Chester Watson
Miami
Chester Watson released his first tape, Carnie, when he was 15, but he'd prefer not to talk about it. "I tried to erase it off the Internet," he laughs. The 19-year-old rapper from St. Petersburg has learned a lot since, specifically how to make music that's both thematically challenging and sonically approachable, a balance between home and club music, heard on recent projects, the Summer Mirage EP and the Past Cloaks cassette. He's currently based in Atlanta, but St. Petersburg remains home, despite its sleepy vibe. There are worthy things to see there, though, if you know where to look.