If you want to trace the roots of good old hip-hop, you must travel back to the harlequin era of the 1970s. Only then will you be able to find its beginnings. Hip-hop was slowly becoming a thing at the same time when disco was on the rise, and you don’t need us to tell you that it was fire because you already know it.
An infinite number of top rappers right now have contributed their ability to hip-hop and topped the charts. Still, only a select handful of today’s rappers have achieved the status of hip-hop legends throughout history.
Now we’ll take you on a trip today on the hip-hop trending rappers that changed the course of music history by winning accolades, shattering radio records, selling out stadiums, or dominating nightclubs.
- Drake
Who has had the most influence on rap? Drake’s dominance in the hip-hop world is not doubted. He has several No. 1 albums to his credit, outselling legendary musicians like Eminem, Tupac, and Jay-Z in terms of album sales. Drake’s ascent to fame began when he was just 14 years old. The Canadian adolescent drama Degrassi cast the unlikely rapper as Jimmy Brooks, a popular eighth-grader and basketball player, in 2001.
He played the part for eight seasons until leaving the program in 2008. Due to the success of its main track, “Best I Ever Had,” was nominated for two Grammy Awards: Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song. He became one of the most trending rappers of the age because of the success of his albums like Thank Me Later, Take Care, and If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late, which broke Spotify’s streaming records and sold like hotcakes.
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- 21 Savage
Rapper 21 Savage, aka Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, born on October 22, 1992, is located in Atlanta, Georgia. After many mixtape releases, 21 Savage could immediately show off his ability. People were instantly drawn to his work after seeing his brilliance. In 2016, it was clear that his efforts had paid off when his EP Savage Mode debuted in the Billboard Top 200. He was a member of the 2016 XXL Freshman class.
He had three songs with double platinum sales, two projects with gold certification, and a hit single. Even though Savage has attempted to cope with popularity by reducing his social media use, his silent intensity, prior street stories, and the enormous, crucifix-like dagger tattooed between his eyes have given him a certain notoriety among the general public. He is indeed one of the top rappers right now.
- Missy Elliott
Male rappers dominated hip-hop by the 1990s. Rappers like MC Sha-Rock and Lil’ Kim paved the way for women in hip-hop culture, but Missy Elliott showed they belonged there too. With her first album, Supa Dupa Fly, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was the highest-charting debut for a female rapper, she embarked on her career path in 1997.
She has over 30 million album sales in the US and four Grammy awards. She now holds the record for most albums sold by a female rapper in Nielsen Music history. Trending rappers like Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, and other female rappers have benefited from Elliott’s pioneering work.
- Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash is credited with helping pioneer hip-hop DJing. While Grandmaster Flash was perfecting the scratching technique invented by Grand Wizzard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash also developed the backspin technique and the punch phrasing. 1978 saw the birth of his band, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, which had its beginnings in the South Bronx. Melle Mel, The Kidd Creole, Keef Cowboy, Scorpio, and Rahiem were all members of this collective.
The hip-hop band started performing at house parties in the neighborhood, eventually moving on to playing in venues and further afield. They inked a deal with Sugar Hill Records two years after the band’s formation. After that, the band released an album called “The Message,” which became a commercial hit due to its political and social commentary. You can check VPN reviews if suddenly this album isn’t available for your listening.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five are widely regarded as one of the most influential groups in hip-hop history. They were the first hip-hop group to win the distinction and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
- Young Thug
One of the top rappers right now, Young Thug, has been criticized for straying from conventional rap lyrics and sometimes having clear meaning. The rapper is popular with his many productions, which include Barter 6, Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1, 1017 Thug, Slime Season 2, and Beautiful Thugger Girls.
He collaborated with J. Cole and Travis Scott on the song “The London,” which he released in 2019 as he was ready to release his first album, So Much Fun, on the rapper’s birthday, August 16. It became Young Thug’s first US number-one album with its top-of-the-chart debut on the Billboard 200. In 2020, he planned to complete a follow-up project.