Iman Nunez Is Building His Own Lane From Yonkers Out

Iman Nunez represents a side of independent hip hop that is built over time rather than manufactured around a single moment. The Yonkers rapper has developed his career through music, live performances, collaborations and appearances on influential hip hop platforms while continuing to release projects through ONLYONEIMAN LLC. His journey — from a 2016 debut hosted by Hot 97’s DJ Enuff to On The Radar, Sway’s Universe and a growing catalog of new music — reflects the culture Today’s Hip Hop exists to highlight. It is a culture of independent artists creating opportunities, developing audiences and building careers on their own terms.

Independent hip hop is bigger than simply releasing music without a major label. It is increasingly a culture built around artists developing their identities, connecting directly with listeners and creating enough momentum around their work to determine where their careers go next.

Yonkers rapper Iman Nunez has spent years developing that kind of foundation. His recording career dates back to at least 2016, and the years since have included projects, touring, sold-out New York performances and appearances on some of hip hop’s most recognizable platforms.

Coming Out of Yonkers

Nunez comes from Yonkers, New York, a city with a deep hip hop history of its own. It is the same city associated with generations of artists who have developed distinctive identities while existing just outside New York City’s five boroughs.

For Nunez, Yonkers is more than a geographic label attached to his biography. It has remained part of how he is introduced throughout his career, including by Sway’s Universe, which described him as a young emcee from Yonkers when featuring his OVERTIME freestyle in 2025.

Nunez has also spoken about wanting his music to have lasting value rather than being tied exclusively to a particular moment. In a 2024 Uproxx interview, he said he wants his work to ultimately be remembered as timeless, heartfelt music that listeners were able to connect with.

Building a Career Since 2016

Nunez entered the music scene in 2016 with To Be Continued, a debut hosted by Hot 97’s DJ Enuff. That release began a career that would eventually take him from recording music in Yonkers to performing across the country and establishing himself within New York’s independent hip hop ecosystem.

His live résumé has become an important part of that development. Coverage of Nunez’s career reports that he has headlined sold-out performances at SOB’s and The Knitting Factory and has appeared on bills with artists including The LOX, 21 Savage, Megan Thee Stallion, Coi Leray and Griselda.

Those accomplishments matter in independent music because streaming numbers tell only part of an artist’s story. The ability to convince people to leave their homes, buy tickets and experience an artist in person remains one of the clearest ways to measure whether a real audience is forming around the music.

Rosedale Took the Music Across the Country

In 2022, Nunez released Rosedale, a project connected to another significant step in his development as a performing artist. That year, he took the project on a cross-country tour, expanding his reach beyond the New York market.

The period demonstrated a model that remains particularly important for independent artists. Instead of treating a release as the end product, artists can use projects as foundations for performances, content and direct relationships with audiences in different cities.

Nunez continued building after Rosedale rather than relying on one project to define him. By 2024, that progression had led to one of the most visible periods of his career and a project closely connected with one of New York hip hop’s increasingly influential media platforms.

Phases Vol. 2 Creates a Bigger Moment

Nunez released Phases Vol. 2 with On The Radar on June 18, 2024. The nine-song project includes collaborations with Dizzy Banko and Fergie Baby on “Pipe Down,” HDBeenDope on “Numbers Game,” LIFEOFTHOM on “Watch Ya Step!” and Niko Brim on “Fool.”

The project’s credits also provide an important detail about Nunez’s career. Phases Vol. 2 was released under ONLYONEIMAN LLC, giving the business behind the music a visible presence alongside the artist himself.

The release helped create additional opportunities for Nunez and the artists around the project. He subsequently appeared in an On The Radar freestyle alongside fellow New York rappers Fergie Baby, HDBeenDope, Dizzy Banko, LIFEOFTHOM, Niko Brim and Tony E, while Uproxx reported that he later performed during the 2024 BET Awards period.

A deluxe edition of Phases Vol. 2 followed in December 2024, expanding the original nine tracks to 14. The additional music included “PEACE” featuring Kai Ca$h and A-G, “CURRENT LOCATION,” “JAPANESE DENIM” and “TRADE OFF,” with the deluxe project again released through ONLYONEIMAN LLC.

Stepping Into Sway’s OVERTIME

Nunez reached another established hip hop platform in March 2025 when he delivered an OVERTIME freestyle for Sway’s Universe. The appearance wasn’t his first connection with the outlet, which had previously featured his videos for “I Got Time” and “NUMBERS GAME” and premiered “Peace” featuring Kai Ca$h and AG.

Platforms such as Sway’s Universe and On The Radar can provide more than exposure for artists building outside the traditional major-label system. They also create opportunities for rappers to demonstrate the skill behind their records in environments where the ability to actually rap remains central to the presentation.

That distinction is particularly relevant for Nunez because his catalog isn’t confined to a single approach. His recorded music can move toward melody, relationships and introspection, while his freestyle appearances reinforce his foundation as an emcee.

Iman Nunez Keeps Evolving

That evolution has continued into 2026 as Nunez has added new records to his catalog. He released “bed-stuy baby” earlier in the year and followed with “passing by,” featuring Sol ChYld and Rondon, before releasing “ROTTEN APPLE” in June, while his current catalog also includes the 2026 single “want ur luv.”

The releases show an artist continuing to add different textures to his catalog rather than attempting to reproduce the same record repeatedly. That flexibility can be particularly valuable for independent artists, who can use individual releases to explore different sounds and audiences without having every creative decision defined by one commercial formula.

The business identity behind his releases has also remained visible across multiple stages of his career. His 2019 album Everything is Everything, 2024’s Phases Vol. 2 and its deluxe edition carry ONLYONEIMAN LLC credits, providing a documented through line behind several of his projects.

What Iman Nunez Represents in Today’s Hip Hop

There is a difference between independently uploading music and building an independent career. Digital distribution has made releasing a song accessible to almost anyone, but developing a catalog, performing in multiple markets, earning opportunities on established hip hop platforms and maintaining momentum over a period of years requires something more.

Nunez’s story is compelling precisely because there isn’t one viral record or overnight moment that explains his career. There is instead a progression that includes a 2016 introduction with DJ Enuff, projects such as Rosedale and Phases Vol. 2, touring, sold-out New York shows, an On The Radar collaboration, a Sway freestyle and new releases continuing into 2026.

That progression fits directly into what Today’s Hip Hop considers independent artist culture. The independent movement isn’t simply populated by artists waiting for the traditional music industry to discover them; it includes artists actively creating music, finding audiences, building relationships and putting the pieces of sustainable careers together themselves.

Iman Nunez is still writing his version of that story, nearly a decade after his first project introduced him to listeners. From Yonkers to stages across the country and platforms including On The Radar and Sway’s Universe, his career shows how an independent artist can continue building one project, one performance and one opportunity at a time.

Follow Iman Nunez on Instagram to keep up with his latest music and activity. You can also listen to Iman Nunez on Spotify to explore his catalog.