WHAT IT IS: Born to Jamaican parents, 17-year-old Brooklyn native Melvoni spent much of his childhood jumping back-and-forth between the States and his home island, facing hardship along the way. After ditching his first part-time job and turning to the streets, Melvoni soon took his hustle to the studio, catching the attention of his now-manager. The rising rapper weaves organic and evocative instrumentation into a minimalist production style centered on his melodic flow and powerful vocals. With his breakout single, “No Man’s Land,” Melvoni demonstrated his ability to craft hits. Touted by Genius, Lyrical Lemonade, Elevator and more, he released his EP, WHO TF IS MELVONI, in 2020 and inked a deal with Epic. Melvoni has emerged as a voice for his city and is ready to go worldwide with his forthcoming single, “Get Money” f/DDG & Tyla Yaweh.
RELEASE DATE: 4/23
SINGLE: “Get Money” f/DDG & Tyla Yaweh
INTERNET: 21.4m+ global career streams; 247k+ monthly Spotify listeners; nearly 19m combined video views on YouTube, 126k+ subscribers; 146k+ Instagram followers
PRESS: Complex, FLAUNT, Pitchfork, HotNewHipHop, more
MANAGEMENT: Banks Mgmt

WHAT IT IS: Dro Kenji’s rise is a testament to the power of the Internet. Last year, the 19-year-old artist was a high school senior in South Carolina who’d posted a string of releases on his SoundCloud. Now, as the latest signee on Internet Money/10K Projects’ rosters, Kenji is collaborating with the label’s team of heavy-hitter producers to showcase his distinctive melodies and versatile songwriting as he tackles emotionally charged topics. A child of the digital age, raised on video games and the sounds of rap’s online underground, Kenji has a remarkable ability to capture both the apathy and aspirations of his generation.
ALBUM: Eat Your Heart Out
RELEASE DATE: 2/26
SINGLE: “Kill Cupid”
LIVE: Rolling Loud 2021 livestream
INTERNET: 1.5m+ global streams first two weeks on “Race Me to Hell” and 10m+ global streams in the past 90 days; playlists: Apple Music’s The Plug, New In Hip-Hop, Get Up and Go, more; Spotify’s NMF, Hot Rhythmic, Signed XOXO, Tear Drop, Alternative Hip-Hop, more
PRESS: XXL Freshman Class, Lyrical Lemonade, Ones To Watch, Elevator, more
BOOKING: Matt Adler/Paradigm
PUBLISHING: BMI
MANAGEMENT: Jonathan Hicks/Undeniable MGMT

WHAT IT IS: With undeniable energy and confidence, N.Y.-born Puerto Rican singer/songwriter Princess Nokia, neé Destiny Frasqueri, is all about amplifying her voice and being unapologetically herself. Following her 2017 independent breakthrough, 1992 Deluxe (Rough Trade), the rising rapper put out a series of projects, including “I Like Him,” which accumulated 100m+ streams and 11m+ views on the futuristic-themed video, and her most recent single, “It’s Not My Fault.” Projecting authenticity and a sense of possibility, the up-and-comer has solidified her presence in the rap game.
SINGLE: “It’s Not My Fault”
INTERNET: 2.8m+ monthly Spotify listeners; playlists: Spotify’s Get Turnt, Signed XOXO, Workout Twerkout, Feelin’ Myself; Apple Music’s Hip-Hop Workout, Pure Workout, New Fire and Weekend Worthy; Amazon’s Ladies First: Female MCs; Tidal’s Dirty Rap and Women of Hip-Hop, more
PRESS: N.Y. Times, Rolling Stone, UPROXX, Nylon, NME, The Guardian, V Magazine (“Princess Nokia has confidence for days, weeks, and this track is the perfect medium for her to show it off”), Refinery 29 (“It’s not her fault everyone is obsessed with her, but the rapper is soaking in all of the attention nonetheless”), DIY Mag (“Princess Nokia is continuing to bring the bops”), Consequence of Sound, more
BOOKING: UTA
MANAGEMENT: John Meneilly & Chantal Felice