Among the heat and humidity, Houston has emerged as the heart of southern hip-hop. Similar to candy paint culture, Space City’s current hip-hop scene is colorful, progressive, and light-years away from its original “chop and screw” roots. Old school poets, experimental innovators, and everything in between are emerging from the underground. Houston’s hip hop artists are propelling the city’s music scene forward in ways never heard before in southern rap.
Here’s the lowdown on ten of the city’s most exciting music makers (in no particular order). Some are household names, while others are prominent only in Houston’s underground independent music scene (for now). Whatever style they favor, these Houston hip-hop artists are anything but typical.
10 Houston Hip-Hop Artists You Should Be Listening To
Z- Ro
Local legend Joseph McVey, a.k.a Z-RO, a.k.a. Mo City Don, grew up in Houston’s South Park neighborhood. It seems like every Houston hip hop fan has their own Z-RO cut. A local success since 1994, the Mo City Don didn’t gain national recognition until the 2004 release of Life and Times of Joseph McVey. Although he’s never gained as much mainstream success as others on this list, Z-RO has achieved idol status in Houston.
Propain
With loads of natural lyrical talent and support from Houston hip-hop heavyweights like Bun B and Scarface, Chris “Propain” Dudley is blasting into 2021 with mad skills and ultra-relevant rhymes. Propain credits influences like Nas, Jay-Z, and Andre 3000 for inspiring his brand of “thinker music”. “The intellect in the music is something you can take hold of…you’re thinking while listening to it, it puts you in deep thought,”says Propain.
Tobe Nwigwe
Former NFL prospect Tobechuwu “Tobe” Nwigwe hails from Houston’s Alief neighborhood. A first-generation Igbo Nigerian, Tobe Nwigwe gathered gobs of mainstream fame last year and is riding the wave into 2021. Ending 2020 with as artist-in-residence at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Mintxibition, his music advocates for social justice. NBC and The New York Times covered his tracks addressing the wrongful deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others.
Le$
Houston hip-hop artist Lester Matthews, a.k.a Le$ has a reputation for writing at a furious pace, releasing around 30 mixtapes over the past 10 years. His unmistakable style is reminiscent of Houston’s chopped-and-screwed style but more melodic. Matthews’ raspy voice cuts through the music’s melodic warmth with a style he calls “lifestyle rap.” His latest album, Dio, was just released November 27, 2020, and the new single “Opus” follows a fresh collaboration featuring Bun B on “Live By.” With this dude’s ferocious writing, expect plenty more throughout 2021.
Megan Thee Stallion
Everyone in the United States knows Megan Thee Stallion. But in the good old days, the Houston hottie first hooked fans’ attention with freestyle clips on social media. After signing with 300 Entertainment, she released the 2019 mixtape Fever, followed by her Suga EP and debut studio album, Good News, in 2020. For her hard work and superstar chops, @TheeStallion has won a slew of awards and had four Grammy nominations. And Time magazine named her one of 2020’s 100 most influential people in the world. The H-Town Hottie is officially a household name.
Tim Woods
After nearly a decade spent defining and refining his musical style, the “flower child of Houston” seems to have embraced his personal brand. Tim Woods‘ musical style falls into multiple genres on the musical spectrum, incorporating hip-hop, R&B, indie rock, and funk. Still soundly rooted underground, Woods’ buzz seems to be blooming by the day. It might not be long until the word is out on this eclectic Houston hip-hop artist.
BuddieRoe
If you haven’t heard of BuddieRoe, you probably don’t know about #HTownRapBattle. The Instagram MC battle was Doughbeezy’s project aimed at supporting local rappers. Roe took the top spot out of more than 3,000 contestants in a final live showdown, catapulting the Southside native into Houston’s hip-hop spotlight. Check out Roe’s raw lyrical chops and fat trap beats on his latest album, Owner’s Manual.
Maxo Kream
Born in Alief, Houston to a Nigerian father, Maxo Kream first gained attention when he posted his remix of Kendrick Lamar’s “Rigamortus.” His second album, Brandon Banks, featured hot Houston hip-hop artists Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, and LA’s ScHoolboy Q, officially digging Maxo out of the underground. With a slew of singles, four mixtapes, two albums, and around half a million Instagram followers, Kream’s third album is currently in the works.
D Flowers
With his quick lyrical wit and commanding persona, this Maxo Kream protégé has been stealing every stage he’s been on since 2018. Now, in 2021, D. Flowers is poised to represent his trademark messaging about poverty and the ability to overcome poverty in his debut album, which he says will be “a light for people in the dark.” Inspiring people with his There’s no release date set yet, but Flowers wants you to, “to anticipate it like a kid on Christmas Eve.” Check out his singles while you wait for the big day.
Sauce Walka
Sauce Walka began his career as a member of Houston rap group Mostheard in 2007, before releasing his first mixtape and joining Sancho Saucy to form the duo Sauce Twinz in 2014. The Drip God popularized the hip-hop slang term “drip,” and he peppers it throughout his lyrics. Walka’s collaborations include notable hip-hop artists Bun B, Travis Scott, Slim Thug, Chief Keef, Lil’ Keke, XXXTentacion, Maxo Kream, Migos, and Trinidad James. Saucy.
If you know of an artist who should be on a list like this for Houston or any other city in Texas, please comment below with your recommendations and/or reach out directly with music via email (info@respectmyregion.com).
Artists who want to be featured can reach out using the submission tab at RespectMyRegion.com/marketing.
