Rap The Best Canadian Rappers

43.3k votes 3.1k voters 45.2k views 94 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
1,005 329

Drake Thank me Later, Take Care, Nothing was the same 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

2
844 257

spotifyking604 added Kresnt The Lunar Phase
IG: @TheLunarCycle

3
646 198

Brendan Cilia added Merkules 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

4
554 172

K-os Exit, Black on Blonde, Joyful Rebellion Kevin Brereton, better known by his stage name k-os, is a Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. His given name may also be cited as Kheaven, a spelling he later ...more

5
521 147

Tory Lanez Daystar Peterson (born July 27, 1992), better known by his stage name Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper and singer. He received major recognition from the mixtape Lost Cause (2014) and the ...more

6
672 238

Classified Boy-Cott-In the Industry, Hitch Hikin' Music, Unpredictable Luke Boyd, better known by his stage name Classified, is a Canadian recording artist and producer from Enfield, Nova Scotia

7
531 163

Rascalz Cash Crop, Global Warning, Reloaded 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

8
535 165

Saukrates Brick House, The Underground Tapes, Season One Karl Amani Wailoo better known by his stage name Saukrates, is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer of Guyanese descent. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of ...more

9
551 174

Swollen Members Balance, Black Magic, Monsters in the Closet 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

10
512 166

Maestro The Black Tie Affair, Symphony in Effect, Naaah Wesley Williams, better known as Maestro and Maestro Fresh-Wes, is a Canadian rapper, record producer, and actor. His pioneering status and outstanding achievements have led to him being ...more

11
544 171

Shad Energy

12
566 183

Brendan Cilia added Snak the Ripper Sex Machine, White Dynamite

13
544 178

Moka Only The Station Agent, Crickets, The Desired Effect Daniel Denton, better known by his stage name Moka Only, is a Canadian underground hip hop artist. Originally from Langford, British Columbia, near Victoria, he is now based in Vancouver. He was ...more

14
495 155

Rich Kidd In My Opinion, The Closers Rich Kidd is a Juno Award nominated rapper and music producer.

15
555 179

Brendan Cilia added Madchild

16
475 133

Jay Clayton added Sweatshop Union Natural Progression, United We Fall, Water Street Sweatshop Union is a Canadian hip hop collective formed in 2000 in Vancouver, when four politically minded rap acts—Dirty Circus, Pigeon Hole, Kyprios and Innocent Bystander —came together to ...more

17
494 151

Choclair Ice Cold, Memoirs of Blake Savage, Flagrant Kareem Blake, better known by his stage name Choclair, is a Canadian rapper. He helped develop Canadian hip hop in the 1990s, as a member of the Circle.

18
498 161

Bless Platinumberg: The Movement, The Book of Bless Bless is a hip-hop artist from Montreal, Canada.

19
520 173

Kardinal Offishall Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1, Husslin' Jason D. Harrow, better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall, is a Canadian rapper, record producer, and record executive. Often credited as Canada's "hip hop ambassador", he is ...more

20
450 143

Michie Mee Jamaican Funk—Canadian Style, The First Cut Is the Deepest, Don't Wanna Be Your Slave Michelle McCullock, better known by her stage name Michie Mee, is a Canadian rapper and actor. Canada's first notable female MC, she is considered a national hip-hop pioneer.

21
438 139

Cadence Weapon Afterparty Babies, Cadence Weapon Is the Black Hand, Breaking Kayfabe 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

22
439 142

Dream Warriors And Now the Legacy Begins, Subliminal Simulation, The Master Plan 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

23
450 148

Kamau Ian Kamau is a Canadian hip hop and spoken word artist, writer and visual artist from Toronto, Ontario.

24
444 145

D-Sisive Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye, The Book, Let the Children Die Derek Christoff, better known by his stage name D-Sisive, is a Canadian rapper, best known for his Juno-nominated EP The Book, his hit single "Nobody with a Notepad" and his 2009 ...more

25
474 161

Joey Stylez The Black Star Joseph Dale Marlin LaPlante, better known for his stage name Joey Stylez, is a First Nations Canadian singer-songwriter, rapper, hip-hop artist, First Nations activist, fashion designer.

26
483 165

K'naan Qi Kai De Sheng (Wavin' Flag Celebration Mix), Troubadour, The Dusty Foot Philosopher Keinan Abdi Warsame, better known by his stage name K'naan, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist. He rose to prominence with the success of his single ...more

27
479 171

Belly The Revolution, Hot Girl Ahmad Balshe, better known by his stage name Belly, is a Palestinian Canadian Juno Award-winning rapper. Born in Jenin, Palestine, his musical career has been based in Ottawa, Ontario. In ...more

28
453 151

Prevail spasefase, baseball bat & nails Kiley Hendriks, better known by stage name Prevail, is a 4-time Juno Award winning Canadian hip hop artist raised in Victoria, British Columbia and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Prevail ...more

29
462 169

SonReal The Stroll, Everywhere We Go, The Closers Aaron Hoffman better known by his stage name SonReal is a Vancouver-based Canadian hip hop and alternative artist signed to the Blackbox Recordings record label. He has released multiple free ...more

30
396 139

Sixtoo Antagonist Survival Kit, Duration, The Psyche Continuum Sixtoo was the main project of a Canadian underground hip hop DJ, producer and rapper Vaughn Robert Squire between 1996 and 2007. He has since retired the Sixtoo name pursuing other directions ...more

31
400 142

More Or Les The Les-Kils EP More Or Les, is a Canadian rapper, busker, DJ, producer, and a member of the Backburner crew. He currently resides in his home town of Toronto, Ontario.

32
401 143

Abdominal 3 Feet Deep, Escape From the Pigeon Hole, Flowtation Device Andy Bernstein, better known by his stage name Abdominal, is a rapper from Toronto, Canada.

33
201 35

johnstonismyname added Night lovell Concept Vague, Red Teenage Melody

34
410 144

Prada West Down as Ground, Dog Treats

35
390 142

Mcenroe Billy's Vision, Steak Dinner Breaks, 5 Years in the Factory Mcenroe, also known as Rod Bailey, is a Canadian hip hop musician, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, he is the founder of his record label Peanuts & Corn Recordings, an independent hip ...more

36
420 150

Kyprios Say Somethin, the midnight sun, Lap dog Kyprios is the stage name of David Coles, a Canadian hip hop musician.

37
413 158

JD Era No Handouts JD Era is a Juno Award nominated rapper.

38
403 154

Buck 65 Situation (instrumental), Synesthesia, This Right Here Is Buck 65 Richard Terfry, better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop artist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has ...more

39
385 149

Eternia It's Called Life, At Last EP, Tales of Power Eternia is a Canadian rapper.

40
382 139

Adam Bomb Grave New World, Get Animal 2, Rock Like Fuck Adam Bomb is an American guitarist and singer who has worked with several bands.

41
377 151

D.O.

42
382 150

Reema Major Reema Major, is an Arab/South Sudanese Canadian rapper. She is signed to a joint-record label venture with G7 Records / Universal Music Canada / Cherrytree Records / Interscope Records and also ...more

43
380 150

Ghettosocks Get Some Friends, Treat of the Day, For You Pretty Things Darren Pyper, better known by his stage name Ghettosocks, is a Juno-nominated Canadian hip hop artist and member of the Backburner collective. In early 2010, Ghettosocks' album Treat of the Day ...more

44
178 32

johnstonismyname added Eazy Mac Music for the Visually impared

45
171 32

johnstonismyname added Doom Squad
LSD, Prosper project, Countdown to Doomsday

46
415 186

Checkmate R.A.W. Checkmate is a Canadian hip hop artist from Vancouver. He is most known for guesting on the Rascalz' 1998 single "Northern Touch", which also which featured Kardinal Offishall, ...more

47
166 35

johnstonismyname added Junk Stupid and Ugly, (NWD) Stay Sharp 1 to 3

48
312 139

Jay Clayton added J-ROC & Tyrone
Trailer Park Boys Own Jay Roc & Tyrone

49
157 37

johnstonismyname added Robbie G Inner Outer Space, Ripple Effect, Reality CD

50
346 157

Def3 WildLif3, Drumbo

1 1,005 329 Drake Thank me Later, Take Care, Nothing was the same 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

2 844 257 spotifyking604 added Kresnt The Lunar Phase IG: @TheLunarCycle

3 646 198 Brendan Cilia added Merkules 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

4 554 172 K-os Exit, Black on Blonde, Joyful Rebellion Kevin Brereton, better known by his stage name k-os, is a Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. His given name may also be cited as Kheaven, a spelling he later ...more

5 521 147 Tory Lanez Daystar Peterson (born July 27, 1992), better known by his stage name Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper and singer. He received major recognition from the mixtape Lost Cause (2014) and the ...more

6 672 238 Classified Boy-Cott-In the Industry, Hitch Hikin' Music, Unpredictable Luke Boyd, better known by his stage name Classified, is a Canadian recording artist and producer from Enfield, Nova Scotia

7 531 163 Rascalz Cash Crop, Global Warning, Reloaded 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

8 535 165 Saukrates Brick House, The Underground Tapes, Season One Karl Amani Wailoo better known by his stage name Saukrates, is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer of Guyanese descent. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of ...more

9 551 174 Swollen Members Balance, Black Magic, Monsters in the Closet 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

10 512 166 Maestro The Black Tie Affair, Symphony in Effect, Naaah Wesley Williams, better known as Maestro and Maestro Fresh-Wes, is a Canadian rapper, record producer, and actor. His pioneering status and outstanding achievements have led to him being ...more

11 544 171 Shad Energy

12 566 183 Brendan Cilia added Snak the Ripper Sex Machine, White Dynamite

13 544 178 Moka Only The Station Agent, Crickets, The Desired Effect Daniel Denton, better known by his stage name Moka Only, is a Canadian underground hip hop artist. Originally from Langford, British Columbia, near Victoria, he is now based in Vancouver. He was ...more

14 495 155 Rich Kidd In My Opinion, The Closers Rich Kidd is a Juno Award nominated rapper and music producer.

15 555 179 Brendan Cilia added Madchild

16 475 133 Jay Clayton added Sweatshop Union Natural Progression, United We Fall, Water Street Sweatshop Union is a Canadian hip hop collective formed in 2000 in Vancouver, when four politically minded rap acts—Dirty Circus, Pigeon Hole, Kyprios and Innocent Bystander —came together to ...more

17 494 151 Choclair Ice Cold, Memoirs of Blake Savage, Flagrant Kareem Blake, better known by his stage name Choclair, is a Canadian rapper. He helped develop Canadian hip hop in the 1990s, as a member of the Circle.

18 498 161 Bless Platinumberg: The Movement, The Book of Bless Bless is a hip-hop artist from Montreal, Canada.

19 520 173 Kardinal Offishall Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1, Husslin' Jason D. Harrow, better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall, is a Canadian rapper, record producer, and record executive. Often credited as Canada's "hip hop ambassador", he is ...more

20 450 143 Michie Mee Jamaican Funk—Canadian Style, The First Cut Is the Deepest, Don't Wanna Be Your Slave Michelle McCullock, better known by her stage name Michie Mee, is a Canadian rapper and actor. Canada's first notable female MC, she is considered a national hip-hop pioneer.

21 438 139 Cadence Weapon Afterparty Babies, Cadence Weapon Is the Black Hand, Breaking Kayfabe 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

22 439 142 Dream Warriors And Now the Legacy Begins, Subliminal Simulation, The Master Plan 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

23 450 148 Kamau Ian Kamau is a Canadian hip hop and spoken word artist, writer and visual artist from Toronto, Ontario.

24 444 145 D-Sisive Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye, The Book, Let the Children Die Derek Christoff, better known by his stage name D-Sisive, is a Canadian rapper, best known for his Juno-nominated EP The Book, his hit single "Nobody with a Notepad" and his 2009 ...more

25 474 161 Joey Stylez The Black Star Joseph Dale Marlin LaPlante, better known for his stage name Joey Stylez, is a First Nations Canadian singer-songwriter, rapper, hip-hop artist, First Nations activist, fashion designer.

27 479 171 Belly The Revolution, Hot Girl Ahmad Balshe, better known by his stage name Belly, is a Palestinian Canadian Juno Award-winning rapper. Born in Jenin, Palestine, his musical career has been based in Ottawa, Ontario. In ...more

28 453 151 Prevail spasefase, baseball bat & nails Kiley Hendriks, better known by stage name Prevail, is a 4-time Juno Award winning Canadian hip hop artist raised in Victoria, British Columbia and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Prevail ...more

29 462 169 SonReal The Stroll, Everywhere We Go, The Closers Aaron Hoffman better known by his stage name SonReal is a Vancouver-based Canadian hip hop and alternative artist signed to the Blackbox Recordings record label. He has released multiple free ...more

30 396 139 Sixtoo Antagonist Survival Kit, Duration, The Psyche Continuum Sixtoo was the main project of a Canadian underground hip hop DJ, producer and rapper Vaughn Robert Squire between 1996 and 2007. He has since retired the Sixtoo name pursuing other directions ...more

31 400 142 More Or Les The Les-Kils EP More Or Les, is a Canadian rapper, busker, DJ, producer, and a member of the Backburner crew. He currently resides in his home town of Toronto, Ontario.

32 401 143 Abdominal 3 Feet Deep, Escape From the Pigeon Hole, Flowtation Device Andy Bernstein, better known by his stage name Abdominal, is a rapper from Toronto, Canada.

33 201 35 johnstonismyname added Night lovell Concept Vague, Red Teenage Melody

34 410 144 Prada West Down as Ground, Dog Treats

35 390 142 Mcenroe Billy's Vision, Steak Dinner Breaks, 5 Years in the Factory Mcenroe, also known as Rod Bailey, is a Canadian hip hop musician, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, he is the founder of his record label Peanuts & Corn Recordings, an independent hip ...more

36 420 150 Kyprios Say Somethin, the midnight sun, Lap dog Kyprios is the stage name of David Coles, a Canadian hip hop musician.

37 413 158 JD Era No Handouts JD Era is a Juno Award nominated rapper.

38 403 154 Buck 65 Situation (instrumental), Synesthesia, This Right Here Is Buck 65 Richard Terfry, better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop artist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has ...more

39 385 149 Eternia It's Called Life, At Last EP, Tales of Power Eternia is a Canadian rapper.

40 382 139 Adam Bomb Grave New World, Get Animal 2, Rock Like Fuck Adam Bomb is an American guitarist and singer who has worked with several bands.

41 377 151 D.O.

42 382 150 Reema Major Reema Major, is an Arab/South Sudanese Canadian rapper. She is signed to a joint-record label venture with G7 Records / Universal Music Canada / Cherrytree Records / Interscope Records and also ...more

43 380 150 Ghettosocks Get Some Friends, Treat of the Day, For You Pretty Things Darren Pyper, better known by his stage name Ghettosocks, is a Juno-nominated Canadian hip hop artist and member of the Backburner collective. In early 2010, Ghettosocks' album Treat of the Day ...more

44 178 32 johnstonismyname added Eazy Mac Music for the Visually impared

45 171 32 johnstonismyname added Doom Squad LSD, Prosper project, Countdown to Doomsday

46 415 186 Checkmate R.A.W. Checkmate is a Canadian hip hop artist from Vancouver. He is most known for guesting on the Rascalz' 1998 single "Northern Touch", which also which featured Kardinal Offishall, ...more

47 166 35 johnstonismyname added Junk Stupid and Ugly, (NWD) Stay Sharp 1 to 3

48 312 139 Jay Clayton added J-ROC & Tyrone Trailer Park Boys Own Jay Roc & Tyrone

49 157 37 johnstonismyname added Robbie G Inner Outer Space, Ripple Effect, Reality CD

50 346 157 Def3 WildLif3, Drumbo

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