Skate

Rapping since high school, Skate (born Nathan Montgomery Maloley) gained exposure and a modest following on social media. His woozy laid-back raps were carried along electronic blippy production with a heavy woofer-ready thud. Indicative of his youth, common themes covered in his music included sex, rampant drug and alcohol consumption, and local repping of his hometown, Omaha, Nebraska. He released an online mixtape -- aptly titled Twenty-Fifteen -- in early 2015, which was quickly followed up with a debut full-length release just five months later. Maloski included guest spots by Mac Marley ("We Got That"), King Los & Devin Cruise ("Girls I Used to F**k"), and Jack J ("This Life"). ~ Neil Z. Yeung