20 Best Rappers of All Time

In the heart of hip-hop live the lords of raw emotions, the rappers, whose words have shaped culture and challenged norms throughout the ages.

Hip-hop has produced thousands of lyrical titans, but some have left a hard impression on society.

From the streets of Chicago to the coasts of California, rappers have mastered their crafts and introduced themself into the hall of fame.

People who have been through generational changes understand how rap evolved from classics like ‘Rapper’s Delight’ to ‘Alright.’

The poetic storytelling of Tupac Shakur, Kanye West‘s innovations, and Dr. Dre‘s genre-defining beats have demonstrated the power of craft.

Likewise, we celebrate the 20 best rappers of all time and dig deep into their tireless careers.

20. Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott, aka Misdemeanor, started her career with an R&B group but later became America’s finest artist.

Her debut studio album, Supa Dupa Fly, was a commercial success, but she got a real breakthrough on the album Da Real World.

Missy earned the Grammy Awards for her consecutive third and fourth albums, later topping Billboard.

Discography

• Supa Dupa Fly (1997)
• Da Real World (1999)
• Miss E… So Addictive (2001)
• Under Construction (2002), and more.

Misdemeanor experimental concepts earned her the ‘First Lady of Hip Hop’ tag and undoubtedly made her a GOAT rapper.

19. Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes, born Trevor Smith Jr., is known for his rapid-fire delivery and authentic tracks.

The rapper’s solo album ‘Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check’ became a hit, pushing the album to gold record status.

He won the Music Video of the Year in 1999 and has been nominated 12 times for the Grammy Awards.

Discography

• The Coming (1996)
• When Disaster Strikes… (1997)
• E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front (1998)
• The Big Bang (2006), and more.

Rhymes’ dynamic style, animated energy, and longevity in the rap scene have earned him a place among the greatest of all time.

18. DMX

‘Ruff Ryders Anthem’ singer Earl Simmons, DMX, was known for his gritty voice and raw delivery in the late 1990s.

DMX had an influential career and earned hardcore followers with his intense and aggressive rapping style.

His debut album, ‘It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot,’ ranked at the top of the Billboard 200 charts and sold over 200k units in the first week.

Discography

• It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998)
• Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1998)
• …(1999)
• The Great Depression (2001), and more.

The rapper holds the record for five consecutive number-1 albums on Billboard and has four Grammy nominations.

Further, his multi-platinum, five #1 albums, and astonishing career graph have helped him rise in the music industry.

17. Scarface

Scarface, a member of the Geto Boys, is undoubtedly one of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time and the finest rapper.

Though Brad Terrence performed for Geto Boys, his solo albums, including The Diary, contributed much to his success.

His breakthrough album “Mr. Scarface Is Back” helped him produce iconic tracks like The Last Day of a Dying Breed and more.

Discography

• Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991)
• The Diary (1994)
• The Fix (2002)
• Deeply Rooted (2015), and more.

Brad was also nominated for the 1995 Soul Train Award for his album ‘The Diary’ in the ‘Best Rap’ category.

Further, his role as a mentor to foster Ludacris’ career has earned him tremendous respect among the audience.

16. LL Cool J

LL Cool J, born James Todd Smith, has been a pioneering figure in the rap scene since 1984.

He achieved commercial success early in his career, and his debut single I Need a Bat, marked his early arrival.

The rapper gave continuous hits for years, and his rampage didn’t stop even after shifting to R&B.

Discography

• Radio (1985)
• Bigger and Deffer (1987)
• Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
• Mr. Smith (1995), and more.

Cool J’s success is visible on his awards cabinet, as he has won two Grammy Awards for musical excellence.

Further, he became the first rapper ever to win Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime contributions to music.

15. Nas

Nasir Jones, aka Nas, is among the iconic artists who rap about his experiences and stories from early life.

Nas has roots linked to East Coast hip hop, and the audience considers him the GOAT for music and culture.

His debut album, Illmatic, is easily one of the most classic hip-hop albums ever.

Discography

• Illmatic (1994)
• It Was Written (1996)
• Stillmatic (2001)
• God’s Son (2002), and more.

Even Billboard has crowned ‘Illmatic’ as the greatest rap album of all time in 2024, marking him as one of the finest rappers in the industry.

Besides this, the New York State Senate honour for his impact on Hip-hop speaks more about his success than anything.

14. J. Cole

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper who is one of the major forces in the present hip-hop industry,

Despite coming from a military family background, his interest in lyricism and storytelling led him to music.

His early mixtapes, including ‘The Warm Up’ and ‘Friday Night Lights,’ earned critical acclaim from the audience.

Discography

• Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011)
• 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)
• KOD (2018)
• The Off-Season (2021), and more.

His career endorses two Grammy Awards, a YouTube Music Award, multiple BET Awards, and many more.

13. André 3000

André 3000, one-half of the legendary duo OutKast, has left an indelible mark on the rap and music industry.

The artist’s breakthrough album came in 2000 as his fourth album ‘Stankonia’ and ‘Ms. Jackson’ hit the ground.

Jackson topped the Billboard Hot 100 ranking and remained one of his most fabulous creations in history books.

Discography

• Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994)
• ATLiens (1996)
• Aquemini (1998)
• Stankonia (2000), and more.

Andre won the Grammy Award multiple times, including other accolades like MTV and Black Reel Awards.

12. Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is a reputed rapper honoured with the Pulitzer Prize for Music 2018.

His cinematic and dazzling form of rap has earned him a great fanbase and he isn’t any less than other modern artists.

Lamar’s early albums, from ‘Overly Dedicated’ to ‘Section 80’, were enough to introduce him to the generational rap scene.

Discography

• Section.80 (2011)
• Good Kid, m.A.A.d City (2012)
• To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
• DAMN. (2017)

Further, his top charting album Damn produced an industrial masterpiece like ‘Humble.’

The rapper has third-most wins of the Grammy Awards, 17 times, 11 MTV awards, 6 Billboard Music Awards, and dozens of BET Hip Hop Awards.

11. Ice Cube

Ice Cube is a founding member of N.W.A. and has had a controversial yet prolific solo rap career.

The American rapper’s decision to join the seminal gangsta rap group earned him a loving audience.

‘The Predator’ is widely considered his breakthrough album, as it charted top and solidified his image as a rap icon.

Discography

• AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)
• Death Certificate (1991)
• The Predator (1992)
• Lethal Injection (1993)

Ice Cube’s cabinet is full of awards and honours, including the MTV Award, BET Award, Soul Train Music Award, and so on.

10. Rakim

Rakim, one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim, is an American superstar and rapper from Long Island, NY.

He is one of the most influential MCs in hip-hop history, widely known for his multisyllabic rhymes and wordplay.

For the first half of his career, Rakim worked with Eric B, released 4 beautiful albums, and later went solo.

Discography

• Paid in Full (1987)
• Follow the Leader (1988)
• The 18th Letter (1997)
• The Master(1999)
• The Seventh Seal (2009), and more.

Rakim’s rapping style became a footprint for artists, securing the reputation of East Coast Hip Hop culture.

His contributions to the rap industry and iconic techniques easily make him one of the best rappers of all time.

9. Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne, aka Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., began his career young and was signed by a label at eleven.

Wayne’s career took off after his debut album, but it took him 5 years to release ‘Tha Carter,’ which solidified his position.

And because of his position in the industry, the audience considers him a GOAT in the rap scene, even at 50.

Discography

• Tha Block Is Hot (1999)
• Tha Carter (2004)
• Tha Carter III (2008)
• Funeral (2020), and more.

Later in his career, he won five Grammys, eleven BET, Four Billboard Music, and Two MTV Video Music Awards.

Lil Wayne’s impact on the rap industry extends beyond music, as he is the true leader of many rappers.

8. Kanye West

Kanye Omari West is an American rapper and pop-culture artist who brought a new style into the music.

His impact on diversifying rap as a modern art form is very high, and he is undoubtedly one of a kind.

Kanye rose to a height as a recording artist in 2004 after dropping ‘The College Dropout’ on the mainstream.

Discography

• The College Dropout (2004)
• Late Registration (2005)
• Graduation (2007)
• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

In his two-decades-long career, he has won 24 Grammys and has been honoured 11 times with BET Awards.

The rapper’s strong position in the industry signifies how deserving he is to fit the list of best rappers of all time.

7. Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, and his laid-back flow and smooth style took him to new heights.

His rapping style emerged in the early 90s, and since then, Snoop has always been a celebrity of celebrities.

Born Calvin Corozar, he made his initial mark in 1993 with his debut album Doggystyle, which topped the Billboard 200.

Discography

• Doggystyle (1993)
• Tha Doggfather (1996)
• R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004)
• Bush (2015)

Snoop has been awarded the American Music Awards, APRA, BET, MTV and Emmy Awards since his early days in 1992.

6. Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre is a pioneering rapper and producer instrumental in the rise of West Coast hip-hop and G-funk.

He began his rap journey and exploration in the mid-1980s with the World Class Wrecking’ Cru.

Later, he took off his solo career in 1992 with his debut single ‘Dep Cover’ and debut album ‘The Chronic.’

Discography

• The Chronic (1992)
• Fuck wit Dre Day (1992)
• Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang (1992)
• 2001 (1999)

During his active years, Dre won Grammys, Soul Train Music, BET, Billboard Music and American Music Awards.

5. Eminem

Born Marshall Mathers, Eminem is known for his complex rhymes, high-speed raps, and controversial lyrics.

Though he is a crucial part of hip-hop at the current time, his transgressive work during the 1990s made him a controversial figure.

However, Eminem’s career peaked in 1999 after joining Dr. Dre and releasing ‘The Slim Shady LP.’

Discography

• The Slim Shady LP (1999)
• The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
• The Eminem Show (2002)
• Kamikaze (2018)

His 12 albums earned him 15 Grammys, 8 American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, an Academy Award and many more.

4. Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham, aka Drake, is a Canadian rapper who came into the industry with a never-leaving intention.

His breakthrough came in 2009 with the release of the hit single ‘Best I Ever Had’, which caught the eyes of mainstream records.

Discography

• Thank Me Later (2010)
• Take Care (2011)
• Nothing Was the Same (2013)
• Views (2016), and so on.

Drake has won 193 awards, including 5 Grammy Awards from 51 nominations and 29 Billboard Music Awards from 81 nominations.

Moreover, he has also been awarded the prestigious Artist of the Decade title, which shows his powerful presence.

3. Jay-Z

Jay-Z, born Shawn Corey Carter, is not only a prolific rapper but also a successful entrepreneur.

He has been in the hip-hop scene since the 1990s and is the undisputable GOAT of all time.

Discography

• Reasonable Doubt (1996)
• The Blueprint (2001)
• The Black Album (2003)
• 4:44 (2017)

He founded the record label Roc-A-Fella Records in 1994 and produced many top-charting albums.

Jay-Z’s first few albums including ‘Reasonable Doubt’ gained high critical acclaim among the audience.

Besides, the artist has won 24 Grammy Awards and the NAACP’s President’s Award, for his historic career.

2. The Notorious B.I.G.

The Notorious B.I.G., aka Christopher George Wallace, debuted in the hip-hop industry during the 1990s.

His debut album studio ‘Ready to Die’ received widespread critical acclaim starting the dominance of his West Coast hip hop.

Discography

• Ready to Die (1994)
• Life After Death (1997)
• Born Again (1999)
• Duets: The Final Chapter (2005)

Chistopher’s success in the industry developed his reputation as a legend in the industry.

With several hit albums to his credit, the artist won several Grammys, MTV Vidoe Music and a couple of Soul Train Awards.

1. Tupac Shakur

Tupac Amaru Shakur, aka 2Pac, was one of the most influential rappers in history and a conscious activist for black Americans.

His tracks tackled contemporary social issues and raised voices for marginalized African Americans.

Shakur’s ‘Me Against the World’ showed how beautiful his raps are and is still one of the most influential tracks in the rap industry.

Discography

• Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993)
• Me Against the World (1995)
• All Eyez on Me (1996)
• The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996), and more.

Throughout his career, he won the American Music Award, the Soul Train Music Award, and seven Grammy Awards.