Atlanta based artist Alley Boy has been grinding for a while now. He's built his own buzz, gained a strong following, released several quality mixtapes, and inked a deal with Atlantic Records. He actually inked that deal a few years ago, but like most labels do, they sat on him. Doesn't appear that they've tried to do anything with him until recently. After annoucing his new partnership with Master P, alongside Fat Trel, Atlantic seems to have stepped up and looks like they're about to give Alley the push he needs. I'm hoping to finally see him get more national attention. Only thing is, I'm wondering if his known beef Young Jeezy will interfere, now that Jeezy's VP of A&R over there. We shall see, but I'm rooting for Alley.

Check out the rest of my artist picks after the jump.

 

 

Trinidad James

For obvious reasons, I'm ready to see what the latest Def Jam signee is gonna do this year. There's a whooooole lot of anticipation where he's concerned. I'm hoping his next project releases don't disappoint. 

Young Scooter

Young Scooter killed it in the final months of 2012, so I'm anxious to see what he does this year. The Bricksquad/Freebandz rapper doesn't really stand out of the Atlanta crowd, but he knows how to make catchy tracks. That's all we need in these times, right? I could possibly see him scoring a mainstream hit with the right feature.

Rockie Fresh

The latest MMG signee hasn't had his breakthrough moment yet, but we all know Rick Ross is a smart man and I'm sure he's strategically preparing the Chicago emcee for his debut. Rozay's track record is steady (well, minus Omarion. I still don't really get that one) so I trust he signed him for a reason. Ready to see what Rockie's gonna deliver this year.

Mach Five

Atlanta duo Mach Five definitely captured my attention last year. They're a refreshing addition to the Atlanta music scene. Their sound is unique and the content is something most of us can appreciate; especially those of us who are tired of hearing about strip clubs, money and mollies. They've been on the grind and getting a lot of attention lately. I think this might be their year to breakthrough. *crosses fingers*