Dani Kiyoko (@danikiyoko)

The Kennedy Heights, Louisiana visionary started experimenting with music in 2012 when he downloaded the classic iphone app Rap Rivals, but he started seriously producing in 2016. Dani Kiyoko was uploading instrumentals reminiscent of early ICYTWAT beats, and remixes of 90s classics to his SoundCloud during this time. Although he built a solid following throughout the underground for his eclectic music as a rapper, singer, and producer, Dani hit another gear in the spring of 2021 when he invented his own music genre known as Vamp Plugg.

In an interview, Dani Kiyoko describes the subgenre as a mixture of R&B and Japanese Rock. The tonal origins of Vamp Plugg are clear in its dark and haunting chords that are accompanied by heavy 808s, claps, and snares associated with the Plugg genre. His grimly melodic beats make one feel as if they're on a fast-forwarded stroll through an intergalactic cemetery. The new sound was instantly embraced with rappers across the underground jumping on Dani’s production including BbyGoyard, sellasouls, LazyGod, $UAVI GUALLA, axxturrel (Luci4), Grimm Doza, RodeoGlo, and Lil Xelly.

Although many people may have been introduced to him through Vamp Plugg, Dani makes almost every genre of music. His discography ranges from Drum N Bass, Funk, and R&B to Indie, Hyperop, and even Jersey Club. He also created additional subgenres such as the self-titled #streetrunnaz muzik that’s reminiscent of '06-'10 Lex Luger and Travis Porter southern trap music. He’s also labeled another style (2oo9) that focuses on instrumentals that give off a mid-to-late 2000s feeling of experimental and genre-bridging music. Dani mixes the majority of his releases, frequently changing the tempo of his tracks and adding in a steady supply of sound effects.

Dani Kiyoko's large discography, spanning 15 projects since 2021 alone, and his involvement in multiple collectives across the internet including SoEvilBoyz, sillyteam, and MorbidFantasy, has made him one of the most present forces in Internet music’s underground. He's already received nods from Cartier’God, Black Kray (SickBoyRari), and Tisakorean, while maintaining working relationships with up-and-comers Bleachdiego, Xaviersobased, Dazegxd, and Preme4L (Hoodrixh). Dani should be considered a leader of the new generation of SoundCloud artists who are making music thats just different as fuck. He’s already well respected in the underground, and it’s only a matter of time before that respect spreads to the mainstream and masses.

Songs to listen to produced by Dani Kiyoko: LAZYGOD - AIR MATTRESS [P. DANI KIYOKO X JAYEE], sellasouls - {157}}WOMD{{252}}#F4YS (p. Dani Kiyoko), jugnino- no way (p. Dani Kiyoko) #STREETRUNNAZ, Dani Kiyoko - (2oo9) where you been?

Popstar Benny (@popstarbenny)

The graphic designer / DJ / producer from Cobb County, GA started making music in 2007. Inspired by Soulja Boy’s musical takeover at the time, Popstar Benny downloaded FL Studio. After experimenting with the software for a few years, Benny pursued a music career in 2014, building on relationships he made as a graphic designer. He initially made music under the name Benny Jetts, uploading instrumental flips and mixes of underground hits in Atlanta. He started DJing for the modern-day Beastie Boys rap-trio Larry League in 2016, while continuing to put out music as a producer and rapper.

In 2017, Popstar Benny founded Popstar FM, a self-described Art Company, and “umbrella for all the creative endeavors [him and his friends] are doing on the side, including art direction and rollout for projects.” He began hosting releases by his affiliates on the Popstar FM SoundCloud account, including the ALLSTAR* ~ Vol. 1 tape, which had verses from 645AR, Tony Shhnow, and Lil Wop, and production from Mikey Margiella, Sensei ATL, and Milanmakesbeats. Benny continued organizing shows, projects, and mixes for Popstar FM for the next few years, eventually becoming one of the most involved artists in Atlanta’s underground by 2020.

He would meet Bear1boss at the end of the year, and form a friendship that would shift the trajectory of both their careers. Their first collaborative project America's Sweetheart finds Benny bridging his Trap and Plugg drums with melodies that have elements of Hyperpop, Dance, and EDM, creating new sonic vibrations that could be described as the soundtrack to the final lap of an underwater sport-submarine racing video game. Popstar Benny embraced this sound and all the subgenres his music may fall under since the release. A typical Benny beat these days features filtered video game samples and weird synthesizers accompanied by room-shaking 808s. His melodies alone sound like the final boss stage in Megaman, but Benny's hectic production is always tied together by overwhelming drums.

Including his work with Bear, Popstar Benny has been heavily involved in over 20 projects since 2021. He also pumped out hundreds of beats between his collabs with Popstar FM producers Mikey Margiela, Ziti, Cade, 14GOLDS, Tylur Ocean, and Baredex, and underground heavyweights Sensei ATL, ChaseTheMoney, and Cities Aviv. Benny has worked with virtually everyone in Atlanta’s underground from UnoTheActivist, Thouxanbanfauni, and Key!, to Destroy Lonely, Autumn!, and MuddyMya. His appeal spreads across the country too, producing for Florida’s Rod Wave, Philly’s Jah$tar, NYC’s MIKE, VA Beach’s Nolanberollin, Chicago’s Bravoo Hunnidz, and LA’s Na-kel Smith. Popstar Benny is a platinum producer who’s organized sold out shows, been featured in a SoundCloud documentary, and gotten write ups from most of the acclaimed Hip-hop publications. It’s only a matter of time before he and his Popstar team overtake the radio waves the same way The Neptunes did in the early 2000s.

Songs to listen to produced by Popstar Benny: Sharc - Body Paint (p. Cities Aviv + Popstar Benny), Bear1boss ~ Woah Naenae Whip! (p. Glumboy + Globebwoy + Popstar Benny), Tony Shhnow - Chances (p. Tylur Ocean + Popstar Benny) Long.Live.6.Dogs (p. Popstar Benny + Ziti + 14 Golds)

ilykimichi (@ilykimchi)

The 21-year-old LA-based artist has been producing for rappers around the city since 2019. At the time, ilykimchi was making borderline mainstream Atlanta-style trap beats, frequently collaborating with industry producer The Martianz. She’d occasionally sing hooks on love rap songs too. Kimchi would become a member of Working On Dying in 2020, joining the new generation of the group's producers (alongside BNYX and Faxxonly), and other affiliates of the expanding collective. ilykimchi’s addition to WOD resulted in the elevation of her sound quality and significant increase in output.

Her most popular music consists of the post-tread sound WOD has been emanating lately, applying the group’s signature drums, hi-hats, and snares to different subgenres of Hip-Hop. Kimchi’s production often falls into heavy trap beats with straightforward piano and synth melodies that are engulfed by polished 808s. She provides ideal production for the new generation of young artists teetering between the mainstream and underground like Ken Car$on, yvngxchris, The Hxliday, Tino Szn, and Tia Corine.

Although Kimchi can deliver the speaker-shaking production affiliated with her superproducer group, she’s branched off into her own lane within the Hyperpop and Glitchcore communities. She frequently posts Hypepop beat snippets on her Instagram (often sandwiched between flattering photos of herself to assure the algorithm shows it to people) that feature high tempo rolling melodies with video game sounds that are brought together by light kicks and a consistent snare or clap. The positive reception of her snippets lead to her releasing two singles of her own.

ilykimchi has carved out her own spot within Working In Dying for her notable sound and mainstream potential. Rappers are recognizing this talent as endless snippets produced by her continue to surface with artists like Thouxanbanfauni, Zillakami, and Lil Keed (RIP). All signs indicate that Kimchi is going to blow up this year. As her following continues to exponentially increase, so will the amount of crank we’ll receive from her and some of our new (and veteran) favorite rappers.

Songs to listen to produced by ilyKimchi: Rob $tone - 28 Gram (p. ilykimchi), Drakeo The Ruler - Way Before The Fame (p. Al B Smoov + F1LTHY + ​ilykimchi), midwxst - Chowder (p. ​ilykimchi + Nest + Oogie Mane), Kimchi - leave me alone

Hoodrixh (@hoodrixh6)

The young Chicago native is arguably the most prolific “Type Beat” producer on Youtube right now. Hoodrixh started uploading remakes of old SpaceGhostPurrp beats, and type beats of his own to the website in 2018. He dove headfirst into producing, posting a new beat everyday from October 2018 - February 2019. He slightly slowed down this rampant pace, but stayed consistent, sharing two-three beats every week since March 2019. He most likely uploaded to his Youtube page in the last 48 hours.

A scroll through Hoodrixh’s page shows he’s clearly a student of the rap game, uploading type beats of the most elite creatives in the underground from Tisakorean, Black Kray (SickBoyRari), Slimesito, and Xavier Wulf to Brentrambo, Sensei ATL, DP Beats, ICYTWAT, and Black Money Boys (BMB). He’ll also post beats of mainstream artists, NBA Youngboy, Megan Thee Stallion, Griselda, and pinkpantherss. On top of his extensive list of type beats, Hoodrixh has made some pretty outstanding flips of random samples ranging from the Lego Star Wars lobby soundtrack and Kahoot sound effects to the PornHub video intro and Home Depot theme song.

The teenage producer has made hundreds of beats centered around a certain artist, but he’s managed to develop his own distinct sound. The“Pipe Up Hoodrixh” tag in his songs are almost unnecessary since his production is instantly recognizable. His beats fall in a simple 2 or 4 bar pattern that uses some combination of majestic piano rolls, ethereal synths, ambient bells, orchestra violins, and video game sounds with well-placed hi-hats snares, and 808s.

Although people from the infinite void of SoundCloud have been rapping over Hoodrixh’s beats since he started uploading leases, he gained recognition throughout the underground in 2020. The producer began to build his extensive discography with 1030 Tuwop, while landing placements with Joony and Bktherula. He really took off the last 18 months, establishing working relationships with GAWD, axxturrel (Lucifer 𐕣), and Lil Xelly, while landing placements with BabySantana, Ka$hdami, and Dani Kiyoko. He also started rapping over his experimental and new-age beats under the name Premeski. The rapper-producer has dropped a few singles on his SoundCloud, frequently pitching up his voice, adding autotune to it, and effortlessly flowing over his ambient production.

Hoodrixh is steadily gaining recognition for his ability to make beats that have the potential to go viral overnight. He’s a common denominator in a lot of SoundCloud rappers who have 75 followers and a song with 75k plays. His ability to crank out hits at an alarming rate has cemented Hoodrixh as a young GOAT in various pockets of the internet, and will propel him to prominence the rest of the year.

Songs to listen to produced by Hoodrixh: 1030 Tuwop - PTSD (p. Hoodrixh), Lil Xelly - HOODRXCH :: HOODRIXH (p. Hoodrixh), Promotion Freestyle (p. Hoodrixh), @premeski_ - they gon hate 🤺 #2k11 (p. preme)

Utrippin! (@utrippin1)

The LA native has been experimenting with music since the 5th grade when he downloaded Fruity Loops to remake Odd Future beats. Despite Utrippin!’s early entrance into production, he didn’t start officially releasing music on SoundCloud until 2017. He was both rapping and producing during this time, forming early connections with Lil Xelly, Brentrambo, and Uglyfriend.

Utrippin!’s sound involves polyrhythmic ambient melodies and smooth 808s that could be described as Post-apocalyptic Plugg music. His bouncy synth runs that sound like digital wind-chimes are meshed with cohesive drums, hi-hats, and snares, creating a detailed wall of sound that can consume the listener before a rapper says a single word over it. The atmospheres his soundscapes create feel like they originated from a sub-oceanic laboratory in the ruins of Ancient Atlantis.

The young producer garnered recognition through the last quarter of the 2010s landing placements throughout the underground with artists like NgeeYL and Nolanberollin. He also began working with BoofpaxkMooky, releasing two EPs together and multiple singles. Utrippin! built on his momentum in 2020, collaborating frequently with Surf Gang members (at the time) ppgcaspr, Polo Perks, and Moh Barreta. He significantly increased his output in the past year and a half, dropping five projects of his own, a joint tape with Bear1boss, and flooding his IG with beat snippets. He also tapped in with David Shawty during this time, producing over 20+ tracks for him and functioning as a core producer on his recent project psycho nitemare. Utrippin! joined David’s nitemare collective, as well as So Icy Goth (SIG), and WORKDEPT AUDIO.

It’s clear the young producer has immense talent that he’s cultivated from a pretty young age. In a recent interview, Utrippin! explains his main passion in life is making music. He enjoys the process of locking himself in the studio for days, making beats and playing video games. Utrippin!’s strong work ethic and genuine passion for his craft is the perfect combination for an all-star producer who will become a household name amongst rap fans sooner rather than later.

Songs to listen to produced by Utrippin!: bear1boss - trapbaby back 4 the win (p.utrippin!), boofpaxkmooky - hatred (p.utrippin!), destroylonely - paparazzi (p. utrippin + hoodwtch), davidshawty - mine/mad/walkingdead (p. utrippin! & jakehansen)

NotAtTheTable Carlos (@nattcarlos)

The NYC producer has been active since 2017, but became arguably the best sample-drill producer coming out of the city in the past year. Since his first upload on SoundCloud, NotAtTheTable Carlos always had a way with sampling. His earliest tracks include flips of the Looney Tunes, Exorcist, and The Wiz soundtracks. He started to gain recognition from other NYC rappers and producers in 2020 through his “Type Beats” on Youtube. Many of these tracks found Carlos transforming early 2000s singles from the likes of Pusha T and Paramore into modern day drill songs, or sampling Tame Impala, New Edition, and Usher in new-age Trap beats.

His experimental production would eventually land him placements with Shawny Binladen in 2021. NATT Carlos quickly became a go-to producer for the Queens-rapper, producing nearly half the songs on his critically acclaimed project Wikipedia (deluxe) last fall. He started working with Shawny’s Yellow Tape Boyz (YTB) group-mates Four50, Big Yaya, and Big Gltaow soon after, appearing on all of their projects since.

NATT Carlos biggest appeal is the unconventionally melodic nature of his samples. He searches for the most obscure and ethereal section of a song to tweak or recreate into a new sound. He’ll also sample different parts of the same track (or separate songs) and intertwine them into an authentic melody. This is matched with minimalist drums, hi hats, snares, and an occasional bell, giving space for his samples, and whoever is rapping over them, to fully shine.

Although Carlos is capable of sampling anything from pianos, guitars, and even John Cena’s Walkout Song, he is at his best when sampling voices. He’ll add filters to the voice, and change its pitch and length, making it low and long, or high and fast. The process manipulates voice samples into fresh renditions of old and contemporary hits. He’s sampled a large spectrum of artists ranging from Billie Eilish to Bon Jovi. The genuine bounce that comes from Carlos’ authentic sample-drill melodies makes his music very distinct. One can tell it's a NotAtTheTable Carlos beat before hearing his Hangover-inspired producer tag.

On top of his extensive discography with YTB / WCF, NATTCarlos has worked with K$upreme, Kay Flock, RockGang Dah, Pasto Flocco, and 1600J. His placements only seem to increase as he cements relationships with some of the best artists in New York right now. NATT Carlos’ creativity knows no limits, making it exciting to think what new sounds he has in store for the rest of 2022.

Songs to listen to produced by NotAtTheTable Carlos: Shawny Binladen - No Power (prod. NattCarlos), Shawny Binladen FT. K$upreme & Big YAYA - In The Vault prod NATTCarlos, Four50 - Keep My Ratchet (feat. Shawny Binladen & Bo Live), Shawny Binladen - Fatality (prod. NattCarlos & Four3va)

Tethra64 (@tethra.64)

Originally from Willmington, Delaware, and currently based out of Philadelphia, the producer / rapper / DJ has been making music since picking up a guitar when he was eight. Tethra64 would download FL Studio at age twelve, making mostly Baltimore Club music. He transitioned into rapping in highschool (around 2010), after deciding no one could do justice to his J-Dilla-inspired production at the time.

Tethra spent most of the 2010s polishing his production and rapping skills, before creating his own genre known as Blast in 2017. The fusion-genre finds Teth meshing the favorable elements of contemporary Hip-hop, House, and Drum N Bass into a new sonic tidal wave. A standard Blast song will have experimental House or videogame melodies and overpowering WODesque 808s that have Amen drum breaks coded into the beat throughout its entirety. The music feels like battling Bowser, Cell, and the main villain from Jet Set Radio at the same time, or being the last player in a group on Warzone with the sensitivity turned all the way up. It’s the newest and most pure form of mosh pit music out right now.

Soon after inventing Blast, Tethra became a member of Rareboyzz (R1), a Philly-based collective of musical artists, videographers, and designers that have been an active force in the city’s underground since 2017. Teth and R1 steadily increased in notoriety around the city and internet for their intense sound, working with Lerado, Morgue!, and Dretti Franks.

In the summer of 2021, the collective branched into the bustling rave culture that’s overtaken Philadelphia in recent years. Tethra and fellow R1 member Coolaidhippy began DJing last summer and immediately got booked to spin at dozens of raves around the city. They instantly became a favorite amongst local ravers for the intense Blast music they’d include in live sets. The two also established a good talent for remixing mainstream and underground hits, adding in elements of Drum N Bass, Jungle, and Blast into the reworked song. Teth and Cooly built on their momentum, establishing a partnership with local creative agency Exponent, while continuing to organize and play at countless events and parties throughout 2021 and the first half of this year.

Although Tethra has received the most attention for his DJing recently, he still puts out a consistent amount of music, recently releasing an EDM project titled Sono_System. Also, a significant amount of the music he plays during live sets are unreleased songs he’s patiently sitting on. The high-motor and relentless work ethic of Tethra64 and his R1 affiliates led to the creation of a genre of music that is not only rare, but has the potential to blow up overnight alongside himself and his affiliates.

Songs produced by Tetrha64 to listen to: .//TETHRA64 = FOUNTAIN OF DREAMS + POLONTE VER 64 JUNGLEMIX (KLONOA2 CONCEPT OST), Tethra64 + Fauni = Wish The Worst DNB Jungle Remix, .//TETHRA64 = //ERASERGUN\\.(P.TETHRA64), Tethra64 - SUNFLOWER