5 rising R&B artists to watch out for

1) Smino

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Born in Chicago, Smino is known for his playful production and heavy use of sampling. Since his first major hit “Blkjptr”, Smino has released two albums, “NOIR” and “blkswn”, which have both been critically acclaimed for the incredible blend of rapping and singing used. In his most recent album, “NOIR” Smino once again displayed his lively and fun style with lyrics like, “Makeup on my acne like I’m tryna hide a zit”. If Smino continues to improve his sampling and lyrics the sky is the limit for his career.

2) Masego

Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica

Masego’s sound is arguably the most unique in music right now. Masego combines three unlikely genres: Trap, House, and Jazz to create passionate and original music. Masego’s sound isn’t the only standout from his music. As you can see from the live performance below he is an incredible saxophone player and performs every saxophone solo in his music. With Masego’s saxophone talent and unique sound expect him to make massive creative strides in his next project.

3) Jacob Banks

Hometown: Birmingham, England

Born in Birmingham, England Jacob Banks has received widespread praise for his impressive vocals and redefining style on his most recent project Village. Everywhere from Billboard, The FADER, Complex, Interview, PAPER and NYLON, have proclaimed Jacob banks as a rising star in the R&B genre. Even TIME Magazine praised Jacob Banks saying he is, “a rising Nigerian-born British star whose soulful voice and incisive production will get under your skin from the first listen.” With the announcement of his upcoming tour across Europe, Jacob shows no signs of slowing down.

4) Sampha

Hometown: Morden (South London), England

After being featured in songs with Kayne West and Drake, Sampha has been poised to make a breakout. His latest project, “Process” was nominated in the Brit Awards for the British Breakthrough Act, but unfortunately didn’t win. “Process” had numerous standout tracks like “Plastic 100˚C” and “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano”, but unfortunately Sampha seemed to struggle to make every song on the same quality of the standouts. If Sampha is able to make a more overall album on his next project he could easily win numerous Brit awards and even potentially be nominated for a Grammy.

5) Jorja Smith

Hometown: Walsall, England

Jorja Smith, another up and coming R&B artists from England, initially was known for her appearances on Drake’s “More Life”, but with her debut album “Lost & Found” has shown she is a force to be reckoned with in the R&B scene. Jorja’s smooth funk/soul music has garnered her an immense following with more than a million-plus streams on Apple Music and Spotify. Jorja’s smooth voice and talent seem to put her on a clear pathway to the top.