Every Tuesday we put you on to artists worth your time before everybody else catches on. This week has a heavy Carolina lean: three North Carolina acts holding it down from Apex, Raleigh and Charlotte, plus a Tennessee-born rapper who just dropped two new features in the same week.
sosocamo (Apex, NC)
Who he is: sosocamo is Cameron Sanders, a 23-year-old rapper from Apex, a rural stretch about 30 minutes outside Raleigh, according to The FADER. His dad was a producer, and when he couldn’t get into the studio as a kid, he built his own at 14 (Clash).
Start with: “keep steady,” the song that broke him out. The FADER reports it’s closing in on 70 million Spotify plays.
Why you should hear him: He makes moody, melodic trap with an R&B feel, and he calls his “big country” sound a movement that “pays homage” to North Carolina. His girlfriend and longtime producer Grayto executive produced his 2025 debut no service, and his sophomore album big country followed in early 2026. If you like Future or Brent Faiyaz, you’ll get it right away.
LesTheGenius (Raleigh, NC)
Who he is: LesTheGenius is Leslie Robbin-Coker. He was born in London and has lived in Raleigh since he was 1. He went to Garner High and studied chemical science at NC State, per WUNC. He started making music at 9 and was putting it out by 11.
Start with: “Raleighwood Hills” with Jaxson Free and Sonny Miles. It landed on Barack Obama’s Favorite Music of 2019 list and topped Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlist. WUNC notes that he and his collaborators were the only independent artists on Obama’s list.
Why you should hear him: Les is more than a rapper. He’s a builder. His Raleighwood Co. began as a clothing brand in 2017 and grew into a creative studio with a playlist, write-ups on local artists, a podcast and the Raleighwood Festival. If you care about the Triangle scene, he’s one of the people holding it together.
Cyanca (Charlotte, NC)
Who she is: Cyanca was raised in Smithfield and is now based in Charlotte, per the NC Arts Council’s new North Carolina rap primer. Her sound mixes R&B, hip hop and neo-soul. She grew up on Sade, Erykah Badu and gospel at her grandmother’s Baptist church, and she started playing piano and drums at 6 (Marmoset).
Start with: “Jesse Jackson” and “New Phone, Who Dis?,” the two songs the NC Arts Council highlights. Then watch her episode of PBS NC’s Shaped by Sound: CYANCA (Season 2). Her catalog also lives on SoundCloud.
Why you should hear her: PBS NC says she “brings powerful honesty to every note,” and her songs about healing and identity back that up. DJBooth flagged her as an Erykah Badu-influenced talent years ago. She’s been putting in the work ever since.
Samara Cyn (Murfreesboro, TN)
Who she is: Samara Cyn was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 1998, grew up in an Army family that moved often, and later settled in Los Angeles (Ones To Watch). She was in the 2025 XXL Freshman Class and won SXSW’s Grulke Prize for Developing U.S. Act.
Start with: “oooshxt!,” the lead single from her March 2026 EP Detour (discography). Then play her two newest looks: she’s featured on Jessie Reyez’s “For Sixxx In The Mornin” (HotNewHipHop) and appears on Ovrkast.’s new album STRIKING, both released October 9.
Why you should hear her: Billboard called her “one of the rising stars in rap’s rookie class,” and she’s backed that up on stage. She’s performed with Lauryn Hill and made her festival debut at Camp Flog Gnaw. Two features in one Friday tells you how in demand she is right now.
Who should we hear next?
Know a Carolina artist who belongs in this series? Tag us @IAHHM and put us on.
Sources
- The FADER: sosocamo is plugged in now
- Clash: Southern Hospitality, sosocamo Interviewed
- WUNC: LesTheGenius, Mayor of Raleighwood
- NC Arts Council: Genre Primer, North Carolina Rap
- PBS NC, Shaped by Sound: CYANCA
- Marmoset: Introducing Cyanca
- DJBooth: Under 1,000
- Ones To Watch: Samara Cyn
- Wikipedia: Samara Cyn
- HotNewHipHop: For Sixxx In The Mornin
