Maybe Miami and Fort Lauderdale get all the South Florida attention, but their somewhat smaller location sibling, Palm Beach County, shouldn't be forgotten. Especially when it comes to hip-hop.
See also
- Muzik Jones Drew's Musical Love Jones Makes Him the Man to Know in West Palm Beach
- Meagan Belcher Is Makiin Noise for Women in West Palm Beach
- Hip-Hop Artist Eric Biddines Goes Against the Grain
PBC acts, though they possess the same level of talent, seem to have a harder time gaining any solid notority from listeners outside of their county. This is either because they have become complacent with their local fame or outsiders just don't know they're there. If the latter is the case, we're here to help. What follows are the top 10 rappers out of Palm Beach County that you need to be listening to.
10. Iggy G
Part of the up-and-coming record label MBassy Records, Iggy G has slowly begun to create a buzz in Palm Beach County over the past year with fun tracks like "Bounce," "While We're Young," and "Livin' Like I Should."
9. Paper Chasing Committee (PCC)
Groups, no matter what genre, have fazed out since the days of Outkast, 'NSync, Spice Girls, and Goodie Mobb. But Vandam Bodyslam, Mic Check, Stay Fly, and Breezy Bree seem to have a set formula that resists the extinction.
With a few mixtapes under their belt, including We Got Next, We All In, and Paper Chaser Party, released in February, the rap quartet has made their rounds performing in Belle Glades, Pahokee, and Tallahassee, collecting a regional fan base that is in a stage of constant growth.
It is hard to find an artist who hasn't had Muzik Jones Drew produce, sing, or rap on at least one of their tracks in PBC. Drew has his hands in everything.
As a kid growing up, he played drums for his local church. Nowadays, the Palm Beach County-native is working hard as 1Hot's manager, with Kloud Clothing, and on getting his music back in motion. And as one of the very few triple threats in the county -- producer, rapper, and manager -- Drew will be on your radar this upcoming year.
7. VanDam Bodyslam
Though he is a part of PCC, VanDam stepped out on his own recently, putting together a fan base for his solo work built on the local success of PCC and his July mixtape, So Whut It Dew: The Return.
While Vandam offers listeners glorified trap music, he contrasts that glorification with songs like "LOR," on which he questions his friends' trustworthiness, and "My World" where he raps about his future with the lyrics:
Fuck stocks and a time share/Shit, I need time to get my mind clear/I done spent more than half of my time here/Yeah I love the hood but I don't plan on dyin' here,
6. Makiin
Let's be honest, if female emcees aren't dressed like Willow Smith is their stylist, then they usually go unnoticed. But don't let fashion have you overlooking Megan "Makiin" Belcher.
A strong believer in female empowerment, Makiin has executed her message without subjecting herself to skimpy clothing. The same attitude has her standing in the same circle with some of those on this list like Jedstarz Cypher Part 2.
5. 1Hot
Though not recognized well south of Palm Beach County, the Boynton Beach-native has built a more solid foundation further north in Tallahassee where he once attended college.
One listen to any of his projects, and there's no doubt 1Hot possess the makings of a Billy Blue or Trick Daddy. He's more than capable of finding his nitch with lyrlics like:
Niggas want to see me die/They Killed Pac at 25/Only 24 now/ Keep it loaded when I ride.
4. Rook
Known for being punch-line savvy, the Connecticut-born emcee Rook made his name better known after becoming a nominee at the annual Palm Beach Music and Entertainment Awards.
Rook recently released his second mixtape, The Neverending Summer, in August with a feature by underground favorite Termanology and hosted by mixtape giant Evil Empire.
3. Rel. B
His buzz may be flying under the radar, but his lyrical ability is not.
A transplant from Brooklyn, Rel. B has gained some notoriety through various blogs with his videos for "Back It Up" and "Picture Perfect" which led to his debut mixtape, It's Not Braggin', released on October 18.
And if you were lucky enough to see Rel B. perform in the second cypher for the last Brown Bag Wednesday, then future tongue-lashings will be no surprise.
2. Eric Biddines
His look is kinda funny. His voice is kinda funny. But his lyricism is no joke. And neither is the respect he's earned by his hip-hop counterparts.
Looked to for advice by some of the latter artists, PlanetCoffeeBean's founder has earned his mark as a hip-hop veteran in PBC by consistently providing fans with local shows and an ability tell stories relative to his environment such as the title track for The Frozen Lake EP.
1. Will Brennan
Will Brennan. Was there another option for number one?
A few years removed from his first mixtape, Will Brennan has undoubtedly built a buzz far exceeding the expectations of a typical Palm Beach County rapper. In the process, he has done a find job taking his talents outside of the county by collaborating with South Florida favorites J. Nics, QuESt, and SIN, performing live at the A3C Festival in Atlanta, and more recently, opening up for Curren$y in Pompano and Dom Kennedy in Miami.
Brennan's Prodigal Son mixtape came with as much praise for his growth, beat selection, and content as the amount of anticipation it built.
Not bad for a University of Florida dropout.
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