The Bad Boys of SoundCloud
The Bad Boys of SoundCloud
XXXTentacion is a 19-year-old Florida native who just released his debut record. If we had to pinpoint where his notoriety began, we’d point to SoundCloud. It all began in 2014, when XXX uploaded a song called “Vice City” to the streaming site. Since then and despite several extremely violent passed incidents like beating his pregnant ex-girlfriend until her eyes swelled up, his popularity sky rocketed. His situation got worse when prosecutors finally slapped him with 7 charges, all felonies, in his 2016 domestic violence case.
He now has over 400 million plays on SoundCloud even though he’s been in prison for most of the time between “Vice City” and his new album, 17. These talented rappers who while not interested in being role models, are making the music industry turn its head and pay attention. Soundcloud is a platform for the bad boys- here are four other SoundCloud artists that we have no choice but to pay attention to.
Ski Mask also happens to be XXX’s closest collaborator and friend, after the pair met in juvenile detention in Broward County. True story. Once Ski got out at 16, he started a group called Very Rare before hopping onto X’s collective, Members Only. Together, they went viral with Members Only Vol. 1 and Members Only Vol. 2. Many argue, including X himself, that Ski is actually the more skilled rapper. Missy Elliot even loves him.
It all began for Smokepurpp in June of 2016 when the then 19-year-old dropped two videos. His vibe reminds you of three hours into the party, when everything looks a bit blurry and anything goes—including carrying lethal weapons. He is now signed to Alamo Records, a subsidiary of Interscope, and is getting ready to drop his first mixtape.
Another Florida native, Lil Pump, born Gazzy Garcia, never had any interest in music. Then he was expelled from school in the ninth grade when he got violent with another student. So with all of that free time, he began free styling, and when Smokepurpp heard him spit, they started to collaborate. With ‘Purpp’s help, he started uploading tracks like “Broke My Wrist” to SoundCloud in 2016 and it’s his sound, that is about as reckless as his lifestyle, that has gotten him millions and millions of streams. He hasn’t even released a mixtape yet and Lil Uzi Vert is already proclaimed his love for him.
The lone New York native of the group also dropped out of high school, but finished his degree online. He used his extra time in 2015 to create and post three mixtapes to YouTube and SoundCloud simultaneously. His music has been described as emo-trap and even got a write-up in the New York Times, where they called him lo-fi rap’s Kurt Cobain. Seriously, we’re not making that up. This month he released his first full-length compilation, Come Over When You’re Sober, and is now selling out a headline tour. Strangely, he seems the most disciplined and straight-laced of the group of up-and-comers, which if his nascent career is any evidence, is paying off big time.
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