Here’s our August round-up of artists and DJs to watch
If you follow us on Instagram and Twitter, you might know that we’ve been surfacing a new crop of independent creators every Friday (Artist to Watch) and Saturday (DJ to Watch) that should be on your radar. But if you’re hearing this for the first time or missed a post, don’t stress, because starting today, we’ll be adding some context to those Insta updates with a monthly round-up of who you need to know.
So whether you’re looking for new music, want to direct message a DJ to commend her beats, or you have the rhythm section but are just looking for the melodic gloss, you can expand your network on SoundCloud when you connect with creators like these. Who knows, their homebase might be yours, or like REN, you might dig art history, too.
These creators are part of our direct monetization program SoundCloud Premier, that gives rising talent direct-access to monetization and marketing opportunities on SoundCloud and beyond. It’s open to all eligible SoundCloud Pro subscribers, so if you’re interested in getting a look on our socials or making money from your music, you can join Pro to start growing your career today.
Artists to Watch
- First upload: “Mojo Yetti”
- Hometown: Savannah, Georgia aka Da Pote
- Influences: Adam Sandler, Early 2000’s Ludacris, Brent Faiyaz, Brandi Wilson, Nelly and Justin Timberlake
- Fun fact: He says he designs all his music for rom-coms; with his album “BRAN” out this summer you can hear for yourself
- Stream now: “YAMS” (Prod. SwankTheGod)
- First upload: “waves”
- Hometown: Toronto, Canada
- Influences: Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Tame Impala and Nirvana
- Fun fact: She’s an art history nerd and joined SoundCloud when she discovered “Summertime Hightime” – a track she could find nowhere else.
- Stream now: “mind games”
- First upload: “Love Lessons”
- Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
- Influences: Amy Winehouse, The Beatles, Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Rey, Stevie Wonder, The Arctic Monkeys, and Hall & Oates
- Fun fact: When she was 14 a bad relationship inspired her to use songwriting as an outlet
- Stream now: “Nights Like This”
- First upload: “Cooler” ft. his best friend (and ours) Lil Tecca
- Hometown: Lawrence, New York
- Influences: Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Playboi Carti, Jerry Lorenzo, Tyler the Creator, Speakerknockerz, and Chief Keef
- Fun fact: He barely writes any music; he usually freestyles behind the mic and goes back to fix what he doesn’t like
- Stream now: “Bama”
- First upload: “One and Only”
- Hometown: Sydney, Australia (originally from Ghana)
- Influences: Kanye West, Kid Cudi & Kurt Cobain
- Fun fact: He’s been producing music for ten years but playing and singing guitar for only three.
- Stream now: “COFFIN FOR 2”
DJs to Watch
- Homebase: Kampala, Uganda
- Genres: Various
- Fun fact: Kampire is a core member of Kampala’s Nyege Nyege collective has played everywhere from Stockholm to Shangai
- Pro tip: Kampire lists her booking contacts and tour dates in her bio so other venues can lock her in and fans can check her out
- Homebase: Lisbon / Berlin
- Genres: House & Techno
- Fun fact: From sets at Room 4 Resistance to high energy shows at Säule and De School, marum’s participation in various cultural projects related to queer, feminist and club politics is moving dance floors across Europe and beyond
- Pro tip: marum lists other collectives & platforms in their profile letting fans see what they’re all about
- Homebase: Barcelona, Spain
- Genres: Electronica, Bass, Grime
- Fun fact: Tutu weaves experimental grime with deconstructed club music moving audiences at festivals like Dekmantel, Sonar, Uganda’s Nyege Nyege Festival and Berlin’s Atonal Festival
- Pro tip: Tutu uses Spotlight to make sure her priority mixes get heard first
- Homebase: Washington, DC
- Genres: Techno & House
- Fun fact: Juana is a Discwoman artist who mixes techno, deep house and disco to shake up whatever city she’s playing in
- Pro tip: Juana gives followers a glimpse of her personality in her profile calling herself a “party animal” and “hater of press photos” among other v important descriptors
- Homebase: Beirut, Lebanon
- Genres: Techno
- Fun fact: She’s a Frequent Defect artist and her hard-hitting industrial techno sound has been heard everywhere from Boiler Room at The Ballroom Blitz to Amsterdam’s underground Zenevloed parties
- Pro tip: Renata lists all her tour dates & locations in her bio so followers can follow her IRL too
Launched in 2017, “Artist to Watch” is the OG component of SoundCloud’s To Watch programming that gives you a heads-up on who and what should be on your radar. “DJ to Watch” was added this year to elevate creators who are constantly mixing up the norm & pushing music culture forward. From artists to DJs to scenes: what’s next in music is first on SoundCloud.