The Best Rappers Of 2023
Updated October 1, 2023 51.2K votes 5.9K voters 80.6K views
Over 5.9K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Rappers Of 2023
Latest additions: Young Thug, Logic, Travis Scott
Most divisive: Kodak Black
Rappers have always been at the forefront of pop culture since the ‘90s, but 2023’s hip-hop scene in particular is ready for world domination. Multi-talented artists Bad Bunny, Doja Cat, Drake, and Her Majesty Nicki Minaj remain forces to be reckoned with across the Billboard charts (and they don't plan on slowing down anytime soon). Trap-stars Lil Baby, Future, and Gunna continue to keep it real throughout their fire collaborations; and A-list newcomer Latto refuses to hold back her “big energy” with a Best New Artist Grammy nomination now under her belt. Superstars in-the-making Doechii, GloRilla, and Ice Spice inspire the next generation of female rappers throughout their unique performance styles and empowering verses; and Frank Ocean is slated to headline this spring's highly-anticipated Coachella music festival.
Which trending hip hop artists are you most excited to see live, and whose records are you currently listening to? Vote below for the best rappers of 2023, and be sure to also check out this year's top new rap songs afterwards.
Ranked by
- 12,916 votesJermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany but raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper, he went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights after signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint in 2009. Cole released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, in 2011. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, and was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His next two releases, 2013's Born Sinner and 2014's 2014 Forest Hills Drive, received mostly positive reviews from critics, and both were certified platinum in the United States. The latter earned him his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. In December 2016, Cole released his fourth studio album 4 Your Eyez Only. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in April 2017. His fifth album, KOD, was released in April 2018. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200, making it his fifth album to reach number one on the chart. Self-taught on piano, Cole also acts as a producer alongside his hip-hop career, producing singles for artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson, as well as handling the majority of the production in his own projects. He has also developed other ventures, including Dreamville Records, as well as a non-profit organization called the Dreamville Foundation. In January 2015, Cole decided to house single mothers rent-free at his childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
- 23,084 votesAubrey 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 on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He later rose to prominence as a rapper, releasing several mixtapes like Room for Improvement before signing to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in June 2009. Drake's EP, So Far Gone, spawned the hit single "Best I Ever Had" and the moderate hit "Successful". His first studio album, Thank Me Later, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and generated notable singles, "Over" and "Find Your Love". It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. His second album, Take Care, is his most successful to date, topping charts in the United States and Canada and producing multiple hit singles, including "Headlines", "Take Care", "Make Me Proud", and "The Motto", the last of which is also credited for popularizing the widely used acronym YOLO. In promotion of Take Care, Drake embarked on the worldwide Club Paradise Tour, which became the most successful hip-hop tour of 2012, grossing over $42 million.
- 32,379 votesNayvadius DeMun Wilburn, better known by his stage name Future, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer from the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia. After releasing a series of moderately successful mixtapes between 2010 and 2011, Future signed a major label deal with Epic Records and fellow American rapper Rocko's A1 Recordings, which helped launch his own label imprint Freebandz. Future subsequently began working on his debut studio album Pluto, and in April 2012 released the album to positive reviews. The album spawned five singles, all of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was later re-released in November, as Pluto 3D. His second studio album Honest, was released on April 22, 2014, and is also performing with his group Freeband Gang.
- 41,166 votesJacques Berman Webster II (born April 30, 1992), known professionally as Travis Scott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Scott signed to Epic Records before eventually signing to Kanye West's GOOD Music production wing known as Very G.O.O.D. Beats, in November of the same year, as an in-house producer, after appearing on the label's debut compilation Cruel Summer. In April 2013, it was announced he signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint. He released his first official full-length project, an album titled Owl Pharaoh, on May 21, 2013. He released his most critically acclaimed and commercially successful album Astroworld in 2018; it produced his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "Sicko Mode."
- 53,100 votesShayaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American rapper known for his mixtapes The Slaughter Tape (2015) and Slaughter King (2015) and his EPs Free Guwop (2015) and Savage Mode (2016) with Metro Boomin before the release of his debut album, Issa Album (2017) and its lead single, "Bank Account".
- 63,607 votesKendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most skillful and successful hip hop artists of his generation.Raised in Compton, California, Lamar embarked on his musical career as a teenager under the stage name K-Dot, releasing a mixtape that garnered local attention and led to his signing with indie record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE). He began to gain recognition in 2010, after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated. The following year, he independently released his first studio album, Section.80, which included his debut single, "HiiiPoWeR". By that time, he had amassed a large online following and collaborated with several prominent hip hop artists, including The Game, Busta Rhymes, and Snoop Dogg. Lamar's major label debut album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, was released in 2012 by TDE, Aftermath, and Interscope Records to critical acclaim. It debuted at #2 on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum by the RIAA. The record contained the top 40 singles "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe", and "Poetic Justice". His critically acclaimed third album To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) incorporated elements of funk, soul, jazz, and spoken word. It debuted atop the charts in the US and the UK, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album at the 58th ceremony. In 2016, Lamar released Untitled Unmastered, a collection of unreleased demos that originated during the recording sessions for Butterfly. He released his fourth album Damn in 2017 to further acclaim; its lead single "Humble" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Aside from his solo career, Lamar is also known as a member of the West Coast hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, alongside his TDE label-mates and fellow South Los Angeles–based rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Schoolboy Q. Lamar has received many accolades over the course of his career, including thirteen Grammy Awards. In early 2013, MTV named him the "Hottest MC in the Game", on their annual list. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016. In 2018, Damn became the first non-classical and non-jazz album to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music.
