self-produced
(2)
Lexa Gates
Lexa Gates (born Ivanna Alexandra Martinez) is a Queens-raised rapper, singer, and performance artist blending jazz-soul atmospheres with spoken word rap and stream-of-consciousness lyricism. Known for a calm, unhurried delivery packed with emotional density, she broke through with the viral single 'Angel' (2023) before signing to GoodTalk/Capitol Records and releasing her acclaimed label debut *Elite Vessel* (2024), followed by the 18-track solo statement *I Am* (2026). A Colombian-Puerto Rican artist who dropped out of school at 15 and started recording at 17, Gates has become one of New York's most distinctive emerging voices - equal parts Sade and Mac Miller, with a flair for conceptual stunts like locking herself in a glass box in Union Square for 10 hours on album release day.
Saam Sultan
Saam Sultan is a 20-year-old UK-based underground rapper, singer, and self-taught producer making waves in 2025-2026 with a sound that fuses cloud rap, UK indie-rap, and ambient nostalgia. Born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, raised across Barbados and Brighton, and operating under the alias 'ydoifeel', he has built a cult following with misty, hazy self-produced tracks that evoke the Skins-era UK indie soundtrack while capturing the 2026 indie zeitgeist — earning features in NME, VMAN, and OnesToWatch Class of 2026.