Here’s the next installment of DeZign Intervention: The Voice’s list of 25 buzz-worthy music artists. Check out Part 1 and come back tomorrow for Part 3.
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eLZhi
genre: Hip Hop
description: After leaving the rap group Slum Village in 2010, the Motor City underground legend set out on a solo career that eventually produced the mixtape classic Elmatic, a homage to Nas’ 1994 masterpiece, Illmatic.
hometown: Detroit, Michigan
connect: www.elzhi.com; @elzhi
key projects: The Preface album; Elmatic mixtape
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Gotye
genre: Alternative Pop
description: Usually having a top 5 hit on the Billboard 100 and a performing gig on SNL would bar an artist from being considered “unknown”, but despite that success most people don’t even know how to pronounce his name. Not for long.
hometown: Melbourne, Australia
connect: www.gotye.com; @gotye
key projects: “Somebody I Use To Know” single; Making Mirrors album
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J. Ivy
genre: Hip Hop/Spoken Word
description: Probably best well known for his contribution to Kanye West’s “Never Let Me Down” off The College Dropout, the Illinois State alum released his own debut album in 2011 and set on the path of carrying the torch left by Gil Scott Heron.
hometown: Chicago, Illinois
connect: www.j-ivy.com; @j_ivy
key projects: “Never Let Me Down” verse; Here I Am album
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John Talabot
genre: Electronic
description: The camera shy DJ-turned-music-producer ventured from just releasing singles to creating his first full length album in 2012, and the first time seems to be the charm since his debut LP has some critics already whispering about “electronic album of the year“.
hometown: Barcelona, Spain
connect: www.myspace.com/johntalabot; @johntalabot
key projects: “Sunshine” single; ƒIN album
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Kathleen Edwards
genre: Alternative Folk
description: As a classically trained violinist, it may be a little surprising that the singer-songwriter is more Bob Dylan than Johann Sebastian Bach, but when folk music’s latest star joined forces with it’s brightest star (Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon) for her 3rd album, it became clear she chose the right path.
hometown: Ottawa, Canada
connect: www.kathleenedwards.com; @kittythefool
key projects: Asking For Flowers album; Voyageur album
Previous: 25 Music Acts You Need To Know: Part 1