
Annually, the world witnesses the rise of new artists across the different genres in the music industry. From legendary rappers who have been at it for decades, to new ones who have only spent few years in their career in hip-hop music, this article provides the list of top 15 rappers for 2023. Read on to catch names of the new generation of rap artists alongside veterans who have been dominating the rap music scene in 2023.
Below we introduce 15 of the most popular rappers around the world. In addition to being super talented, they are also incredibly fashionable.
To keep their hip-hop personality and stand out, rappers wear loose, comfortable denim jackets, as well as wearing PVC patches and pins to match their outfits and hats. Such trendy outfits will make you a hit in the rap world! Click here to start your design.
1. Drake
Following the release of his much anticipated Certified Lover Boy album, Drake has verified yet again that he unarguably belongs to the league of the best of all-time rappers. In only one week of its arrival, the music industry felt the weight of the loaded album. From making high universal streaming records on Spotify and Apple Music as the most-streamed album in just one day, it also made the list of the most US top ten singles from just one album!
The 21 tracked album grabbed the No.1 spot on US Billboard 200 in its first week and even made it to its second week in the same position! This feat is not a new one for Drake as this is his fourth multiple weeks No. 1 album since he stepped out of his Degrassi role, took the reins in music, and made his debut with his 2006 Room for Improvement mixtape. In the music industry, the award-winning rapper is an inspiration to young rappers out there.
Check: Top 20 Most Popular White Rappers in the World 2023
2. Kanye West
Every lover of rap music knows how big Kanye West’s name is, even beyond the world of music as he is often the subject of paparazzi attention. It would interest you to know, however, that the rapper started on a slightly different route. After years of being in the background as a successful producer for leading artists, Kanye West finally stepped up to showcasing his rap talent to the world. His first album, The College Dropout was not just a big hit, receiving multiple accolades but was also seen as a perfect one, especially for a debut. Over the years, Kanye has replicated the same originality and great delivery for his music. Although his latest album, Donda received mixed reactions from critics, this did not tell on the album’s commercial success. On the first day of its release alone, the album received Spotify’s largest streaming in a day title and went on to make him his 10th No. 1 album on Billboard 200.
3. Lil Nas X
You must have caught this name on a recent ‘pregnant man’ controversy online. Well, the internet wise Lil Nas X was preparing you for the birth of Montero, his self-titled debut album which was released in September 2023. His music career began in 2018 with the release of his first song and single, a rap song he titled, “Old Town Road”. Incredibly, Montero’s career experienced a massive rise as the success of ” Old Town Road ” spread like wildfire, especially with an astounding hit on TikTok. The song made it to Billboard 100 and stayed on for 17 weeks and was also recorded as the most massive song of 2019. Even more, Lil Nas X received multiple award nominations and wins for the single, including two Grammys, four Billboard Music Awards, two Bet Hip Hop Awards, and more. His highly anticipated Montero album has brought in a new season of success as all the tracks on the album got ranked on the Billboard Charts and have made it to the top chart number in Australia. This chart-topper is coming after the album’s lead single, Montero (Call Me By Your Name) gave the rapper a second No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 earlier in April. Lil Nas X’s phenomenal success and rapid rise to the top seats is one to look out for.
4. Megan Thee Stallion
Meet our first woman on the list! The talented Megan Thee Stallion gained recognition with her viral 2016 Cypher video on a roof where she was spotted rapping alongside other rappers as the only woman among them. After that, Megan made mixtapes and some singles, before she launched her first album, Good News in 2023. Her first Billboard chart inclusion was the 2019 “Big Ole Freak” single, which also became her first platinum-certified record before her “Savage” single made it to No. 1 on the Billboard in 2023. The year had more success in store as all tracks on her Good News album got ranked on the Billboard while it made No. 1 on Top R&B and Rap albums chart. At the 2023 Grammy Awards, Megan walked home as a proud owner of three prestigious Grammys. Coupled with her BET Award for Viewer’s Choice, MTV Video Music Award, BET Hip Hop Awards, and lots more, Megan Thee Stallion has made a big name for herself, as a female rapper. She’s a woman who exudes confidence, with a daring stance that is represented by her lyrics and music performances.
Check: Top 10 Hottest Female Rappers in the World 2023
5. Dababy
Popular “Rockstar” rapper Dababy may be known for being controversial. However, his career exploits have been outstanding, and he is recognized as one of the best in rap music. Few years before his spotlight recognition, the Ohio native rapper had started his career with the release of mixtapes.
However, by 2019, Dababy released his debut album Baby on Baby, which in quick succession was followed by his award-winning second album, Kirk. It turned out to be a big hit as it went straight for Billboard’s top number, followed by another No. 1 album, Blame it on Baby, his third studio album. Formerly known as Baby Jesus, Dababy is also popular for his multiple collaborations with other star artists. These include Megan There Stallion for the award-winning Cash Shit song, Roddy Rich for his popular chart-topping Rockstar single, Lil Baby and Drake among others. The multiple RIAA platinum-certified rapper is another talented artist to look forward to as a megastar in years to come.
6. Saweetie
Our “Best Friend” Crooner, Saweetie is definitely not at the height of her career yet, but she’s one woman who has been showing up real good and fearlessly owns up to her success.
After months of sharing her rap music on social media, Saweetie’s appearance in Khia’s “My Neck, My Back” for the ‘Icy Grl’ rap finally gave her a breakthrough. With the single, Saweetie gained recognition in 2017 and kick-started her career with the single which she formally released as her debut in 2018. Years later, Saweetie has her break-out single platinum-certified, followed by her other hit singles, “My Type”, ” “Best Friend”, “Tap” and a big album release, Pretty Bitch Music on the way. Being the smart and talented rapper that she is, Pretty Bitch Music is expected to be a groundbreaking debut album.
7. Machine Gun Kelly
MGK has been around since way back in 2007 when he was making music and releasing mixtapes. Alongside his recognition for his mixtapes, his performances, and his success as the winner of the 2009 Apollo Talent show helped him to gain more recognition as a talented artist.
In 2011, he released his platinum-certified debut single, “Wild Boy”, followed by his debut album, Lace Up, which was a big hit, debuting at No. 4 on Bíllboard 100. Following the success of the preceding records, MGK has released four more hit albums,making him winning multiple awards including the Billboard Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Ohio Hip Hop Awards, where he garnered 12 prizes, among others.
You may know Machine Gun Kelly for his music alone, however, the rapper is also a Hollywood screen player. His debut film appearance was made in “Beyond the Lights” (2014) where he acted as Kid Culprit.
8. DDG
Darryl Dwayne Granberry, the 23-year-old rapper that we all know as DDG was popular for his YouTube presence, even before he got into rap music. DDG has been making his day-to-day life vlogging videos in 2015 as an undergrad before getting into the real game in 2017 when he released “Givenchy”. A year later, he released his single, “Arguments” after being signed to Epic Records in 2018. In 2019, VALEDICTORIAN came out as his first album. With “Moonwalking in Calabashes”, DDG got his first Billboard 100 listing and RIAA platinum certification in 2023. DDG has maintained a great career with his consistent delivery of good music.
Check: Top 30 Richest Rappers In The World Right Now
9. Future
Atlanta-born rapper, Future opened his music career as a member of The Dungeon Family, which was owned by his cousin, Rico Wade, back home in Georgia. His years as a member of the group influenced his artistry and helped him get ready for launching out as a solo artist years later. After releasing several mixtapes in the early years of his career, the Grammy Award-winning rapper dropped Pluto, his debut album in 2012, going straight to Billboard 200’s eighth number in the United States. With his sophomore album release, Future got a second album US Billboard listing at No. 2, all the way at the top. His latest RIAA Gold-certified, High Off Life in 2023, makes the sixth No. 1 album Future has on the Billboard.
10. Young Thug
Gaining BBC’s Jeff Weis Most Influential rapper of the 21st Century title, Young Thug is one of the rappers that are grinding and making rap music worthwhile, especially in the present age. His career start dates back as far as the early 2010s when he had released mixtapes before his debut single “Stoner” in 2013. Reaching out for more, he released his chart-topping single, “Havana” in 2017 and is listed as No. 1 on Billboard 100. His first album, So Much Fun recorded no less as it also made the first seat of Billboard 200 in the US. His upcoming album, Punk is expected to make similar success and even more, especially after he dropped his No. 1 compilation album, Slime Language 2 earlier in April 2023 and his Billboard top hits from his So Much Fun album.
11. Lil Baby
Popular for his 2017 single “Perfect Timing”, Lil Baby enjoyed quick recognition and he rapidly began ascending his career ladder. By 2018, Lil Baby had his first album, Harder than Ever ready, and he recorded success as the album made it to the first 3 on US Billboard 200. However, his first No. 1 record came later in 2023, when he released his platinum-certified My Turn. Among all artists in 2023, Lil Baby was the first to land two platinum certifications 2023. That is not all, he also got a third one on the same album! He has been trailing the same level of success as he had a collaboration with Lil Durk for The Voice of Heroes, that got him a second Billboard topper.
Check: The 20 Richest Female Rappers Right Now
12. The Kid Laroi
Meet 18-year-old The Kid Laroi, one of the youngest artists in rap music, who has been grabbing and enjoying Billboard’s hottest No. 1 spot. Although TKL has been trying out music since 2015 by making short-time local performances, alongside an older rapper, DJ Marcus. His success in Triple J’s unearthed High competition helped him to gain some recognition.
One year after signing with his record producers, his first solo mixtape, F*ck Love debuted as a double chart-topper, on the US Billboard 200 and his home country, Australia’s ARIA charts. That was a swift move, from being a newbie to leading music charts in both countries. The No. 1 position was replicated for his collaboration single with Justin Bieber, “Stay” on the US Billboard which also made him the youngest Australian artist to reach the feat. The young chap has been awarded “Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year” by the APRA awards.
13. J Cole
Multiple-Platinum holder, J Cole is one rapper whose proficiency in making great music draws his listeners in. Even before he released his first single, he had already made a name with the release of his first mixtape, “The Come Up” in 2007.
His first album release got the topmost seat on the US Billboard and was followed swiftly by his other four albums. All these albums, Born Sinner, 2014 Forest Hills Drive and, Your Eyes Only, KOD and his latest Studio album, and his 2023 The Off-Season album are all Chart-toppers.
With his level of success in rap music, it would interest you to know that the German-born rapper also doubles as a basketball player.
14. Burna Boy
Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, more popularly known as Burna Boy, is one of Africa’s universally recognized artists. Burma Boy is a multiple-time award-winning rapper who is known for making statements with his music. His Twice as Tall album made it to the top among other nominated albums for the prize of the Best Global Music Album at the 2023 Grammy Awards. This is coming two years after his African Giant album won Album of the year at the All Africa Music Awards in 2019. With his collaborations with star artists like Justin Bieber and Sia, the Afro Pop singer is up for more international influence in his career.
15. Travis Scott
American Rapper and Singer, Travis Scott made his way into music as far back as 2008 when he released his first song alongside his friend, Chris (Holloway).
After releasing several mixtapes in the early 2010s, he finally released his professional debut single, “Upper Echelon” in 2013 and went on to release his first studio album, Rodeo in 2015. Also, a No. 1 Billboard charts topper, Travis Scott is a proud owner of multiple global awards including the BET Music Awards for his single “Antidote”, Billboard Awards for his collaboration song Sicko mode, MTV Video Music Awards for his “Franchise”, among others.
Rappers are a group of people who fully express their individuality, they always express their views and their attitudes in their lyrics. I believe you who like to listen to rap are also very individual people, so why not express yourself on custom stickers? Combine your favorite rapper’s headshot with your favorite lyrics to make a sticker that you can put on your bottles, phone cases, or even your wall. Not only expressing their personality but also attracting people who like them too, so why not do it? Visit this site customsticker.com for more you want.
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FAQs
Who is the most popular rapper 2023? ›
- Kodak Black.
- 21 Savage.
- Tyler, the Creator.
- Key Glock.
- Dababy.
- Lil Durk.
- Lil Baby.
- YoungBoy Never Broke Again.
Jay-Z. Jay-Z is a rapper who can be highly sophisticated but prefers to keep things simple. This genuine skill allows him to focus on honing and communicating his message. No other rapper has had the same level of consistency as Jay-Z.
Who is the hottest rapper in the world? ›Position | Top MC | Peak ranking |
---|---|---|
1 | Kanye West | 1 |
2 | Lil Wayne | 1 |
3 | Jay Z | 1 |
4 | Rick Ross | 1 |
- Coi Leray.
- Doechii.
- Duke Deuce.
- EST Gee.
- Mavi.
- Nardo Wick.
- Remble.
- SoFayGo.
JAY-Z is considered by many to be the greatest rapper alive. HIP HOP mogul and music legend Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, has released a number of notable singles over the years, his hit songs are staples in the mainstream consciousness for the last few decades.
Who is the best girl rapper? ›- 6: Cardi B (1992- present) ...
- 5: Yo-Yo (1971- present) ...
- 4: Little Simz (1994- present) ...
- 3: MC Lyte (1970- present) ...
- 2: Roxanne Shante (1970- present) ...
- 1: Missy Elliott (1971- present)
- 1 Snoop Dogg96%
- 2 Kanye West95%
- 3 Eminem93%
- 4 Jay-Z93%
- 5 Ice Cube93%
- P. Diddy91%
- 7 MC Hammer91%
- 8 Beastie Boys90%
- “Rapper's Delight” – The Sugarhill Gang.
- “The Message” – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
- “Lose Yourself” – Eminem.
- “Fight The Power” – Public Enemy.
- “Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang” – Dr. ...
- “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” – Geto Boys.
- “Juicy” – Notorious B.I.G.
- “Straight Outta Compton” – N.W.A.
- #1 Jay-Z.
- #2 Lil Wayne.
- #3 Kanye West.
- #4 Kendrick Lamar.
- #5 Notorious B.I.G.
- #6 Tupac Shakur.
- #7 Dr. Dre.
- #8 Snoop Dogg.
- Playboi Carti. See on Instagram. ...
- The Notorious B.I.G. See on Instagram. ...
- André 3000. See on Instagram. ...
- Shabba Ranks. See on Instagram. ...
- A$AP Rocky. See on Instagram. ...
- Tyler, The Creator. See on Instagram. ...
- Kanye. See on Instagram. ...
- Young Thug. See on Instagram.
Who has most number 1 hits? ›
The Beatles, unsurprisingly, lead the way with a record 20 No. 1s, all earned between 1964 and 1970.
What rapper has the most kids? ›- Bobby Blaze on HOT 96.9.
- HOT Trending.
- Music.
On Nov. 3, 1990, rap cemented its finally unignorable mainstream influence with its first-ever No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100: Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby." Here are 15 more of the most…
Who is the king of rapping? ›King Of Rap is a highly honorable title that is hard to associate with only one hip-hop artist as there are countless hip-hop artists and enthusiasts today. However, there is one name that is respected and appreciated by almost all different branches of hip-hop; Eminem.
Who is the top 5 rappers? ›- 2Pac. Tupac Amaru Shakur also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. ...
- Eminem. ...
- The Notorious B.I.G. ...
- Jay-Z. ...
- Nas. ...
- Rakim. ...
- Kendrick Lamar. ...
- Lil Wayne.
...
The 25 Best Underground Rappers Right Now, According to ONE37pm
- Kota The Friend. kotathefriend. ...
- Ronsocold. ronsocold. ...
- 2KBaby. 2kbaby. ...
- Curtis Roach. ...
- Glockstar Dimi. ...
- Armani White. ...
- D The Flyest. ...
- Zah Sosaa.
To this day, with Lil' Wayne's southern flow, Drake's melodic raps, and Nick Minaj's NYC hard-core style, they still release great music together and will always be known as the Big Three.
Who is God Father of hip-hop? ›Black History Trailblazers of the 1970s: Clive “DJ Kool Herc” Campbell, The Godfather of Hip Hop.
Who started hip-hop? ›Who invented hip-hop? The birth of hip hop is believed to date back to Aug. 11, 1973, where DJ Kool Herc, real name Clive Campbell, and his friend hosted a back-to-school party in Bronx, New York. Eighteen-year-old Campbell and his friend Coke La Rock are often referred to as the fathers of hip-hop.
Who is the biggest female rapper? ›Artist | Country of origin | Period active |
---|---|---|
Iggy Azalea | Australia | 2011-present (11 years) |
Lil' Kim | United States | 1994–present (27 years) |
Cardi B | United States | 2015–present (7 years) |
Missy Elliott | United States | 1997–present (26 years) |
Who was the first girl rapper? ›
Sharon Green (born 1962), considered the "first female rapper" or emcee, known by the rap moniker MC Sha-Rock. Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, she grew up in the South Bronx, New York City during the earliest years of hip hop culture.
Where is rap most popular? ›Unsurprisingly, the biggest global audience for hip-hop music is found in the United States.
Who is the richest rapper alive? ›- Snoop Dogg's Net worth: $150 Million.
- Lil Wayne's Net Worth: $160 Million.
- Ice Cube's Net Worth: $160 Million.
- Ronald 'Slim' Williams' Net Worth: $170 Million.
- Drake's Net Worth: 180 million.
- Pharrell William's Net Worth: 200 million.
- Master P's Net Worth: $200 Million.
Eminem. Hailed as one of the best rappers ever – Marshall Bruce Mathers III, aka Eminem and “Kind of Hip Hop”, is THE best selling solo rapper of all time, and one of the largest selling musicians of the century. Eminem's LP “The Marshall Mathers” sold almost 11 million copies in the USA alone.
Who is #1 on Spotify in rap? ›As of March 2023, Canadian rapper-singer Drake is the most-streamed artist of all time on Spotify, while American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is the most-streamed female artist.
What is the best song ever? ›- “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday. ...
- “Heartbreak Hotel” by Elvis Presley. ...
- “Stand By Me” by Ben E. ...
- “Imagine” by John Lennon. ...
- “Killing Me Softly” by Roberta Flack. ...
- “God Only Knows” by Beach Boys. ...
- “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. ...
- “Can't We Be Friends” by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.
- Do It Again (feat. ...
- I C UP. ...
- ForeverLil Baby feat. ...
- Spin Bout UDrake feat. ...
- Creepin'Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage•HEROES & VILLAINSHEROES & VILLAINS. ...
- NastyTyga, Chris Brown•NastyNasty. ...
- Internet TrollsGloRilla•Internet TrollsInternet Trolls. ...
- Right for MeLVRD J•Right for MeRight for Me. LVRD J.
Ice-T is currently considered the oldest popular hip hop rapper who is still in the game and going strong.
Who's the best rapper this year? ›- #1 Jay-Z.
- #2 Lil Wayne.
- #3 Kanye West.
- #4 Kendrick Lamar.
- #5 Notorious B.I.G.
- #6 Tupac Shakur.
- #7 Dr. Dre.
- #8 Snoop Dogg.
- J. Cole.
- JID.
- Kendrick Lamar.
- Pusha T.
- YoungBoy Never Broke Again.