Denzel Curry

19-year-old Denzel Curry dropped a few mixtapes before he became widely recognized, and then bust onto the rap scene in 2013 with the release of his debut album Nostalgic 64. Some well-established artists in the genre, notably Mike G and Earl Sweatshirt, best known for their work in the collective Odd Future, noticed the American rapper for his earlier work, and Mike G went on to collaborate with Curry in his 2013 release.

Curry’s live performances can be compared to that of the Odd Future guys; hectic, lively and has an awesome atmosphere and, more often than not, attracts a decent crowd – he just seems like he’s enjoying himself on stage, something that you could come to expect from a 19 year old performer.

Nostalgic 64 has some certified tunes on it, and Denzel Curry always ensures that his set lists are packed out; be sure to check out ‘Threatz’ ft. Yung Simmie & Rob Bank$, and ‘Zone 3’, two songs in particular that get the crowd buzzing.

He is one of the most exciting live acts at the moment, and his flow is always on point - considering his age you can be sure that Denzel Curry will be on the scene for a while. Look out for this teenager, because I, for one, can’t wait to see what he does next.

For one reason or another, the southern hip hop sound that Three 6 Mafia helped to pioneer in their native Memphis never quite crossed over into the mainstream here in the UK; to be fair, though, the fact that they would often blend that approach with elements of gangsta rap and - ill-advisedly - the short-lived crunk fad might have had something to do with that, especially given that the latter craze emerged at around the time that the group would have been at their most commercially-viable, the mid-noughties. It was then, in 2005, that they won an Academy Award for ‘It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp’ from Hustle & Flow; a year later, they featured on Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds, on ‘Chop Me Up’. Hopes of a rare Three 6 tour in the UK, are likely to have been dashed by numerous recent events, including Juicy J’s increasing focus on his solo career and the death of Lord Infamous late last year. The remaining members though - minus J - have reformed as Da Mafia 6ix and toured the U.S. to a fervent reception, with setlists largely comprising Three 6 classics; if they can make it over here, they might just prove to be the next best thing.