Artist: Mapei Why her? The missing chip between Santogold, Kid
Sister and Rye Rye falls into place at last. The Rhode Island-born
Mapei got her start rapping at basement parties in Sweden, where she
lived for years, and further schooled herself in the gay clubs of her
current home in New York. The result? Super-kooky culture jamming on
“Roxanne Shante’s Smile.” In smooth deadpan, she references Woody
Allen, “Poetic Justice,” Cabbage Patch Kids, Pabst Blue Ribbon and
Hooked on Phonics. Spank Rock and Ghostface Killah are fans, as well as
Timbuktu, one of Sweden’s biggest hip-hop acts. What's next? Downtown Records will release Mapei’s
debut sometime in the fall. And we’re keeping our fingers crossed for
more West Coast dates on the heels of her hot showcase in December at
the Avalon.Artist: K'naan 
Why him: Though it’s popular in Europe, African
hip-hop has not yet found its footing in America beyond the elegant
gangsterisms of the Senegalese-born, New Jersey-based singer Akon.
This year, a Canadian might be the one to break the intercontinental
barrier. Kaynaan Warsame was born to one of Somalia’s most prominent
artistic families in 1978 and grew up in Mogadishu as that city was
torn apart by civil war. Immigrating to Toronto with his family as a
teen, he soon turned to rap as a way to articulate his experience. His
light-stepping but tough rhyming style is infused with the rhythms of
his homeland, and his subject matter is both political and playfully
personal. What's next: K’naan’s 2005 debut album, "The Dusty
Foot Philosopher," won a Juno (the Canadian Grammy) for best rap album;
next month A&M/Octone Records will release "Troubadour," which was
mostly recorded at Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong Studio with help from guests such as Damian Marley, Mos Def and Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. If Kenya’s favorite son, Barack Obama, could win the hearts of America, why not this sharp-witted Somali stylist?Artist: 
Jay Rock Why him: Rap music is increasingly a Southern man's
game, but 2009 might see Los Angeles' return to prominence on national
urban airwaves, thanks to Dr. Dre’s highly anticipated and
long-in-the-works release, "Detox." But one up-and-comer might steal
just a bit of the spotlight away from the usual suspects (Dre, Snoop
and the Game) this year: Watts' Jay Rock. Warner Music has high hopes
for the 23-year-old rapper, who is a known quantity in South Los
Angeles via a series of self-released mix-tapes and localized underground anthems. His single "All My Life" features chart-topping guest Lil Wayne. What's next: A collaboration with Ne-Yo on Rock's spring
debut (tentatively scheduled to drop in March), "Follow Me Home," may break the Nickerson Gardens
resident
nationwide this year. At the very least, fans of rap music in the vein
of Tupac Shakur have a fresh face from L.A. to obsess over in '09.
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