Bruised and bloodied, Knocked Loose open up the pit with a brutal sound that falls between hardcore punk and metalcore. The Kentucky-based group issued a pair of EPs before inking a deal with Pure Noise ahead of the release of their first full-length effort, 2016's uncompromising Laugh Tracks. The band continued to hone their beatdown hardcore sound on subsequent efforts like 2019's A Different Shade of Blue and 2024's You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, both of which broke into the upper reaches of the Billboard charts. Led by screaming frontman Bryan Garris, the Oldham County, Kentucky quintet is also composed of guitarists Isaac Hale and Cole Crutchfield, bassist Kevin Otten, and drummer Dylan Isaacs. In 2011, Garris, Otten, and Hale joined drummer Jared Barron (Concealer, Greyhaven) for an early incarnation of the group (a teenaged Garris honed his early vocal skills by practicing in various area bands with Barron). Later, they enlisted Isaacs as their permanent drummer. Their first EP, Pop Culture, was released on Little Heart in 2014, quickly followed by a split EP with Louisville quintet Damaged Goods. Knocked Loose's debut LP arrived in 2016. Laugh Tracks (Pure Noise) debuted on the Billboard 200 and in the Top 50 on six separate side charts. The band teamed up with prolific engineer Will Putney for their sophomore effort, 2019's punishing A Different Shade of Blue, which introduced elements of thrash and melodic death metal into their already punitive sound. In 2021, Knocked Loose released the potent Tear in the Fabric of Life, a conceptual six-song EP about grief and isolation that was accompanied by a short, animated film created by Swedish filmmaker Magnus Jonsson. 2023 saw the release of Upon Loss, a double-single comprised of "Deep in the Willow" and "Everything Is Quiet Now," both of which were produced by Drew Fulks (aka WZRD BLD). In February 2024, the band announced that their forthcoming third long-player, You Won't Go Before You're Supposed To, would be released later that May. Working again with the Grammy-nominated pop producer, Knocked Loose explored every sonic facet of modern hardcore, delivering an inventive and relentless ten-song set with features from Poppy and Chris Motionless. The album debuted at the number 23 position on the U.S. Billboard 200 and charted throughout the world. - Biography by Neil Z. Yeung Miami-area rapper Denzel Curry balances rhymes packed with intense, introspective content and an evolving production palette that draws on hazy cloud rap and classic hip-hop songcraft. After issuing a series of well-received mixtapes in the early 2010s, he made his official studio debut with 2013's underground favorite Nostalgic 64, later entering the charts for the first time with his 2018 major-label debut, TA13OO. His rise continued with 2019's Zuu and a 2020 joint release with Kenny Beats called Unlocked. In 2022, he returned with his fifth album, the mature and introspective Melt My Eyez See Your Future, and tided fans over with the 2024 mixtape King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2. 2026 saw Curry teamed up with A$AP Ferg, TiaCorine, Bktherula, and Key Nyata for the collaborative release, Strictly 4 the Scythe. Born in Carol City, Florida, to Bahamian and Native American parents, Curry started writing poetry as an elementary school student, later battle rapping at his local Boys & Girls Club. Influenced as much by 2Pac as Buju Banton, his lyrical gift and packed bars were combined with his rabid energy on early mixtapes like King Remembered Underground Tape 1991-1995 (2011) and King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 1: Underground Tape 1996 (2012). Curry benefitted from his role as an affiliate of SpaceGhostPurrp's Raider Klan, appearing on their Greatest Hits tapes in 2012 and 2013. By the end of high school, he began penning songs that would eventually appear on his debut full-length, Nostalgic 64. The 2013 effort featured Robb Bank$ and Odd Future's Mike G. Curry followed the critical success of Nostalgic with a double EP titled 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms. His sophomore LP arrived in 2016. Imperial included the single "Knotty Head" (featuring Rick Ross), as well as "Zenith" (featuring Joey Bada$$) and "ULT" (a reworking of his 2015 single "Ultimate"). After leaking a pair of demos on SoundCloud and offering several cryptic posts on social media, Curry released the 13 EP in June 2017. A string of singles -- "Skywalker," "Sumo," and "Uh Huh" with IDK -- followed into 2018. That May, Curry released "Percs," the lead single from his third album, TA13OO. Split into three acts (Light, Gray, and Dark), the set marked Curry's first appearance on the charts, entering the Billboard 200 at number 28 upon release. TA13OO also featured the single "Clout Cobain" and appearances by GoldLink, J.I.D., and more. Following a viral 2019 cover of Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade" for Australian Triple J radio, Curry returned in May of that year with the single "Ricky." Named after his father, it was the first taste of his fourth album, Zuu, a summer-friendly set influenced by everything that made him, including his hometown, Miami bass music, local Florida rap icons such as Trick Daddy, Plies, and Trina, and his parents. The critically acclaimed set debuted just outside the Top 30 and featured guests Rick Ross, Kiddo Marv, Ice Billion Berg, and more. Months later, Curry joined producer Kenny Beats on his online freestyle series, The Cave. The results of that appeared on the joint project Unlocked. Arriving in early 2020, the brisk set showcased Curry's deft wordplay and quick wit and was shortly followed by the highly collaborative Unlocked 1.5. In 2022, Curry brought a cosmopolitan sound to his cinematic fifth LP Melt My Eyez See Your Future, which featured an incredibly diverse range of producers including Robert Glasper, JPEGMafia, Thundercat, and frequent collaborator Kenny Beats. He was also joined by guests slowthai, T-Pain, Saul Williams, Rico Nasty, JID, and many more. Curry released the jazzy, neo-soul-leaning Live at Electric Lady EP in 2023, followed by the Juicy J collaboration "Blood on My Nikez." While working toward the release of his next studio album, Designed by Angels, Curry released his sixth mixtape, King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 2 in July of 2024. The project featured appearances from Project Pat, Juicy J, Maxo Kream, and many others, and provided a follow-up to his 2012 mixtape King of the Mischievous South, Vol. 1: Underground Tape 1996. For his next project Curry linked up with A$AP Ferg, TiaCorine, Bktherula, and Key Nyata to create the Scythe. The collaboration saw the outfit paying homage to Southern rap through a forward-looking filter with the resulting album, Strictly 4 the Scythe, being issued in early 2026. - Biography by Neil Z. Yeung