North Carolina doesn’t need a co-sign to know what it has. This week’s Who You Should Hear is all Tar Heel State: two Charlotte MCs and a Durham fixture, each coming off the best work of their careers. Here’s who they are, where to start, and why they deserve your ears.
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon (Charlotte)
Who he is: Jah-Monte moved to Charlotte from Akron, Ohio, in 2004 and became one of the busiest rappers in the state, putting out more than a dozen projects between 2019 and 2023 alone, according to WUNC. Before the music took off, he ran a local blog covering the Charlotte scene and booked his own shows.
The moment: His album As of Now dropped January 30, 2026, as his debut on UK label Lex Records, the same label that once housed MF DOOM. In February it earned Pitchfork’s Best New Music tag. The album pulls from more than a dozen producers, some of them people he found on Instagram.
Start with: “I’m Signed to Lex Now I’m Up,” the victory-lap single that kicked off this era. Then run the full album on Lex Records or your streaming app.
Why hear him: He’s funny and honest in the same breath, and he’s not shy about it. As he told WUNC, he thinks his last three records were all Best New Music worthy. Hard to argue.
Lord Fess (Durham)
Who he is: If you know Durham hip hop, you know Fess Rice. The rapper and organizer, once known as Toon, helped run the multi-year DURM Hip-Hop Summit with The Real Laww and has been at the center of the Bull City scene for over a decade, as INDY Week put it.
The moment: North State Blues, released January 17, 2026, is his first full project since 2019. The EP was produced by C Wills and OThaTruth, with Juro “Mez” Davis as executive producer, per Bandcamp. He told WUNC that making it felt like therapy, and that fellow Durham rapper Jooselord pushed him to finish it.
Start with: “I Mean,” which got a video shot with Raleigh’s Dominant Championship Wrestling. Hip hop and pro wrestling, done right. Stream or buy the EP on Bandcamp.
Why hear him: This is a veteran making the most focused music of his life. Four tracks, no wasted bars, and a lot of Durham in every one of them.
Reuben Vincent (Charlotte)
Who he is: The Charlotte native was discovered as a teenager by Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder, who found him on Twitter, Queen City Nerve reports. He came up through 9th’s Jamla Records camp.
The moment: Welcome Home, released October 24, 2025, via Jamla and Roc Nation Distribution, is fully produced by 9th Wonder, per The Source. It’s a full-circle record about moving back home, and he capped it with a homecoming show in Charlotte this January.
Start with: “Queen City,” his love letter to Charlotte, released alongside “Gotta Get It” as a maxi-single. Stream both here. Then hit “Homecoming” and “Dre & Sidney” with Raheem DeVaughn.
Why hear him: A young lyricist and a North Carolina production legend locked in on one album. That’s the Carolina pipeline working the way it should.
The Takeaway
Charlotte and Durham are both putting up real numbers right now, and none of these three are waiting on anybody. Put them in rotation, go to the shows and buy the vinyl when you can.
Know an NC or Carolinas artist we should hear next? Hit us on social and tell us who.
Sources
- WUNC: Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon is the King of Charlotte
- Lex Records: As of Now announcement
- Bandcamp: North State Blues by Lord Fess
- WUNC: In his new video for “I Mean,” Lord Fess enters the ring
- INDY Week: North State Blues release party
- The Source: Reuben Vincent announces Welcome Home
- Queen City Nerve: Reuben Vincent homecoming show
