14 Best Detroit Rappers To Listen To Right Now
We list some of the best Detroit rappers to come out of The Motor City. Many of them have enjoyed much national prominence. Eminem is one of those rappers who has been a pivotal figure within Detroit, energizing the local hip-hop scene over the years. However, the young crop of artists are gifted MCs as well, crafting catchy lyrics with melodious hooks, and showcasing what the city of Detroit has to offer when it comes to hip hop.
Best Detroit Rappers To Listen To Right Now
1. EMINEM
Eminem is known as one of the most-controversial and best-selling artists of the early 21st century. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade and worked odd jobs until finally making it as a rapper upon the release of The Slim Shady LP in early 1999. The album went multi-platinum, garnering Eminem two Grammy Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards. One of the best-selling white rappers of all time, Eminem has won numerous awards, including at least 15 Grammy Awards.
- Real name: Marshall Bruce Mathers III
- Born: October 17, 1972 (St. Joseph, Missouri)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 53 million
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- A History of Eminem’s Beefs, From Machine Gun Kelly & Mariah Carey to Joe Budden & Ja Rule
- Eminem’s Insane Real-Life Story
- 5 Controversial Things Eminem Has Said – And Why People Love Or Hate Him For It
2. Big Sean
Big Sean is among the few Detroit rappers who are super talented. In 2005 he met West at a radio station, and after being impressed with Sean’s obvious talents he signed him in 2007. His debut album, Finally Famous, was released in June 2011 and featured guest appearances from hip hop superstars Kanye West, Chris Brown, Pharrell Williams, The-Dream, Wiz Khalifa, and Lupe Fiasco. His fourth album, I Decided (2017), contained “Bounce Back”, his highest-charting US single, while his fifth album Detroit 2 (2020) was his third consecutive platinum album.
- Real name: Sean Michael Leonard Anderson
- Born: March 25, 1988 (Santa Monica, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 20 million
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Read more:
- How Big Sean Rediscovered His Passion And Defined His Purpose
- Big Sean says Kanye West owes him MILLIONS
3. 42 Dugg
Detroit rapper 42 Dugg found his calling during an especially dark time locked up. While in solitary confinement, he began writing rhymes to keep his grip on sanity, and once free, he began pursuing music full-time. He is best known for his collaborations with rapper Lil Baby, including “Grace” and “We Paid”, the latter becoming his first top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Real name: Dion Marquise Hayes
- Born: November 25, 1995 (Detroit, Michigan)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 6.8 million
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Read more:
- How 42 Dugg Went From Solitary to Rap Star
- Detroit Rapper 42 Dugg Arrested, Claimed He Was Sovereign Citizen Immune to Federal Laws
4. Obie Trice
Obie Trice started his passion as a rapper at a young age. He was given a karaoke machine by his mother when he was eleven and he used it to rhyme over instrumentals from artists such as N.W.A. By the age of fourteen, he was attending rap battle spots around Detroit, notably including the Hip Hop Shop. He released the albums Cheers (2003) and Second Round’s on Me (2006).
- Real name: Obie Trice III
- Born: November 14, 1977 (Detroit, Michigan)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 2.4 million
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5. Danny Brown
Danny Brown is an unconventional hip-hop artist who employs multiple flows and cadences, thus the moniker “The Hybrid”. His lyrics often deal with the truth of living in Detroit: poverty, drug abuse, desperate circumstances, etc. and his own experiences in the motor city, from selling drugs to underground parties in Detroit’s rave scene. He is known for juxtaposing those topics with a humorous narrative told ferociously over avant-garde production choices. His third studio album, Old, was released in 2013 to mass critical acclaim.
- Real name: Daniel Dewan Sewell
- Born: March 16, 1981 (Detroit, Michigan)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1.3 million
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Read more:
- Danny Brown is tired of you putting him in a box
- Celebrating A Brilliant, Bizarre Decade Of Danny Brown
6. J. Dilla
J. Dilla‘s family musical lineage was strong; mother Maureen was an opera and classical music enthusiast and father Beverly a bassist, vocalist, and 25-year performance and recording veteran. The music producer and rapper emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene as a member of Slum Village. Yancey worked as a record producer for acts including A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Common, De La Soul, and The Pharcyde. Often heralded as one of the greatest hip hop music record producers of all time, J. Dilla is known for his eclectic method of production and consistent advancements in his style. However, around 2005, news from publications confirmed rumors of ill health and hospitalization about J. Dilla during this period. The seriousness of his condition became public in November 2005 when he toured Europe performing from a wheelchair. It was later revealed that he suffered from thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (a rare blood disease), and lupus. J. Dilla died on February 10, 2006, at his home in Los Angeles, California, three days after his 32nd birthday and the release of his final album, Donuts.
- Real name: James Dewitt Yancey
- Born: February 7, 1974(Detroit, Michigan)
- Died: February 10, 2006 (Los Angeles, California)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1.2 million
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Read more:
- Pitchfork: Dilla Time Dives Into the Life and Legacy of a Hip-Hop Genius
- The Evolution of J Dilla
- D is for Dilla: the life and legacy of a hip-hop phenomenon
7. Royce Da 5’9″
Since beginning his professional solo career in 1998, Royce Da 5’9″ is perhaps best known for his longtime association with Eminem. He has worked extensively with DJ Premier and Carlos “6 July” Broady and has ghostwritten for the likes of Sean Combs and Dr. Dre. Royce is one-half of the duos Bad Meets Evil alongside Eminem and PRhyme alongside DJ Premier, and one-quarter of Slaughterhouse. The name “Royce” came from his R shaped Turkish link chain which was said to have resembled a Rolls Royce logo. During high school Royce was one of the shortest players on his basketball team, standing 5′9” at age 18.
- Real name: Ryan Daniel Montgomery
- Born: Detroit, Michigan
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1 million
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Read more:
- Royce da 5’9 is Taking Ownership
- Royce Da 5’9” on sobriety, boxing and why he stopped watching NBA games
8. Sada Baby
Sada Baby is one of the best Detroit rapper our there. He started gaining recognition after he competed in Imported From The D, a local Detroit rap competition, in 2016. He earned the crown after defeating 12 other rappers in this battle. After a year, Sada released his debut album, Skuba Sada, in 2017. After finding significant success with the Drego-assisted “Bloxk Party” off his 2019 mixtape Bartier Bounty, he became one of the key faces of the late-2010s and early-2020s wave of Detroit hip-hop.
- Real name: Casada Aaron Sorrell
- Born: November 17, 1992 (Detroit, Michigan)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 950,000
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9. Kash Doll
Kash Doll held several off-the-wall jobs while simultaneously pursuing a high school degree. Surprisingly, after she graduated, she became an exotic dancer and a successful one at that. At one point, she was earning thousands of dollars per night. Financially secure, she sought out other entrepreneurial avenues and eventually became a rapper. By 2014, she had already started booking gigs in the Detroit area. She released her first mixtape titled K.R.E.A.M. Kash Rules Everything Around Me in early 2015. Kash Doll is best known for her singles “For Everybody” (2017) and “Ice Me Out” (2018), the latter of which became the lead single from her debut album Stacked (2019)
- Real name: Arkeisha Antoinette Knight
- Born: Detroit, Michigan
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 850,000
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Read more:
- Kash Doll dishes to Jalen Rose about making $26K stripping in one night
- Detroit’s Kash Doll goes from rap star to TV actress with ‘BMF’ TV show
10. Boldy James
Boldy James‘ love for music came to the forefront at the age of 12, when he performed in a middle school talent show and begun writing his first raps shortly after. In 2009, the Detroit-based rapper got his first big break on the national scene which came in the form of 2 features on The Cool Kids and the Don Cannon mixtape Merry Christmas, which featured the songs “BBQ Wings” and ”Tires”. A member of the Griselda collective, his debut album, My 1st Chemistry Set, was released on October 15, 2013.
- Real name: James Clay Jones III
- Born: August 9, 1982 (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 640,000
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11. Trick Trick
Trick Trick worked closely with many Detroit rappers throughout the ’90s. He recorded a 2005 Motown Records album titled The People vs. and a 2008 Koch Records album called The Villain. The standout 2014 single “Detroit Vs. Everybody” featured cameos from Danny Brown, DeJ Loaf, Big Sean, and Eminem, and paved the way for the 2016 mixtape Outlaw. Notable for his membership in the Detroit-based hip-hop group Goon Sqwad, Trick Trick chose the name particularly because he wanted to shy away from associations with British trip-hop champion Tricky and also pay homage to Detroit underground rap figurehead Click Click, who signed Trick Trick to his Click Boom Records label in 1992.
- Real name: Christian Anthony Mathis
- Born: June 28, 1973 (Detroit, Michigan)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 630,000
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Read more:
- Trick Trick is ‘Uncovered’ on FX hip-hop docuseries
- Rapper Trick-Trick on the No Fly Zone, Eminem, and the state of the music industry
12. Zelooperz
Zelooperz is a member of Detroit hip hop group Bruiser Brigade, led by Danny Brown. The hip hop group also features Skywlkr, Chip$, Dopehead, Chavis Chandler, and TRPL BLK. ZelooperZ has also collaborated with Earl Sweatshirt on “Easter Sunday.”
- Real name: Walter Williams
- Born: June 18, 1993 (Detroit, Michigan)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 575,000
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13. Illa J
Illa J is one of the few talented Detroit rappers. He’s also the younger brother of the late legendary hip hop music producer J. Dilla. After the passing of his brother, Detroit producer/MC Jay Dee, Illa J dropped out of Central Michigan University, put aside his inhibitions, and stepped out as an MC and producer. He collaborated with producers Potatohead People on his 2015 self-titled sophomore album. The album is his first to feature original production and received positive reviews from critics.
- Real name: John Derek Yancey
- Born: October 13, 1986 (Detroit, Michigan)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 430,000
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Read more:
- Detroit vocalist Illa J steps out of the shadow of J Dilla
- Illa J Honours Brother J Dilla’s Legacy Through Music
14. MC Breed
MC Breed is best known for his 1990 debut single “Ain’t No Future in Yo’ Frontin'” and his 1993 2Pac collaboration “Gotta Get Mine”. After releasing his first album, the Detroit rapper headed out on tour with Ice Cube, Digital Underground (which, at that time, had a just-signed Tupac Shakur), Naughty By Nature and Yo-Yo in mid-1991. The album, “MC BREED and DFC”, released at the beginning of the summer of 1991, went gold, as did the single “Ain’t No Future In Yo Frontin'”, which also stayed in the Billboard Top 50 for the better part of 6 months, longer than any hip hop record up to that point.
- Real name: Eric Tyrone Breed
- Born: June 12, 1971 (Flint, Michigan)
- Died: November 22, 2008 (Ypsilanti, Michigan)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 300,000
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Honorable mentions
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