Top 5 Artists
#1 NF
NF is the stage name of Michigan rapper and composer Nate Feuerstein, who emerged with his debut album, Mansion, in 2015. The raw emotion and honesty in his music continued on Therapy Session, building the foundation of an incredibly strong and loyal fan base. In 2017, Perception gave NF his first No. 1 album on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, and delivered the multi-platinum hit single, “Let You Down” which reached #1 at Pop Radio. In the summer of 2019, NF released his fourth album, The Search, earning his second consecutive No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart. Now certified Platinum, The Search featured Top 10 Pop radio hit “Time” and propelled NF to the global stage, selling out 19 dates on “The Search World Tour,” including shows in Australia and Europe. With over 28 RIAA certifications and 18 billion streams, NF recently earned a spot in the Top 50 most streamed artists of 2020. His fifth album and first ever mixtape, CLOUDS (THE MIXTAPE) released in the Spring of 2021. Fans can expect NF to take his signature blend of lyrical introspection and powerful thematic elements to the next level on this 10-track project.
#2 XXXTENTACION
Controversial rapper Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy (aka XXXTentacion) played fast and loose when it came to genres, often incorporating elements of punk rock, hip-hop, R&B, and heavy metal. In the late 2010s, he experienced a quick rise with his dark and emotionally intense content, scoring a number one album with 2018's ?. Months later, at this peak in popularity, he was shot and killed.
His debut album, Bad Vibes, was originally intended to be a mixtape released in 2016; however, the expansion of the record into a full-length studio album, coupled with two different incarcerations, repeatedly delayed the album's release. Single "Look at Me!," originally released in early 2016, became a sleeper hit and was re-released in 2017, at which point it hit the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
While serving a prison sentence in 2017, Onfroy signed a deal with Empire Distribution. The label released Revenge, an eight-song mixtape of previously released XXXTentacion material, in May of 2017. The set broke into the Top 50 of the Billboard 200 and climbed to 21 on the R&B/hip-hop chart. Onfroy's official studio debut arrived months later on Bad Vibes Forever/Empire. The moody 17 featured the singles "Revenge" and "Jocelyn Flores," his tribute to a friend who committed suicide. Upon release, 17 climbed to the number two spots on the Billboard 200 and R&B/hip-hop chart, also topping the R&B albums chart. Early the next year, his sophomore full-length, ?, was released. Debuting atop the Billboard 200, the effort featured appearances by Joey Bada$$, Travis Barker, PnB Rock, and more. Onfroy soon signed a multi-million dollar deal with Empire Distribution. Weeks later, on June 18, 2018, Onfroy was shot and killed in Miami. Following his death, fan outpouring of grief helped push ? to platinum certification.
His first posthumous album, Skins, arrived later that year. In late 2019, Bad Vibes Forever was released. Originally conceived of as his studio debut, the album was still a work in progress at the time of his death, shelved around the time of 17. The post-mortem collection ended up being 25 tracks and nearly an hour long, and featured guest appearances from everyone from Lil Wayne to Lil Nas X. ~ Liam Martin, Rovi
#3 Eminem
Eminem is one of the best-selling artists in music history, easily the biggest crossover success ever seen in rap. To call him hip-hop's Elvis is correct to a degree, but it's largely inaccurate. Certainly, he was the first white rapper since the Beastie Boys to garner both sales and critical respect, but his impact has exceeded this confining distinction. On sheer verbal skills, Eminem is one of the greatest MCs of his generation: rapid, fluid, dexterous, and unpredictable, capable of pulling off long-form narratives or withering asides. And thanks to his mentor Dr. Dre, he's had music to match: thick, muscular loops evoking the terror and paranoia conjured by Em's lyrics. To be certain, a great deal of the controversy Eminem courted -- during the turn of the millennium, there was no greater pop cultural bogeyman than Marshall Mathers -- came through in how his violent fantasias, often directed at his mother or his wife, intertwined with flights of absurdity that appealed to listeners too young to absorb the psychodramas Eminem explored on his hit albums, The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP. With hits "My Name Is" and "The Real Slim Shady," he ruled the airwaves, but it wasn't long before some detractors acknowledged his depth, helped in part by singles like the mournful "Stan," written from the perspective of an obsessed fan. Eminem capitalized on this forward momentum by crossing over onto the big screen with 8 Mile, earning acclaim for his performance and an Oscar for the film's anthem, "Lose Yourself." A number of demons have led him to withdraw periodically, but he's always returned with mid-career rejuvenations like 2009's Relapse or 2017's Revival.
Eminem resurfaced in October 2017 with a freestyle anti-Trump rap. The track didn't appear on Revival, the December 2017 album that was filled with cameos, including appearances by Beyoncé ("Walk on Water"), Ed Sheeran ("River"), and P!nk ("Need Me"). His seventh straight chart-topper, it ultimately failed to match the sales heights of past efforts, despite the international success of the "River" single. The next year, without warning, Eminem issued his surprise tenth album, Kamikaze. The set featured appearances by Joyner Lucas, Royce da 5'9", and Jessie Reyez, as well as "Venom," from the film of the same name. In January of 2020, he repeated this surprise-release approach with 11th studio album Music to Be Murdered By. The album featured production from Dr. Dre and cameos from the now-usual host of special guests, this time featuring Q-Tip, Ed Sheeran, Anderson .Paak, and the late Juice Wrld, among many others. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
#4 James Arthur
With James Arthur, the numbers speak for themselves: 30 million records sold worldwide via three albums, including 2016’s Back from the Edge - a UK Number One album that provided the global multi-Platinum selling hit "Say You Won't Let Go". But also with James, the numbers don’t really speak for themselves. Behind every gig, hit, stat, stream, like and share is a hinterland of hard graft, soul searching, song searching, self-doubt, self-discovery and, finally, now, recovery. You can hear as much in new single "Medicine". The very first song in his very first writing session in lockdown, "Medicine" is an uplifting ode to self; to relationships; to connection; and to the healing power of love over adversity. It is, you might say, the perfect song for 2021. At the beginning of 2020, Arthur’s physical and mental health was not in the best place. He knew it was time for an intervention, and then the pandemic hit and the world suddenly stood still. His entire plan disintegrated but he was finally able to think straight and clear his head. James explains – “no matter how much you talk to a therapist there’s nothing more therapeutic than writing music. From day one there was a sound that I wanted to go for, so I’m really proud of where I’ve got to. The music feels honest and mature, and sonically where I want to go as an artist. Also, there’s something really comfortable about working in your own home – I was able to be more vulnerable than ever."
#5 Juice WRLD
Juice WRLD became a Top Ten hitmaker delivering introspective lyrics atop melodic production, with echoes of Travis Scott and Post Malone. His heartsick 2018 debut Goodbye & Good Riddance (2018), home to his biggest hit "Lucid Dreams," reflected a wide range of stylistic influences: R&B instrumentation, dreamy beats, and even indie rock melodicism. The momentum built by "Lucid Dreams" helped land Juice's sophomore effort A Death Race for Love (2019) at the top of the charts. Months later, at the height of his mainstream popularity, he tragically passed away after suffering a medical emergency at Chicago's Midway Airport; he had just turned 21. At the time of his death, Juice had three singles in the Hot 100 and both official LPs in the Top 100.
Born Jarad Higgins in 1998, the Calumet Park musician grew up playing piano, drums, and guitar, turning to rap freestyling in high school. Influenced by rock music and Chicago drill from Lil Durk and Chief Keef, Higgins began recording as Juice TheKidd, a moniker derived from his haircut, which resembled 2Pac's in the film Juice. His early tracks were all posted online, leading up to 2017's Juice WLRD 999 EP. Produced by Nick Mira and Sidepce, the set included the singles "Lucid Dreams (Forget Me)" and "All Girls Are the Same." Both tracks would also land on his official debut full-length, Goodbye & Good Riddance (Interscope), which peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 upon release in May 2018. In January 2019 Higgins issued the single "Robbery" ahead of the arrival of the full-length A Death Race for Love, which was released later that March. Death Race shot to number one on the Billboard 200 and was soon certified gold.
He followed with high-profile collaborations with Ellie Goulding ("Hate Me"), Benny Blanco ("Graduation"), BTS ("All Night"), and YoungBoy Never Broke Again ("Bandit"). In 2019, the latter track joined "Lucid Dreams" as the rapper's second Top 10 hit.
On December 8, 2019, Higgins suffered a medical emergency at Chicago's Midway International Airport and died. He had just turned 21. At the time of his death, he had three singles in the Hot 100 and both official LPs in the Top 100 on the Billboard 200. During the next several months, his verses appeared on tracks with Halsey, Marshmello, and Eminem. The posthumous album Legends Never Die followed in July of 2020 and topped the Billboard 200. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi