The BET Experience Main Stage has been a launching pad for young music stars, and the 2018 installment was no different. Fans piled into the Los Angeles Convention Center on Friday (June 22) and Saturday (June 23) to watch who’s up next. From hip-hop hopefuls to R&B rising voices, the musical epicenter of the LACC experience was chock-full of acts that will soon be––or already are––all over everyone’s timelines.

Highlights from Friday’s Main Stage included Atlanta’s Derez Deshon and Lil Baby, the former whose single “Hardaway” has amassed nearly 74 million views on YouTube with its music video, and the latter whose most recent track “Exotic” has already racked up nearly 1 million views in just three days. Tee Grizzley took the budding star power further; the Detroit newcomer whose debut album, Activated, cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. Capping off the strong start was Trippie Redd and YBN Nahmir, who were both recently crowned as XXL’s 2018 Freshmen.

With a tough act to follow, Saturday succeeded at pushing the envelope further with alternative hip-hop from Tobe Nwigwe and Cassper Nyovest. Refreshing alternative R&B sounds were brought to the crowd by A.CHAL and Mereba, while Konshens spiced things up with dancehall. The ever-mysterious Leikeli47 brought equal parts bars and badassery. Duckwrth maintained his status a new favorite for many, while OVO Sound signee Roy Wood$ brought bars and croons.
From the looks of BET Experience’s Main Stage, one thing is clear: the only way to go from it, is up.