13. Camille Safiya
We first came across Camille Safiya when we heard her track “Island Gyal” featured on this “dope” mixtape over at Wax Poetics. A jazz-inflected R&B/hip-hop tune with vocals that mix the King’s English, Espanol and a bit of Jamaican patois by way of Lady Saw, “Island Gyal” led us to her enjoyable Island Blues mixtape with producer Frankie P. Una Mami Dominicana by way of Philly, Camille puts a Latin twist on that city’s neo-soul sound, blending hip-hop, R&B and, occasionally, reggae. Her second mixtape, 24K, drops this week and while the island vibes are less prevalent than on its predecessor, her swagger and vocal chops are turned up all the way. —Jesse Serwer