Twelve Colorado Rappers to Watch in 2026

During a recent appearance on the Denver-based podcast Mile High Minute, Say Cheese TV CEO Shawn Cotton ruffled some feathers with a rant about how Denver rappers aren’t taking their careers seriously unless they’re investing in touring. Securing a national tour as a Colorado-based rapper is notoriously difficult (though not impossible — just ask Malcolm Whyz3 and Trev Rich), and such an attitude fuels the false narrative that in order for hip-hop to exist in Colorado, it must be legitimized by outsiders. However, many artists are pushing back against this common criticism by focusing their efforts on building the scene here, rather than branching out across state lines. It’s starting to pay off, and 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for Colorado hip-hop.

Here’s the general forecast for 2026. Coming off a relatively sleepy year for rap releases, we’re due for new music from just about everybody, which means a whole crop of live shows to follow. After Broncos official DJ Squizzy Taylor made his Red Rocks debut in 2025, his longtime collaborator TheyCallHimAP will follow suit this spring. Veteran rapper DNA Picasso is launching a seven-man rap collective called 4KKRASHOUT, and overseeing two upcoming collaborative projects featuring a who’s who of Colorado rap and R&B artists. Events created by community-driven artists like She Who Won’t Be Named and Nelo are giving up-and-coming emcees platforms to sharpen and share their skills. More hip-hop artists are favoring live band performances and an unprecedented number played local festivals, bridging the gap between rappers and other Colorado musicians. Artists are recognizing the fragmentation plaguing Colorado hip-hop, and addressing it through collaboration, discussion, and healthy competition. With these twelve artists in the mix, 2026 may just be the year that Colorado hip-hop breaks out of the Box State.

DNA Picasso

Yes, our eyes are still locked on DNA Picasso. The songwriter, rapper, event producer, and community leader released six singles, a collaborative EP with Siah Rain’n, and a full-length album in 2025, not to mention a slew of feature verses. In addition to performing at FoCo MX, Underground Music Showcase, and Roots Music Showcase, he expanded his talent buying work with BandWagon Presents, AEG, FoCo MX, and UMS, and served as a talent advisor for RMS (if you saw a great rap performance at a festival in Colorado in 2025, you can probably thank DNA Picasso). In the last year, DNA became the Project Director of the Colorado Music Industry Alliance, received Metro State University’s Next Wave Leadership Award at the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts Awards, and celebrated the creation of Music Advocacy Day in Colorado (October 1) alongside Governor Polis, cementing him as a key player in the future of Colorado music. He’s currently putting the finishing touches on got two state-wide collaborative albums involving over twenty-five artists, which will be released via his new-and-improved label Aero Music Group (formerly Picasso Gvng). Plus, he’s united six emcees to form the new rap collective 4KKRASHOUT: Malcolm Whyz3, Doobie Danx, Jordan Burgett, JMAT, Sidmfkid, and Spree Mane. Stay tuned, because DNA Picasso is about to shake the city up.

DVNE HPPY

Based in Fort Collins by way of New Orleans, DVNE HPPY (pronounced “Divine Hippie”) is gearing up to drop his third project, a celebration of nightlife culture called Life of the Party. Expect “Golden hour beach vibes” in the form of groovy, danceable tracks, expanding on the bouncy melodies of his 2023 album, W.O.A.H. Last year, he partnered with Denver artist JG to form the duo Hot Boyz, which they introduced with a self-titled album and high-octane, full-band performances. DVNE is no stranger to the stage, having performed at Underground Music Showcase, Roots Music Fest, Foco MX, Jazztober Fest, Gypsy Lab Sessions, and The Aggie Theatre within the last year. Through his production company W.O.A.H. Network (Worthy Of All Hype), he’s produced his own shows at Bar 404, as well as the Crawnic Hospitality crawfish boil at Denver’s Meadowlark. Even just in 2026, DVNE has performed at Rootbeer Richie’s Mardi Gras Mambo, the Denver Spotlight Awards, and opened for Lew Sid and the Mac Miller tribute band Come Back To Earth. If you haven’t seen him live yet, we’re certain you’ll have more chances this year!

KNDRX

Born in Oregon and raised in Texas, rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and DJ KNDRX was previously based in Austin before coming to Denver in the early days of the “Green rush” of legalized cannabis. Influenced by Southern hip-hop, R&B, and pop, he dropped his first label project Gumbo in 2021. His latest solo project, The UnMixtape 2, came out last January exclusively on Bandcamp, but he recently made waves with his features on Griselda legend Conway the Machine’s album You Can’t Kill God With Bullets. KNDRX has toured the world with Conway as his official road DJ, and has both production and performer credits on the project’s tracks “Parisian Nights,” “Attached,” and “Organized Mess.” In December, he deejayed and performed at an exclusive Denver listening party for the album, bringing East Coast grime to the Mile High. KNDRX is currently in negotiations with Conway’s label, Drumwork Music Group, and will be releasing his debut project as part of the label later this year.

Lane-O

Lane-O’s thoughtful, affirming lyrics and steadfast flow hold their own over intricately composed full-band instrumentals made for the stage. The Louisiana-born, Aurora-raised emcee and proud family man decided to pursue music seriously after the birth of his son, who inspired his debut 2023 album, Us (his kids also contributed adorable ad-libs across the project). The gorgeous project mixes elements of jazz, reggae, R&B and funk into insanely catchy jams like “Beautiful,” with its instant classic refrain, “I love you, you beautiful motherfucker.”

In 2025, he gave electric live band performances at Roots Music Fest and FoCo MX, won The Drop 104.7’s Battle For The Block competition, and started cohosting Welcome To It Studios’s self-titled podcast, where he interviews other creatives (including several other artists on this list). Lane-O just recently opened for the legendary Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah at Cervantes’, and on Wednesday, March 11, he’ll be at Lost Lake opening for Cure for Paranoia. He’s planning to drop an EP with accompanying visuals this year, with the first single slotted for a late-spring release. We can’t wait to hear new Lane-O, on and off stage.

Malcolm Whyz3

Box state born-and-raised rapper Malcolm Whyz3 has been in hibernation (A.K.A. dad mode) for the past few months, but real ones know the quiet just means he’s been cooking. Good things take time, but fear not, the follow-up to Whyz3’s 2021 debut Before The Streetlights Come On is finally due this year. Ahead of his 2025 Underground Music Showcase set, he dropped the lead single, the rousing Colorado anthem “THE BOX.” Whyz3 told Westword that the upcoming project, called How’s My Driving, is sort of an artistic coming-of-age, as opposed to the youthful exuberance of his first album. Expect at least ten tracks, with guest appearances from some of the city’s best–including another DNA Picasso collaboration. He’s also one of six rappers DNA recruited for 4KKRASHOUT, so it’ll be interesting to see how he stacks up as a team player versus a solo artist.

Monica The Great

La reina, la jefa! Not just a rapper to watch, Monica The Great was named Westword’s overall Denver Artist to Watch for 2026 in her recent cover story. Her song “Delusional,” a kiss-off to an emotionally immature ex, went viral over the summer, leading to an offer from UnitedMasters before she was even finished recording the song. The original TikTok of her rapping a few bars after initially writing the song now has more than 350,000 views–the ultimate breakup revenge. Monica has performed all over in the last year, including Cervantes, Underground Music Showcase, the Bluebird, Denver Pride and opening for Amir Obe in New York City. She just dropped her latest single, “Foolish,” on February 13, and we look forward to her releasing more bilingual bops that toe the line between bad girl and sad girl.

Nelo

Nelo is a staple of the Colorado hip-hop scene who integrates his preaching and activism into his music and performances. The rapper, singer and songwriter previously won Westword’s Best Hip-Hop Artist designation (in 2023) and Best Hip-Hop Album award for his 2024 album Born Yesterday, with producer Siah Rain’n. Nelo recently released another excellent collaboration project with Rain’n, titled Today Years Old, and we wouldn’t be surprised if they have more songs together on the way. Nelo’s resume includes performances at Underground Music Showcase, FoCo MX, Cervantes, opening for legendary rapper Common at Levitt Pavilion, a youth concert series with The Colorado Symphony, and his own Love Thy Neighbor concert series at Dazzle, co-produced with Colorado hip-hop artist Triiip. Thanks to a music video shot by Brooklen McCarty on Colfax Avenue, Nelo also partnered with business owners on Colfax to create and perform at a bar crawl to boost business during ongoing construction. With a wide network of enthusiastic collaborators, Nelo is able to produce creative community events that help shape and uplift Colorado artists across genres.

Old Man Saxon

Old Man Saxon is a serious wordsmith, but he never takes himself too seriously. The rapper, storyteller, speaker and alumnus of Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow competition show is known for his signature three-piece suit, quirky sense of humor and joyous energy on stage. Though it was released on his 2021 album, Rothkos, Chicken and Waffles, his song “Hell Yeah” blew up on TikTok last year, featured in user videos that collectively racked up over a billion views. Plus, the song “Stay Cool” off his 2025 EP SPORTS! was featured in the 2025 edition of NBA 2K. Numbers aren’t everything, but with the most monthly Spotify listeners of anyone on this list (over 100,000), Saxon is technically the most popular and wide-reaching rapper in Colorado. He was awarded Sonic Guild Colorado’s tour support grant for an upcoming run of concerts and speaking engagements across Europe, but before he heads across the pond, he’ll be dropping a new EP and doing a few local shows. We love Old Man Saxon from Denver to Europe and back.

RO$$A¥

Conscious hip-hop artist RO$$A¥ won Best Revolutionary Rap Album in Westword’s 2025 Best of Denver awards for Mo Green Less Blues?, his jazz-forward joint project with producer Burroughs. The smooth and soulful “SOL CHILD” of Denver rap was a November featured artist on Indie 102.3, which kept his single “Denver, Tokyo” on the airwaves all month long. Like many artists fed up with minuscule streaming margins, he’s been migrating his music over to Bandcamp, where he exclusively released his new beat tape From TYO With Love, inspired by a trip to Japan. In 2025, RO$$A¥ performed at FoCO MX, Underground Music Showcase, Roots Music Fest, Freshmode Fest, Dazzle, Meadowlark, and more, often with a full band.

His spirited live performances are not to be missed, so catch him on Saturday, March 14 at Manos Sagrados for the Spring Into Action Music Showcase (benefitting The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition), alongside experimental jazz-rap group iies and fellow conscious rapper JD the M.C.

She Who Won’t Be Named

Memphis-raised emcee, host, community leader and poet She Who Won’t Be Named is a battle rapper extraordinaire–just watch this video of a recent battle currently making the rounds online for proof. Named one of five people to watch in the Denver music scene at the top of 2025, She Who Won’t Be Named’s influence on Colorado hip-hop goes beyond her personal artistry. She started the community open mic event Inner Circle in September 2024, and is still hosting it every Tuesday at River Bar. Her new event series, NXT GEN, aimed specifically at youth, showcases the next generation of hip-hop artists while also educating them about Denver history. She can be found dominating cyphers at venues like Mutiny Information Cafe, and even performed with Grammy-winning artist Rapsody at her Passing The Crown event at Levitt Pavilion last summer.

While she’s known for her freestyles and battling, listeners will have the rare opportunity to see her perform unreleased original music during upcoming live band performances she’ll be announcing soon. Like RO$$A¥, She Who Won’t Be Named is also dropping new music exclusively on Bandcamp, like her 2025 EP, From She With, and her latest single, “Get Right!” She’s planning to drop a single at the end of March to tease her upcoming project, I Can’t Make Club Music, and is working on another, aptly titled Courageous Youth, due this summer.

TheyCallHimAP

“I’ve been a real one/I’m still one” declares TheyCallHimAP on “Still One,” a song from his latest project, SOLID GOLD 2. Since making his debut more than ten years ago, AP has been one of the most consistent hip-hop artists in Colorado, routinely pulling in more listeners, streams and views (he’s right on Old Man Saxon’s heels with over 93,000 monthly Spotify listeners). His autobiographical lyrics paint an authentic picture of personal struggles and victories, earning him both street and commercial success. AP has performed at Underground Music Showcase, Hi Points Festival, opened for Three 6 Mafia and Yelawolf at Mission Ballroom, and opened for Fredo Bang at the Marquis.

This spring, he’s making his Red Rocks debut twice over. First, he’s opening for Ice Cube with Big Boi, Czarface, Inspectah Deck, 7L, and Esoteric on April 20, then will be back May 19 opening for Kevin Gates, Shoreline Mafia, and Ty Dolla $ign. Having local hip-hop represented at two of Red Rocks’s biggest shows of the year is no small feat, and will hopefully pave the way for other Colorado rappers to follow. But if you can’t make the trek to Red Rocks, you can also see him perform Sunday, March 8, at Aurora’s Stampede, opening for 42 Dugg and Kash Doll.

Trev Rich

Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist and songwriter Trev Rich can’t be left out of any conversation about Colorado rap. The Denver native has cowritten songs for such artists as NLE Choppa and G-Eazy, toured with Joe Budden, had a song featured on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, and was previously signed to Cash Money Records by Birdman himself. His 2025 album Good Problems, a collaboration with Orlando-based producer Sharke, marries his superior lyricism with Sharke’s heavy-hitting trap beats for a project that hits all parts of a rap-lover’s palette. Rich put out two new singles and a project this January alone: “Reverse,” with Odd Future co-founder Casey Veggies, and “Let’s Go” with C GuTTa and Liana Banks, and AIN’T NO OPPS UP HERE, a joint album with producer Rooftop York and Denver rapper Ray Reed. On Sunday, March 8, he’ll join TheyCallHimAP at Stampede, opening for 42 Dugg and Kash Doll. These OGs don’t perform at just any show, so don’t miss the opportunity to watch them team up and show the city how it’s done.