French Montana, Max B, Rick Ross, Ice Spice, G Herbo, Cash Cobain, Zeddy Will, Omah Lay, Honey Bxby, Sleepy Hallow, 41, Fetty Wap, Conway the Machine, Roc Marciano, 38 Spesh, Albee Al, et NEMS

Born on 9 November 1984 in Rabat, Morocco he immigrated with his family to the United States at the age of 13. Settling into the Bronx in New York, and helped to support his family. In 2002 he teamed up with his friend Cokeboy Los to make a mixtape “Cocaine City” which he used to showcase his talent in the underground hip hop world. Continuing to build a large following, Montana signed a deal with Akon’s Konvict Muzik record label in 2009, but shortly left due to delays in making an album happen by 2011.

Later that year he was able to sign a deal with P. Diddy’s label, Bad Boy Records and consequently was able to make and release his album “Excuse My French” by May 2013, but not before releasing his mixtape “Mac & Cheese 3” in 2012. The “Excuse My French” record featured a collaboration with Nicki Minaj, and sold over 50,000 copies.

In 2014 Montana made the announcement that his upcoming album “Mac And Cheese 4” would be a mixtape/studio album done through his own label/ group, Cocaine City Records. The album is slated to also include collaborations with Chinx Drugz, Flip, Cheeze and Lil Durk.

It’s difficult to quite put your finger on how conventional Ross’ pre-hip hop life was, by the genre’s usual standards; he certainly didn’t have the most comfortable of upbringings, but it’s also fair to say that serving as a prison officer - as Ross did for a couple of years in the mid-nineties - is hardly something that’s a common occurrence in a genre of music with a general lack of regard for law enforcement. After addressing that particular issue on his commercial breakthrough record “Deeper Than Rap” in 2009, though - he’d initially denied that the rumours were true - he’s gone on to make himself one of the best-respected and most widely-revered rappers in the world, having been named Hottest MC in the Game by MTV in 2012. He’s probably best-known in the hip hop community for having created his own label, Maybach Music Group; named after his favourite brand of luxury car, Ross has signed the likes of Meek Mill, French Montana and Wale to the imprint.

In terms of his own solo career, Ross’ lyricism has usually focused on the decadent lifestyle he enjoys, with money and material possessions clearly his primary motivation. He frequently offsets that kind of imagery, though, against his struggles as a youngster, both with the law and with his family; it’s this dichotomy that makes him one of his genre’s most compelling artists. 2014’s “Mastermind” met with critical acclaim, even if it didn’t have a single quite as big as his signature song, “Hustlin’” - it’s testament to Ross’ work ethic, though, that it’s not the only new album he’ll release this year, with “Hood Billionaire” being readied, too.

Born Willie Maxwell and raised in a Paterson, New Jersey housing project, music was a passion of Fetty Wap's from an early age, but it wasn't until 2013 when that interest translated into the desire to make it himself. After joining a rap troupe local to him called the Remy Boyz 1738, he tried his hand at being a staight-up rapper at first. However, he decided to start singing as well in order to have something to make him stand out from the crowd, and it's safe to say that it was a wise move. Maxwell ended up having one of the most phenomenally successful debut singles in recent history in the form of “Trap Queen”, which was released onto the internet in April 2014.

Shortly after it's official release in February 2015, it had picked up enough momentum to hurtle into the Billboard Hot 100 at number two. However, Maxwell shows no sign of becoming a one-hit wonder, or a novelty act. His two mixtapes, 2014's “Up Next” and the following year's “Zoo Style”, have picked up glowing notices and have seen the young sensation guest on records by everyone from Gucci Mane to 50 Cent. Maxwell has the commercial clout and the artistic vision to become a major player in the near future, and for that, he comes highly recommended.