Rap and hip-hop are huge, always have been. But today's hits are banging with 10 of the best rap/hip-hop artists. Check them out... do you agree with me?
1. Eminem
When people name their favorite rap/hip-hop artists or even artists in general, for that matter, there is no explanation needed when you are referring to Slim Shady, Marshall Mathers, Stan, or simply Eminem. Em is a disgusting beast when it comes to his lyrics, wordplay, punchlines, and metaphors. Even people like Drake and Lil Wayne would tremble at the thought of battle-rapping the King of Detroit.
He was the best selling artist of the 2000s and the 2nd bestselling musical act of the 2000s, only behind The Beatles by less than one million albums sold. If that is not an accomplishment that anyone would be honored to have, I don't know what is.
2. Lil Wayne
Tunechi is the GOAT of Louisiana. There is no debating that Wayne has some of the best, if not the best, punchlines and metaphors of anyone in the game. When you listen to some Weezy of his masterpieces, you can't help but go back and hear it again because it was too fire.
With timeless albums and mixtapes, like my favorite album "Tha Carter IV" or the "Dedication" mixtape series, Wayne will never die. Even if we are still waiting for "Tha Carter V", the classics put out by the genius behind the mic will never get old. #FREEThaCarterV
3. Gucci Mane
Many say that Gucci is the Father of Trap as we know it. Well, I am one of those people. Gucci has been a staple of the rap game for over a decade, releasing dozens of albums and mixtapes. He is the only artist I can think of that put out album after album, mixtape after mixtape, all while being locked up in federal prison.
Hell, "DropTop Wop" even recorded songs over the phone in prison! Gucci is undeniably one of the most important figures to have ever stepped on the field, and his presence is felt and wanted, as it is obvious with him releasing multiple projects in just the past two years.
4. Ace Hood
Ace Hood is what I call an underground-mainstream rapper. He is most known for his song "Bugatti" featuring Future and Rick Ross, and he was once signed to DJ Khaled's We the Best. What I like the most about Ace is his music is raw, it's emotional, it's real, and it has the meaning behind the lyrics that rap was based on.
When you listen to his tapes, like the "Starvation" mixtape series, you can feel his pain through his words. Rappers like this are what gives me hope for what used to be.
5. Meek Mill
Meek is one of the top artists out. He is infamously tied to Philly, and as we all now know, the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl winning walk out. If you were anywhere near Philly after the Super Bowl, you heard "Dreams and Nightmares" on replay; that is for good reason.
Meek's music grabs your attention like water when you first wake up after a long night of drinking. His music has been this way in all his projects ranging from "Flamers", "Dreamchasers 2", to "Dreams are Worth More than Money." I must also mention that "Dreamchasers 2" is the most downloaded mixtape on DatPiff, so to put it short, he is a rap legend.
6. TI
Atlanta rap wouldn't be what it is today without TI, aka TIP, aka Tip Harris, aka the CEO of Grand Hustle Records. I still remember to this day the first time I heard TI. It was when his album "TI vs. TIP" came out.
That summer, my grandparents and I took a road trip from the Jersey Shore to Cooperstown, NY, then to Niagara Falls. Throughout that whole drive, I only listened to "TI vs. TIP" because, even at the age of 8, I was so fascinated by this work of music that I needed to know every single lyric.
7. Travis Scott
La Flame is a sound that has no rivalry in music; no one sounds anything like him at all. That is why Travis Scott is an artist, as he likes to call himself. This is for good reason. With tapes like "Owl Pharaoh" and "Days Before Rodeo", the sound of these entraps you into the mind of Mr. Astroworld himself. The melodic, yet the demonic sound is not compared. It could all be because Jacq's origin isn't music writing; it is producing.
Many people don't know that Travis produced lots of music for Kanye West, including most of "Yeezus", which is why he is signed to GOOD Music as a producer. Travis has an ear for sounds and beats unlike any other, putting him in such high demand because the tones that he makes turns any song into a hit.
8. YG
YG is on this list for one main reason: he has that classic West Coast sound with a new school twist. In my opinion, West Coast rap is some of the most real and best rap out today. The West Coast scene has really stuck to its roots and paid homage to the OGs.
YG 400 is a versatile rapper, too. Even with his hood gangsta sound, it isn't hard for him to change up to some lovey-dovey type stuff. No matter what, at the end of the day, any YG song you put on is going to bump.
9. MIGOS
The triplet flow that we all have become accustomed to hearing is all thanks to the three MIGOS: Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff. The MIGOS are absolutely dominating the game right now in every fashion. Between the release of "Bad and Boujee", which built immense hype for Culture and Culture 2, I can't see a fall anytime soon.
You can see this in the collabs tapes they have dropped as solo artists, like Quavo and Travis Scott's "Jack Huncho, Huncho Jack", or Offset and 21 Savage's "Without Warning". You can still hear people blasting "Versace" at frat parties almost five years after it came out.
10. Drake
Then, there is Drake. This man is absolutely at the top of the music game. I can't even tie him to a specific genre because he is a modern day DaVinci of music. Drizzy can go from making your crush break up with her mans because of you to hip-moving "Louisiana Bounce", then to speaker-knocking stuff like "Jumpman."
Drake is on a different level when it comes to his musical capabilities, which is why "Take Care" has been on the Billboard 200 for over six years at 270 weeks.
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