Rich Amiri

Hypnotic and honeyed, Rich Amiri's voice is like little else in rap. Having only recently started taking music seriously, his syrupy melodies have already helped him stand out from his peers in plugg&B–a slurry blend of soul and cloud rap that’s been taking over the internet. Amiri’s humble and nonchalant about his gifts but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming one of his scene’s most free-associative songwriters. He switches lanes with grace, as evidenced by some of the highlights from his recent EP Chase. Tracks like “J10” are low-key and sensitive, while “Never Fail” allows him room to rage, showing off his many sides in quick succession. Though the 18-year-old hails from Boston, he’s a child of the internet who’s been uploading bedroom recordings to SoundCloud since 2020. Like many Gen Z stars, Amiri is something of a one-man army. He says even before he made music, he was on TikTok “from sunup to sundown,” meaning he knew exactly how to get “Never Fail” to go viral—and it's now inching toward 2 million SoundCloud streams. Amiri’s just getting started, but he’s already starting to accomplish his goals, reaching fans and sharing his innermost feelings. And yet, he’s quickly learned not to force anything. He’s made it this far by trusting his gut, after all. “If it’s a good beat, it’ll speak to me,” he says. “Then I make it speak to other people, too. “