10 Baton Rouge Hip-Hop Artists You Should Be Following Right Now

10 Baton Rouge Hip-Hop Artists You Should Be Following Right Now

Baton Rouge, Louisiana hip-hop artists have played a pivotal role in rap music. Yet the city still hasn’t found its place in the rap game to the level that Houston, Memphis, and other Southern metropolises have. But Baton Rouge is like a clean slate for up-and-coming young rappers, with plenty of room to create something new. These 10 Baton Rouge Hip-hop artists are showing the rest of the country that you can still come up when there’s no set-in-stone precedent to follow.

NBA YoungBoy

The most visible rapper on our list is 21-year-old Baton Rouge rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again. NBA YoungBoy landed his first charting mixtape when he was just 17, with AI YoungBoy and his single “Untouchable” made it onto Billboard’s R&B/Hip-hop Top 40. His 2020 releases included “Callin” featuring Snoop Dogg, and his latest track in 2021 encapsulates his intentions for hitting the big time in “It Ain’t Over.” Is he the GOAT of Baton Rouge? Time will tell, but he sure is prolific, and if endlessly putting out tracks is part of Goat status, he’s definitely in the running.

Barin the Great

At 25 years old, Barin The Great is set on bringing depth and meaning to Louisiana’s rap scene. The Baton Rouge hip-hop artist layers choppy lyrical flows over bouncy beats for a colorful sound ready for any show or club. His flashy style and good looks add to the Barin brand, and the dope visuals to his tracks look like a million bucks. He doesn’t have too much stuff up on YouTube yet, but he’s got around 28 tracks on SoundCloud and you should definitely check them out.

https://youtu.be/sOUYinhUiys

Adam Dollar$

Baton Rouge native Adam Dollar$ had a different childhood than most rappers. Raised by a single father, his upbringing wasn’t one of wealth, but it wasn’t the poverty that often informs other rapper’s perspective and lyrical content. But like most, Dollar$ went through a period of rebellion followed by personal growth, and now he’s using his music to share what he learned about the power of self-awareness with today’s youth. Musically, his boom-bap style has earned him a lot of local fans and shared billing with hip-hop stars like Nipsey Hustle and Cyhi The Prince.

https://youtu.be/DCxkT8TqLZU

Nilly

Nilly grew up in New Orleans, but Baton Rouge has been the 26-year-old rapper’s home base for more than a decade now. He’s built up a huge fanbase in BR since his LSU days. He made XXL’s list of Baton Rouge Rappers You Should Know back in 2017, he’s had collaborations with Maxo Kream and Guapdad 4000, and he’s opened for big-time rappers including Lil Wayne, Yo Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, and more. Nilly briefly went nationwide with a spot on VH1’s hit TV show “Signed,” which is hosted by Rick Ross, The Dream, and Lenny S. of Roc Nation. He’s kept the momentum going with his fans in the Nilly Nation, and you can expect from him in 2021.

Caleb Brown

According to Baton Rouge hip-hop artist Caleb Brown, he doesn’t “really carry a traditional Baton Rouge sound.” Caleb’s deep baritone makes him sound older than he is and makes a perfect foil for the striking motifs that run through his songs. Trap influences underlie lyrical reflections on trauma and untapped potential, reflecting his physical surroundings and the visceral struggles many of the city’s inhabitants face. Citing artistic influences like Aaliyah and Kanye, Brown describes his sound as “game music,” saying “Game music is about dropping true game, no gimmicks, no tricks. True reality raps.”

Made Groceries

Made Groceries may be Baton Rouge’s best prospect for putting the city on the proverbial hip-hop map. Three MCs – The LandLord, Mauley Sincyr, and OeauxNeal – make up the alternative hip-hop collective. Each contributes a different flow and personal lyrical style, and the combining of them has helped Made Groceries become one of the city’s most dynamic hip-hop acts. The trio’s most recent EP, WahnTown, is their most creative project yet. The album’s setting is Storyville in New Orleans, but their music is poised to make their Baton Rouge-based label, Small World International, and the city itself pop.

Drexal Flowers

Before becoming a rapper and Small World signee, Baton Rouge hip-hop artist Drexal Flowers used poetry as his main creative outlet. Today, Flowers is popular in the local hip-hop scene for his casual lyrical flow atop wavy, laid-back instrumentals. His latest project, I Brought Her the Moon, focuses on women, relationships, and romance in general. Of the city’s hip-hop scene, he says, “Baton Rouge has a lot of talent. I feel like Baton Rouge is probably the biggest gold mine for real hip-hop, but nobody’s taking the time to go gold mining.”

$mall$

Lafayette native $mall$ moved to Atlanta and then back to Baton Rouge, bringing his uncommon sound and delivery with him to Louisiana’s underground hip-hop scenes. “When new people hear my music, a lot of them are amazed that I’m actually from here,” he says. “New ears are always telling me that it doesn’t even sound like it’s from the area.” W.K.T.N.C.R.? Vol. 1, $mall$’s first mixtape, gained him a considerable amount of local fame, and the last one, You Killin’ Me $mall$ never gets old.

Marcel P. Black

Marcel P. Black’s mantra is “#CultureOverEverything.” And his music reflects how seriously he takes his role as Baton Rouge’s preeminent emcee. “Culture over everything is about believing in the transformative power of hip-hop as a culture, as a lifestyle as well as an art form,” Black said. “I’m really big on intention, using hip-hop as a vehicle to educate, empower, uplift, entertain—and putting that before anything else.” Since moving to Baton Rouge 15 years ago, Marcel P. Black has become an essential member of the city’s hip-hop culture as both MC and youth counselor. He hosts the weekly “Really Outchea Podcast,” where he interviews underground hip-hop artists from around the nation.

Quadry

Inspired by the glitz and glamour of the BET Awards, a young Quadry Winters started rapping when he was just a kid. Now 23, Quadry’s “Art Rap” is making waves in the capital city. Of his music, Quadry says, “It means hip-hop music that’s breaking the box of what people traditionally see hip-hop as.” Over the years, he’s worked with Def Jam and has been compared to Pro Era. Quadry hopes to help transform the city’s signature sound from clubby jig style to something more meaningful, rooted in soul and jazz, and both self-analytical and eager to embrace change.

If you know of any other Baton Rouge hip-hop artists who should be on a list like this, please reach out directly with music via email (info@respectmyregion.com).

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