By: PK Krenstil (’19), Managing Editor
These days, you can’t scroll through your timeline for more than two minutes without seeing a link to someone’s SoundCloud. Hip-hop is currently the most popular genre of music in the United States, and in an era where streaming reigns supreme, there are millions of people trying to come up in the rap game. Chapel Hill is home to a few of these aspiring artists; here are some dope rappers and producers you go to school with that you may not know about.
James Taylor (JT)
A sophomore from Halifax, NC, JT has been rapping for six years. He is a regular at the UNC Cypher. At the time of this writing, he is working on The LDOC Tape as well as other solo and collaborative projects.
Sashi Bodavula (Sashi)
A senior from Cary, NC and a member of Ebony Readers/Onyx Theater (EROT), Sashi makes music “centered around human emotions and the human condition.” Last month, he released his debut project, Dreaming Keeps the Loneliness Away.
https://soundcloud.com/sashididthat
Joshua Rowsey (J Rowdy)
Rowdy is a graduate of the Class of 2013 and the founder of the UNC Cypher. He performs regularly across the Triangle area with The NightShift, works with Pierce Freelon at Blackspace in Durham, and heads the Durham Cypher on Friday nights at 9:19. Recently, he appeared at the tryouts for BET’s reboot of Freestyle Friday.
https://soundcloud.com/rowdyhiphop
Amara Orji (N1NE)
Orji, who goes by N1NE as a shoutout to his area code, is a senior from Cary, NC. He is currently working on a mixtape/album.
Mu’aath Fullenweider (NO THANKS)
One we’ve already spotlighted once before, sophomore NO THANKS has added raps to his beats. It remains to be seen what he has in the vault since he’s gone ghost on both SoundCloud and Bandcamp, but he is a unique talent to experience…if you can pin him down.
Image: VFiles
