This 17-year-old, Toronto-based vocalist continues to go from strength to strength. Earlier this year she dropped ‘Bye Baby’, which we had no hesitation raving about in our October 7 edition of Bars. Now Ebhoni is gracing our earholes again with another futuristic R&B banger. Unlike her previous efforts ‘Killing Roses’ is upbeat and alert. The dancehall influences also add a balmy tinge to what often gets dangerously close to being over-synthetic. But considering her age, Ebhoni is no dummy and no sucker for such clichés. ‘Killing Roses’ builds momentum and explodes into a chorus of dance-heavy maximalism. Luckily for us listeners, this teen prodigy knows what she’s doing. Ebhoni and overkill are two words you won’t find in the same sentence in 2017.

He went double platinum with no features. Ok, we’ve gotten that out of the way early. Thank God. That whole episode was two years ago, but now J. Cole is back with another set of thought-provoking numbers to make you go “Hey, maybe I am too smart to fuck with trap”. ‘Immortal’ is fresh off the press from Cole’s latest LP 4 Your Eyez Only, and it’s the sort of rapid-fire, social commentary diehard fans would be frothing at the mouth for. While the North Carolina MC has been memed to near exhaustion for being ‘too smart’ or ‘too pretentious’, ‘Immortal’ is the sort of responding back-hander only Cole could dish out. Listen here; “Have you ever seen a fiend cook crack on the spoon? Have you ever seen a n**ga that was black on the moon? Have you ever seen your brother go to prison as he cry? Have you ever seen a motherfucking ribbon in the sky? Nope!” Point is, Cole is laying down multiple bars per minute while your favourite rapper is fixing his Auto-Tune EFX 2 and asking if K-Mart still sells promethazine.

At ACCLAIM, ‘Rock’ or ‘guitar music’ aren’t styles we really delve into on a regular basis. But sometimes you just have to trust your ears and go with your gut. Scrambling around for some fresh, exciting young talent, we happened to stumble upon this dreamy, Oakland-based wanderer by the name of Melina Duterte (aka ‘Jay Som’). In an era where guitar music meanders in a sure second to hip-hop and electronic, Duterte weaves melodies like wool betwixt two knitting needles. ‘Turn Into’ is a sonic meld of echoed plucks and airy vocals; a late-night lullaby with change-ups to keep your eyes wide-open. I completely understand; indie music is usually a crock and isn’t the regular go-to for you. But neither is it for Duterte. Jay Som plays gorgeous, wistful music that just so happens to have guitars in it. Music is music and Jay Som is damn talented.

Kodie Shane is the most talented member of Lil Yachty’s Sailing Crew. Like easily more talented than Boat himself (sorry, Boat). Her secret lies in her versatility; Kodie can switch from harmonies to muscular bars in the blink of an eye. You get a sense of this on ‘Sad’, the Atlanta MC’s latest single. Her bubbly yearnings of “want(ing) to be sad” are obviously oxymoronic, but that’s just another hint at her talent. You can never tell just where Kodie is coming from. An ex-lover is the vitriolic bullseye of ‘Sad’. Understandably, you’re probably yawning at the topic. However, Kodie’s greatest target is also herself. “Sitting home alone/ Looking at my phone like/ I wish that you would call me and tell me that you’re sorry… I just want to be sad.” Aside from the perfect backing production, there’s no sense of closure with ‘Sad’. The bubbly MC who stole the show in Lil Yachty’s clip for ‘All In’ earlier this year has more to show than some rhymes and a backing-beat. She’s also got nuance, depth, and a bounty of talent just waiting to steal the show once again.

“I don’t really agree with the direction labels are going right now, so I’m going to keep everything independent,” Florida rapper, Wifisfuneral told Broward Palm Beach in a candid interview last year. “No one is telling me I can’t be myself”. Even without listening to his music you can already tell this young artist sees his career trajectory. Like Company Flow before him Wifi’s anti-establishment attitude runs parallel to his energetic lyricism. On ‘Luv Me Never’ the lush, irresistible production carries the Florida MC’s steady rhymes onto sunnier planes. The subject matter may be somewhat self-deprecating but lyrical curveballs are thrown regularly. After lamenting over broken relationships, Wifi still finds enough inspiration to pull through and throw in some verbal pick-me-ups. “I guess I gotta learn to just live for the moment, own it” he spits on another lax verse. ‘Luv Me Never’ is the perfect introduction to Wifi’s upcoming When Hell Falls project; drum beats and verses which remind you things always remain even when everything seems lost.