Music for your ears—the hottest hip-hop artists recommended by A38

Locals know that one of the coolest music venue in Budapest is on an old boat idling on the Danube—the A38. In Hype&Hyper’s new series, we’ll be featuring the hottest up-and-coming European artists performing on the boat every month, who are worth checking out now because they’re well on their way to global fame. First up, the best of the hip-hop genre, with a free playlist.

Porto Morto (HR)

The seven-member Porto Morto is one of the biggest surprises to hit the music scene in recent years. Although their style is hard to define, their roots lie somewhere around progressive pop, art rock, and indie electronica. Their success also comes from their strong emphasis on visual expression, which can be seen in their videos projected behind the stage at their concerts.

Mahmood (IT)

Alessandro Mahmoud, who performs simply as Mahmood, is an Italian singer-songwriter. He shot to fame after appearing in the sixth season of the Italian X Factor. He has also won the Sanremo Music Festival twice: first in 2019 with his song Soli and then in 2022 with his collaboration with Blanco on Brividi. Thanks to these victories, he was given the opportunity to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in the same years, where he finished second in 2019 and sixth in 2022.

Sworr. (GR)

Sworr. is an Athens-based, Greek alt pop trio with a unique sound, adventuring on the paths of electronica and beyond. They recorded their debut album SWORR. in March 2018, which explores the darker paths of melancholic electronica, and sold out in less than a month. Its underlying premise is that spoken words floating in the ether reveal the truth of a bleeding youth, persistently fighting against a world dominated by a distorted perception of itself. Turning hardship into beats and words beyond the sterile grooves, Sworr. sets emotions in motion.

Sharktank (AT)

Hip-hop and pop have always been good neighbors and now Vienna-based Sharktank has finally married the two, till death do them part. The band started as a solo project of rapper Mile, but quickly expanded when young vocalist Katrin Paucz joined Mile’s sessions in the studio of famed producer Marco Kleebauer. The latter has produced countless award-winning and chart-topping albums for bands such as Bilderbuch, Oehl, and his own band Leyya.

Alyona Alyona (UA)

There are several reasons why Ukrainian rapper Alyona Alyona has been so successful in recent years: her audience is growing, she has been on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list, her music videos have gone viral online, and she has released several successful albums. Not only is she talented, but also has humor and charisma, and she makes a statement by continuing to rap in her native language, Ukrainian.

Would you like to listen to them? Click here for the monthly Spotify playlist.

Source: A38

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