PNB Rock

Mixing hip-hop and R&B like Chris Brown and Fetty Wap merged into one, Rakim "PnB Rock" Allen got his moniker from Pastorius and Baynton Streets in his hometown of Philadelphia. He debuted in 2014 with the mixtape RNB (Real Nigga Bangaz), its title referencing Rock's blend of R&B and rap. The RNB2 mixtape appeared early in 2015 and caught the attention of Atlantic Records. The Warner-affiliated label signed Rock and released RNB3 that same year, along with his single "Jealous" featuring Fetty Wap. The two released a mixtape, Money, Hoes & Flows, in 2016.

Throughout the year, Rock made a multitude of guest appearances on tracks by Kodak Black, YFN Lucci, Kevin Hart, and others. His proper debut album, GTTM: Goin Thru the Motions, was released by Atlantic in early 2017. Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, and A Boogie wit da Hoodie all made guest appearances. The release was a success, hitting the Top 30 of the Billboard 200 album chart. That summer, he was named as one of XXL's 2017 Freshman Class before issuing the single "Time."