We at Up And Coming would like to thank you all for supporting our platform this year. We brought you a lot of hot artists and kept you engage with what it is that you asked for. we are humbly honored to know that you all valued our content. we hope that you could spread the word of our blog site, as much as possible. This will be our last blog of 2019 because we have to set up for the new year. Next year be prepared for exclusive interviews by more hot artists and industry insiders. also, starting next year, we will have a contest of who can be the best A&R. there will be cash prizes for the winner of this contest. We hope you tune in on January 3rd because that is when we will return with 2020 heat. We hope that you have a great holiday experience with your loved ones and friends.

 

It’s always exciting to see the rise of a new superstar in real-time. Megan Thee Stallion has been growing her fanbase steadily with the effervescent Tina Snow mixtape and her biggest hit so far, “Big Ole Freak.” With her new mixtape, Fever, her first as a signed artist, Megan takes no prisoners and pumps out banger after banger while proving why she is the world’s next big rapper. Fever is exactly the kind of record Megan and her listeners need right now. Fever is a collection of ferocious tracks that are empowering, catchy, sexually liberating, and authentic.

The first half of Fever has one of the best runs of back-to-back hits that I’ve ever seen on album. “Realer,” the album opener, is a proclamation of Megan’s passion and drive for rap and her confidence and trust in herself and her talent. In the vein of Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares” or Cardi B’s “Get Up 10,” “Realer” is a gritty exercise in Megan’s flow and skill. The hook on this track is strong, but there are even more excellent hooks on later tracks.

“Hood Rat S**t” and “Cash S**t,” which features DaBaby, are fun uptempo tracks where Megan promotes sexual empowerment for and camaraderie between women. On Fever, it’s clear that Megan is all about her skill, her money, her friends, and her sexual freedom. Megan is always in control of Fever, and none of her raps (even the most outrageous double-entendres and one-liners) are for the attention of men. This is all for her and her ladies, which makes the mixtape even greater. “W.A.B” is a standout track that inspires a gust of energy and attitude with every listen. The hook is simple, but wow, is it effective. Also, “Keep it cool but I’m dramatic / Rub me wrong and get this static,” is a terrific line. Things slow down on the groovy slow jam-inspired “Best You Ever Had,” on which Megan reminds us that she can sing fairly well. The Juicy J collaboration, “Simon Says” has all the makings of a summer smash; the hook interpolates a children’s game that everyone knows, but flips it to make it decidedly more adult and risqué. This track, like many before it, is a perfect example of how infectious Megan’s energy is. She delivers every line (even the ones where she confuses “queso” for “pesos”) with the same conviction, that you can’t help but believe in her.

There are some duds on Fever, unfortunately. Much of the back half of the mixtape blends together because the subject matter is too similar and redundant. While “Dance” and “Ratchet” are enjoyable, songs like “Sex Talk”; “Money Good” and “Bring Drank” feel like reductive versions of stronger tracks that Megan has already made. Luckily, Fever is brought to a close by the impressive “Running up Freestyle”; a stern reminder that Megan’s pen may be dangerous, but when she goes off the dome, she’s unstoppable.

Megan is selling talent and a good time, and it is clear that she is hungry for the top spot. On Fever, Megan isn’t staking a claim for anyone’s spot. Instead, she is creating a world of freedom and fun for all of her Hotties, and she does it with effortless style and wit.

 

Lil Tjay is a Hip Hop artist who is from the Bronx, New York. He started out as a teenager making a serious name for himself at 17. In his short tenure as an artist, his resume is growing quite impressively at this point. Songs such as “Ride For You,” “Brothers,” “New Flex” has won the people over during his conquest to the top of the charts. with multiple tour dates that popping up everywhere is clear that he is on the right path to success and following his true destiny. In October, Lil Tjay released his debut album titled “True 2 Myself” via Columbia Records. This include many of his records from his SoundCloud days.

Lady London

Lady London. If you are up to date with this beautiful, new generation of women in Hip Hop, then you understand the weight that her name carries and the storm that she has brewing. She is a breath of fresh air and can stand in the ring amongst the best with her whit and quick tongue. With her birth name being Zaire which means River, her freestyles and double entendres embody just that…a natural flow like that of a river.  She’s received acknowledgments from greats like Joe Budden, Big Daddy Kane, Lupe Fiasco, Kehlani, Meek Mill, Fabolous and more but her talent is undeniable by us all. And besides her rap, we love that her spirit is genuine. She keeps God and her family first and never allows the hype to overcrowd that. (Even with her growing notoriety, 117k followers and millions of views on her videos) She is sweet yet nothing less than real. You have to respect it.

YP da YG

All the way from the streets of southside jamaica, Queens NY, is one of the newest artists to emerge on the rap scene. His melodic flows about his lifestyle is an infectious rhythm that does not seem to get tired or boring. Everything that a rapper needs to be a well-rounded artist, YP da YG has in his arsenal. The great lyrical content, catchy hooks, a story that is authentic and a passion for making music, no doubt, YP da YG has it all at his fingertips. It is no wonder why he has been trailblazing across youtube with reckless abandon. His first big single “2 Steppin” hit the music and made its mark on the scene like nothing else for a new artist. The Song was so hot that Kyah Baby and Piff Montana decided to lend vocals to the remix.

Moving forward to 2019, YP da YG dropped his first official album titled “Reloaded.” This album has one of the catchiest hooks that money can buy on “Me, Myself, and I. This is one of those songs that put you in a very introspective mindstate while at the same time making one’s head nod non-stop because of the beat.

Neelam Hakeem: The Feeling of Righteousness

In an era where the social norms are to become as salacious as possible, Neelam Hakeem sticks out like a sore thumb and it is great to see. Most women who emcee dress in bikinis, rap about sex, and using their feminine wilds to get what they want from men or anyone, to say the least. From my perspective, it is not great to see because I do not like to hear that type of music, that would untrue. In fact, I love a lot of those artists who are in that category. It takes quite a few skills such as dedication, socialization skills, lyricism, live performance and so on. Nonetheless, I think it is great to see due to the fact that it creates a balance within the hip-hop community. So many times people get confused that rappers have to be only one way to be a successful rapper.

 

Neelam, a black woman, a devoted Muslim, a wife, a wife, a mother breaks that mold. As a rapper, Neelam does not speak about topics that most rappers would broach. Dressed in a Hijab, Neelam’s gives us her perspective on what is to be a proud black woman in America. Her biggest song titled “I’ll Be The King” displays her perspective effortless. In her song, lyrics like “All he sees is a private/ Homie I am the captain” are double entendres that show she is above men only after her for sex because she plays a higher position in life. It is no question Neelam has what it takes to make it in this industry. The question is does the industry have what it take for her? We will enjoy watching her prove everybody that smart black female rappers come in more than one mindset.

Top 5 Songs in the year 2019:

It is that time of the year where we wrapped up all the best music of 2019 and have each song battle it out for the spot. This year was a tough one for the up and coming artists of 2019. As usual, we stay away from the more established artist but some artist was so hot that they had significant commercially and we are fine with that; it is always to see young artist achieve new plateaus. Here is the list below:   

 

5. Pop Smoke – WELCOME TO THE PARTY

Coming in at number 5 is Pop Smoke. A new artist from the New York City area that most people with any device that had played music heard this song. A deep voice that matched the horns and drum to tee was a hit that nobody gets enough of listening to. Let’s hope you can keep this up.

4. SAINt JHN – Trap

SAINt JHN’s song trap is another great song. The melody mixed with the wordplay by both SAINt JHN and Lil Baby was a blatant attempt to make a commercial sounding song and it worked. 

3. Cassanova – Jail Call

With all this talk about mass incarceration, it is quite refreshing to hear what going on in jail from the perspective of an inmate. The emotion on this song could only be seen through the eyes of human who was in the belly of that beast. This isn’t the first it has been done but it is one of the more tasteful since Beanie Sigel’s “What Your Life’s Like.” Enjoy

2. Dreamville – PTSD

This album cut could quite possibly be the sleeper of the year. This was one of the most introspective songs of the year. The melody of the beat had so much emotion, the words in the flows were all on point. I chose this one because it is quite hard to have so many new artists collaborate on one track and have it sound so good. I compare this to songs like Kanye West “Street Lights” or A Tribe Called quest’s “Stressed Out.”

1. Dababy – Suge

How could we not put one of the biggest records of the year as number one. This artist breath control, wordplay, delivery, energy on this song was completely brand new and I think that’s why it worked. All I know is I’m glad I got to enjoy it.

 

Jamaica, Queens, this one is for you! Kyah Baby, also known as Kyah Hawkins, is representing with the latest release of her 12 track album titled “Sincerely, Kyah”.

 

This Southside, Queens Queen has been busy promoting her brand and performing throughout the NYC area. The rise in her popularity has gained her the success of a performance of her hit single “Nothing New” on Love and Hip Hop: New York Season 6, and most recently a notable 4-minute freestyle with Hot 97’s Funkmaster Flex. Her smirk between bars and persistent flow shows why she is a force to be reckoned with.

 

“Sincerely, Kyah” is Kyah Baby’s 2nd album since the release of “Freedom of Speech” in 2016. My personal favorites are “Heart of the City” (Prod. by Jackie Sharp) and “Woman” (Prod. by Jadah Arrington).

 

Kyah Baby has a grit and hunger that comes out through her fierce lyrics over pseudo- Camron NYC style beats. Her sound is reminiscent of Foxy Brown from the 90s. Her words cut deep and her placement of references gives the listener a mind and ear full of a true lyricist.

 

Gaining notoriety through her grind, Kyah Baby is quickly recognizing the struggles of being a beautiful MC in a male-dominated industry. In an interview with Lifestyle Republic, when asked about the struggles of being an attractive MC, Kyah Baby had the following to say…

 

“I never cared for their opinion though because I feel if you can’t listen to my music without me having my ass and breast out then you really don’t like my music. It’s sad because only women deal with that. There are several male artists who are unattractive or heavy set and it’s okay, but not for women.”

 

*Trust me, that double standard does not get past any of us. *

 

Kyah Baby is keeping the momentum by continuously performing in the NYC area. Her last performance was a sold-out show for the Main Event Concert series: Female Edition.

 

In regards to her music, Kyah states…

 

“I encourage people to never give up on their dreams. Life is going to throw so many obstacles in your way and there are going to be times you’re going to feel like you’ll never make it. But, that’s just God testing you to see how far you’ll go and how much you’ll push to succeed. Never give up on yourself even when everyone else does.”

 

Kyah is the trifecta of what is needed to have a lasting career for a female MC: smart, talented and aware.

 

Being so new in such an aggressive industry might be too much for some, but stacking up to her male counterparts is just another day in the life for this Queens native.

 

Be sure to check out Kyah Baby’s new album on Sound Cloud at or her performances around the city through her facebook at