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What makes some artists stand out from the crowd? Find out who tops the charts of music rappers below.
As the popularity of rap continues to rise, even non-hipsters are becoming aware of the genre.
Jay Z
He’s been a major player in hip-hop for over two decades. He has sold more than 40 million records worldwide. Jay Z is often credited with giving the genre its mainstream appeal.
The rapper/businessman has four number-one albums (Reasonable Doubt, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, King Of New York, Kingdom Come), seven Grammy nominations and an Academy Award nomination.
His latest album American Gangster debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart in February 2008.
Eminem
This Detroit native is arguably one of the most influential figures in hip-hop history. He was the first rapper inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and his 1999 mega-hit Slim Shady LP went five times platinum.
Two years later he won the Best Rap Album Grammy for The Marshall Mathers LP. In 2002, he helped raise $ 2.5 million for victims of Hurricane Katrina after appearing as a volunteer EMT in Louisiana.
50 Cent
Before launching successful solo careers, in both G-Unit and Murder Inc., 50 Cent had a long career working with other up-and-coming stars including Nas, Ja Rule, Lloyd Banks and Young Jeezy.
In 2005, he co-founded SMS Audio LLC with his friend Dr Dre, focusing on headphones and speakers.
Their first product was the Beats by Dr Dre line of studio headphones that have since become ubiquitous among musicians, actors, athletes, and others.
Kendrick Lamar
A member of the rap group Compton’s Most Wanted, K Dot released good kid, m.A.A.d city in 2009 to critical acclaim.
It featured the Grammy-nominated single “Don’t Keep Them Separate” featuring Rihanna. This also included guest appearances from John Legend, Andre 3000, Pusha T and Schoolboy Q.
His debut album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City reached number two on the US Billboard 200 Chart. Moreover, he produced the singles “Swimming Pools (Drank),” “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” “Momma Knows Best” and “Poetic Justice.”
Kanye West
Originally signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, he achieved fame and fortune when he released his critically acclaimed debut album Late Registration.
The album marked an innovative shift towards a more polished style and earned him comparisons to Michael Jackson and Prince.
After abandoning Roc-A-Fello, he formed GOOD Music with Alicia Keys. Although he didn’t release much music while under contract with Roc-A-Fellas, he did collaborate with Jay-Z on their collaboration Watch the Throne project.
Drake
Canadian rapper Drake began releasing songs independently in 2010 before signing to OVO Sound Recordings in 2011.
The following year saw the release of his critically acclaimed major label debut Thank Me Later.
This spawned several hit singles including “Best I Ever Had”, “One Dance”, and “With You”. He then released Take Care in 2013 to rave reviews.
Chance The Rapper
Chicago-born Chancelor Bennett made his musical debut in 2007 as a founding member of the no-wave band Chilly Gonzales alongside fellow singer-songwriters Vic Mensa and BVNSCH.
Following the disbandment of Chilly Gonzales in 2011 he moved back home to Chicago where he worked odd jobs and developed his distinct sound.
In 2014, Chance teamed up with producer/rapper Francis and songwriter Bruno Mars for “Uptown Funk”. This went on to win multiple awards.
The awards included the Record of the Year and Song of the Summer at the 2015 MTV VMAs. In 2016 Chance won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Coloring Book.
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III grew up in suburban Detroit, Michigan where his father was a truck driver and his mother worked at a local hospital.
As a teenager, he joined a gang called the Disciples who often got into fights with members of another gang known as the Crips. He dropped out of school after being expelled twice for fighting.
At age 16, he married his teenage girlfriend, Kim; by this point, he had already begun writing rhyme schemes and recording freestyle raps over beat tapes. In 1997, he relocated to Los Angeles where he befriended Dr Dre, eventually becoming one half of the production duo Xzibit.
After Dre left Death Row Records, he and Emmett till both signed with Shady Records and changed their names to Eminem and D12 respectively. Their first official album, Infinite, was released in 2002 and contained the single “Without Me.”
Conclusion
The list above shows that many talented music rappers are coming from America.
From rap to pop, these top American hip-hop musicians are sure to make you listen and fall in love with music.