CHANGING FACES: CHICAGO'S NEW RAP GAME

With Eminem coming to LOLLAPALOOZA tonight, we thought it'd be appropriate to break down the current landscape of rap in the City by the Lake. Put the safety on your glock, pull up your pants and take a look...

The Changing Face of Rap in Chicago.

Via google.com

In a city long known for birthing hip-hop greats (Kanye, Lupe, Twista,...), the bar for innovation, lyricism & marketability is being raised higher than ever before.

Below are a couple of Artists who are starting to shine above the rest...

Renegade Gang

Shots by Wattz / Via youtube.com

The Renegade Gang is by far the most fascinating rap collaborative to be birthed from Chicago's South Side.

Jae Macon, Chip Guap, Law G & n Visible Man have fused their ridiculous individual talent into ONE focused group that has South Siders lookin' and North Siders noddin'

Their newest video, 2 Cups, is evidence of the group's reach. The video was shot in May with over 25 collaborators from all parts of the city and depicts what happens when real rap disrupts the upper-middle class...

Kujo (The Dog)

Steven Ortiz / Via youtube.com

Kujo is Chicago's most prized rap possession.

A pretty mellow Dog when you get to know him, his bark is WAY worse than his bite. His new album 'Chameleon', which he produced with the notorious Mr. Magnificent, showcases silky smooth lyrics that remind you of those 2 seconds when you mix the milk in your coffee...

Longevity is the key word for Kujo. He isn't going anywhere. He's been rapping for 10+ years, can freestyle impressively on command and writes lyrics that are more intricate than a difficult Sudoku puzzle

G-Spot

go-4-it entertainment / Via youtube.com

G-Spot has been representing the freestyle rap game in Chicago for years.

Notorious for taking a list of words from a crowd and crafting sick rhymes out of them, G can create a lyrically diabolical rap story from thin air.

The Key to G-Spot's success is his entertainment value. He is also a business man who owns a dominant entertainment company in the Western Suburbs. The following is large and loving for a rapper who can't stop, won't stop.

go4itentertainment.com

Mr. Magnificent

Steven Ortiz / Via youtube.com

Mr. Magnificent is Kanye.2 #prodigy

It is undeniable that MM will be the biggest artist to come out of Chicago in the early 21st century. The key is the versatility.

Mr. Magnificent produces EDM on the level of Tiesto, Hip-Hop on the level of Kanye, Comedy on the level of The Lonely Island and is responsible for production and engineering for a significant amount of Chicago's up-and-coming artists.

MM is just toying with the industry and biding his time with creation and performance before the big jump to (inter)national fame.

mistermagnificent.com

Kirk Sells - Chicago's #5 Comedy Rapper

Kirk Sells / Via youtube.com

Kirk isn't a traditional rapper. He's too goofy.If you live in Chicago and you don't know him, you probably should change that...

As Chicago's #5 Comedy Rapper, he has capitalized on his background at Northwestern & Second City to formulate the genre of Comedy Rap ( a space that is owned by him and his merry band of rappers at WHITECHEDDA.COM)

We'd love to be able to tell you more about Kirk Sells but it's probably best if you just have the Kirk Sells experience by checking him out live or on youtube.

youtube.com/kirksells