If his new music video is any indication of what’s next, then Gosha Guppy is on his way to turning his music into a lifestyle that established fans and new listeners alike will want to experience. 

When Washington University sophomore Zach Bernagene, known by his stage name Gosha Guppy, stepped onto the Brookings Quadrangle stage to begin his WILD set, the excitement was palpable. Though he was the first performer of the night, students were already packed into the front row to support him, and their energy was electric.

On September 27, DaBaby released KIRK, his second album of 2019. The title is a reference to DaBaby’s birth name, Jonathan Lyndale Kirk. DaBaby has had a quick rise to fame over the past year, and KIRK is a shining example of why.

We all know at least one SoundCloud rapper from high school. You know who I’m talking about—that one kid with trash beats and even worse vocals who thinks he’s going to make it in the industry with 20 followers on SoundCloud. Unlike them, Evan Hughes is the real deal.

Watching the video for Tyler, The Creator’s “Yonkers” five years after its release, it is striking just how raw the Odd Future brand was. As statements of intent go, this is arguably as compelling as it can get. Tyler, The Creator—de facto leader of the then-burgeoning Los Angeles hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All—seemed far beyond his 19 years, and seeing something so perfectly formed perhaps signalled that a regression (or at least a lack of progression) was looming.

This summer, Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen” demonstrated the power of new music distribution methods (the song first appeared on SoundCloud), riding a wave of momentum that began early in the year and drove the song into “song of the summer” contention. The song also sparked Fetty’s rapid ascendance, landing him two more top-15 hits (“My Way” and “679”) and a Drake remix. With Fetty’s debut album scheduled for a September release, Tyler Friedman, staff writer, and Kimberly Henrickson, film editor, debate the merits of the singer’s breakthrough hit.

Run the Jewels (the rap duo comprised of Killer Mike and El-P) set out to make a follow-up to their critically acclaimed eponymous debut album and created nothing short of a beautiful monster. A lesser group would have coasted on the wave of critical acclaim from their premiere release and cashed in on our culture’s love of sequels, comebacks and remakes, turning in a mediocre effort. But that’s not an option for Run the Jewels. A mere year and a half after their first album’s release, they’ve made another stunning and addictive record.

Plenty of Wash. U. students can say they met a good friend hanging around the South 40—in their dorms, in Bear’s Den, on the Swamp. But juniors Jason Onugha and Chizom Okebugwu can say that this friendship lead to a collaboration.

Aubrey Drake Graham, more commonly known as Drake, has now almost become rap royalty. Many major hip-hop and R&B artists have collaborated with him, and his debut album, “Thank Me Later,” sold a million and a half copies with only one top 10 single.