Written by Matt O @BoardinOgilvie

Every now and then it is good to let everyone know who I think is "up next." I listen to Hip Hop six hours a day, on average, and enjoy every minute of it. I pride myself on my organized iTunes library 3,616 tracks, mostly Hip Hop. That being said, everyone has their own opinion and we need to respect that. What I like might not be what you like. The seven artists below are artists I believe have great music and the potential to have successful careers in music. In no order particular, I present to you "Pay Attention to These 7 Upcoming Hip Hop Artists."

1. Witt Lowry @WittLowry

Witt Lowry is a young upcoming artist from CT and raps with an incredible amount of passion. He is building one of the most engaged fan bases out there. He gets better with every track he releases. Be on the look out for his upcoming project, Dreaming With Our Eyes Open.

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2. Locksmith @dalocksmith

Locksmith is one of the most skilled and lyrical emcees coming from the west coast or anywhere for that matter. His songs are deep and bring real issues to the listener. Locksmith is one of the top freestyle emcees as well. If you don't believe me, go to YouTube and type in "Locksmith Freestyle." Make sure to check out his new project, Lofty Goals.

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3. Chris Webby @ChrisWebby

Chris Webby is an established artist from the east coast that is still on the come up. He has put out many mixtapes and a few quality albums so far in his career as well as touring the US multiple times. He recently picked up his bags and moved to LA with Jitta On The Track to launch their label, Home Grown Music Group. Definitely cop his new EP, JamoNeat, that is fully produced by SAP when it drops this Friday.

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4. Yonas @itsYONAS

Yonas isn't your typical New York rapper in that he approaches Hip Hop a little differently. He does a lot of remixes of popular songs and backs them with strong lyrics. They are usually upbeat, party songs that are very enjoyable in the summertime. Yonas' original music and videos are always high quality. He is currently on a small tour promoting his latest EP, Going Places.

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5. Loaf Muzik @LOAFMUZIK

The NYC collective, Loaf Muzik, is made of a group of incredibly talented emcees; Kidaf ,Shadow The Great ,Shine Sinatra ,Oso Dope & Captain Mudd. These kids have flow and bars for days and the videos to prove it. They are getting a lot of love from Team Backpack and the NYC Hip Hop scene and for good reason. Definitely keep an eye out for these young artists.

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6. Cal Scruby @calscruby

Cal Scruby was just another artists from the midwest trying to make it until he started dropping high quality tracks and videos. Since then he has built a fan base, moved to Cali, has a song with Chris Brown, and is working on his debut album. Cal's beat selection is great and he backs it up with a nice flow. I am excited to hear a full length project when it gets released later this year.

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7. Jon Bellion @jonbellion

Jon Bellion. I don't even know where to begin with this artist. He has produced and written songs for artists like Jason Derulo and Rihanna as well as toured the U.S. and Europe. He has one of the most committed fan bases in the industry and still gives all of his music away for free. He is a true musician in the sense of the word. He makes all of his own beats and writes all of his own songs and does it very well. I've attended three of his concerts and they have been inspiring experiences. I could see Jon Bellion being a household name by the end of 2016.

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