Though he was only inducted into “the class” by XXL this past summer, Denzel Curry is far from a hip-hop freshman. Since garnering the interest of producer Spaceghostpurrp at the tender age of 16, Curry has been on the cusp of recent hip-hop trends. His style is distinct and unflinching; he raps staccato, with machine gun bars that are vastly different from the slow, drawling style popularized by his industry-appointed peers, 21 Savage and Lil Yachty. Curry’s timing and fast-paced delivery are technically impressive, and incite a sense of angry liberation. He could easily seem jaded, even at 21 years old, but instead sounds self-assured and hopeful. EMMA BURKE