Music

The Best Canadian Rappers 

Ranker Hip Hop
Originally by
Updated May 26, 2020 64.2k votes 6.2k voters 100.7k views 91 items

This list of great Canadian rappers is longer than you might think. While initially, the pool of popular rappers from Canada may seem small, there are many talented Canadian hip hop artists. Some Canadian rappers, like Drake, are well known for their nationality, while some people on this list are more surprising.
 

Unlike other scenes around the world, rap was slow to start in Canada and even slower to gain worldwide recognition. That is, until 1998. The single ”Northern Touch" by Rascalz in collaboration with Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust and Choclair was released to worldwide acclaim and Canadian hip hop was finally on the map.  
 

Who is your favorite Canadian rapper? Check out the list below, vote and add anyone that you think should be considered one the best Canadian rappers.

 

list ordered by
1
Drake is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop, R&B & Pop; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Thank me Later, Take Care, Nothing was the same, & Veiw's

Aubrey Drake Graham, who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor. He was born in Toronto, Ontario. He first garnered recognition for his role as Jimmy Brooks ...more

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The Best Drake Albums of All-Time #1,872 of 2,040 The Greatest Musical Artists of All Time #179 of 256 The Hottest Men Of 2020, Ranked

2
Abdominal is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music; Nationality: Canada

Albums: 3 Feet Deep, Escape From the Pigeon Hole, Flowtation Device, Vicious Battle Raps / Ill Culinary Behaviour (Remixes), The Hit Song

Andrew Bernstein (born February 7, 1974), better known by his stage name Abdominal, is a rapper from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
3
Classified is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Boy-Cott-In the Industry, Hitch Hikin' Music, Unpredictable, Classified, Trial & Error, + more

Lucas Boyd (born December 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Classified, is a Canadian rapper and record producer from Enfield, Nova Scotia.

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#200 of 501 The Greatest Rappers Of All Time #66 of 170 The Greatest White Rappers of All Time #139 of 179 The Best East Coast Rappers of All Time

4
Rascalz is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers

Albums: Cash Crop, Global Warning, Reloaded, Really Livin’, Top of the World, + more

The Rascalz are a Canadian hip-hop group from Vancouver, British Columbia, who played a crucial role in the artistic and commercial development of Canadian hip hop. The group consists of emcees ...more
5
Kardinal Offishall is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music, Dancehall & East Coast hip hop; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1, Husslin', Eye & I, Fire and Glory, + more

Jason D. Harrow (born May 11, 1976), better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper, record producer, DJ and record executive. Often credited as Canada's "hip hop ...more
6
Rich Kidd is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers

Albums: In My Opinion, The Closers

Rich Kidd is a Juno Award nominated rapper and music producer.
7
Maestro is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music; Nationality: Canada

Albums: The Black Tie Affair, Symphony in Effect, Naaah, Dis Kid Can't Be from Canada?!!, Built to Last, + more

Wesley Williams (born March 31, 1968), better known as Maestro or Maestro Fresh-Wes, is a Canadian rapper, record producer, and actor. One of the early Canadian rappers and the first ever to ...more
8
Saukrates is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music, Contemporary R&B & Rhythm and blues; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Brick House, The Underground Tapes, Season One, Action, Father Time / Twenty One Years, + more

Karl Amani Wailoo (born March 6, 1978) better known by his stage name Saukrates (; "Socrates"), is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill ...more

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#358 of 501 The Greatest Rappers Of All Time #138 of 192 The Best Underground Rappers

9
K-os is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music and Alternative hip hop; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Exit, Black on Blonde, Joyful Rebellion, Yes!, Atlantis: Hymns For Disco, + more

Kevin Brereton (born February 20, 1972), better known by his stage name k-os (; "chaos"), is a Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His given name may ...more

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#382 of 501 The Greatest Rappers Of All Time #22 of 33 The Best Rappers That Don't Swear, Ranked

10
Belly is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music and Gangsta rap; Nationality: Canada

Albums: The Revolution, Hot Girl

Ahmad Balshe (Arabic: أحمد بلشي‎) (born April 7, 1984), better known by his stage name Belly, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer of Palestinian-Jordanian descent.Born ...more
11
Moka Only is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music, Alternative hip hop & Rock music; Nationality: Canada

Albums: The Station Agent, Crickets, The Desired Effect, Lowdown Suite, Martian XMAS 2012, + more

Daniel Denton (born November 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Moka Only is a Canadian underground hip hop artist. He has won 3 JUNO Awards, 5 MuchMusic Video Awards, and has been ...more

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#141 of 192 The Best Underground Rappers #75 of 135 The Best West Coast Rappers

12
Choclair is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: East Coast hip hop; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Ice Cold, Memoirs of Blake Savage, Flagrant, My Demo, What It Takes - The Official Remixes (Placebo Recordings), + more

Kareem Blake, (born March 27, 1975) better known by his stage name Choclair, is a Canadian rapper. He helped develop Canadian hip hop in the late 1990s, as a member of the Circle.
13
Swollen Members is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers

Albums: Balance, Black Magic, Monsters in the Closet, Bad Dreams, Armed to the Teeth, + more

Swollen Members is a Canadian hip hop group from Vancouver, British Columbia, consisting mainly of the duo Madchild and Prevail. Frequent collaborators include vocalist Moka Only along with the ...more

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The Best Swollen Members Albums of All Time #43 of 192 The Best Underground Rappers #81 of 125 The Best Horrorcore Artists of All Time

14
Dream Warriors is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers

Albums: And Now the Legacy Begins, Subliminal Simulation, The Master Plan, The Legacy Continues…, Wash Your Face in My Sink, + more

Dream Warriors were a Canadian hip hop duo from Toronto, Ontario, comprising King Lou and Capital Q. Described as "a pair of deft, intelligent rappers" by AllMusic, they were major ...more

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#34 of 45 The Best Jazz Rap Artists #29 of 34 The Best Acid Jazz Bands/Artists

15
K'naan is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music, Pop music & World music; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Qi Kai De Sheng (Wavin' Flag Celebration Mix), Troubadour, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, Country, God or the Girl, + more

Keinan Abdi Warsame (Somali: Keynaan Cabdi Warsame, Arabic: كَينَان عَبدِ وَرسَمَ‎ Kaynān ʿAbdi Warsama), better known by his stage name K'naan (), is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, ...more

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#271 of 501 The Greatest Rappers Of All Time #32 of 41 The Very Best Muslim Rappers

16
Joey Stylez is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers

Albums: The Black Star

Joseph Dale Marlin LaPlante (born May 14, 1981), better known for his stage name Joey Stylez, is a First Nations-Métis Canadian singer-songwriter, rapper, hip-hop artist, First Nations ...more
17
Michie Mee is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Ragga and Dancehall; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Jamaican Funk—Canadian Style, The First Cut Is the Deepest, Don't Wanna Be Your Slave

Michelle McCullock (born November 1, 1970), better known by her stage name Michie Mee, is a Canadian rapper and actress. Canada's first notable female MC, she is considered a national hip-hop
18
Shad is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers

Albums: Energy
19
Kamau is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Spoken word; Nationality: Canada
Kamau is a male name of Kenyan origin that may refer to: It is primarily a masculine name in the Kikuyu, belonging to the Bantu group who migrated from the Congo region. The name was given to a ...more
20
Bless is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music, Electro hop & Rap music; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Platinumberg: The Movement, The Book of Bless

Bless is a hip-hop artist from Montreal, Canada.
21
SonReal is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music; Nationality: Canada

Albums: The Stroll, Everywhere We Go, The Closers, One Long Day

Aaron Hoffman (born August 16, 1985) better known by his stage name SonReal, is a Canadian Singer and songwriter signed to the Black Box Recordings record label.

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#41 of 170 The Greatest White Rappers of All Time #130 of 135 The Best West Coast Rappers

22
JD Era is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers

Albums: No Handouts

JD Era is a Juno Award nominated rapper.
23
Merkules is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Brendan Cilia added
Merkules (born September 27, 1992) is a Canadian rap artist who was born in Surrey, British Columbia. 2017 Western Canadian Music Award nominated rapper Merkules’ music videos have over ...more

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24
Cadence Weapon is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Genre: Hip hop music and Alternative hip hop; Nationality: Canada

Albums: Afterparty Babies, Cadence Weapon Is the Black Hand, Breaking Kayfabe, Hope in Dirt City

Roland "Rollie" Pemberton, better known by his stage name Cadence Weapon, is a Canadian rapper. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Pemberton released his first album, Breaking ...more
25
Snak the Ripper is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Canadian Rappers
Brendan Cilia added

Albums: Sex Machine, White Dynamite

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#37 of 170 The Greatest White Rappers of All Time #80 of 135 The Best West Coast Rappers