53 Pop rappers

Clifford Ian Simpson, well known by his stage name Kevin Abstract, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and director, and is a founding member of Brockhampton. Abstract released his debut album, MTV1987, in 2014, and received attention from a number of major music blogs and magazine publications. His second album, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story, was released in November 2016, and his third, Arizona Baby, was released in April 2019.

Ashton Nicole Casey, better known as Ashnikko, is American singer, songwriter, and rapper. She rose to prominence with her 2019 single "Stupid" with Yung Baby Tate, which gained viral popularity on the video-sharing platform TikTok and was certified gold in the United States and Canada. Preceded by the singles "Cry" and "Daisy", Ashnikko's debut mixtape, Demidevil, is scheduled for release on February 19, 2021.

Amethyst Amelia Kelly, known by her stage name Iggy Azalea, is an Australian rapper and former model. At the age of 16, Azalea moved to the United States from Sydney, Australia to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognition after releasing the music videos for her songs "Pussy" and "Two Times" on YouTube, both of which gained rapid popularity. Azalea signed a recording contract with American rapper T.I.'s label Grand Hustle shortly afterward and released her debut mixtape, Ignorant Art (2011).

Rebbeca Marie Gomez, also known as Becky G, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Gomez first gained recognition in 2011 when she began posting videos of herself covering popular songs online. One of her videos caught the attention of producer Dr. Luke, who subsequently offered her a joint record deal with Kemosabe Records and RCA Records. While working on her debut effort, Gomez collaborated with artists will.i.am, Cody Simpson and Cher Lloyd. Her official debut single, "Becky from the Block" (2013), received a positive reception upon its release. She released her debut extended play, Play It Again (2013), later that same year. Her second single, "Can't Get Enough" (2014), featured guest vocals from Pitbull and went on to top the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart in the United States.

Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper, record producer, and conspiracy theorist from Decatur, Georgia. In 2006, B.o.B was discovered by Brian Richardson, who then introduced him to TJ Chapman, who subsequently brought him to American record producer Jim Jonsin. After hearing his music, Jonsin signed B.o.B to his Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint. Two years later, Jonsin and B.o.B signed a joint venture deal, with Atlantic Records and American rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records.

Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. Born in Tappahannock, Virginia, he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age. Having signed with Jive Records in 2004, Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year, which became certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Brooke Dyan Candy is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, director, and fashion stylist. Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, daughter of Tom Candy, former CFO for Hustler Magazine, Brooke rose to prominence after starring in Grimes' music video for "Genesis" (2012), which went viral online. Following its success, Candy's status in the underground scene rose as she began to release her own material: "Das Me" (2012), "Everybody Does" (2013), and "I Wanna Fuck Right Now" (2013). In 2014, she signed with RCA and released her debut major label single, "Opulence", with an accompanying EP of the same name on May 6, 2014. Later, she joined Columbia's UK roster. Both are divisions of Sony Music.

John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television presenter. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is currently signed to the WWE on a part-time deal, is the current host of Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? on Nickelodeon and has starred in various films.

Howard Bailey Jr., known professionally as Chingy, is an American hip hop recording artist, record producer and actor. Chingy grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and began rapping in his late teens. He toured as an opening act with Nelly in the summer of 2002 and then became a protégé of Ludacris, who signed him to his newly formed Disturbing Tha Peace (DTP) record label. The rapper's 2003 summer debut single, "Right Thurr", put him on the musical map as a good-time rapper who specialized in catchy, club-friendly beats and simplistic lyrics delivered in a sing-song, nursery rhyme style.

Sean John Combs, also known by the stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and actor. Combs was born in New York City but was raised in Mount Vernon, New York. He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, in 1993.

Carlo Christopher Waibel Simon, better known by his stage name Cro, is a German musician, artist, fashion designer, director and producer. He was represented by Chimperator Productions until July 2018. He describes his music as a mixture between rap and pop, which he calls "raop".

Jeffery Lee Johnson Jr., better known by his stage names Roscoe Dash, is an American hip hop rapper, singer and record producer. He is best known for his debut single "All the Way Turnt Up", which reached number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. He is also known for featuring on "No Hands" by Waka Flocka Flame the same year, and "Marvin & Chardonnay" by Big Sean in 2011, both reaching 13 and 32 respectively on the Billboard Charts. Roscoe also has numerous accolades as a songwriter, working with some of the industry's top talent.

Devin Star Tailes, better known as Dev, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, model and radio host. She was discovered by The Cataracs and record label Indie-Pop via Myspace after Dev's friend Shane Crislip posted a video of her singing. Dev's song "Booty Bounce" was sampled in Far East Movement's hit single "Like a G6", which reached number one in the US and sold over four million downloads in the country.

Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, known professionally as Doja Cat, is an American singer, rapper and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song "So High" caught the attention of Kemosabe Records and RCA Records where she signed a joint record deal at the age of 17, subsequently releasing her debut EP Purrr! in 2014.

Aubrey Drake Graham is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur. A prominent figure in popular music, Drake is credited for popularizing the Toronto sound. He first gained recognition as an actor on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-2007); intent on pursuing a career in music, he left the series after releasing his debut mixtape Room for Improvement. He released two more independent projects, Comeback Season and So Far Gone, before signing to Young Money Entertainment.

Fergie Duhamel is an American singer and songwriter. She first achieved chart success as part of the hip hop group the Black Eyed Peas. Her debut solo album, The Dutchess (2006), saw commercial success and spawned three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles: "London Bridge", "Glamorous", and "Big Girls Don't Cry". Although she vocally incorporates rapping into her performances, she does not consider herself a rapper.

Tramar Lacel Dillard, better known by his stage name Flo Rida, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Carol City, Florida. His 2007 breakout single "Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital download sales at the time of its release.

Georgia Rose Harriet Barnes, known mononymously as Georgia, is an English record producer, songwriter, singer, rapper and drummer. The daughter of Leftfield cofounder Neil Barnes, Georgia began her music career as a drummer for artists such as Kwes and Kate Tempest. She began her career as a singer and record producer with the release of her debut studio album Georgia (2015). Her second studio album Seeking Thrills was released in January 2020.

Dalibor Andonov, known professionally as Gru, was a Serbian rapper, musician and DJ. His song Biću tu from the 1996 album Gru 2, gained him popularity in Eastern Europe, as well as the 2010 release I dalje me žele alongside Serbian rapper Ajs Nigrutin. His album Gru 2 is the most commercially successful album in Serbia, selling four million copies, and reaching certified gold status in Serbia. Other than his immense popularity in the Balkans, he is well known in other countries of Eastern and Northern Europe. He has been dubbed The Serbian Rap Machine.

Stanley Kirk Burrell, better known by his stage name MC Hammer, is an American rapper, dancer, record producer and entrepreneur who had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the early 1990s. Remembered for his rapid rise to fame, Hammer is known for hit records, flashy dance movements, choreography and eponymous Hammer pants.

Amy Renee Noonan, known by her stage name Qveen Herby, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. She first gained fame as part of the music duo Karmin, with whom she released two studio albums. Following the duo's hiatus in 2017, she began the solo project Qveen Herby, which incorporated R&B and hip hop influences. She released her first solo extended play, EP 1 on June 2, 2017, preceded by the single "Busta Rhymes".

Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, and actor.

Nel Ust Wyclef Jean is a Haitian rapper, musician and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees. Jean has won three Grammy Awards for his musical work.

Kesha Rose Sebert is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on American rapper Flo Rida's number-one single "Right Round".

Cameron Jibril Thomaz, better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. His Eurodance-influenced single, "Say Yeah", received urban radio airplay, charting on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts in 2008, becoming his first minor hit.

David Andrew Burd, better known by his stage name Lil Dicky, is an American rapper and comedian. He came to prominence with the release of the music video of his song "Ex-Boyfriend" on April 25, 2013, which became popular with more than one million views on YouTube in 24 hours. He released his debut album Professional Rapper on July 31, 2015. In 2018, his song "Freaky Friday", featuring Chris Brown, became a worldwide hit. He also gained attention for his 2019 music video "Earth", which featured many singers and actors including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Kevin Hart, Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Katy Perry, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The song was made to raise awareness about the environment, pollution, and climate change. Burd stated that a portion of the song's proceeds are being donated to a variety of environmental charities.

Niatia Jessica Kirkland, better known by her stage name Lil Mama, is an American rapper, singer, actress and television personality from Brooklyn, New York and Harlem, New York. She experienced top 10 Billboard placements at seventeen with her debut album VYP which debuted at #25 on the Billboard 200. The album spawned her four major singles including her staple song and dance anthem "Lip Gloss", earning her two Teen Choice Awards and Monster Single of the Year nominations at the MTV VMA's. Lil Mama gained further attention in Pop music after a collaboration with Avril Lavigne, for the remix of her hit single "Girlfriend”.

Kimetrius Christopher Foose, better known by his stage name Lil Skies, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, signed to All We Got Entertainment through Atlantic Records. He is of African-American descent. His top three highest charting tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 are "I", "Nowadays", and "Red Roses". His major label debut mixtape, Life of a Dark Rose, was released on January 10, 2018 and peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. The mixtape was certified Platinum by the RIAA on February 7, 2020. He released his debut studio album, Shelby, on March 1, 2019.

James Todd Smith, better known by his stage name LL Cool J, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, author, and entrepreneur from Queens, New York. With the breakthrough success of his hit single "I Need a Beat" and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became an early hip-hop act to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-DMC.

Cher Lloyd is an English singer, songwriter, rapper, and model. She finished fourth place in the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010. Following the seventh series finale, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music. Her debut single, "Swagger Jagger", was released in July 2011 and entered at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Lloyd’s second single, "With Ur Love" featuring Mike Posner, was released on 31 October 2011, and peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart. Her debut album, Sticks and Stones, had two releases: its standard edition and a US version. The album peaked at number four on the UK Albums Chart while the latter version debuted at number nine in the US Billboard 200. Lloyd signed to US record label Epic Records in 2011.

Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, known by his stage name Macklemore, is an American rapper and songwriter. A native of Seattle, Washington, he has collaborated with producer Ryan Lewis as the duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. His releases to date include one mixtape, three EPs, and four albums.

Austin Richard Post, known professionally as Post Malone, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his introspective songwriting and laconic vocal style, Malone has gained acclaim for bending a range of genres including hip hop, R&B, pop, trap, rap rock, and cloud rap. He first attained recognition in 2015 following the release of his debut single "White Iverson". He subsequently signed a recording contract with Republic Records.

Travis Lazarus "Travie" McCoy is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is the co-founder and former lead vocalist of the rap rock band Gym Class Heroes, in addition to having a solo career. McCoy became involved with punk rock scenes as a teenager. He formed the band Gym Class Heroes with childhood friend Matt McGinley, and after several line-up changes, the group was signed to Fueled by Ramen which released their debut album.

Jacob Harris "Jake" Miller is an American singer, songwriter and rapper from Weston, Florida. On November 5, 2013, Miller released his debut album Us Against Them, and subsequently embarked on a nationwide concert tour in support of the album. On August 19, 2016, the same day as he began as the support act for Fifth Harmony's The 7/27 Tour, Miller's 7-song EP titled Overnight was released. He later released his second album, 2:00am in LA, as an independent artist in 2017. He released his third album called Silver Lining on March 9, 2018. He released his EP Based on a True Story, on March 29, 2019, which he largely produced in his own bedroom.

Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Born in the Saint James district of Port of Spain and raised in the Queens borough of New York City, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over (2007), Sucka Free (2008), and Beam Me Up Scotty (2009).

Priscilla Star Diaz, known by her stage name MISSPSTAR, formerly known as P-Star, is an American rapper, dancer, model, singer, actress, director, and disc jockey. Diaz is best known for her role as Jessica Ruiz in the 2009 version of The Electric Company and as the focus of the PBS Independent Lens documentary P-Star Rising.

Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, investor, and occasional actor from St. Louis, Missouri. Nelly embarked on his music career with Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in the year 2000, with his debut album Country Grammar, of which the featured title-track and the single "Ride wit Me" were top ten hits. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to peak at number one. Country Grammar is Nelly's best-selling album to date, selling over 8.4 million copies in the United States. His following album, Nellyville, produced the number-one hits "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma". Other singles included "Work It", "Air Force Ones", "Pimp Juice" and "#1".

Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul, better known mononymously as Nichkhun, is a Thai American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and model who is currently based in South Korea as a member of the South Korean boy band 2PM.

Armando Christian Pérez, known professionally by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, brand ambassador, and philanthropist. Pérez began his career in the early 2000s, recording reggaeton, Latin hip hop, and crunk music under a multitude of labels. In 2004, he released his debut album M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records and the executive production of Lil Jon. Pitbull later released his second album El Mariel, in 2006 and his third, The Boatlift, in 2007. His fourth album, Rebelution (2009), included his breakthrough hit single "I Know You Want Me ", which peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart.

Rae Sremmurd is an American hip hop duo originating from Tupelo, Mississippi formed by two brothers, Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee. In 2013, they signed a record deal with Mike Will Made It's EarDrummers imprint. In January 2015, the duo released their debut album SremmLife, which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In August 2016, the duo released their second album, SremmLife 2. During that same year, the duo also created their own record label, called SremmLife Crew Records. The duo is best known for their single "Black Beatles" from SremmLife 2, which topped the US Billboard Hot 100, while also charting internationally in the top ten in many countries. The duo also released other platinum-certified singles such as "No Type", "No Flex Zone" and "Swang". Their third studio album, SR3MM was released on May 4, 2018, and served as a triple-album.

Stephen Kendal Gordy, better known by his stage name Redfoo, is an American rapper, singer, composer, dancer, record producer and DJ best known for being part of the musical duo LMFAO, and for their hit song, "Party Rock Anthem". Redfoo formed the duo with his nephew, Sky Blu, in 2006. They released two studio albums before Redfoo went solo in 2013. He is the youngest son of Berry Gordy Jr, the founder of Motown Record Corporation.

Maxence Boitez, better known by his artistic name Ridsa stylized as RIDSA is a French rapper and singer of Spanish descent.

Skyler Austen Gordy, better known by his stage name Sky Blu, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, DJ and dancer best known as one half of the musical duo LMFAO, with the hit song "Party Rock Anthem". He formed the duo with his paternal uncle, Redfoo, and released two albums together, 2009's Party Rock and 2011's Sorry for Party Rocking. Gordy is the grandson of Motown founder Berry Gordy. He is the son of Berry Gordy IV and Valerie Robeson. He is the brother of DJ and singer Mahogany "Lox" Cheyenne Gordy.

Willard Carroll Smith Jr. is an American actor, producer and rapper. In April 2007, Newsweek called him "the most powerful actor in Hollywood". Smith has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, and has won four Grammy Awards.

DeAndre Cortez Way, better known as Soulja Boy Tell 'Em or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, streamer and entrepreneur. In September 2007, his debut single "Crank That " peaked at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published to the internet, and later became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007. On August 17, Way was listed at number 18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010 for earning $7 million that year.

Timothy Zachary Mosley, known professionally by his stage name Timbaland, is an American musician, DJ, record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive.

Faheem Rasheed Najm, better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and streamer. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second album Epiphany, which reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. His third album, Thr33 Ringz, was released in 2008. The albums included a string of hit singles, including "I'm Sprung", "I'm 'n Luv ", "Buy U a Drank ", "Bartender", "Can't Believe It", and "5 O'Clock", among others. T-Pain has earned two Grammy Awards, alongside artists Kanye West and Jamie Foxx respectively.

Robert Matthew Van Winkle, better known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in South Dallas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Ice released his debut album, Hooked, in 1989 on Ichiban Records, before signing a contract with SBK Records, a record label of the EMI Group, which released a reformatted version of the album in 1990 under the title To the Extreme, which contained Ice's best-known hits: "Ice Ice Baby" and a cover of "Play That Funky Music". "Ice Ice Baby" was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard charts.

Willie Junior Maxwell II, better known by his stage name Fetty Wap, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to prominence after his debut single "Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015. This helped Maxwell secure a record deal with 300 Entertainment, and eventually Atlantic Records. He subsequently released two Top 10 singles in the U.S., "679" and "My Way". Both were featured on Fetty Wap's eponymously titled debut album, released in September 2015 and peaking atop the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

William James Adams Jr., better known by his stage name will.i.am, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, television personality and actor. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas.

Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez, known professionally as Daddy Yankee, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer. Ayala was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, and was raised in the Villa Kennedy Housing Projects neighborhood. Daddy Yankee is the artist who coined the word Reggaeton in 1994 to describe the new music genre that was emerging from Puerto Rico that synthesized hip-hop, Latin Caribbean music, and reggae rhythms with Spanish rapping and singing. He is known as the "King of Reggaetón" by music critics and fans alike. Daddy Yankee is often cited as an influence by other Latin urban performers.

Marvin Young, better known by his stage name Young M.C., is a British-born American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit "Bust a Move". His debut album Stone Cold Rhymin' found international acclaim; however, subsequent albums have not reached the same level of success. Young has also appeared in film in acting roles and cameo appearances and has appeared in several television programs.

Jeffery Lamar Williams, known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be one of the most influential rappers of his generation, with his music having heavily shaped contemporary trap music and inspired numerous artists. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he first received attention for his collaborations with rappers Birdman and Gucci Mane. Thug initially released a series of independent mixtapes beginning in 2011 with I Came from Nothing. In early 2013, he signed with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records, and later that year he released his label debut mixtape 1017 Thug to critical praise.