All Kentucky Team
The “Bluegrass State” isn’t exactly the first place to come to people’s minds when discussing artists or industry talent. To help shed light on some of their gifted locals, we’ve put together a roster that we’re calling the All Kentucky Team. Check them out below, seek out their work, and let’s help put KY on the map –
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2k Baby:
2K Baby first went viral with his snippet of “Old Streets.” on the popular instagram page Say Cheese. He has smartly capitalized on the hype that he’s received from fans around the nation by bringing mesmerizing snippets of unreleased music to his instagram, leaving you ready to hear more. The official music video for Old Streets released on WorldStar and has over 3.4 million views. The Louisville, Kentucky artist is fresh in the game, but there’s seemingly no stop in his rise to stardom. To further solidify this fact, look no further than Complex Magazine’s 2020 list of, “Rappers To Watch In 2020” 2kBaby is signed to Masked Gorilla a partnered label with Warner Records.
Wuntayk Timmy:
It should be no surprise that Wuntayk is included in our 2020 All Kentucky Team. Wuntayk naturally twists lyrics and punch lines in a way rarely seen from today’s crowded field. He hails from the same music scene as other Louisville artists, Bryson Tiller and Vory. Wuntayk’s unique brand of wordplay never disappoints. Furthermore, his ties with Montana of 300 has helped boost his sound to a bigger audience. His “Envy Me” remix has over 250,000 views, and his “Pop Out” remix has over 326,000 views.
ZaZa:
Kentucky social media star ZaZa is a 4-year-old sensation from Lexington, with more than 1.6 Million followers on Instagram She was featured on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where she talked about her life before breaking down some dance moves to the delight of everyone in attendance and watching from home. She originally dreamt of being an actress, due to her love of Millie Bobby Brown’s character “Eleven” from Netflix’s hit show “Stranger Things.” Her tv-ready charisma is prevalent, but her love for music and fashion is refreshing from someone of her age. On April 30th, 2019 ZaZa went viral singing and dancing to SchoolBoy Q’s “Water” feat. Lil’ Baby. A-list celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Odell Beckham Jr., and Wiz Khalifa follow the mini-fashionista on her socials. This is a clear indication that even the superstars want to be early witnesses, and perhaps even participants, in ZaZa’s inevitable rise. Why should you know ZaZa? To put it in ZaZa’s own words, “Because I’m fancy.” ZaZa describes her personality as “bad and boujee and cute.” She goes on to say that she’s her own favorite rapper and that she’s been dancing for “a couple weeks” before hitting the floor to show off her moves to a Chance the Rapper track.
Vory:
Vory is a Kentucky-bred singer and rapper with a smooth and melodic R&B style. Vory first gained national attention in 2015 after appearing on the track “Don’t” by fellow Louisville native, Bryson Tiller. In 2016, capitalizing on the high-profile exposure gained from working with Tiller, Vory (then working under the name, King Vory) debuted his own mixtape “Overdose.” Shortening his name to Vory in 2017, he returned with a trio of singles, “Try,” “Do That Shit,” and “Hold of Me.” These tracks further established his melodic, moody sound. Vory is also a master with the pen. He’s written for many major artists under the radar, such as Post Malone. His skills for writing and combining dark melodies make for a perfect audio cocktail, thus landing him a spot on our 2020 All Kentucky Team.
Bryson Tiller:
If you’ve only heard of a few artists on our list, we’re certain that our next artist is included in that few.
Bryson had early approval from Timbaland and Drake in the music game. Tiller is a contemporary R&B songwriter and singer and a self-described “trap soul” artist from Louisville, who also raps. Tiller made waves with SoundCloud uploads like “Don’t,” “Break Bread,” and “Let ‘Em Know.” While social media fueled speculation regarding Tiller’s affiliation with Drake’s OVO Sound label, the artist opted to sign with major-label RCA, home to such artists as Tinashe and Miguel. “Don’t”, his breakthrough single, peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually went multi-platinum. The full-length album “T R A P S O U L” followed a few months later, reaching number eight on the Billboard 200. Within six months, it was certified platinum. Bryson is set to be featured on the “Bad Boys 3” Soundtrack, so be on the lookout this weekend for new music from him.
Bblasian:
To date, “Change,” Bblasian’s breakthrough single, is sitting at 830,000 SoundCloud plays and over 600,000 YouTube views. This is particularly noteworthy because that’s without any promotion or marketing dollars. Louisville music producer Jon Woo, who works closely with Bblasian, says that the artist’s thorough understanding of social media has helped the rapper spread his music past the barriers around Louisville and out into other parts of the nation. His latest release is an EP titled “DIF” and can be found on all music platforms.
EST Gee:
EST Gee is a known Louisville favorite who’s worked with industry artists such as Sada Baby, Payroll Giovanni, Icewear Vezzo and other fellow All Kentucky Team member, Jack Harlow. His most popular song on youtube “Taught Different” feat. Sada Baby has reached over 250,000 views and continues to grow his fanbase all over the country. Notably, the hip hop hotbeds of Chicago and Atlanta are where he draws the most listens. Stream Est Gee’s latest project “El Toro” on all major music platforms.
Jack Harlow:
Harlow was born and raised in Louisville. Harlow began rapping at age 12. He and a friend used a Guitar Hero microphone and a laptop to record rhymes and songs. They made a CD titled, “Rippin’ and Rappin,’” and sold copies at their school (Highland Middle School). When he was in seventh grade, Harlow acquired a professional microphone and made his first mixtape, “Extra Credit,” using the moniker, “Mr. Harlow.” In August 2018, it was announced that Harlow had signed to DJ Drama and Don Cannon’s Atlantic Records imprint, Generation Now. He has worked with countless industry artists and recently has been seen with Cole Bennett from Lyrical Lemonade. There seems to be no letting off the gas by Harlow or his team. His latest project, “Confetti,” dropped in 2019, and we’re excited to see what the future brings for Jack and the rest of his camp.
Finis “KY” White (KY Engineering) :
Finis isn’t a rapper or smooth singer. He is actually the man behind the scenes of a plethora of successful music across the nation. An All Kentucky Team would be laughable without the inclusion of Finis, a multi-platinum audio engineer and Kentucky native, who has worked with artists such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, A$AP Rocky, Nicki Minaj, Waka Flaka, and many more. White opened “Bass Recording Studio” in 2016 and hasn’t looked back, other than to show his home some love by mixing and mastering many of the artists found on the All Kentucky Team. Look for him as a mainstay in the rap game for years to come.
