42 Dugg, Toosii and Starboi3 Lead Breakthrough 25 Chart 

Detroit rapper 42 Dugg leads the Breakthrough 25 Chart for the month of May thanks to the success of his latest mixtape, Free Dem Boyz. 

After first seeing a breakout moment with last year’s mixtape Young & Turnt Vol. 2, Free Dem Boyz took him to a new level of stardom, reaching the top 50 on the Artists 500 chart for his first time, peaking this week at Number 39. Free Dem Boyz also managed to debut in the top 10 on the RS 200. Overall, 42 Dugg saw 26 million more streams in May than he did in April. 

Taking second on this month’s Breakthrough 25 Chart is Raleigh, North Carolina, rapper Toosii, who released a new mixtape Thank You For Believing in early May. Making his debut at Number Three is Starboi3, who had a breakout hit with his Doja Cat-featuring “Dick.” Jacksonville, Florida, rapper Lil Poppa follows in fourth. 

The Rolling Stone Breakthrough 25 chart ranks the artists who are seeing the greatest gains each month in audio streams. It does not include passive listening, such as terrestrial radio or digital radio. Because the chart focuses on newer music, eligible artists must not have not reached the upper ranks of the charts before. Each month, Rolling Stone publishes an official version of the Breakthrough 25 chart, covering the four-week period ending with the previous Thursday.

Other standouts on this month’s Breakthrough 25 Chart include TikTok-star-cum-pop-star Bella Poarch (Number Seven), English indie band Lovejoy (12) hyperpop singer Syko (20) and Orlando-born rapper Kuttem Reese (22). 

See the full Breakthrough 25 Chart here.