After releasing 2018’s Brianna Lebra dropped her viral freestyle Now What addressing the criticism of her work output. It’s a good problem for an artist to have and one that she recognizes. Instagram: Jolie’s only problem is that people want to see more of her. It remains to be seen if the music will keep pace with his image but fans should e excited watching it all unfold. His tracks have garnered attention from other MC’s like Chance the Rapper, Trippie Redd, and Lil Yachty. At this point he’s probably more well known for his look than his music but that hasn’t stopped him from gaining a guest spot on Tyler the Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost as well as an opening spot on the west coast rapper’s tour. He has been embraced somewhat by the fashion world for his overall aesthetic. Instagram: is the elusive rock/rap artist coming from Beaumont. Dende is versatile so there’s no telling what he’ll do next but it is definitely worth keeping an eye on him. He’s also starting to get noticed for his skills on the mike getting nods from Pharrell and The Roots. He’s got a charming (or dark depending on the day) sense of humor based on his twitter feed and podcast, Dende Hour. Since then he has released Me?, the pandemic inspired Socially Distant, the George Floyd inspired film In Case You Forgot I’m Black, and most recently, the R&B EP Pregnancy Pack. The album was a hodgepodge of the Dende’s musical taste and foreshadowed what was to come.

Instagram: 2019 Katy MC Dende released DrkMttr, an eclectic mix of music which had him rapping and singing over soulful jazz, R&B, trip hop, electronic music and more.

Ken is only a few mixtapes and a couple of albums deep in her career but she is quickly proving that her name is accurate. The project, released through a partnership between Ken and Asylum Records, expands Ken’s reach in the industry with tracks like 'Rose Gold Stripper Pole', which she recently remixed with 2 Chainz. She was a big draw at this year’s Rolling Loud Festival in NYC, performing songs off her latest release, What’s My Name. Ken the Man, whose rap name began because she needed to distinguish herself from other Kens on SoundCloud, but quickly stuck because of her skill and ability to out rap anyone, including the dudes, continues to increase her fanbase with each release.

The album’s commercial success showed the world that Ken was more than ready for a bigger stage. Instagram: 2020 Kentavia Miller released 4 da 304’s, an independently released album produced by Houston’s own Bigg Cuz Beats. He continues to sign acts like Peso Peso and Rizzoo Rizzoo, continues to drop new music, continues to be controversial (right now TSF members are campaigning to get Sauce’s Instagram back), and continues to solidify his legacy. While some might say he’s reached his ceiling it’s our belief that he’s just getting started. He’s been praised by Jay-Z, beefed with several rappers, signed a string of talent to his label, and doesn’t appear to be showing any signs of stopping. He’s well known by his peers in the industry and his polarizing personality garners attention while helping fuel his independent label, TSF. He has quickly risen to as one of the more influential rappers out of Houston. Actually, Sauce Walka could have been on anyone’s who-to-watch-in Texas list for the last five years. I was only going to name ten artists, but the truth is Sauce Walka should have been on the list two years ago. This list is in no particular order but everyone on it is someone that you should keep an eye on. Overall, the artists on that list continue to grow and help sustain the increasing hold that Houston has on the music industry and pop culture. Le$ dropped an album with Houston legend Bun B and then returned with a solo album for the end of the year. Tobe Nwigwe just ended a sold-out tour here in Houston with a cast of Hip-Hop all-stars. Maxo Kream released the introspective Weight of the World to critical acclaim. A lot of the artists like Megan Thee Stallion had already built-up steam so it was a little easier to weather the storm but everyone on the list continued to grow over the last two years. Of course, this was pre-pandemic and adjusting to the new music climate proved to be a big obstacle for those in the entertainment industry. Back in 2019 we published a list of Houston artists to keep an eye on.

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