1.A$AP Ferg (Trinidad)
We had a hunch A$AP Ferg had some island in him when he dropped “Shabba Ranks” last year, and confirmation came during this year’s Trinidad Carnival, when Ferg Instagrammed pics of himself amidst family members (and fellow artists like Trinidad James) from the road in Port of Spain. Ferg was among several notable artists who played on Bunji Garlin’s truck on Carnival Monday in Trinidad, and since then he’s kept a strong link with the Soca Viking. Not long after returning from T&T, he dropped “Petit Valley,” a freestyle about a Trini girl he met on his trip, over Bunji’s “Carnival Tabanca” instrumental, and this summer he was featured on the official remix to Bunji’s “Truck On D Road” (and alongside Trinidad James, Kardinal Offishall, Jillionaire and others in the video for the original track). He even made a cameo on BET’s 106 + Carnival special last week. Although it might not have been apparent from jump, this is clearly an artist who’s embracing his roots.
