The mainstream had a great return to form, with Kendrick Lamar, Future, Metro Boomin, and Tyler, The Creator among just a few of them making the most indelible marks. But as we mentioned earlier, the breakout stars were plentiful, and of course, a major key to the genre's success this year. Around this time in 2023, we highlighted five names who we felt everyone should be watching out for coming into 2024. We targeted ones we felt were slept on and had quietly strong runs. This time though, we are changing things up a bit. Instead, our staff decided that there were five rappers who blew people's expectations out of the water. So much so, that they are pretty much stars already and are on the cusp of reaching that next level. With that said, here are the five talents that we expect to take that superstar leap next year or sometime soon.

Texas' hip-hop scene could have a new face in the near future, and his name is BigXthaPlug. The 26-year-old from Dallas really began to grab everyone's attention in 2023, including XXL, who promptly granted him a spot in this year's Freshman Class. He was able to build some buzz off of tracks like "Mmhmm," "Back On My BS," and "Levels". His instantly recognizable voice, which sounds like it has its own surround sound already built in, makes him a commanding presence on the mic. He couples that with his straightforward writing and personal storytelling. His sophomore record, Take Care, quickly gained steady interest from fans and critics thanks to the thematic switch-up. Instead of street bangers, it's all about bettering yourself, taking care of your loved ones, adjusting to success, and weeding out the negativity. It's also shown he's got a great ear for soulful and hard-hitting beats, as he's been developing some chemistry with Tennessee producer, BandPlay. If he can continue to show that artistic growth from his 2023 tapes to Take Care, then BigXthaPlug is going to be around for a while.