12 Famous Baltimore Rappers To Listen To Right Now
We list some of the best Baltimore rappers who are popular right now. Some of these artists are a crop wave of rappers who found mainstream success within the rough neighborhoods of Baltimore. Baltimore rap has really began to explode in a dozen different directions in the 21st century, from clubby local radio hits to virtuoso battle rappers to nostalgic, experimental and proudly underground DIY scenes.
1. JPEGMAFIA
JPEGMAFIA is a rapper and producer strongly influenced by the music scene in Baltimore, Maryland, having been based there for a number of years. He, alongside Japanese indie rock band CHAI, provided vocals for the track “MLS” from Gorillaz’ seventh studio album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. He later appeared in a hologram form on Song Machine Live. Veteran, his 2018 album published via Deathbomb Arc, gained great critical praise and was included on several year-end lists. It was followed by All My Heroes Are Cornballs in 2019 and LP! in 2021, all of which received critical praise.
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2. K.A.A.N.
K.A.A.N. also known as Knowledge Above All Nonsense (abbreviated to K.A.A.N), is a rapper from Maryland. He does Chopper-style rap songs, as well as storytelling rap songs that can discuss abuse, politics, religion, rising to popularity, and more. Jezebel’s Jia Tolentino has described the Maryland rapper’s “technical virtuosity,” likening K.A.A.N. to Kendrick Lamar and calling his best moments “so directly vulnerable and commanding that they feel channeled.”
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3. TT The Artist
At the age of 18 TT The Artist moved to Baltimore to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art, studying fine arts with a concentration in video production. While at MICA she secured an internship with MTV in New York doing television production, where she picked up skills with both ends of a camera. Wilson graduated in 2006 with a BA and then moved to New York full time, living there for two years before returning to Baltimore to pursue a music career. Her collaboration with Bauer on the song “Make It Bang” landed her a spot at the 2016 Coachella music festival. The rapper has performed alongside artists like Angel Haze, OJ da Juiceman, and Richboy among others. She teamed up with Will Eastman to create the electronic duo Thunderheist and also featured on the Grammy-nominated artist Diplo’s song “Dat A Freak”.
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Read more:
- TT the Artist: From sheltered upbringing to rocking the Baltimore party
- TT the Artist Wants Baltimore Club to Get Its Due
- TT the Artist: What Success Means For An Independent Woman Rapper
4. Destorm Power
Destorm Power started his career as a ghostwriter for some popular record labels, one of which is Universal. After interning and ghostwriting at Atlantic Records, Universal, and various other record labels, Power set out to establish himself as a performer, using YouTube as a platform to share his singing, songwriting, and production skills with the online community. Power’s videos are typically comedic, and also often incorporate rapping and beatboxing. He won a YouTube Music Award for Innovation of the Year in 2013. He was also extremely popular on Vine, amassing over 6 million followers on the app. He has been nominated for a total of nine Streamy Awards and he received an Emmy nomination for his comedy series Caught The Series.
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5. Rye Rye
Rye Rye is a rapper and dancer from Baltimore, Maryland. She’s considered as one of the best Baltimore rappers from the city with a unique, energetic style reminiscent of M.I.A.. She gained popularity when she appeared on the Billboard’s 2011 list of “21 Under 21”. She then released her debut album, Go! Pop! Bang!, in 2012. Her popular singles include “Boom Boom,” “Bang,” and “New Thing.” She’s also worked with Diplo to make “Wassup Wassup” and other songs including: “Gangsta Girl”, “Hardcore Girls” (with The Count & Sinden), and “Reasons”.
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Read more:
- Rye Rye Just Wants To Be ‘Young And Playful’
- Baltimore rapper Rye Rye, a protege of M.I.A., could be hip-hop’s next breakout star
6. Tate Kobang
Tate Kobang is known in Baltimore and beyond for his ability to nimbly navigate a beat. Kobang was introduced to rap by his uncle, Baltimore rapper Killa Q, who even had Kobang write songs for him. In addition to Mr. Cheeks, Method Man, and Cassidy, Kobang cites them as influences. His best known for his song “Bank Rolls.” He also has mixtapes titled Since We’re Here, Book of Joshua and Hitler Hardaway.
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Read more:
- Meet Tate Kobang, The East Baltimore Guy Who Flipped A Hometown Classic Into A Label Deal
- XXL Magazine – The Break Presents: Tate Kobang
- Nicki Minaj Reportedly Signs Rapper Tate Kobang to Her New Record Label
7. Ill Conscious
ILL Conscious is a hip-hop artist based in Baltimore, Maryland and is considered one of the best Baltimore rappers of his generation. ILL’s style is still pleasantly reminiscent of the authentic 90’s hip-hop era. Since 2007, ILL has been performing along the east coast, mid-west and has sparred in several battle competitions with other emcees. Nevertheless, the Baltimore MC has continued making an imprint on the underground hip-hop scene.
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8. Bandhunta Izzy
Inspired by Chicago drill and the street life of his native Baltimore, Bandhunta Izzy survived a rough upbringing involving drug dealing and street violence to build a buzz with his brother and fellow rapper, Bandhunta Jugg, on their tracks “Bandhuntas” and “Bandhuntas, Pt. 2”. As a solo artist, his notable for singles called “BBB,” “Rumors” and “I Got It.”
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9. President Davo
President Davo began his rap career by releasing short rap videos on his YnGTV YouTube channel in 2014. The Baltimore rapper rose to fame for hits such as “Think About Me,” “Forever,” and “Almost Famous” off his 2017 album titled Forever. He is known for the song “I Just Be” which has been compared to Eminem’s “Cleaning Out My Closet.”
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10. NOE
NOE is best known for his affiliation with Jim Jones and his involvement in East Coast hip hop group ByrdGang. He was featured on most of the songs for M.O.B.: The Album (2008) and was a prominent writer and featured artist on Jim Jones’ Pray IV Reign (2009). His song, “Done Did It,” is licensed to ABC’s number one crime drama Detroit 1-8-7 for the first episode, which was watched by 13 million viewers.
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11. Wordsmith
Wordsmith has released several albums over his career, and is a member of the nominating committee for the Grammy Awards as a songwriter. In 2009, he founded the NU Revolution record label. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Independent Music Award for Best Album – Rap or Hip-Hop for his fifth studio album, Perspective Jukebox.
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12. Nasg Chaz
Between his captivating story and notable discography, Nasg Chaz is certainly considered a voice for Baltimore. He’s not shy about showing off his street persona, and even tries to throw his sense of humor into his music every now and then. The Baltimore rapper was also able to release his singles “Law 15” and “Funtime,” respectively, before dropping his album Product of My Environment mid-May of 2020.
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