Famous Black Rappers

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

Vote for Your Favourite Rappers
( 100 Greatest Artists of All Time by Rolling Stone)

Birthdate: June 16, 1971
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: September 13, 1996

Tupac Amaru Shakur, popularly known as 2Pac or Makaveli, is considered as one of the greatest American rappers of all time. Talent and trouble went hand in hand in Shakur’s journey to fame; the higher Shakur rose in his iconic status, the deeper he became entangled in gang violence and an infamous rivalry, which sadly led to his untimely demise.

Birthdate: December 2, 1998
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: December 8, 2019

Rapper Juice Wrld is best remembered for his tracks Lucid Dreams and All Girls Are the Same. He was also part of the collective Internet Money. He died due to a drug-induced seizure at the age of 21. His posthumous album Legends Never Die topped the Billboard 200 chart.

(One of the Best-Selling Music Artists With the Most Top 10 Singles on the Billboard Hot 100)

Birthdate: October 24, 1986
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada

Drake soared to fame with his performance as Jimmy Brooks in the series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He then became a rap sensation with his platinum album Thank Me Later and his Grammy-winning quadruple platinum album Take Care. His track In My Feelings went viral with the global Kiki Challenge.

(Trinidadian-born Hip-Hop Artist)

Birthdate: December 8, 1982
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Amongst the most influential female rap artists of all time and one of the bestselling artists, Nicki Minaj came to limelight after her collaborations with Dirty Money Record and Young Money Entertainment. With subsequent release of her four albums, Minaj firmly established herself as a chart-topping artist. The Queen of Rap has also dabbled in acting and ventured into business.

(Rapper Known as the ‘Godfather of Gangsta Rap’)

Birthdate: September 7, 1964
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Compton, California, United States
Died: March 26, 1995

Widely regarded as the godfather of gangsta rap, Eazy-E was a rapper and record producer. He played a major role in popularizing gangsta rap and West Coast rap by forming N.W.A, which is considered one of the most influential and greatest hip hop groups of all time. Eazy-E died at the age of 30 after being diagnosed with AIDS.

(One of the Greatest Rappers of All Time)

Birthdate: May 21, 1972
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: March 9, 1997

The Notorious B.I.G. was a rapper and songwriter and is considered one of the best ever. His debut album Ready to Die in 1994 was critically acclaimed. He was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles in September 1996. His album Life After Death was released two weeks after his death.

(One of the Most Influential Hip-Hop Artists in History)

Birthdate: December 4, 1969
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Jay-Z is an American rapper and songwriter and is one of the world’s best-selling music artists. His debut album Reasonable Doubt was hugely successful in 1996 and since then he has gone on to release many more acclaimed and successful albums. He has been charged with assaulting a record executive and was given a three-year probation sentence in January 2000.

(Rapper Known for His Debut Single “Money Longer”)

Birthdate: July 31, 1995
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Lil Uzi Vert is an American rapper whose music is defined by dark subject matters, which complements his androgynous fashion, eccentric hairstyles, facial piercings, and face tattoos. Lil Uzi Vert has often courted controversy by saying phrases associated with Satanism and adding satanic imagery to his Instagram account. He has also been accused of worshipping Satan.

(Singer-Rapper Known for His Songs ‘Black and Yellow’, ‘See You Again’ and ‘Say Yeah’)

Birthdate: September 8, 1987
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Minot, North Dakota, United States

Rapper Wiz Khalifa shot to fame with his Billboard-topping track Black and Yellow. His single See You Again was part of the soundtrack of Furious 7 and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 weeks. The Grammy-nominated artist is a supporter of cannabis usage and a martial arts enthusiast.

(One of the Most Influential and Greatest Rappers of All Time)

Birthdate: September 14, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Crown Heights, New York, United States

Widely considered one of the greatest rappers ever, Nas has seven platinum and multi-platinum albums under his belt in the US. In 2006, he was ranked fifth on MTV’s The Greatest MCs of All Time list. In 2012, he was ranked second on the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time list published by The Source. He is also an entrepreneur.

(Rapper who Rose to Fame with His Debut Mixtape ‘A Kid Named Cudi’)

Birthdate: January 30, 1984
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Grammy-winning rapper Kid Cudi first came into public consciousness with his mixtape that made Kanye West sign him to his label. Kid delivered a double-platinum debut album, formed the band WZRD, and sold 16 million records in the U.S. He has also dabbled in acting and now owns a label.

(Rapper, Record Producer, and Actor Who is One of the Highest Selling Hip-Hop Artists of All Time)

Birthdate: September 25, 1980
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Rapper T.I., also known as TIP, is one of the pioneers of trap music. The three-time Grammy-winner owns a music label and has seven “Top 5” Billboard 200 albums. He has starred in his own reality series, has written two novels, and has appeared in films such as Ant-Man.

André 3000

Birthdate: May 27, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
(Rapper & Actor)

Birthdate: September 25, 1983
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: California, United States

The actor, rapper, writer and director, Donald Glover Jr became famous after playing the role of a college student In the sitcom, Community, from 2009 to 2013. He also stars in the FX series Atlanta. He has also acted in a number of commercially successful films. His albums have done well and he won a Grammy award for the single Redbone.

(First Gay Artist To Have #1 Record on Billboard Hot 100)

Birthdate: April 9, 1999
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Lithia Springs, Georgia, United States

Montero Lamar Hill, better known as Lil Nas X, soared to fame with his US Billboard Hot 100 charter country rap track Old Town Road. The gay singer initially became viral for his comedy videos on Facebook and Vine and then soared to fame on Spotify.

(American rapper closely associated with Brooklyn drill)

Birthdate: July 20, 1999
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Canarsie, New York, United States
Died: February 19, 2020
(The Second Female Rapper to Win Best New Artist at the Grammy’s)

Birthdate: February 15, 1995
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, United States

An American rapper, singer, and songwriter, Megan Thee Stallion began rapping while she was still in her teens and used digital media platforms to promote her work. Her talent was appreciated by both fans and record labels and she eventually became the first female rapper to be signed by the American record label 300 Entertainment.

Birthdate: August 15, 1985
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Los Angeles
Died: March 31, 2019

Nipsey Hussle was an American rapper who left behind quite a legacy when he was fatally shot at the age of 33. His death was met with a strong artistic response as more than 50 murals dedicated to him were painted in Los Angeles alone within a few months after his death. As a rapper and activist, Hussle influenced several youngsters.

Birthdate: October 22, 1992
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Newham, London, England

An influential rapper, 21 Savage’s Guns Down, Paintballs Up movement, which he reportedly started to reduce gun violence, gave rise to many incidents involving paintball guns. Also a philanthropist, Savage created the 21 Savage Bank Account Campaign to help kids learn how to make and save money. In 2018, he donated $10,000 to fund an anti-bullying campaign in school.

(Member of The Hip-Hop Collective ‘A$AP Mob’)

Birthdate: October 3, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Harlem, New York, United States

Rapper ASAP Rocky gained fame with his debut mixtape, LiveLoveA$AP. He released two consecutive Billboard 200-topping albums, Long. Live. ASAP and At. Long. Last. A$AP. Fans loved his Grammy-nominated single Fuckin’ Problems. He also produces using the pseudonym Lord Flacko and is part of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob.