SXSW 2015 Hip Hop Preview: The Posterz, IAMSU, and Verite'

If you're going to check out a hip hop showcase at SXSW this year make sure you plan on being there for at least three hours. It's not due to the fact that there will be a wealth of talent there, although sometimes that's the case, but it's because Black people refuse to ever show up on time! I'm not sure if it's payback for the cruelty of slavery or if they just took Tupac's Fuck the World too much to heart but hip hop artists show up at minimum 40 minutes late to a show even if it means that their set time will be cut in half; just look at 2 Chainz from Fader Fort a few years ago.

The problem is, unless it's a big showcase that features other genres of music, the venue will typically just roll with the artists showing up late and will still let them have their full set time; so there's a good chance that the performer you came to see at a certain time wont be on stage for another two hours. But hip hop showcases are always a party, so just sit back and enjoy it.

The first group you should check out is The Posterz out of Montreal. Montreal has all of a sudden become the new hub for young, talented, and unique artists as its been cranking out nothing but legit music the past few years. Everyone in this group brings a refreshing style to the game and the second you hear their beats you want to immediately turn up. Sometimes it's hard to give hip hop artists who aren't from America props but singing a hook that says "getting cash is the only thing I know" is as universal as it gets. I rate these guys as FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JTfr-xcGVI

Next up is IAMSU out of Richmond, CA; he has actually been in the game since 2010 but he just released his first solo album last year. In the past five years he's racked up a pretty impressive resume' as he's been on E-40's Function and the annoyingly awesome Gas Pedal. His rhymes aren't all that deep but that's ok because every now and then you just need to hear some dope beats with someone yelling about their dick over them. IAMSU and his smooth Cali flow gets a rating of FRESH from me!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAnWhrjt0iE

The last artist to check out is the unbelievably beautiful Verite'. Most people would categorize her music as pop but when you hear her in interviews you can tell that she hates being put in a box. She claims that quite a few of her lyrics are inspired by hip hop  and when you listen to her voice, you can tell that she intentionally uses it to bring a dark feel to her music. It's interesting enough for me to take the time to check out when there's 1900 other options available to me, so I will rate it as FRESH!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wLkZYoSRdE