Hip Hop’s 50th Birthday may be one day behind us, but the genre is undoubtedly and consistently one of the most consumed. So don’t forget ONE day, The Shade Room (TSR) and The Shade Room Teens (TSRT) celebrate a lifestyle and an art form. all month long! As a special treatment, TSRT has partnered with him High tide to create the ‘TSRT: The Best of Gen Z’ playlist.
RELATED: Latto Talks Feminist Empowerment As He Celebrates Hip Hop’s 50th: ‘It’s My Duty To Lift Others Up As I Go’
The reserved party starter features 41 tracks featuring award-winning, trendy and up-and-coming talents. From Latto to Ice Spice and NBA YoungBoy, the list is a hit – even on shuffle.
Keep reading to learn more about THREE artists to watch from the playlist! And don’t forget to get into the poppin’ new players who still rule the rap game. Click HERE to listen exclusively on Tidal!
Three artists to watch: Gloss Up, Luh Tyler & Flau’jae
While the TSRT: Best of Gen Z playlist features over 20 talented artists, here are three to keep an eye on.
Meet Gloss Up
The 26-year-old rapper makes two appearances on ‘TSR: Best of Gen Z’ – and with good reason! Signed to Atlanta powerhouse Quality Control, Gloss Up, real name Jerrica Russel, was raised in Memphis. according to Okay player, her mother didn’t let her eat hip-hop music. But Gloss Up continued to delve into the genre – writing rhymes, uploading free tracks to the internet, and participating in high school lunchtime rap battles.
After meeting GloRilla in 2019, the two reportedly formed a bond and performed at a talent show two years later. There, they met Hitkidd, and eventually he met the entire team: Gloss Up, GloRilla, K Carbon, and Slimeroni. As a group, the ladies gained viral attention, leading Gloss Up to a QC deal and GloRilla to Yo Gotti’s label. In January, the mother-of-two released her debut album QC, Before the Gloss Up.
On the Tidal TSRT playlist, Gloss Up is featured on “Shabooya,” along with HitKidd, K Carbon, Slimeroni, and Aleza. Her second track on the playlist is a feature on Lakeyah’s QC label – the song “Real B*tch.”
Meet Luh Tyler
For this 17-year-old, confidence seems to be as easy as breathing! And it makes sense because Luh Tyler has been alive since last summer. The first tracks he released publicly were “Planet Fitness” and “Jayda Wayda” – raw cuts made using a phone and BandLab, each Rolling Stone.
But before that, his summer of rapping (and his third single, “Law & Order Pt. 2”) made him feel when he returned for his junior year last fall. As flyers began lining his line, the then 16-year-old had a tough talk with his mother about leaving Godby High School. His mother supported the move he wanted, his cousin applied to be his manager (with no experience), and finally, Luh Tyler signed a contract with Atlantic Records.
About a year after his first single, Luh Tyler took the Rolling Loud Miami 2023 stage with a five-song set. Luh Tyler’s “First Show” is featured on the Tidal TSRT playlist.
Meet Flau’jae
When she is not heavily involved with the Louisiana State University women’s basketball team, Flau’jae Johnson setting the studio on fire! The 19-year-old’s interest in rap started with her father, whose stage name was Camoflauge, who died six months before she was born. Years later, when his hometown of Savannah, Georgia, held a celebration of life, 8-year-old Johnson took the stage with a special rap.
“I feel like his legacy was cut short,” Johnson told ESPN UK. “It was taken from him. That’s why I sometimes feel it’s my duty to finish what he started.”
That was in 2011. As she grew, she pursued her rap aspirations, participating in shows like “The Rap Game” and “America’s Got Talent.”
By 2020, the part-time basketball star, part-time rapper landed a distribution deal with Roc Nation. Last month, she released a 13-track mixtape titled “4 My Fans.” Her track, “Big 4 Anthem,” is featured on the ‘TSRT: Best of Gen Z’ playlist.
