "Rookies" but these are rappers who either recently got signed to a label or are about to release an album and reach a wider audience than previous efforts. So without further adieu...


Shawn Chrystopher

-This Inglewood native followed his 2009 debut, A City Without Seasons, with a Free EP, The Audition. Since downloading this EP back in March, I have had it in constant rotation. One of the top releases of the year thus far.

Donnis

-The first time I heard Donnis was in 2008 on Kidz in da Hall’s “Mr. Alladathshit” which was one of the best songs off of that album. Donnis’ charismatic was very evident just on that song alone. He has recently The Fashionably Late Sampler, which features future hits, “Gone” and “OD.”

Drake

-Yeah we all know Wheelchair Jimmy by now. But the reason he is included on this list is because, in fact he is a freshman still. He found an unprecedented amount of success from a mixtape (save for maybe 50 Cent, but can you name a 50 Cent mixtape that garnered as much attention as So Far Gone? Didn’t think so.), but the Toronto still has much to prove. We all know he can make a hit song and all that, but let it be known Aubrey is a bit of a head. After name-dropping the likes of Little Brother and Slum Village on “Fear” and referencing Dead Prez’s classic 2000 single, it is clear that Drake is one of the good guys. It’ll be interesting what route he takes with his up-coming album.

Jay Electronica

-Mr. Electronica (or Mr. ElectHanukkah if you will) is by far the most talented rapper on this list, hell maybe of any list. The problem with this mysteryman is when is he going to drop his projects? He promised us Act II (the follow up to the ESotSM Act I) Christmas 2007, then again on Christmas 2009, then again on New Year’s 2010, but still no sign of the project. The New Orleans native saw his biggest success towards the end of 2009 when he had the internet going nuts off of his Just Blaze produced hit “Exhibit C.”