Now that the Christmas bloating has slowly started to subside and it’s almost unacceptable to say Happy New Year for much longer. It’s time for us to announce our Ones To Watch 2022. Check them ALL out, all of them, then thank us next Christmas.

BXKS (pronounced BEKS) leaped onto our radar in 2020 with the instantly infectious ‘Packed In’. Blending that 90’s rap style we love with Grime and Hip Hop - BXKS truly has come up with something unique and missing within the scene and we’re here for it!

2021 saw her debut EP ‘Hack The Planet’ showcasing exactly why we have picked her for our OTW list. Bars on bars, flows on flows, the hooks are on point, delivery and quotables a plenty! 7 tracks of unapologetic rap. As we move into 2022 with more people waking up to BXKS we predict big things this year, make sure you’re locked in.

Stream here

Follow @bxksintokyo

A name we keep hearing pop up in conversation, whether it’s a dope feature, a killer EP release or a sell out show KeepVibesNear is definitely one to watch in 2022.

We first heard KVN through The Silhouettes Project in 2020 but tracking back through his catalogue you will find music released with BERWYN, Kinkai, and an album in 2019. Recently in 2021 he has released the six track EP ‘Now That We Know’, which in our opinion was one of the strongest EPs last year.

It’s fair to say KeepVibesNear’s growth has been gradual, it feels controlled, well thought out and not rushed. KVN is here to stay and we look forward to what’s brewing.

Stream here

Follow @keepvibesnear

Pale Jay - Yooo listen this guy was on repeat! We discovered him last year when he dropped his self-produced and self-written debut EP 'The Celestial Suite‘. A body of work rooted in the unconscious, displaying a deep connection between Pale Jay and his musical guides such as Donny Hathaway, Shuggie Otis and J Dilla.

So far he has had support from Melting Pot, community radio stations and independent bloggers and of course here at Wordplay.

We cannot wait to see him sky rocket when the vinyl drops later this year and with his next project! Watch this space trust me.

Stream here

Follow @palejaymusic

MANNY is a well-known musician in his hometown of Milton Keynes an alt-soul artist slowly making waves. 

We first heard MANNY when he released his debut single ‘Ain’t Simple’ which has incredible visuals created by Wise Guys. He has been featured by The Hype Magazine, The Fame Magazine and Peachy Magazine, played BBC Introducing Live in London and BBC Introducing Beds, Herts and Bucks session. On Dec 3rd he featured on a track called ‘Higher Ground’ part of Vibe Chemistry’s latest dnb EP ‘Airplane Mode’ with Lauren-Paige. Showing off his versatility makes us excited for the future. He is set to release some more music in 2022 and has some very exciting collaborations. 

Trust us we wanna see you win MANNY read these words and take them in.

Stream here

Follow @mannyandthecolouredsky

Denise Chaila burst onto our radar in 2020 when we laid eyes upon her official video ‘ANSEO’ feat. Jafaris. One of Ireland’s hottest MCs, Grime poet and Hip Hop artist. Denise exudes an empowering sense of autonomy and confidence for her community. Which she embodies in her visuals for ‘061’ with a medieval-themed beat that packs a punch.

Thus she has had support from DJ Target, Annie Mac, Jamz Supernova, Shaun Keaveny, Iggy Pop, TRENCH, i-D and The FADER

She is ready to put Ireland on the rap map and we cannot wait to see what else she has up her sleeve.

Stream here

Follow @denisechaila

Leo Lore has been making waves, we first heard about him last year. His single ‘Billie’ caught our eye and after this we were intrigued. ‘Billie’ also received support from BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6, and BBC Introducing. Since then he has released ‘Blue Print’ which has an official video and shows a vulnerable side with themes of mental health and unlearning.

He is a Peckham based soul singer raised in the quiet space of Norfolk with a melting pot of cultures courtesy of his English father and his mother’s Yemeni and Romanian heritage.

During lockdown he performed for one of our Lock-In events and we hope to do more with him this year. Leo has set himself firmly on the map as one to watch.

Stream here

Follow @leoloremusic

Emerging singer Safiyyah caught our eye last year with her single ‘Free’ ft RADA. The Argentinian-infused production made our ears prick up along with the themes of liberation, relationships and empowerment with their pens. We have had the pleasure of seeing her live twice, first time was KeepVibesNear headline show at Hackney Social. The second time was at Wild Paths Festival in Norwich and she was amazing!

Tracking back through her catalogue Safiyyah’s debut EP ‘Third Eye’ created a big buzz across last year and made its way onto Jamz Supernova’s Top 5 EP list on BBC 1xtra.

We predict big things for her this year, make sure you’re tuned in.

Stream here

Follow @safiyyah.d

Kieron Boothe is an East London rapper, illustrator and designer who represents a new wave of UK artists whose music is as much rooted in Jazz and Soul as it is new styles.

Last year, Kieron turned some heads as a member of The Silhouettes Project back in 2020. His single ‘No Peace’ made it into various high-profile playlists and cracked the 1.5 million streams mark. In summer of 2021 Kieron teamed up with alt R&B sensation KeepVibesNear for ‘M25’ which enjoyed support from Jamz Supernova and GRM Daily alike. His latest offering dropped 3rd Dec 2021 ‘The Stoned Age II’ is a sequel to his 2018 two-track EP of the same name.

Who knows this year he might give us a trilogy, a part 3 of The Stoned Age and if he does we shall be ready.

Stream here

Follow @kieron_boothe

Underrated, I’ll start by saying that.

386 is a genre-bending artist collective from London, UK. The core members of 386 are Singer/Songwriter (and Novembars winner) Emily Denton, Rapper Bxrbarian and Producer GXS CREATIVE.

We heard something special in the single ‘Should Do’ which is their 4th single produced, written and recorded in an afternoon at Bxrbarian’s home studio.

We are predicting levels from them, you never know maybe an EP.

Stream here

Follow @386ldn

Summer Sons keep making movements!

Our favourite Jazz Rap group's creative streak didn’t end with the release of Nostalgia. With Nostalgia, Summers Sons have crafted a beautiful coming-of-age rap album from a 90s baby perspective and a classic in the making. Here Summers Sons reflect on their past, present, and future as sons, brothers, husbands, fathers and friends. Accompanied by longtime friend and musical partner C.Tappin, Alt R&B sensation KeepVibesNear and MC/community activist Eerf Evil.

Recently performed a Wordplay Sessions with us. They were part of The Silhouettes Project back in 2020 and have toured with Children Of Zeus.

We think 2022 is set to be yet another exciting year for them, but you gotta keep your ear to the ground.

Stream here

Follow @summer_sons

We interviewed The Last Elect back in 2020 and we have them to thank for putting us on to Kings Cvstle.

London duo Kings Cvstle take things back to the bare essentials. Nostalgically offering a nod to the likes of The Four Owls but injecting that unmistakable degree of grit and passion at the same time.

Thus far, their single ‘Pain in Pages’ reached no.5 in the Hiphop/Rap ITunes charts and have had support from cHip sHop radio station, The Beat London 103.6FM and other event platforms.

We can’t wait to see what they have in store for us this year!

Stream here

Follow @kingscvstle

Larwood & Koh in the buliding!

We first discovered them during our Novembars competition back in 2020 and we’ve been hooked ever since.

They have had support from Yamaha Music, have had airplay on Chuck D's show 'And You Don't Stop' from the ground-breaking hip-hop group Public Enemy and K2K Radio. They have featured in our issue 21 print mag and have done a Wordplay Session with us.

It’s clear to see that Larwood & Koh have something special and we cannot wait to see what 2022 brings them!

Stream here

Follow @larwoodmusic

Oh cos he is ‘Cool like this’? Who am I on about Ghetto Orange of course.

We’ve been following Ghetto Orange for a while and his graft is inspiring. He released an EP last year called 5%, he raps about personal topics and he flows over chill-hop and jazzy vibes.

Last year we had him open the Wordplay stage at Wild Paths festival, then later that day due to unforeseen circumstances we had an act pull out leaving a gap in the line up. We asked if he wanted to perform again and he gladly accepted. Little did he know the incredible Piers James was watching and after his set asked Ghetto Orange if he would like to perform at his sold out show in London. We love moments like these!

Get yourself down to a Ghetto Orange show cos one day he’ll be selling out shows too!

Stream here

Follow @ghetto__orange

Words by Matt Neville and CC