The buzz around the Denver hip-hop community is radiant and there’s no better time to be an artist than now. The concert scene is booming in the city and the opportunities to open for sold-out shows are countless. With huge names like Chance The Rapper, Schoolboy Q and Tech N9ne all making stops to the Mile-High City this fall, I think it’s safe to say the hip-hop culture is present in Denver. The people at the roots of that movement have always been the local artists who are continually grinding, and that’s who we will be highlighting in this article. Here’s a list of a few 303 artists all hip-hop fans should watch out for in the upcoming year.

Splyt

Born Chris Vigil in Trinidad, CO, Splyt is a Colorado-grown emcee who is next up on the list of hip-hop artists to blow. Making waves in the industry, Splyt has opened up for big names such as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Hoodie Allen, Logic, Tayyib Ali, Chris Webby and  OCD: Moosh and Twist. He has even gone out of state to join both G-Eazy and Mike Stud on legs of their tours and played some major festivals like this year’s Divide Music Festival. While at Divide, Splyt stated he takes a more melodic approach to the technique of rap and hip-hop, focusing on melody and cadence in his song writing. Splyt combines quality wordplay and flow in his songs and has some very creative visuals for singles such as “Settle Down” and “Mountain High.”

Tony Neek$

Neek$ is a Minnesota-born emcee who has been garnering a ton of praise in the Denver community. His smooth blend of hip-hop and R&B is a refreshing sound to the listener’s ears and adds to Neek$’ unique sense of style and sound. He has performed in front of sold-out audiences on multiple occasions with artists such as Vince Staples, Post Malone and Lil Uzi Vert. Managing to get some national blog coverage with sites like Hip-HopDX, Neek$ has also released the visuals for “Jaded,” a very catchy track that is quickly approaching the 15,000 views mark.

Talent Among Us

Champ and Hammer comprise Talent Among Us, a talented hometown duo of hip-hop artists. After making a name for themselves with the release of a self-titled EP, the two artists continued grinding with the release of two more solo projects. Since then, the duo has released By Any Means, a very solid project which features some impressive visuals for the singles “Everything” and “Ride.” The duo’s resume also includes performances with known stars like Vic Mensa and Royce Da 5’9, so they’re no strangers to rocking the stages in Denver.

Pat Anthony

Pat Anthony is a trap-influenced hip-hop artist from Denver. A talented singer, Anthony infuses a wide array of styles and sounds in both his production and his voice. One of his freshest latest singles is “FULY (Fucked Up Like Yeah)” — a certified banger of a track which is sure to turn out some amazing energy at Anthony’s live show. Picking and choosing his sound as he likes, Anthony can easily go back and forth from very melodic tracks where he sings a lot to all out bars where he takes a more lyrical approach. Anthony has a fresh take on the ever-changing sounds of hip-hop and is carefully carving his own unique style and imprint into the industry. Check him out for yourself at his next live concert on October 8, 2016 at the City Hall event center in Denver.

Reason The Citizen

Richard John Martinelli, aka Reason the Citizen, is a southern California-born emcee who has recently been creating a lot of hype in the city of Denver. With years of performance experience under his belt and an unmatched flow and delivery, Reason the Citizen should definitely be on every hip-hop fans’ watch list. Touring with the Vans Warped Tour and speaking at this year’s RiNo Ted Talk event are just a few of the huge accomplishments for the young emcee who is certainly blooming into one of Denver’s most promising hip-hop acts. He released a music video for his latest single, “Airplane Mode,” on April 22, 2016 — a perfect example of the talented wordplay and lyricism in Citizen’s arsenal. But don’t take it from me; check out the music and judge it for yourself at his upcoming show in Civic Center Park.