WHAT IT IS: With a resurgence of N.Y. rap by new talent (Young M.A., Desiigner) as well as established artists (Fat Joe, Remy Ma), Crystal Caines comes as an added breath of fresh air in hip-hop. A frequent collaborator, A$AP Ferg, calls her the Missy Elliott for this generation. Caines, a triple threat from Harlem, N.Y., excels equally in producing, rapping and singing. Her debut track, “Run With Me,” which features Ferg, has been garnering buzz from blogs and N.Y. radio staples Hot 97 and Power 105. Crystal continues to introduce cutting-edge material in 2017, with Fader just premiering her newest track, “No Drama.”
BUZZ TRACK: “Run With Me”
INTERNET: 1.3m+ Spotify streams (279k+ of “Run”), 129k monthly listeners, included in popular New Music Friday and Most Necessary playlists; 640k+ “Whiteline” video views
PRESS: Fader, Complex, Pitchfork, XXL, Vibe, DJ Booth, 2DopeBoyz, HipHopDX, HotNew-HipHop, Rap-Up, OkayPlayer, Village Voice, Nah Right, The Source, Stereogum, Pigeons & Planes, World Star Hip Hop, Singersroom, much more
PUBLISHING: SONGS Music Publishing
MANAGEMENT: Ben Willis/INDIE POP