At the beginning of 2012 UTG released a list of five artists we felt needed to be watched in the months to come. Of these artists, all five have gone on to land record deals, gain more exposure, and slowly but surely take their place as the future of the alternative music scene. While we’re happy to see artists we believe in succeed, we realized not long ago that we were complete assholes for overlooking the world of hiphop altogether in our original list. So, in hopes of making amends and keeping you informed as to who you will be hearing all your friends talk about, UTG has put together a list of five up and coming emcees that deserve to breakout in 2012. You can view the list, discover the talent, and hear some of the latest and greatest new hiphop, after the jump.

Once you read through and listen, drop us a comment and let us know who you think will be the name on everyone’s lips in the months to come. If we missed someone, tell us! Feel free to post mixture links, videos, and/or anything else from the up and coming lyricist you feel deserves more recognition. This is about celebrating the future of music, so speak up and let your voice be heard.

5. Spenzo

Sixteen years old and hailing from the Windy City, Spenzo is easily the youngest emcee to make our list. He may be short in years, but his skills on the mic speak far beyond his age. In fact, I’ll go on record right now saying I’d take him over half the YMCMB roster any day. Don’t take it from me though, click below and check out his new video for “Ova.” If you dig it, click here and download his latest mixtape.

4. Jitta On The Track

Riding high on his victory in OurStage’s “Rise” competition, Jitta On The Track is quickly becoming a must know name in the blogging game. His music takes a more relaxed, good vibes take on the world of hiphop, but his wordplay shows that there is a lot more genius at work than meets the eye. Checkout the hilarious clip for “Lumberjack” below and click here to follow Jitta’s antics on Twitter.

3. Drew32

The only Michigan nastive to make the cut, Drew32 might be the most debated artist on our list. His presence in hiphop has been undeniable over the last few years, but for some reason the haters just won’t let him go. Drew stayed true to himself though, and his latest mixtape (available here) proves there is no stopping his drive. If you dig artists like Machine Gun Kelly, but still have a soft spot few those like J. Cole, give this a spin:

2. Jimmy Hu$tle

Ohio’s Jimmy Hu$tle first appeared on our radar in 2009 and has since been in the lab grinding away on material that is sure to take his fame to the next level. He loves party lifestyle, as many in this genre do, but his style has a feel all its own that we cannot shake. Here’s one of our favorite freestyles:

1. Dreamon

Oslo, Norways’ Dreamon is the smooth import solution for anyone feeling underwhelmed by the US waves of “soft rap” that has begun flooding the genre over the past year. His music is complex, though the melodies are likely to get stuck in your head, and his passion for songwriting is second-to-none. This is a departure from the emcees above, though anyone in the number one spot should be, right? He’s signed overseas, so it’s only a matter of time until he’s big stateside. Discover Dreamon:

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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