Rap is now probably the most popular genre of music for teens, but for someone living in the Carolinas, it seems like the rap scene around here is minimal at best. As far as mainstream artists, the Carolinas only claim to fame is J. Cole, Jeezy, and Young Scooter. The only problem is that Jeezy and Young Scooter are more associated with Atlanta, and J. Cole got his big break in New York. Fortunately, there are a few Carolina rappers bubbling underneath the surface.

Nick Grant is a promising new artist from Walterboro, South Carolina. He is currently signed to Epic/Culture Republic and has songs with BIG K.R.I.T, Killer Mike, Cyhi The Prynce, and BJ the Chicago Kid. He has also has easily breezed through many freestyles. Despite his overwhelming success, he has yet to find a large following, most likely resulting from his unorthodox style. Currently his most popular song on YouTube has just over a quarter of a million views.

King Mez, a Raleigh, North Carolina resident, has a very promising career on his horizon. Mez is relatively unknown is currently an independent artist. His two most popular songs are off his most recent mixtape, Long Live the King, and both amassed 201,000 views on YouTube. Perhaps the most promising prospect of his career is his recent collaborations with Dr. Dre on his 2015 album Compton. King Mez featured on three songs and helped Dr. Dre write many of his verses. He also is the first voice you hear on the album after the intro track. Since the release of his mixtape and his Dr. Dre collaboration, he has remained mostly silent, only dropping one single entitled “Changed.”

Perhaps the most promising talent to rise out of the Carolinas recently has been Rapsody, from Snow Hill, North Carolina.  Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly brought her into the spotlight as the only rap feature on the album. Since then she has collaborated with many of rap’s finest, and has been signed to Roc Nation. Her newest album, Laila’s Wisdom was released in September, and has a 4.5 out of 5 on Hip Hop DX.

Finally, the rapper closest to home, Deniro Farrar. Deniro Farrar is a Charlotte rapper and the self-proclaimed leader of cult rap. Deniro’s music is socially conscience under the disguise of gangster rap, and as Hip Hop DX’s Justin Hunte says, “He has the voice of God.” His most popular song has over a million and a half views on YouTube, and most of his videos average around 500,000 views. He’s signed to Warner Bros. and has a few songs with Denzel Curry, and went on tour with him as well.