Ever since the internet came into play, the music industry has changed tremendously. It opened up ways for people from all over the globe to communicate and share information, music being among that. The majority of music nowadays is consumed through internet streaming applications such as Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud, with the latter being the preferred choice for independent artists to release their music for free. Many artists have seen great success from this platform such as Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, and Chance the Rapper who recently won three Grammy awards, making his mixtape the first streaming-only mixtape to win a Grammy. As follows three artists on SoundCloud whose music will undoubtedly make a splash on the internet in 2017.

XXXTentacion
Pronounced “x-x-x-tentación,”or as his fans call him “X,” XXXTentacion is a rapper hailing out of Broward County, FL. He is known for his very brash and somewhat abrasive style which is shown most notably in his most popular song “Look at Me” which currently has 16.1 million plays on SoundCloud. His aggressive rap style and flow mash up with the lo-fi and distorted style of production. Despite that some of his most popular songs are trap songs, X draws influence from indie rock all the way to metal, both of these influences can especially be heard in his song “King”. Like most popular rappers who have been in jail (such as Kodak Black for example), X has been gaining a lot of hype to compose and release a mixtape. If he gets out of jail soon, I can see him gaining a following in the mainstream.

Playboi Carti
Coming off the wave of other turn up rappers from Atlanta, Playboi Carti in many ways was the start of that wave. Unlike his peers Lil Yachty and Lil Uzi Vert, Carti has yet to release a full-fledged project of any kind. Nevertheless that many of his songs have garnered millions of plays and 224,000 followers on SoundCloud. Ever since crossing paths with rapper A$AP Rocky, Carti has become closely intertwined with him and the rest of the A$AP Mob, leading to him getting signed to Interscope Records. Carti brings a unique energy and hype to a well-saturated sub-genre of hip-hop with his diverse selection of beats. Carti is a rapper to look out for in 2017 if he finally releases a mixtape this year.
Princess Nokia
Now moving on to the only rapper on this list that has a fully fledged EP, Princess Nokia. Hailing from the Lower East Side of New York City, Nokia brings a retro yet new, unique energy to the table with her songs. On her song “Tomboy” off her EP 1992, Nokia goes off on the track and displays her playful self-deprecation throughout the hook of the song. She’s able to portray humor while being able to spit some serious bars too. Nokia is a well known but outspoken feminist who transfers her beliefs through her music. She will definitely make an impact on hip-hop over the internet.
It used to be that rappers and musicians only posted their music online to get their name out. However, now they post their music online with the internet being their main platform. Rappers don’t need to sign onto labels anymore as they can take over the music industry from their bedroom.