The CMJ Music Marathon starts in New York City today, bringing in artists, press, and industry execs from all around the world. With over 1,500 live acts to catch, it can get stressful deciding who to see. Luckily, we've combed through the lineup and selected five artists from various genres to showcase. First up is hip-hop.
Kevin Abstract
This Texas-based rapper is the de facto leader of the Alive Since Forever collective, a post-Internet co-op of engineers, designers, and artists. This year saw the release of his debut album, MTV1987, an excellent collection of songs detailing the life of a high school kid raised online. Kevin Abstract plays the Pigeons & Planes showcase at Webster Hall on Friday.
Tkay Maidza
This bubbling Australia-via-Zimbabwe artist popped onto my radar a few days ago when she flooded the blogs with singles from her debut mixtape. Her sound spans a wide variety of genres, from hip-hop to pop to grime, and it's one that only seems to make sense in 2014. Catch Tkay Maidza at a number of CMJ showcases this week, including performances at Pianos, Santos Party House, and The Delancey.
DP
Virginia Beach emcee DP spits hard-nosed raps with song titles like "Glass Casket" and "Last Meal". His music is probably the most traditional of the artists listed here but to put it plainly, dude has bars. DP will be playing the 7th Annual CMJ Takeover at the Highline Ballroom with Joey Bada$$ and others on Thursday.
Awful Records
The "New Atlanta" scene has had quite the summer with underground acts like ILoveMakonnen and OG Maco making headlines nationally. One of the key drivers of the scene is Awful Records – a DIY indie label composed of Father, RichPoSlim, KeithCharlesSpacebar, Archibald Slim, Ethereal, and many many more. Awful Records joins Rae Sremmund for Thursday's lineup of the Fader Fort this year at CMJ.
D.R.A.M.
Do you like to cha cha? You might feel the inexplicable urge to after one listen to this Hampton City, VA artist's breakout hit. His warbly voice floats over ridiculously catchy 8-bit production that is sure to solicit replay after replay. You can see D.R.A.M. this week at SOB's Leaders of the New Cool on Thursday as well as the Pigeons & Planes showcase at Webster Hall on Friday.
