Steel City may be small, but man, does it know how to produce some big artists. The one and only Wiz Khalifa, as well as legend Mac Miller, hail from the Pennsylvania city. These two have made names for themselves, and soon, nine more Pittsburgh natives will, as well. RMR has compiled a list for nine upcoming fire artists from Pittsburgh that you must add to your playlists.
Chevy Woods
Kicking off our list is Pittsburgh artist and songwriter Chevy Woods. The 42-year-old grew up in Hazelwood and studied at Robert Morris University on an athletic scholarship. He has done numerous collabs with the Pittsburgh legend, Wiz Khalifa. Khalifa invited Woods to join Taylor Gang, and had Woods be his hype man while on tour. He has worked with other big artists including Snoop Dogg, Juicy J, and French Montana.
Photo by @chevywoods
HARDO
HARDO has a way with words when he raps his bars. He tells stories about his life and his past growing up in the Wilkinsburg section of the city. HARDO has also worked with Wiz Khalifa, and other fellow Pittsburgh native Mac Miller- even recording songs at Miller’s house when they were classmates back in the day. On top of his rapping career, HARDO is the founder and CEO of label TRAP ILLUSTRATED ENT.
Photo by @hardo
Benji
Benji was named one of NPR’s Music Artists to watch. The multi-faceted artist is not only a rapper, but a singer, a songwriter, and knows how to play multiple instruments. He grew up in a music-oriented family, and his brother, Christo, currently produces and DJs for J.I.D. He has previously joined EARTHGANG on tour, as well as joined the band, Spillage Village. Keep Benji on your radar for the future because his is definitely looking up.
Photo by @avatarbenji
Reese Youngn
Next up is Reese Youngn. Born Tyreese Maleek El, he grew up in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He started rapping at the young age of five after his brothers’ interest in music rubbed off on him. He has gained 44.4k monthly listeners on Spotify, as well as 34.4k followers on Instagram.
Photo by @realreeseyoungn
Fedd the God
Fedd the God grew up in a rougher side of the city called Northview Heights. He would use music as a form of therapy whenever he witnessed something in the neighborhood, but honed in on the craft after the death of his friend Trillzee- also a rapper. Fedd felt as if he had to continue his friend’s journey. Fedd has worked alongside Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, and Chevy Woods. In addition, he is a part of Taylor Gang.
Photo by @feddthegod
Brittney Chantele
Brittney Chantele is a pop/hip-hop artist who aspires to create music that inspires. Chantele is a biracial non-binary lesbian who hopes to share music that allows others to feel represented. Although they just moved to Chicago, Pittsburgh natives will always claim them as their own.
Photo by @brittneychantele
Guapo Lennon
Guapo Lennon is a passionate native of Pittsburgh who aspires to create authentic music for his fans. His signature single, “Rolling Stone,” has amassed more than 1,200,000 streams. With only 5,215 monthly listeners so far on Spotify, Guapo is one hundred percent on the come-up.
Photo by guapolennon.com
Heemi
Heemi is a hip-hop/rap artist to be on the look-out for. He creates music that is super melodious, and when matched with his lyrical abilities, it’s unbeatable. He took a brief hiatus releasing music on streaming platforms after 2018, but was active on Youtube and released multiple music videos. Heemi began releasing music on streaming services again this year.
Photo by @iamheemi
Binky Bandz
Wrapping up our list is Binky Bandz. He comes from the Homewood neighborhood of the ‘burgh, and has lived through a lot in his life so far. After losing his grandmother, and then his mother mother, he, at the age of 16, and his nine siblings had to figure life out themselves. He began his music career in 2012, and the rest is history. His music is straight fire, and nothing but the best is coming for him.
Photo by @binky_bandz7
To stay ahead of the music game, you gotta start listening to these Pittsburgh artists today before they have a name as big as Wiz and Mac. Also, keep an eye out for some of their amazing collaborations.
