The Source has hit 30 years in our illustrious history. We are continuing the tradition of highlighting the torchbearers who have made Hip-Hop as great as it is today while connecting with the rising talent that is vital to the longevity of our culture. Since our inception, The Source has been the hub for both the icons and the future leaders, dedicating content to both sides from cover to cover. That mission is once again evident in our new issues.
This issue, #276, is the inaugural Future Issue. For those who have flipped the pages of The Source for years or took it as a personal duty as a Hip-Hop fan to do their Googles, a pillar of our historic run is the “Unsigned Hype” section. The Future Issue is an expansion of that section and pointing you toward who will be the ones that will own a permanent position on Billboard and Apple charts, check a bag with impactful business ventures and dictate the way the world consumes Hip-Hop for years.
To be selected for the Future Issue, your music is ringing off in the hottest clubs, blasting from cars and lighting up the airwaves. Opening a spectrum and covering multiple degrees of exposure, the Future Issue will break down artists into three areas: Advanced, Intermediate and Newly Signed.
Ushering in the Future Issue era are two cover stars: Atlanta’s Lil Baby and New York City rising star A Boogie wit da Hoodie.
In case you didn’t know, there aren’t many stars with a brighter future than Lil Baby.
Examine the hits and projects that Lil Baby dropped and it is hard to imagine that he could be considered a rookie. It’s even crazier to think that the Atlanta native has really just started to rap. With a successful stretch of mixtapes, a debut album that rocked the game and an occasional running mate in Gunna, Baby’s star is bright as any young artist in the game. Add in his business acumen, leading to a new label and rubbing elbows with executives and we have the evidence of a rising powerhouse.
The Future Issue will also expand on the Unsigned Hype section, crafting it to exist int he 2019 landscape of Hip-Hop. In a Hip-Hop hub like NYC, Atlanta or Los Angeles, you are hard pressed to find an artist who is rising and not affiliated with an organization, many of them are imprints of their own. The empowerment of the Hip-Hop culture is on a grander stage than the days of hoping one would be picked up by the suits at one of three powerhouses. With that said, we are able to identify a squad of spitters who are ready to take over your wireless headphones, 10 of them, who are primed to be your favorite stars.
With all of that said, welcome to the Future Issue, examine each page and person, then see who will be next. The inaugural issue is ushered in by Lil Baby and a crop of new talent to change everything and make the culture even bolder.
