If you were born after 1990, chances are, you don’t remember life before the Internet. You might not even remember dial-up. When the kids of my generation were agonizing over which MP3s to download from Napster/Morpheus/KaZaA/Audio Galaxy/Limewire (because they took hours to finish on a 14.4k modem), the babies of the 90s were sitting in their bassinets, unaware of the cornucopia of music that would one day be bestowed upon them, thanks to the marvelous invention of broadband Internet.

These five artists were all born after 1990. They grew up fully ingrained in the ‘net, and in every case, their artistic rise has been independently facilitated and enhanced by means of social media. Let’s examine how social media has played a part in their rise to prominence.

*Note: Social media statistics are accurate as of June 20th, 2012.

We first met Harlem vocalist (remember, she’s NOT a rapper) Azealia Banks in 2009, when she was only 18 years old and spitting verses under the moniker Miss Bank$. The songs “Gimme A Chance” and the Diplo-produced “Seventeen” were promising enough to put her on the radar of XL Records owner Richard Russell, who signed her to a deal on the heels of the ensuing Internet buzz. Azealia’s career only gained some real traction after a split from XL Records, citing creative differences with Russell. Deciding to drop the Miss Bank$ pseudonym, under her own name, Azealia released a series of self-promoted singles on YouTube, including the breakthrough single “212” featuring Lazy Jay. Ever since, we’ve been enamoured with Banks, appreciating her risqué wordplay, and her proclivity towards electronic producers like Machinedrum and Basto (a.k.a. “212” producer Jef Martens). Though she signed with Lady Gaga’s manager Troy Carter after a career-making performance at Coachella earlier this year, Banks and Carter no longer have a professional relationship. The splits with both Russel and Carter might lead you to believe Azealia is difficult to work with, but even if there’s a shred of truth to that, it’s commendable to see a such a young artist be unflinching in her creative vision. With her first EP 1991 now behind her, and a mixtape (tentatively titled Fantasea) due soon, it seems like Azealia Banks is well on her way to securing the career she’s always wanted. Just don’t call her a rapper.

Daytona Beach rapper Kitty Pryde captivated the Internet with her viral sensation “Okay Cupid” in May. Her stream-of-consciousness flow works best on top of dreamy, drugged-out beats, most of which are apparently sent to her unsolicited by “every 16-year-old dude online.” The first time you hear Kitty Pryde rap, it’s hard to say what her intention is. Is it earnest? Or was the whole project originally conceived as a joke? You might think so, if it weren’t for the fact that she happened upon an unrelenting, sleepy, monotone flow, riddled with on-point pop culture references and a lyrical voice that feels like a direct line to her clever, rhyming, rapping inner-monologue. The uncertainty surrounding Kitty Pryde’s artistic aim is what has painted her as a bit of an Internet enigma. With song titles like “smiledog.jpg” and “JUSTIN BIEBER!!!!!,” it’s obvious that she’s a prime example of the viral generation. But instead of falling victim to the meme-machine, Kitty Pryde’s Internet exposure has pushed her towards a legitimate career. When some expected to find a vapid, auto-tuned teenaged target ripe for batting practice, Kitty revealed a likable charm rooted in self-aware lyrics that demand authenticity. It’s difficult to label Kitty Pryde, but Vice does it best in calling her a “much sharper, self-aware, suburban high school version of Kreayshawn.”  She’s clearly still establishing what she wants to do in terms of a musical career, but expect to see more blog-love shined on Kitty Pryde in the next few months. If her lyrics in “smiledog.jpg” are any indication, Kitty Pryde is ready for the attention: “I’m the kit and kaboodle and now I’m all over Google / And I am very YouTube-able.”

A founding member of OFWGKTA, Casey Veggies decided to distance himself from the Los Angeles collective after graduating high school. Though he currently maintains a friendly affiliation with Odd Future, Casey always had a different vision for his own career. Veggies has released a trio of mixtapes (Customized Greatly Vol. 1-3), the first of which he recorded at the age of 14. Most hip-hop heads wouldn’t consider Casey to be a lyrical rapper, but he comes with an oddly introspective braggadocio that positions him as a less-shambolic Lil B. Establishing PNCINTL (Peas & Carrots International) with friends Joshton Peas and Anwar Carrots, Casey’s industrious nature is a big part of his personal brand. The trio use PNCINTL as a banner for apparel design, and to release Casey’s music — PNCINTL is the label for his only commercial release Sleeping In Class. Immediately after graduating, Casey hit the road with Mac Miller on his Blue Slide Park tour, and it’s only a matter of time before a major label decides to pick up PNCINTL as an imprint.

Update: In between writing this and the publishing date, Casey Veggies was signed to Roc Nation management by Jay-Z. Roc Nation’s management roster currently includes M.I.A., Rihanna, Wale, and more.

As part of the defunct London pop group SoundGirl, by the time she was 14-years-old, Nicole Shortland was signed to Mercury Records, released a single that peaked at #45 on the UK singles chart (“Don’t Know Why”), and opened for acts like The Wanted, Pixie Lott, and Justin Bieber while on tour in the UK. In April, SoundGirl announced that they’d be going their separate ways, but promised individual projects in the near future. It seems like Little Nikki had an ace up her sleeve, because the very next day, she struck first, and released a video for her first solo single “Intro Intro.” The video depicts Nikki and her friend Remy dancing and gallivanting around London on a sugar high, gorging on candy and Red Bull, all set to a bouncy electro-beat provided by K-Gee (Karl Gordon), a producer also responsible for tracks by All Saints, Sugababes, and Jessie J. With a sound landing somewhere in between Rihanna and Azealia Banks, if Little Nikki keeps dropping tracks like “Intro Intro,” SoundGirl will be nothing more than a footnote to her success.

Chief Keef has been buzzing in the midwest since the release of his debut mixtape Back From The Dead in March, and an influential co-sign from Kanye West brought Keef worldwide interest. Kanye remixed Chief Keef’s breakout hit “I Don’t Like,” lending him features from G.O.O.D. Music heavyweights like Big Sean and Pusha T, skyrocketing the 16-year-old Chicagoan to a level that had every hip-hop label in American interested. Chief Keef’s lyrics are visceral and violent, but his delivery is unsettlingly emotionless and deadpan, bringing a new, remorseless dimension to the trap sound that has defined hip-hop for the past 5 years. Chief Keef wasn’t well known outside of Chicago hip-hop prior to 2012, and his initial rise actually boils down to a criminal conviction. In December, 2011, gunshots were fired South of Hyde Park in Chicago, and when police arrived at the scene, a suspect allegedly aimed a gun at them. Chief Keef was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, and sentenced to 30 days of house arrest. Upon his release, World Star Hip Hop released a video of a crazed young fan celebrating Keef’s freedom, creating an onslaught of buzz for the rapper’s YouTube videos. This is all too appropriate for a rapper whose preferred ad-lib is “bang bang.” Since his meteoric rise, Chief Keef has signed with Interscope Records, and he has also signed a publishing deal with Dr. Dre. That’s the shit I do like.