So 2011 was a great year for music, but after looking at it… white rappers really had a hell of a year. Of course none of them are up where Eminem is (Two diamond albums) and probably never will be, but I’d still like to go through the rappers that were buzzin’ this year in the media. Here’s a little video list to explain a little better.
DISCLAIMER: These are just my views on who I think had a great year, if you seem to think different then that’s totally understandable. Let us know in the comments who else you think should have made this list.
1. Mac Miller. His most recent album “Blue Slide Park” just dropped but Mac Miller has been on his grind for a very long time. At only 19 years old he is the only independent artist to sell over 100,000 albums, aside from Snoop Dogg in 1992. That’s a pretty huge accomplishment considering how hard it is to sell albums these days. Mac also charges $30k + for shows these days with estimated earnings of $8 million in 2011 just from touring. Oh and “Donald trump” just certified Gold a few days ago also. (41 Million Views)
2. Machine Gun Kelly. This guy has also been touring for a very long time and got the attention of Diddy at the South by Southwest festival in Texas. He is now signed to Bad Boy and has the craziest fans in the world which are all part of the “Lace Up” movement. His most recent hit has been “Wild Boy” featuring Waka Flocka. (6 Million Views)
3. Action Bronson. Still somewhat underground Action Bronson is just now starting to get the attention he deserves. A lot of hip-hop legends from NYC are starting to co-sign this guy and I feel like he will be having a very good 2012.
4. Chris Webby. I have been a huge Chris Webby fan for a while now and feel like he is one of the best white rappers out there but still hasn’t received enough mainstream attention to make it to the top. One of the best wordsmiths out there also. Look for Webby to be hitting the road in 2012 as he embarks on a nationwide tour.
5. Yelawolf. When you’re signed by the best white emcee, excuse me best emcee to ever do it… then you must have some talent. I remember seeing Yelawolf perform out in Pullman, WA when he was on tour with Wiz Khalifa and he got Boo’d off the stage real quick, same with when he performed in Seattle. He’s made it a long way since then and with the guidance of Slim Shady is guaranteed to have a solid career.
6. Macklemore- One of my favorite hip-hop blog to visit is rapradar.com which is mainly ran by Elliot Wilson, also my favorite hip-hop journalist. Once I saw him posting about Macklemore and his sold out shows I knew it was go time for the Seattle native. He just recently got off tour and every stop was a sold out venue. Really looking to seeing much more success from Macklemore and his partner in crime Ryan Lewis.
7. Asher Roth. I feel like Asher Roth is known way too much for his song ” I love College” than for the lyrical skills he possesses. He’s been coming out with a lot of music recently and inked a new label deal with Def Jam. Look for a lot of new material coming your way in 2012.
This wasn’t a top 10 list of anything, those are just the rappers that I found relevant in the year 2011. Hope you enjoyed the video examples and let us know what you think!
