5 most deserving rappers for 2024 XXL Freshman 10th spot

Bktherula

Atlanta-native rapper, singer, and songwriter Bktherula has been around hip-hop for pretty much all of her life. Her father was part of a hip-hop group called Planet X.

Before she even turned 18, Bktherula had multiple recorded songs released on SoundCloud and streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. She started popping off on SoundCloud in the late 2010s with hit singles like "Faygo" and "Left Right".

Bk's popularity grew in 2020 when her single "Tweakin' Together" found success on TikTok. To this day, "Left Right" and "Tweakin' Together" are still two of Bk's most popular songs on streaming. Those two are also her most-played songs on Spotify, with "Left Right" sitting at 41 million streams and "Tweakin' Together" having over 27 million.

The social media virality caught the attention of many mainstream rappers and producers. Bk landed a spot on the video game NBA 2K22, with the song "Watch Me". She also landed a massive collab to work with legendary producer, rapper, and songwriter Kanye West, on a now-leaked song "Let Go".

By early 2023, Bk was embarking on her third studio album under the Warner record imprint. Her sound had evolved from the choppier SoundCloud-quality rap and trap production from her early singles and first album Love Santana. Bk showed she could infuse rap subgenres like trap, rage, and drill while keeping her own personality on the bars and delivery.

Bk released two of her most well-received and polished projects to date in early 2023 and 2024, with the LVL5 P1 and P2 series. LVL5 P1 was a shorter project that is more trap-inspired with some real hard-hitting cuts. Features from Opium's Destroy Lonely and Rico Nasty added to the punch LVL5 P1 brought to the table.

The track "Forever, PT. 2 (JEZEBEL)" with Destroy Lonely is one of Bk's most popular songs on Spotify and Apple Music. And the short and punchy cut "NO ADLIB" was named one of Pitchfork's "42 Best Rap Songs of 2023".

Bk delivered arguably her best and most diverse tracklist to date on the follow-up in the LVL5 album series with P2 in March 2024. She landed features from New York drill rapper/singer Cash Cobain and Dreamville rapper JID on an album that featured cuts ranging from R&B ballads like "WOMAN" to cloud rap and trap infused bangers like "TATTI" and "CRAYON".