11 Acts to Watch at Rolling Loud 2024

Finally, after 18 months of anticipation, Rolling Loud returns to Miami Gardens December 13-15 for another three days of delivering the most exciting rap artists in the scene.

While most festivalgoers probably bought tickets to see headliners Travis Scott, Future, and Playboi Carti take over the main stage, there are still a lot of underrated acts and gems you need to check out when you pull up to Hard Rock Stadium.

Check out New Times' picks, in alphabetical order, for the acts you don't want to miss at Rolling Loud 2024.

4Batz

Coming through with the silkiest voice on this lineup, the Dallas native grabbed everyone's attention immediately with the release of "Act II: Date @ 8" in 2023. After getting consigned by both Drake and Kanye, 4Batz took over the R&B spotlight for a good minute thanks to his gangster aesthetic and delicate, emotive vocals. This year, he dropped his debut mixtape, U Made Me a St4r, and toured across the U.S. in support of it. Now 4Batz is coming down to Miami and showing us how big of a star he really is.

BigXThaPlug

Spotify's Rookie of the Year, BigX, will bring his Texas-sized hits like "Mmhmm" and "Back on My BS" to Miami. Having viral songs isn't the only thing that makes BigX one of the finer acts on the lineup; he brings that classic Houston-inspired flow and combines it with energized beats to create shows that are memorable to the audience. A member of this year's XXL Freshman List, BigX is bringing back the validity that hip-hop needs right now.

BLP Kosher

Expect Kosher to bring some of the most entertaining flow and wordplay that the game has to offer. Some may overlook him thanks to his demeanor, but the former skater turned rapper has bars. Being from Broward County, the kid understands how to grab the listener's attention with self-reflective lyrics and gnarly beats. He's been on the come-up and has collaborated with internet favorite Babytron and fellow Broward native Loe Shimmy.

BossMan Dlow

After having a great run in 2024, thanks to the success of "Get In With Me," Tallahassee rapper BossMan Dlow will cap off his year at Rolling Loud and bring his signature energy to the stage. Known for his charismatic delivery and infectious hooks, DLow promises to deliver a set that highlights his gritty lyricism and the vibrant beats that have made him a rising star in the Florida rap scene.

Denzel Curry

Carol City's star pupil has been on quite a hot streak for much of 2024. Earlier this year, Denzel Curry dropped the mixtape King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2, where he collaborated with seemingly everyone, from A$AP Rocky to That Mexican OT. It saw him return to his underground roots as well as give homage to many of his early inspirations. Curry toured the album as part of the $uicideboy$'s Grey Day Tour. His appearance at Rolling Loud will mark Curry's first hometown performance since the mixtape's release, and the way he's been hyping it up on social media, be ready for anything.

Ho99o9

Rolling Loud often pushed its music beyond the borders of hip-hop, experimenting with the sounds of reggaeton and corridos and even hosting a WWE match. In 2023, the festival put Turnstile, a hardcore punk band, on the lineup. This year, it's bringing the experimental punk-rap duo Ho99o9 (pronounced "horror"), keeping its streak of having acts that don't seemingly belong on its lineup. Still, the duo has worked with the likes of Bun B and Corey Taylor, so they have both range and influence. Expect the show to be a mix of everything bizarre, lit, and fun.

JT

JT has been repping Miami hard since making up one-half of the City Girl when she and Yung Miami burst onto the scene. After the City Girls broke up earlier this year, JT has been going at it solo, letting it be known she wasn't messing around with her single "Okay." This summer, she also released her debut mixtape, City Cinderella, proving she is coming for the hip-hop throne. Expect her to pull up to Rolling Loud with plenty of bangers, including "Muñekita" and City Girls classics like "Act Up."

K.Charles

K Charles is a Rolling Loud staple. In 2024, he appeared at the festival's editions in Germany and Thailand, where he performed his banger track, "Felt Like an Hour." The track definitely takes inspiration sonically from acts like Mac DeMarco and other indie groups, showing Charles' range in creativity. If you're more into his hip-hop-inclined sound, check out his other 2024 release, "Marni Mask," which has a more South Florida flow to it.

Ken Carson

The brightest star of Playboi Carti's Opium label already caused a ruckus when he performed at the Fillmore Miami Beach this past July, but that incident probably only helped build up the hype for Ken Carson's Rolling Loud set. Playing on Sunday, which seems to be the day that Carti and his label are set to take over the festival lineup, there's no doubt that Carson is almost as much in demand as his label boss. His ability to inspire chaos and influence the crowd is almost second to none, so expect madness to ensue once he hits the stage. Opium fans tend to be young, edgy teen boys, so be careful once Carson plays songs like "Overseas" and "Fighting My Demons" since those are mosh pit favorites.

PlayThatBoiZay

Coming straight out of Miami Gardens, PlayThatBoiZay is part of a new breed of hip-hop artists who have learned to combine gothic aesthetics with hip-hop bars. Taking cues from his mentor and friend, Denzel Curry, Zay dropped his debut album, VIP, earlier this year, and it got a lot of eyes on him. He'll be bringing his vision to life on stage, so expect a lot of moshing and screaming during his set.

Shaboozey

No one will be kicking Shaboozey around as he makes his Rolling Loud debut this year, bringing country flair to the world's biggest hip-hop festival. After tying for the longest streak atop the Billboard Hot 100, the Virginia-bred singer-songwriter brings his rap-inspired country sound to Miami. While some might dismiss him as "the guy who made the 'Bar Tipsy' song," Shaboozey had already won over crowds at festivals like Outside Lands and those who watched him at this year's BET Awards when he performed alongside J Kwon. So do yourself a favor, pour up a double shot of whiskey, and catch his set.