Le1f

DJ Granma Kara

Khalif Diouf, the NYC born and bred rapper and producer known as Le1f, hit the ground running with the release of his first mixtape “Dark York” in 2012. His standout single, the 5kinAndBone5-produced, “Wut,” is packed full of quick quips and lively, bopping horns. With his background in dance and choreography, the music video for the single lives up to the hype as Le1f revels around scantily clad male models sporting Pikachu masks. The rapper got into a small, but notable, Twitter dispute the following year with artist Macklemore, whose hit single, “Thrift Shop,” bears a similar resemblance to, “Wut.”

2013 proved to be a busy year for the producer, as he released his sophomore mixtape, “Fly Zone,’ in January, signed to Terrible Records in February, dropped an EP in March and followed up with another release, “Tree House,” in September. Then, in March of 2014, Le1f performed on “Late Show with David Letterman,” becoming the first openly gay rapper to play a major late night show.

All in all, Le1f is an eccentric yet grounded artist that’s certainly worth a listen. Check out the music video for, “Wut,” off the “Hey” EP, and ease your way into his style.

Then, come catch him live at the fest on Sept. 11 at midnight at Kings Barcade. 

Father

DJ will.im.not 

Though Atlanta trap music has been around a while, only in recent years has it cracked into mainstream American music. Turn on any commercial, hip-hop radio station to hear the lean-driven drawl of Future or the combination of mumbling, rapping and singing that Young Thug puts out. Though it sometimes seems like it has become a genre driven by radio hits and record labels, some still aim to put out fresh music while not adhering to the same basic formula of modern Atlanta rap stars. Among them is Father, along with the group Awful Records.

While most Atlanta trap stars use strip clubs like Magic City to expose their music to fans, Father has taken a different approach. He and his friends have built a small, rabid following of fans on the Internet. His business approach isn’t the only thing that sets Father apart. Using minimal yet 808-heavy beats that he often produces and engineers himself, Father sits perfectly at the intersection of internet-rap hipster and trap star. He values having fun and making unique music with his friends rather than cultivating an image of toughness. Though his voice can be a little off-putting at first, heavy beats and catchy hooks will eventually have you belting out every lyric at full volume. Above all, Father doesn’t take himself or his music too seriously and asks that his fans don’t as well.

For an introduction to Father, check out his mini-hit “Look at Wrist” that features fellow Atlanta fringe stars Key! And ILoveMakonnen. Other good songs include “Nokia,” “Back in the ‘A’” and “Young Hot Ebony.”

You can see Father perform at Hopscotch Music Festival, Friday at 11:30 p.m. at Lincoln Theatre.