The Couch Sessions

2008 saw a lot of new names come into the fold, however, 2009 has to potential to see a whole slew of new artists graduate from more than just being blog hype. I'm not going to lie...I have a knack for predicting what's next, and the following 5 artists have just what it takes to get played on a radio station near you.

Asher Roth - With Eminem's on again/off again status apparently off again, the mantle for best white MC has been quite empty for a while now. Enter Asher Roth, the Atlanta via Pennsylvania MC has been the Internets greatest white hope this past year. Can he take the throne in '09?

Brittnay Bosco - Being a Black female with left-field R&B aspirations is a tough road. Said road is littered with the remains of singers gone by: Imani Coppola, Jack Davey, Res--just to name a few. But I'm putting my hope in Ms. Bosco, that she will defy these trends in 2009. Can she make it? Only if you cop her ish next year!

Colin Munroe - Saying that Colin Munroe is going to blow up in 2009 is too easy. The dude's got it all...catchy pop vocals, nice hooks, and the support from some of the largest players in the music industy. The dude is tailor made for pop stardom, yet he still gets love from the hip-hop community.It's a win-win situation.

Kid Cudi - Even though I couldn't stand "Day and Nite," when I first heard it, I have to agree that it's a certified banger, and the track is slowly lighting up dance floors worldwide as well as the TV show Entourage. Could Cudi break into the mainstream?

Wale - The Couch Sessions was profiling Wale way before Mark Ronson ever heard of this dude (I kid!!). We first brought you Wale in 2005 and since then it's been a whirlwind of online publicity for the DC-area MC. With his impending 2009 release--with production talent such as Mark Ronson, Kanye West, Just Blaze, 9th Wonder, and Travis Barker--Wale is carrying the torch for DC, and has the whole city on his shoulders.

Runners Up: Chester French, B.o.B., Tabbi Bonney, Idle Warship