Billboard
If there’s one constant in the music industry, it’s this question: Who’s got next? As hip-hop’s 50th anniversary celebration continues, its various GOAT lists, special compilations and other reflections on the past have also elicited conversations about which younger artists now would warrant a similar spotlight in the future. After the respect and props being accorded to hip-hop’s fearless pioneers this year, who will be the next trustees ensuring hip-hop’s future?
With that in mind, Billboard is observing National Hip-Hop Day today (Aug. 11) with the unveiling of its Future 50 list. Instead of focusing solely on rap artists, Future 50 represents all of the players most likely to change the game, including R&B artists as well as songwriters, producers and executives working in the realms of hip-hop and R&B. The Future 50 will be revealed 10 names at a time alphabetically, with the entire list posting in December.
In determining those selected, we considered the impact each candidate has achieved to date, but focused even more on the potential each has for sustaining and building on that momentum in the coming years. Weighing into that assessment were factors such as chart achievements, industry accolades, cultural influence and skill set. As a result, some of those chosen are already household names, some are getting there, and some you may not be familiar with just yet. The executives we picked, who hail from record labels, publishing companies, management and other industry sectors, show outsize promise based on their acquisitions, signings, partnership ventures and what they’ve helped their clients achieve.
Now read on and see who’s got next in the first installment of Billboard’s Future 50.
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Cardi B
Image Credit: Courtesy Atlantic Records Cardi B’s meteoric rise from a social media personality, featured on VH1’s Love & Hip-Hop: New York, to one of the biggest hip-hop stars of the 21st century can be credited to her unapologetically bold yet irresistibly charismatic attitude. She’s the female rapper with the most Hot 100 No. 1 hits (five) and most RIAA-certified diamond singles (three), while her debut album Invasion of Privacy became the first rap album by a female artist to be nominated for an album of the year Grammy in 15 years. But although she’s already written new chapters in hip-hop’s history, it’s clear she’s just getting started. By co-signing and collaborating with artists in the early stages of their careers — including GloRilla, Latto and Rubi Rose — she’s also fostering the next generation of rappers to keep the genre’s legacy alive. And there’s no denying fans’ rabid appetite for her music: Although she hasn’t released a new album since her 2018 debut, Cardi has scored six Hot 100 top 10 hits since then, including the No. 1s “WAP” and “Up.” — HERAN MAMO
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Mari Davies
Image Credit: Jeremy David Creative After 10 years with ICM as an agent representing R&B/hip-hop artists such as Kelly Rowland, Kodak Black and Teyana Taylor, Davies segued to Live Nation Urban (LNU) last year as vp of talent and booking. She hit the ground running, overseeing a 2023 festival slate that included Washington, D.C.’s Broccoli City Music Festival, Philadelphia’s Roots Picnic, Park Jams (a Central Park concert with hip-hop legends celebrating Juneteenth) and Mary J. Blige’s second annual Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit. Next up: Atlanta’s ONE Musicfest, whose October lineup features Kendrick Lamar and Megan Thee Stallion. Davies also established LNU’s new touring department, scheduling runs for Rema, Ari Lennox, Jill Scott, dvsn and Davido, plus LL COOL J’s first arena trek in 30 years. — GAIL MITCHELL
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D’Mile
Image Credit: Monhand Mathurin D’Mile’s pen game is definitely on point. Between 2021 and 2022; he won an Academy Award alongside H.E.R. for best original song (“Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah) and also became the first songwriter in Grammy history to win consecutive song of the year Grammys for H.E.R.’s “I Can’t Breathe” and Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open.” A Grammy nominee again earlier this year for producer of the year, D’Mile — who’s also worked with Rihanna, Mary J. Blige and Janet Jackson — has since pivoted into label ownership as a co-founder of Good Company Records, a venture in partnership with the Disney Music Group and Andscape. Among the partnership’s upcoming projects: a documentary about rapper Shyne. — G.M.
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Hit-Boy
Image Credit: @warrengee After an impressive early 2010s run in the first half of his career, anchored by his Grammy win for best rap song for Jay-Z and Kanye West’s 2011 hit “N—-s In Paris,” producer Hit-Boy is currently enjoying his second wind. First, he helped the late Nipsey Hussle win a Grammy for best rap performance in 2020 when he produced the Roddy Ricch-featured “Racks in the Middle.” Then, after partnering with Nas later that year to start their King’s Disease album series, he helped the Queens MC land his first-ever golden gramophone for best rap album, for the trilogy’s first release. — CARL LAMARRE
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Lil Uzi Vert
Image Credit: Kenneth Cappello Undoubtedly the top visionary rock star of their new rap generation, Lil Uzi Vert’s flair and hitmaking prowess give them an edge that many of their peers dream of. Considered one of the forerunners of SoundCloud rap, Uzi topped the Hot 100 as a guest on Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” in 2017, then spun the hip-hop world around with their melancholy smash “XO Tour Lif3” in 2018. And when Uzi isn’t in their feels (“The Way Life Goes”), they know how to crank out indelible party-starters (“I Wanna Rock,” “Money Longer”). This summer, Uzi’s rap/rock/metal-fused Pink Tape became the first rap album to claim No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023. — C.L.
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Metro Boomin
Image Credit: Nabil With his sinister trap Midas touch and memorable taglines (like the Future-trumpeted, “If Young Metro don’t trust you, I’m gon’ shoot you!”), Metro Boomin has been instrumental in shaping the sound of modern hip-hop (and pop) music. The 29-year-old producer frequently works with A-list rappers such as Future, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Travis Scott and Don Toliver. His indelible imprint can be heard on their and others’ big hits, helping artists like Migos and The Weeknd score Hot 100 No. 1s, and landing a pair of No. 1 albums of his own on the Billboard 200 — as well as this year’s top five-charting Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack. But it’s clear his star is still rising fast, propelling him to superhero status in his own right this year. — H.M.
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Nova Wav
Image Credit: Range Media Since securing their first co-writing placement on Rihanna’s platinum-certified “Loveeeeeee Song,” featuring Future in 2012, songwriting/production duo Brittany “Chi” Coney and Denisia “Blu June” Andrews have steadily risen to go-to status. The pair counts writing and production credits for a growing list of stars, including Ariana Grande, DJ Khaled, Teyana Taylor, Kehlani, H.E.R. and Mary J. Blige. Along the way, the duo has picked up three Grammy nominations, including best R&B song for Jazmine Sullivan’s searing hit “Pick Up Your Feelings.” After contributing songs to The Carters’ (Beyoncé and Jay-Z) album Everything Is Love and Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift, Nova Wav reunited with Queen Bey to co-write eight songs for her chart-topping Renaissance album, including the Grammy-nominated “Cuff It.” — G.M.
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SZA
Image Credit: Jacob Webster SZA has demanded the world’s attention over the last decade through her left-of-center R&B music, all-too-relatable storytelling and effortless charm – while simultaneously making history as the first female artist signed to Top Dawg Entertainment. Her classic debut album CTRL established the singer-songwriter born Solána Imani Rowe as R&B’s girl next door. But five years later, sophomore album SOS cemented her status as a global superstar, after spending 10 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 … and earning her first Hot 100 No. 1 with “Kill Bill.” SZA will no doubt continue charting her own course within an industry whose standards she consistently defies. — H.M.
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Summer Walker
Image Credit: Nolan Zangas Since her breakthrough hit, 2019’s “Girls Need Love,” Summer Walker has blossomed into one of R&B’s leading singer/songwriters. Her dulcet vocals and precocious songwriting ability make her one of one in the genre’s landscape, especially after her acclaimed ‘19 debut album Over It and her Billboard 200-topping sophomore project Still Over It in 2021, Walker’s ceiling is limitless with her fiery breakup anthems hooking more fans with every new release. As Billboard noted last March, “The taciturn Atlanta native communicates the way she knows best: by squeezing every tragedy and triumph into buttery-smooth R&B songs.” — C.L.
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Ebonie Ward
Image Credit: Neriyah Mastriani Levi Talent manager Ward helped Future enjoy the biggest wins of his career when his ninth studio album, I NEVER LIKED YOU, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2022. The album also spawned his first No. 1 on the Hot 100 as a lead artist with “Wait 4 U,” which later netted best rap melodic performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Ward herself stepped to the forefront as chairwoman/CEO of 11th & Co, the Black women-led management firm she founded earlier this year. Her client roster also includes Gunna — who scored two Hot 100 top 10 hits in consecutive years (2022’s “Pushin P,” 2023’s “Fukumean”) and a second Billboard 200 No. 1 in 2022 with DS4Ever — in addition to acclaimed rapper Flo Milli and NBA star James Harden. — C.L.