Home/Rappers/Male

Male rappers

141 full profiles, sorted A to Z.

The bulk of this library. These profiles run from the Houston originators who built the screwed-and-chopped sound, through the West Coast and Detroit scenes, to the artists shaping the current decade. Each covers origin, career arc, discography and label history rather than a summary of a Wikipedia page.

• 2 ChainzIntroduction to Hip Hop Star 2 Chainz Rapper 2 Chainz has built a multi-platinum career in hip hop with clever wordplay and crossover appeal
• 42 DuggIntroduction to Rap Phenom 42 Dugg Hailing from one of hip hop's grittiest cities - Detroit - rapper 42 Dugg has stormed onto the scene with
• 5th Ward BoyzIntroduction to 5th Ward Boyz 5th Ward Boyz (originally called The Most Wanted Boyz) were a southern gangsta rap group hailing from Houston,
• A$AP RockyIntroduction to A$AP Rocky - Acclaimed Harlem Rapper & Style Icon A$AP Rocky is a rapper, producer and model who has been one of hip hop
• ABNIntroduction to ABN - The 1990s Houston Rap Duo ABN (short for "Always Ballin' Never Broke) was an American hip hop duo based out of Houston
• Ace HoodIntroduction to Ace Hood - Miami's Hard-Working Rap Phenom Antoine "Ace Hood" McColister was born May 11, 1988 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. H
• AceyaloneIntroduction to Aceyalone - Pioneering LA Lyricist & Freestyle Fellowship Co-Founder Aceyalone is an acclaimed American MC and producer
• Ameer VannIntroduction to Ameer Vann Ameer Vann is an American rapper originally from Houston who first broke through as part of hip hop boyband BROCK
• Anderson .PaakIntroduction to Anderson .Paak - Modern Funk Rap Visionary Anderson .Paak is a Grammy award winning singer, rapper, songwriter and drummer c
• B-RealIntroduction to B-Real - Leader of Iconic Hip Hop Group Cypress Hill B-Real is a Mexican American rapper, producer and entrepreneur who firs
• Baby BashIntroduction to Baby Bash - Pioneering Chicano Rap Artist Baby Bash, real name Ronald Bryant, is an American rapper of Mexican descent who b
• Baby MoneyIntroduction to Baby Money - Buzzing Brooklyn Rap Talent Baby Money, real name Keshaun Cleveland, is a rapper and social media personality m
• Baby SmooveIntroduction to Baby Smoove - Detroit's Next Big Rap Star Baby Smoove is a quickly buzzing hip hop artist making noise out of the lively sce
• Babyface RayBabyface Ray - The Emerging Face of Detroit's Hip Hop Scene Detroit, Michigan has cultivated a distinct hip hop sound and style over the yea
• BabyTronIntroduction to Unique Rap Style of BabyTron Hailing from Ypsilanti, Michigan, Bin Reaper AKA BabyTron has swiftly built an eager cult follo
• Bandgang Lonnie BandsIntroduction to Bandgang Lonnie Bands Bandgang Lonnie Bands is an American rapper making waves in the Michigan hip hop scene. As part of the
• BernerIntroduction to Berner Berner is an accomplished American rapper, entrepreneur and founder of the popular cannabis lifestyle brand, Cookies.
• Big HawkIntroduction to Big Hawk Big Hawk (born John Edward Hawkins) was an American rapper based out of Houston's tough South Acres neighborhood. K
• Big MelloIntroduction to Big Mello Big Mello (also seen as Big Mellow) was a pioneering rapper based out of Houston who initially broke through in th
• Big MikeIntroduction to Big Mike A larger than life MC literally and figuratively, Big Mike is a crucial piece of Houston hip hop history alongside
• Big MoeIntroduction to Big Moe Widely credited for globally popularizing Houston’s iconic “chopped and screwed” rap style, Big Moe rose meteoricall
• Big PokeyIntroduction to Big Pokey Among Houston hip hop cultists, Big Pokey's name elicits immense reverence for continuing Texas rap's raw essence
• Big SeanIntroduction to Big Sean Big Sean is an acclaimed American rapper and singer known for a litany of RIAA-certified hits spanning over a decad
• Black MilkBlack Milk, an acclaimed figure in the music industry, possesses a remarkable journey defined by a distinct blend of genres and innovative s
• BOE SosaBoe Sosa, real name Travon Williams, is a drill rapper from Chicago who's quickly rising to fame with his unique style and gritty lyrics. Th
• Boldy JamesBorn James Clay Jones III, Boldy James is an American rapper making waves in the hip hop scene. Hailing from Muskegon Heights, Michigan, Bol
• Boss Hogg OutlawzThe Boss Hogg Outlawz are a rap collective hailing from the southern United States who have been making major waves in the hip hop scene ove
• Botany BoyzThe Botany Boyz were among the foundational groups of the Screwed Up Click, built a working label out of a Houston neighbourhood, and charte
• ScarfaceScarface is an iconic rapper who rose to fame in the 1990s as a pioneering force in Southern hip hop. With his distinctive vocal style and g
• Bravo The BagchaserBravo The Bagchaser, real name Donterio Williamson, is an up-and-coming rapper making waves out of Pensacola, Florida. With his confidence,
• Brick WolfpackBrick Wolfpack are a rap collective out of Miami, Florida who have been repping their city hard over the past few years. With a gritty stree
• Brotha Lynch HungKevin Mann built a career on some of the most extreme content in American rap, from a city with almost no rap infrastructure, and has been c
• Bun BBernard Freeman spent two decades as one half of UGK, and has spent the years since as the most respected public figure in Houston rap — a g
• Bushwick BillRichard Shaw was born in Jamaica, stood 3 ft 8 in, joined the Geto Boys as a dancer, and became the most volatile and least predictable pres
• Busta RhymesTrevor Smith has one of the most physically demanding deliveries in rap and has sustained it for thirty years. He is also, alongside Missy E
• C-NoteCourtney Smith has been recording in Houston since 1992, is the most commercially successful member of the Botany Boyz, and did it entirely
• Cash KiddIntroduction to Cash Kidd - The Next Voice of Detroit Rap's Legacy Hailing from Detroit, one of hip hop's most revered cities, Cash Kidd sta
• ChamillionaireHakeem Seriki won a Grammy for a song about racial profiling that most of its audience heard as a novelty ringtone, then left music almost e
• Chief KeefIntroduction to Chief Keef Chief Keef (real name Keith Cozart) is an American rapper and producer who exploded onto the hip hop scene as a c
• Chingo BlingPedro Herrera III built a career on comedy, cultural specificity and an independent business operation that outperformed most of the label-s
• Coughee BrothazThe Coughee Brothaz are the continuation of the Odd Squad, the Rap-A-Lot group that introduced Devin the Dude and made an album Scarface has
• Danny BrownDanny Brown, a unique voice in the American hip-hop scene, has left an indelible mark on the music industry. Known for his distinctive style
• Devin the DudeDevin Copeland has never had a hit and has never needed one. He is a rapper's rapper with a cult following, an unmistakable voice, and a bod
• DJ PremierChristopher Martin is the producer most often named when people define what New York rap is supposed to sound like. His catalogue as a produ
• DJ QuikDavid Blake is regarded within rap production as one of the most musically sophisticated people the genre has produced, and outside it as a
• DJ ScrewRobert Earl Davis Jr. invented a way of listening to music. Screwed and chopped, the technique of slowing a record down and cutting between
• Dom KennedyDominic Hunn built a career entirely outside the major label system, turned down deals repeatedly, and charted a top-twenty album on his own
• Don ToliverCaleb Toliver has one of the most immediately recognisable voices in current rap — a warped, elastic croon that sits somewhere between singi
• Dr. DreAndre Young has shaped more of rap's commercial history than any other single producer. Across three decades he moved from a Compton electro
• E.S.G.Cedric Hill made one of the defining Houston records of the 1990s and was present at the formation of the Screwed Up Click, without ever get
• Eazy-EEric Wright was not the best rapper in N.W.A and never claimed to be. He was the one who funded the label, signed the group, and understood
• ElzhiJason Powers is routinely named by other rappers when the question is who writes the most intricate verses in the business. He has had almos
• EminemIntroduction to Rap Icon Eminem With over 100 million albums sold worldwide, Eminem (born Marshall Bruce Mathers III) is one of the best-sel
• Fat PatPatrick Hawkins had the most naturally commercial voice in the Screwed Up Click and was murdered at twenty-seven, weeks before his debut alb
• Flo RidaTramar Dillard has sold more singles than most rappers with far better critical reputations, by identifying a formula — rap verses over danc
• FutureNayvadius Wilburn has shaped the sound of mainstream rap in the 2010s and 2020s more than almost anyone. The melodic, Auto-Tuned, emotionall
• Ganksta N-I-PCornelius Thomas has a reasonable claim to having invented horrorcore, and wrote a substantial amount of the material that made the Geto Boy
• Geto BoysThe Geto Boys established Southern rap as a commercial and critical force at a point when the industry treated everything outside New York a
• Guilty SimpsonByron Simpson has one of the heaviest voices in rap and has spent twenty years using it over some of the most adventurous production availab
• Ice CubeO'Shea Jackson wrote much of the material that made N.W.A infamous, left the group over money, and then made two of the angriest and best-re
• Ice-TTracy Marrow was making West Coast rap records before there was a West Coast rap scene to speak of, spent the early 1990s at the centre of a
• Icewear VezzoChristopher Preyer has been central to Detroit rap for over a decade, as an artist, a label owner and the person who put a great many of the
• J. ColeJermaine Cole built a career on being deliberately unfashionable: no features on a platinum album, long gaps between releases, and a persist
• Juice WRLDJarad Higgins turned a freestyle habit and a guitar-loop aesthetic into one of the largest audiences in rap, and died at twenty-one with an
• Kap GGeorge Ramirez came out of Atlanta as one of the few Mexican-American rappers working inside the city's dominant sound rather than in a sepa
• King Lil GAlex Gonzalez is among the most commercially successful Chicano rappers of the streaming era, built almost entirely on independent releases
• King TRoger "King T" McBride rose to underground prominence in late 1980s West Coast rap circles as part of the influential Alkaholiks crew alongs
• Kirko BangzWith his laidback melodic flow and soulful production, Kirko Bangz puts a smooth introspective spin on classic Houston hip hop. Bursting ont
• KuruptWith his quick-fire flow, vivid storytelling, and authentic street edge, Kurupt has cemented himself as a legendary figure in 90s West Coast
• LecraeLecrae Devaughn Moore, known mononymously as Lecrae, is an internationally acclaimed Christian hip-hop artist. Since emerging in 2004, Lecra
• Lil JonLil Jon - Birth of a Crunk King Bounding onto the charts in the early 2000s, Lil Jon became an unlikely hip hop hero known for high-energy t
• Lil PumpLil Pump burst onto the rap scene in 2017 with his smash hit "Gucci Gang" ushering in a new generation of "mumble rap" and catapulting the t
• Lil TeccaLil Tecca is a rapidly rising young rapper who achieved viral success with his breakout hit "Ransom". Mixing catchy melodies with raw, confe
• Lil Uzi VertSymere Woods, known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper and songwriter from Philadelphia who has taken the music industry
• Lil WayneLil Wayne established himself as one of hip hop's most prolific artists with a legendary mixtape run throughout the 2000s. His inventive wor
• Lil XanLil Xan exploded onto the scene in 2017 with breakthrough hit “Betrayed” putting a Generation Z lens on decade-defining opioid crisis. Signa
• Lil YachtyWith his bright red braids, playful adlibs, and lyrics oozing teenage angst, Lil Yachty burst onto the rap scene in 2015 as the prince of "b
• Lil' KekeMarcus Lakee Edwards, better known by his stage name Lil' Keke, is an influential rapper hailing from Houston, Texas. Since emerging in the
• Lil' TroyTroy Birklett made one of the most durable Southern rap singles ever recorded and ran the label that released it, which is a more unusual co
• Lil' FlipWith his incredibly quick rhymes, charismatic flow, and independent hustle, Lil’ Flip became an unlikely rap superstar in the early 2000s. R
• Lil' OLil' O, birth name Ore Magnus Lawson, is a revered figure in the hip-hop landscape. Born and raised in Houston , Texas, he has a distinct So
• Lucky LucianoLucky Luciano is an influential New York rapper who rose to underground fame in the late 1990s with his mafioso-inspired lyrics and flows. A
• LudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges, known professionally as Ludacris, is an American rapper, actor and entrepreneur who pioneered the rise of Souther
• Mac DreBefore artists like E-40 brought widespread fame to Bay Area hip hop, Mac Dre pioneered the distinctly rubbery “mob music” sound emerging fr
• Maxo KreamEmekwanem Biosah writes some of the most specific autobiographical rap being made — names, addresses, court dates, family members — and has
• MC EihtAaron Tyler has spent thirty-five years writing first-person Compton crime narrative with almost no variation in approach and almost no drop
• MC HammerMC Hammer skyrocketed to fame in the late 80s and early 90s with a string of smash hits like “U Can’t Touch This” and “2 Legit 2 Quit”. Know
• Mike JonesMike Jones built one of the most effective personal marketing campaigns in rap history — repeating his own name and publishing his actual ph
• MozzyHailing from Sacramento, California, Mozzy has steadily built himself into one of the most respected and popular rappers on the West Coast h
• Mr. 3-2Mario Viola, better known by his rap moniker Mr. 3-2, is an old school hip-hop artist keeping the golden-era vibes alive. Hailing from the S
• NasRegarded as one of the greatest hip hop artists ever, Nas has been a pioneering force in rap music for over 30 years. From his masterful 199
• Nate DoggNate Dogg was an influential West Coast rapper who transformed hip hop hooks through his smooth, melodic vocals and laid-back delivery. As o
• NBA YoungBoyNBA YoungBoy, born as Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, is a young powerhouse in the hip-hop industry. Emerging from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, his unap
• O.G. StyleO.G. Style made one album, released one of the earliest full-lengths in Rap-A-Lot's catalogue, and both members are now dead. The group is a
• OG Ron CIn Houston's influential hip hop scene, one man pioneered the city's signature chopped and screwed sound: OG Ron C. As an original member of
• OhGeesyAs co-founder of prolific hip hop collective Shoreline Mafia, Alejandro Carvajal - better known by his stage name OhGeesy - has been instrum
• ParisOscar Jackson Jr. makes the most explicitly political rap in America and has been getting records pulled, shelved and dropped by distributor
• Paul WallWith his quick-witted lyrics, grills business success, and relatable everyman persona, Paul Wall has earned the nickname “The People's Champ
• Payroll GiovanniHailing from the Motor City of Detroit, Payroll Giovanni epitomizes the resilient hustler mentality of his hometown. Through vivid storytell
• PeezyPhillip Peaches has been recording in Detroit since the early 2010s and finally had a national moment in 2022, more than a decade in, with a
• Peso PesoPeso Peso, known as the "Hardest Ese Ever," is making waves in the Texas hip-hop scene. Born as Mario Herrera, Peso Peso's music is deeply r
• Pimp CPimp C was a pivotal hip hop artist from Port Arthur, Texas who formed the iconic duo UGK with Bun B. With his distinctive vocal style and p
• Playboi CartiJordan Terrell Carter, known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper, singer, and model based out of Atlanta. Since emerging
• Post MaloneWith his face tattoos, flavored braids, and geeky personality, Post Malone doesn't fit the typical rapper image. Yet the Dallas native's uni
• ProofDeShaun Holton was the organising force behind Detroit's battle scene, the person who put D12 together, and the closest friend Eminem had. H
• Riff RaffHorst Simco built a career from a character so committed that the question of whether it is a character stopped being answerable. He is eith
• Roddy RicchWith his unique vocal style and emotionally hard-hitting lyrics, Roddy Ricch has established himself as one of the most promising young rapp
• Sada BabySada Baby, born Sa'D Muhammad on February 5, 1991, is an up-and-coming rapper making major waves out of Detroit, Michigan. With his distinct
• Sauce WalkaIntroduction to Sauce Walka, the Houston Rapper Defying Convention Emerging from Houston's vibrant hip hop scene, Sauce Walka is a rapper wh
• SaulPaulSaulPaul, formerly known as SaulPaul Silas, is an American rapper, motivational speaker, and prison reform activist from Houston, Texas. Aft
• ScHoolboy QQuincy Matthew Hanley, better known by his stage name ScHoolboy Q, is an American rapper and songwriter based out of Los Angeles. Since debu
• Skilla BabyTrevon Gardner is among the most visible of Detroit's current generation, a 2024 XXL Freshman with a delivery so high-pitched and frantic th
• Slim ThugStayve Thomas came out of the Screwed Up Click tape era, made a gold-certified album with Neptunes production, and then spent twenty years r
• Snoop DoggCalvin Broadus has had one of the longest and strangest careers in rap. He arrived in 1992 as the most threatening new voice in American mus
• Spice 1Robert Green was one of the most technically capable rappers on the West Coast in the early 1990s and one of the least commercially rewarded
• T-PainFaheem Najm changed how popular music sounds and spent a decade being mocked for it. The Auto-Tune vocal style he popularised in the mid 200
• Tee GrizzleyDetroit native Tee Grizzley burst onto the hip hop scene in 2017 with his breakout singles "First Day Out" and "No Effort", immediately capt
• That Mexican OTVirgil Gazca broke out of a small Texas town with a style built on Chicano culture, Houston tradition and a delivery that sounds like nothin
• The Color Changin' ClickThe Color Changin' Click was the Houston crew built around Chamillionaire and Paul Wall, and the vehicle through which both sold enormous qu
• The D.O.C.The D.O.C. - Unsung Hero Who Pioneered Gangsta Rap Lyricism Many credit Ice Cube and Eazy-E as the lyrical architects of gangsta rap through
• Screwed Up ClickThe Houston hip hop scene exploded in the 1990s, producing some of the most influential rappers and rap groups that decade. Among the pionee
• Vince StaplesLong Beach native Vince Staples has risen to become one of the most intriguing and acclaimed young rappers in hip hop today. With his vivid
• Sad Boy LokoSad Boy Loko is one of the most exciting new rappers to emerge in recent years. With his unique vocal style, introspective lyrics, and diver
• Tobe NwigweTobechukwu Nwigwe makes rap that sounds like almost nothing else — built on Nigerian rhythm, gospel structure and a home-recorded visual sty
• Too $hortIntroduction to Veteran Oakland Rapper Too $hort For over 35 years, Todd Anthony Shaw , better known by his stage name Too $hort , has been
• Too Much TroubleToo Much Trouble, a notable name in the music industry, holds a captivating story of origin, genres, and a discography that paints an all-en
• Trae tha TruthTrae tha Truth, born Frazier Othel Thompson III, is an influential American rap artist hailing from Houston, Texas. With his raw, southern s
• Travis ScottTravis Scott, born Jacques Bermon Webster II, is one of the most popular and influential rappers in the world today. With his unique vocal s
• Trinity Garden CartelTrinity Garden Cartel made one of the most notorious album covers in rap history, charted with it, and have been recording out of northeast
• Tupac ShakurTupac Amaru Shakur made five studio albums in five years and has had roughly thirty years of posthumous releases, films, holograms and acade
• Tyler, The CreatorIntroduction to Tyler, The Creator: Pushing the Envelope in Hip Hop Tyler, The Creator is an eccentric, envelope-pushing rapper known for hi
• UGKThe Kings of Underground Hip Hop - All About the Legendary Rap Duo UGK UGK (Underground Kingz) is one of the most influential hip hop duos t
• ViperLee Carter has released more albums than almost any recorded artist alive, became an internet phenomenon on the strength of a single unforge
• WaleOlubowale Akintimehin is the most commercially successful rapper Washington DC has produced, has three number one albums, and has spent his
• Willie DWilliam Dennis was the most explicitly political member of the Geto Boys and has spent the decades since as a broadcaster and commentator, w
• Wiz KhalifaCameron Thomaz turned a regional Pittsburgh following into a durable mainstream career, and built one of the more recognisable personal bran
• XzibitAlvin Joiner had a serious underground reputation, a mainstream run with Dr. Dre, and then a television career that overwhelmed both in the
• YeKanye West, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, made a case for being the most important figure in twenty-first century popular musi
• YGKeenon Jackson led the most convincing revival of traditional West Coast rap in the 2010s, working with DJ Mustard on a sound that dominated
• Young ThugIntroduction to Innovative Rapper Young Thug Young Thug is an influential rapper praised as much for extending hip hop's boundaries as excep
• Z-RoJoseph McVey is the Houston rapper other Houston rappers cite. His catalogue is enormous, mostly independent, and built around a kind of emo

Also covered in the scene histories

These artists are written up inside the city and scene pages rather than as standalone profiles: $uede, Acito, Cashout Ace, Chedda Da Connect, Chito Rana$, CNG, Crime Boss (rapper), Dame Dot, Dee Baby, Deep (rapper), Devour, Doughbeezy, Drego & Beno, Expensive Taste, FMB DZ, G.T., Gemini (rapper), Hyro the Hero, Juan Gotti, Mr. Mike, South Park Mexican, T-Wayne, Tay B, Trouble Kidd, Yelohill, Young Drummer Boy.