My Top Three September Artists

     Music has been a part of my life ever since I was a kid. Growing up with classics in regional music like Los Tucanes and Vicente Fernandez, and rap and hip-hop like 2Pac and the West Coast Movement, it’s always been a part of me. I personally use Apple Music, and they have a Replay section for your top music and artists of the month. The following are my top three artists of September 2024, and I will also be giving a description of the artists, along with some of their best hits and albums. Hope you enjoy.

The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer born on February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario. His music style, which blends contemporary and alternative R&B with pop and electronic elements, is just beautiful. Gaining recognition from his mixtape “House of Balloons,” he quickly built a fan base with his mysterious persona and the quality of his music. If you know the incredible story of The Weeknd and his rise to fame, you understand what this and his trilogy meant to him. My favorite album is “After Hours.” I just love the dark and eerie tone it gives, from “Faith” to “Until I Bleed Out”—they are great. All his albums are one of a kind, from horror elements to more sad and depressing states; he has something for everyone. If you can, go and listen to his albums—they are a work of art I cant leave all of em out. 

    

    Future, born Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn on November 20, 1983, in Atlanta, Georgia, is a highly influential American rapper, singer, and pioneer of the new trap sound and wave. His early career started with the musical collective Dungeon Family, where he was nicknamed “The Future.” If it wasn’t for Rico Wade, we would have never had Future. From his story of trapping to club bangers and now being a top artist, Future has done it all. Yet, the pivotal point for Future and the one we know now started with “Monster.” Here, we hear a totally different Future. From first gaining attention with “Tony Montana,” this Future in the album “Monster” was a new artist, and you can tell with the song “Codeine Crazy.” Future is considered a pioneer of the modern trap sound, particularly for his use of Auto-Tune and melodic rap. Personal favorite albums include “Monster,” “DS2 (Deluxe),” “Hndrxx,” “Mixtape Pluto,” and all of the collaborative projects with Metro. This is a hard one for me since I can’t pick just a few songs that I love, as there are a lot of them, but those albums mentioned are the best from Future.

    

    Travis Scott, born Jacques Bermon Webster II on April 30, 1991, in Houston, Texas, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. When thinking of Travis, we already know his high-energy performances and genre-blending music. My favorite work from Travis has to be “Days Before Rodeo,” which is now on streaming platforms. Here, we hear a raw Travis with trap-like instrumentals from Metro and features like Young Thug and the Migos back when they were coming up. For me, “Days Before Rodeo” is the best album from Travis, but we also have other cult classics like “Rodeo” with a great lineup. Yet, I would encourage you to listen to his whole discography of songs. Like Future, I can’t pick just a few songs that I love, but instead, the albums are perfect with trap instrumentals and high intensity.

   

    Honorable mention: If interested, check out Metro Boomin and his albums, maybe except for “Perfect Timing” and “Double or Nothing,” but the rest are a work of art. Also, all of 21 Savage’s discography is worth exploring.

Update: I can’t believe I forgot to include Dot in my honorable mentions. His entire body of work is beautiful, and his storytelling is incredibly powerful—he's one of the best rappers to ever do it, alongside 2Pac. If you haven't heard his work, I highly suggest you do, even over the previously mentioned artists and albums. It’s that good, and I’m sure you’ll love it. If I had to choose two albums, they would be good kid, m.A.A.d city (Deluxe Version) and To Pimp a Butterfly. For good kid, m.A.A.d city, my top songs are "Backseat Freestyle," "Money Trees," "Good Kid," "m.A.A.d city," "Swimming Pools," "Sing About Me," "Now or Never," and "Collect Calls." As for To Pimp a Butterfly, all the tracks are works of art—I can't even pick a favorite. Listen for yourself, trust me, it’s a top album, even over the others I’ve mentioned. But that’s just my opinion. Just listen to his whole discography.