The 2023 CHICAGO ARTISTS TO WATCH LIST lives up to its name, “The Beginning of A New Era.” Chicago is embarking on a renaissance. A period of time where our new artists are emerging in various genres, taking unconventional routes, and co signs from heavy hitters in music. Chicago is on the rise in multiple genres, like that 2012 wave we love to argue about, and What’s The Word is proud to do our part by putting them at the forefront. The list this year was longer than it’s ever been. One hundred plus artists, the arguments, the validity, the comparisons, all led down to 25 of the hottest from the crib.
PLEASE REVIEW PRIOR LISTS • ARTISTS CAN ONLY MAKE IT ONCE
Whether you believe it or not, this list matters. It’s imperative to Chicago and essential to the industry. It starts the right conversations, gives other platforms more insight on who they should be paying more attention to, and it’s a cheat code for record executives and influencers to know who is executing the right work in Chicago music. Most important, it helps gets our artists music heard.
With that being said, here’s to the Beginning of a New Era: Your 2023 Chicago Artists to Watch List.
25. CECE BKE
24. AUSAR
23. SHAYLIN B
22. 8MATIKLOGAN
21. WAVY WAVEZ
20. SIZZY THE ARTIST
19. LADY XO
18. WAVY 1500
17. HXLLYWOOD
16. GLOCKBOY BOBO
15. PRETTY LIYAH
14. THF MOODA
13. MONI DA G
12. GOALDEN CHYLD
11. LIL BLESSIN
10. TRENCH BABY
09. KASHH MIRR
07. THE TWIN & LIL TWIN
06. AMARI BLAZE
05. HXRY
04. CHIEF WUK
03. JASON IVY
02. SENITE
01. MELLO BUCKZZ
