As rap continues to dominate as one of the most popular music genres in the U.S., over the past few decades, large cities around the country developed their own distinct rap scenes. This includes live music hot spot Austin, which fosters its own evolving underground rap scene that many hip-hop heads have not yet tapped into. The Daily Texan compiled a list of Austin-based rappers for listeners to add to their rotation.

Whookilledkenny

153,709 Spotify Monthly Listeners

With polished production and sound mixing, Kenny stands out as a rising artist Austinites will be happy to claim as one of their own. With a unique and memorable delivery, he declares his presence with quotable lyrics and changes up his incredible flows from aggressive sounding, 808-booming bangers, to soul-influenced anthems. Rap fans should look forward to Kenny’s debut LP, with hip-hop heads drawing comparisons to Baby Keem.

Blackillac

1,156 Spotify Monthly Listeners

This soul-influenced duo consisting of ZEALE and Phranchyze gained notoriety with the help of Austin legend Gary Clark Jr. The twosome burst onto the scene with last year’s Green Room LP. Their monotone, suave rhymes meld with production influenced by 1970s blues and soul. The duo followed the project up with two releases this year, Amber Room and Indigo Room, with the former standing out. The EP contains features from Clark himself, as well as Canadian singer iamhill and others.

Dubbo

965 Spotify Monthly Listeners

Dubbo brings confident, aggressive vocals to the Austin music scene. While it may be hard not to compare Dubbo’s delivery and flows to that of 22Gz, the production sets them apart. While Dubbo’s vocals could work fantastically on a drill beat, he uses melodic trap production to support his aggressive verses. This interesting mix blends two sounds that hip-hop heads hear everyday into an eccentric blend of genres that can lead Dubbo to mainstream success.

khxnid!

573 Spotify Monthly Listeners

While he hasn’t dropped an album yet, khxnid! shows significant versatility in his early career. Still developing his sound through singles and features, khxnid! shows his ability to flow in “Maga Runtz,” as well as his lyrical prowess on the Earl Sweatshirt-inspired “starchy.” His music clearly draws inspiration from Odd Future and the late MF DOOM, both legends of the off-beat style that khxnid! looks to put his own spin on.

Mama Duke

318 Spotify Monthly Listeners

Mama Duke made a grand introduction into the Austin rap scene with her 2020 album Ballsy. The collection showcases Mama Duke’s talent with every track, with the rapper delivering her hardest verses on “Ghost,” and “Mad.” Duke also proves she can deliver catchy hooks on tracks like “Over My Head.” As Duke continues to release music in the future, rap fans should stay tuned to see how her rhymes have evolved and how she can flow with other artists.