In a November radio interview, Meek Mill gave a shout-out to a trio of rising Chicago rappers: Lil Zay Osama, Polo G, and 147Calboy. “I’m putting y’all on some real vibes right now,” Mill said. “These the vibes that’s gonna be poppin’ and streamin’ crazy in the next 30, 40 days.” Meek’s Nostradamus skills were eerily on point with Lil Zay Osama: the south-side rapper dropped his breakthrough video, “Changed Up,” just before the New Year, and it’s racked up roughly 16 million views in the months since. And as of this month, he’s signed to Warner Brothers. Along with Polo G, 147Calboy, and west-sider El Hitta, Lil Zay is part of a loose collection of young MCs responsible for a new wave of Chicago street rap that couples gritty noirish prose with penetrating R&B melodies. As a vocalist, Lil Zay balances on the bench between rapping and singing, his empathetic style blending brusque spitting and warm, sumptuous crooning with an Auto-Tuned lilt. And when he bellows the emotive hook of “Changed Up,” he shows he's able to deliver even the most run-of-the-mill lyrics with gravitas.   v