At Audible Treats, we are passionate about telling artists’ stories, helping them bring their message to the masses with clarity and purpose. With our expertise, we guide these artists through the evolving media environment, presenting and facilitating opportunities that allow them to express themselves and find the audiences they deserve.

There is nothing more exciting to us when one of our clients takes a leap with their art or their career, sewing their story into the tapestry of music history. Taking a spark and fanning it into a flame is our forté. Over the years, we have helped usher some of rap’s most notable names to new stages of their careers. Recently, we have worked with breakouts like Cortisa Star and XXL Freshmen like 1900Rugrat and EemTriplin, adding to a list of impressive artists in whose rise we played a major role: Ice Spice, Sexyy Red, Rod Wave, Latto, Key Glock, Victoria Monet, Maxo Kream, $NOT, and many more.

Below, find some artists from our current roster who stand a great chance of joining those luminaries on top of the game. Though some have already seen some success, we’re confident that they have much further to rise. Others are less well-known, but are biding their time for the public to sit up and take notice. You will be hearing from all of these artists in 2026. Find out why we think they will reach their potential next year and beyond.

Before moving onto 2026, see how two of our AT Next 2025 artists leveled up their games over the past year:

CORTISA STAR:

• Cortisa earned co-signs from artists like Charli XCX, and worked with her producer umru on her acclaimed debut project E.M.O. (Evil Motion Overload)
• E.M.O. earned coverage from PAPER Mag, The FADER, Pitchfork, The FACE and more
• Cortisa walked the runway during Miu Miu’s show during Paris Fashion Week, earning notice from Vogue, DAZED, Highsnobiety, W, and many others
• The FADER called the trans artist “rap’s underground supernova,” before naming her the second coolest artist in the world right now

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Boosted by a handful of thrilling guest appearances, a cult-beloved album with Roc Marciano, and a standout hook on Clipse’s GRAMMY-nominated Let God Sort ‘Em Out, Syracuse native Stove God Cooks is one of the hottest rappers on the East Coast. The Babygrande Records signee’s breakout 2025 is a treat for his longtime fans, who have watched with pride as more and more industry figures, including Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes, Griselda, and Roc Marciano, recognize their fave’s incredible potential.

The artist first made noise with standout guest spots on songs by Griselda artists like Westside Gunn, but he made the rap world stand up and take notice with Reasonable Drought, his collaborative album with Roc Marciano. Since then, Stove has been a mercurial presence, collaborating with kindred spirits and meeting behind the scenes with the game’s greats (recording with Jay-Z in Paris, meeting Pharrell during the Clipse sessions). Stove became impossible for rap fans to ignore when he supplied the hook for “F.I.C.O.,” a standout track from Let God Sort ‘Em Out, the multi-GRAMMY Award-nominated comeback album by Pusha T and Malice as the Clipse, which Fat Joe and Jadakiss called the “hook of the year” when Stove appeared on the Joe & Jada Podcast.

Though he’s been working for years, 2026 looks to be a launching point for Stove’s career, building on this year’s shining moment. In November, the artist dropped “GOAT STAMP,” the title track and first glimpse of his next project, and his first-ever solo full-length mixtape, ready to drop in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for much more from the God, as he evolves from your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper into an A-Lister in his own right.

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Singing, dancing, and acting at a high-level, JayDon marks the return of the R&B triple-threat. Since releasing his debut single in Fall of 2024, the 18-year-old artist has been on an unstoppable upward trajectory, winning fans across the industry and in R&B circles.

First emerging onto the entertainment scene as a child actor, appearing in blockbuster films such as 2019’s The Lion King, JayDon embraced his first love of music, signing to USHER and L.A. Reid’s Zoo/mega/gamma. venture and releasing a series of singles that launched him into the spotlight. In February, JayDon released “Lullaby” ft. Paradise, a sensual ballad in 6/8 that became his breakout hit. The song caught fire across the globe, especially in South Korea, where the song topped that country’s Spotify Viral 50 for multiple weeks. JayDon later performed “Lullaby” on The Jennifer Hudson Show (praised on Instagram by Ms. Tina Knowles), and eventually released a remix featuring Korean stars Jay Park and LOUIS of LNGSHOT.

“Lullaby” was prelude to Me My Songs & I, the rare talent’s debut EP. Crafted with behind-the-scenes help from industry veterans like producer Harv (Justin Bieber) and songwriter Felisha King (formerly of Cherish), and with executive guidance from USHER and L.A. Reid, My Songs & I is a showcase for the 18-year-old triple threat’s emotive tenor and exquisite control. Home to singles like the bubbly “Boujee Baby” and the USHER-sampling “I’ll Be Good,” the EP peaked at #8 on Apple Music’s R&B chart over its debut weekend. JayDon followed the EP with his first-ever headlining show: he sold out The Echo in his hometown of Los Angeles.

With movement and vocal skills that are a revelation in today’s too-cool-for-school R&B game, JayDon is on a superstar trajectory. Stay tuned for much more from R&B’s most talented teenager in 2026.

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She first broke into the music industry as a GRAMMY-nominated, #1 hitmaking songwriter before she could legally drink, but now Nija is ready to command the spotlight for herself. The proud New Jersey native spent 2025 feeding her fans with her solo music, all leading up to a new project in early 2026.

Nija’s new era started in late 2024, when she released “Unruly,” a skittering and self-assured banger that earned coverage in  Billboard, Rated R&B, and BET, who said, “Now independent and carving her own path, ‘Unruly’ signals the start of an exciting new chapter in her career—one that brings her back to her roots while pushing boundaries in her sound.” Earlier this year, she followed with “32nd Floor,” a sultry ballad which earned coverage in UPROXX, VIBE, BET, and more, and “Heaven,” produced by Platinum producer Jack Rochon. Nija kicked up the tempo with “Back Outside,” a summertime anthem about rebounding quickly from a breakup.

Nija’s successful singles run will culminate in her second studio album, molding the same elements that crafted hits for the likes of Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Summer Walker (Nija wrote on “Robbin’ You” from Summer’s 2025 album Finally Over It), and more, and applying them to her own personal story. The upcoming album is a surgical study of love and life as a twentysomething, filled with the sumptuous harmonies and sticky melodies that only Nija can provide. Keep an eye on Jersey’s Finest as she looks to leap into the spotlight in 2026.

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In the streaming and social media era, songs can explode before the artist even realizes what’s happening. It strikes the right mood, finds the right ears, and all of a sudden, it’s a global hit. Just six weeks ago, 18-year-old first generation British-Nigerian rapper TKandz was a talented artist, doing what he could to make his way through the industry. Today, with his song “NOW OR NEVER,” the young rapper has a global hit, generating millions of streams per day and earning co-signs from some of the biggest names in global music and sports.

Created in collaboration with German producer CXSPER, TKandz’s “NOW OR NEVER” is an energizing, invigorating rap song about seizing the moment and not letting opportunity pass you by. Weaving his hard-charging flow between heavenly backing vocals, TKandz positions himself as a talented everyman, determined to escape his circumstances and reach his potential: “You can’t tell me that I won’t make it, knew that I had this gift since birth/Grinding, came out the mud like Roddy, I had nobody, I came from dirt,” he spits. The core of the song, and the part that has caught on with the public, comes during the song’s intro, when TKandz exhorts, “If I can do it, why can’t you?”

Released in September, “NOW OR NEVER” was a global smash, catching fire on TikTok and hitting the charts. The song debuted at #41 on the UK Official Charts, before moving up 13 spots to a peak of #28. The song charted on the Billboard Global 200, reached #1 on Spotify’s Global Viral 50, and topoed the Viral chart in the USA, UK, Spain, and several other countries. At its peak, “NOW OR NEVER” racked up over 2 million streams per day. The song received a boost from its traction in the world of international football, earning posts from superstars Kylian Mbappe (over 120 million IG followers) and Lamine Yamal (38 million followers), featuring on a stream by noted football fan IShowSpeed, and making its way into official videos by FIFA, FC Bayern, FC Barcelona, and many more.

Though TKandz experienced massive success this year, he knows his work is not done. “There’s always another level, another step,” said TKandz in a recent interview with NME. “Getting a gold record or going platinum won’t make me feel finished; it’ll just make me hungrier. I’m always in competition with myself. I’m not complacent. I’m taking everything one step at a time.”

LUHH DYL

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Bringing a new spin to the Detroit sound with his stream-of-consciousness flow, 21-year-old Luhh Dyl is wise beyond his years. The young rapper fits verbose witticisms into his tumbling flow, able to navigate any instrumental without sacrificing substance.

Dyl made a splash with his two 2025 projects. The first, January’s Intruder, established him as an integral member of his hometown scene, welcoming guest spots from Tee Grizzley, Veeze, and Sada Baby. The tape’s most successful track, however, was “Wouldn’t Believe,” a collaboration with a fellow young innovator, Atlanta’s Lil Tony, which earned praise from The FADER, who called it Best Rap Songs of May 2025. “Wouldn’t Believe” became Luhh Dyl’s first music video to surpass 1 million views on YouTube.

In October, Luhh Dyl followed with Hear My Cry, a deeply personal album that avoids the rattling bass and piano arpeggios of the Michigan rap sound to create a sonic world of his own. Working with producers like A-Lau, 4head, TurnMeUpMarr, and Audiojacc, weaving in unexpected samples, including samples of songs by artists like John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Kid Cudi, and Pinegrove, and gentle acoustic guitars to mirror his contemplative rhymes. The album is home to “Wish You Could,” a contemplative anthem that earned acclaim from Clash Magazine, and the introspective single “Hanging Tree.” Much of the album is contemplative, but Dyl takes several opportunities to let loose, including on “Nite N Day,” a collab with fellow Michigan upstarts Babyfxce E and 1Up Tee and the soul-sampling “F*ck Money.”

Only just tapping into his immense potential, Luhh Dyl is ready to make a name for himself. Keep an eye on Dyl in 2026, as he turns himself into an artistic force that can’t be ignored.

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