The 25 Best Underground Rappers Right Now, According to ONE37pm

If you only walk away with one new artist after reading my top ten, please let it be Kota. He’s the people’s champ, a true underdog that has decided to do things his way on the indie route. Kota just released a new project, Everything, on May 22nd, 2020 and it does not disappoint. I received the following quote from Kota while writing this article. “There are a lot of surprises coming this year. But while you wait, listen to ‘EVERYTHING’! It’s a manifestation of good things in one’s life. Words are powerful and when people sing along with these songs, they will be manifesting nothing but blessings.”

The artist and producer (he produced this entire new project himself) is in his element on this project’s title track, “Everything,” featuring his son. 

Ronsocold is from Charlotte, North Carolina but is quickly getting his sound heard across the country thanks to his debut self-titled album, RonSoCold, which dropped earlier this year on May 15th. The production on Ron’s project should be enough to get you interested as he has worked with Lil Tecca, Jetson, Richie Souf, Nick Mira, Working on Dying, and more.

Charlotte is quickly becoming a hotbed for hip hop talent with its current star, DaBaby, waving the city’s flag loud and proud.  Ron should be able to ride this wave! When we asked Ron about his style, he said, “If you ever been counted out or had people tell you; you can’t do this or that this album is for you. Coming from nothing, turning it into something, overcoming being an underdog that’s what Ronsocold is.”

2KBaby is an emerging Louisville, Kentucky artist that is signed to Warner Music Group. He dropped his most recent project, Pregame Rituals, on April 10th and as the title suggests, he is just getting started! When asked about the rest of this year, he had this to say, “The rest of the year for me is going to be dedicated to giving my fans what they want, as well as using my platform to give back to the less fortunate. I want to come with as much content as possible this year and release a lot more music and use the momentum to bring more positivity into the world.”

Stream 2KBaby’s most popular song below.

Although he’s been making great music for a few years now, it was on TikTok that this 21-year-old Detroit artist received his big moment earlier this year. Curtis’s “Bored In The House” song went viral on TikTok to the point that Tyga reached out to add vocals to the song before it was officially released to streaming platforms. The song with Tyga heard below, is currently at over 18 million streams. He's another one of the best underground rappers on our list.

When asked about his year, Curtis had this to say, “This year I plan on making some great music for people to dance and enjoy themselves. I just want to have fun with all the things I decide to create. I wanna shoot a small short film too.”

Glockstar Dimi is an Upstate New York native that is starting to buzz. When asked about his upcoming year, Dimi had this to say, “My year crazy, tbh, in a good way though. I’ve been working with Richie Souf straight hits, lucky to say that. And been locking all through the quarantine with the Glocks, me and the Corp been working on a project details Loading….”

Check out his most popular song below.

Armani White is one of the most promising emerging artists coming out of Philadelphia. When asked about his view on his music and what he has planned for the rest of the year, this is what he had to say, “This past year we’ve been touring nonstop so this year, especially with recording, I’ve been recording enough music to make up for all of the time lost. So the remainder of this year looks like a constant release of music. Not entirely sure of any new projects because I haven’t really been creating to any specific storyline, but enough standalone’s to make up for a project! Also bringing back the short social media music videos that first built the hype and doing a lot more digital content to delete some of my boredom in the house haha. I’m still flipping a coin on if we’ll do any more online live shows with the new constraints on ig etc. I like to consider my genre “Happy Hood Music”. It’s very uplifting, and finds a new colorful way to detail the light and dark patches of the everyday life a black man in an inner-city neighborhood endures.”

Check out one of his most popular songs below.

D The Flyest is a Boston artist on the rise. When asked about his plans for the rest of this year as well as to describe his music, this is what he had to say, “Promising this year we taking all that negative energy and we turning it positive. Time to take over the world and make Dtheflyest a household name. I expect people to relate to the stories I tell and the images I paint. All you gotta do is click shuffle you going to have a song with a different vibe and mood every time,”

Finally, it’s always a good sign to have a Lil Baby feature — You can check out D’s below.

This North Philadelphia-based artist has been getting the attention of major players in the city such as Meek Mill. To get a feel for his music, check out “Emotions” from his latest project, Sosaa Vibes 2.0.

Problem Child is an emerging artist located in Atlanta that has recently been co-signed by Future and Young Thug. Keep an eye on him this year, as that co-sign doesn’t come easy. 

I wouldn’t consider Ilham a rapper, but some of her fans are starting to say that she could be after she killed the rapping style of her latest single, “uh huh,” heard below. The Queensbridge, New York artist is one to watch and I had to include her on this list regardless of genre.

When you think of the Chicago sounds in today’s era, the first names that come to mind are G Herbo, Lil Durk and Chief Keef. But here comes a new talent who is keeping the tradition alive of bringing passion and pain into his music while showing everyone how much of a “G” he is. Polo G’s current rise to stardom is something to keep an eye on as he’s already handling early success extremely well thanks to the hit single “Pop Out” which was certified 4x Platinum last year. 

Following up with the success of “Die a Legend”, his sophomore project “The Goat” is solidifying himself as an emcee that’s here to stay. Debuting at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, Polo has been receiving amazing raves of his flow as well as his ability to stay consistent with his lyrical wordplay.

When Jay-Z puts one of your songs on his mid-year playlist on Tidal, that means you are doing something right.

The son of a local legend in the Memphis rap game, Duke Deuce was destined to be the “next one” to come out of the city that birth greatness such as Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG, and Yo Gotti. Deuce began to gain attention when he was picked up by Quality Control Music — the same label that has superstar talents such as City Girls, Migos, and Cardi B. He was featured on the label’s compilation project with songs such as “Yeh” and “Grab A….” But he was able to get the hip hop world’s attention when he released the street banger, “Crunk Ain’t Dead” — in which the original song was from a classic Project Pat. Racking up more than 10 million views on YouTube, the song was so big that he was able to get hometown legends Project Pat and Juicy J to hop on the remix in which they recruited Lil Jon to add that extra signature energy to the song.

With a loud, boisterous flow to match with his underappreciated dance moves, Deuce is ready to show the world what the new sound of Memphis rap looks like.

The New York rap sound has been forever evolving ever since the golden 1990s era when emcees such as The Notorious B.I.G, Nas, and Jay-Z were vying for the crown as “the best rapper alive.” Now fast-forward to 2020, New York’s presence in rap is bigger than ever now with the introduction of “Brooklyn drill music.” The premise of the sound comes from UK drill music which can be described as London gangsta music as the lyrics often talks about violence. It introduces a variety of flow and delivery on bouncy production.  Slain rapper Pop Smoke scored a huge hit that helped the re-emergence of the sound when he released, “Welcome To The Party.” 

Despite the sudden loss of his fellow Brooklyn emcee, Fivio Foreign looks like he’s ready to take the torch and became the face of the new sound of Brooklyn drill music. He’s off to a great start thanks to the smash hit, “Big Drip” which garnered over 33 million views on YouTube.

With a smooth, charismatic delivery to go with that addictive sound, Foreign is ready to show the world why artists like Meek Mill, Lil Baby, Quavo, and Drake have worked with the lyricist to see what is in the water these talented Brooklyn emcees have been drinking on. Check out his latest mixtape titled, 800 B.C. Thank us later.

Fresh off of a publishing deal with Sony, the future is beginning to look bright for Rod Wave. Known for his unique voice and harmonic delivery that displays vulnerability on trap-like production, it seems like everyone is riding the “wave” of this 20-year-old talent even on Tik Tok. Thanks to a huge amount of attention on “Heart On Ice” on the app, the song peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. His most recent album, “Pray 4 Love” debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Top 200 with his single, “Dark Clouds” racking up more than 10 million views on YouTube. This kid can not be stopped right now.

Although he’s been in the game for some years, this Brooklyn emcee is finally getting the recognition he rightfully deserves from the big leagues. This lyricist’s sound is not the average Brooklyn rapper delivery you normally get. However, he does possess the swagger that all Brooklyn rappers have in their DNA. He brings an aggressive, tyrant, rebellious energy to his lyrics and flow in which it can remind grassroots fans of the 2010’s UK grime sound. But thanks to the re-emergence of Brooklyn drill music which consists of the UK drill sound, 22Gz has the potential to become a superstar of the ever-growing new sound. After catching the eyes and ears from the streets with his 2019 mixtape, “The Bixky”, the 22-year-old emcee was able to land a deal on platinum recording rapper Kodak Black’s label, “Sniper Gang” imprint.

With his latest project titled, Growth & Development out now, 22Gz is put all the cards out of his deck to show why he is another face to remember when it comes to new emcees coming out of Brooklyn.

You may look at the name and assume that there’s another imposter who is trying to live off the limelight of the legendary Notorious B.I.G. But in actuality, this is far from the case at all. He’s not your typical Brooklyn rapper in today’s era that is rhyming on UK drill beats. In fact, he’s bringing the old school fun in which fans of the golden days of hip hop would appreciate it. We spoke to Bizzy and he had this to say when describing his style of rhyming.  “I would say my rap style is kinda multi-dimensional because there are a few facets to me. It’s edgy and nostalgic but accompanied by wit, intellect, and poeticism. Very Brooklyn though.”

With an endless amount of catchy bars with an insane imagination and charisma to possess a special knack for storytelling, Bizzy Smalls is a name you will be hearing from years to come. After all, he did come from the same stomping ground as the Notorious B.I.G so it’s only right he keeps the legacy alive.

Another emcee that has been in the game for a nice amount of time, Harlow is finally getting the roses he rightfully deserves. Signing to DJ Drama’s Don Cannon Imprint, the Louisville bred lyricist has been consistently showing growth in his lyricism and presence on tracks. When you work with talented heavy-hitting pen masterminds such as CyHi the Prynce, Bryson Tiller, and K-Camp, the proof of the potential he can amass would be brighter each day. You can see it on the hit banger, “What’s Poppin.” Already certified Platinum by the RIAA, this tracked peaked at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Along with his fellow Louisville slugger native 2KBABY, Harlow has a unique sound that overtime will continue to grow with fans of the young generation who appreciate feel-good party anthems. Just check out his latest track “Moana” featuring G-Eazy that’s already charting in Canada.

Ever since his debut “True 2 Myself,” this Bronx native has been on fire. The young talented emcee is unafraid to leave his pain on tracks while delivering an onslaught of damaging bars on bouncing drill and trappy production. Thanks to his SoundCloud presence, LilTjay already have amassed millions of streams thanks to big songs such as “Resume”, “Brothers”, and “Leaked.” Signed by Colombia, the 19-year-old emcee is on the prowl to win over fans in the mainstream hip hop lane. He’s off to a great start with his feature on Polo G’s platinum hit song, “Pop Out” as well as working with elite spitters like Lil Wayne and Lil Baby. It’s looking like the Bronx has something to say with Lil Tjay becoming the voice of the streets one banger at a time.

What started as just a thing from hanging out with friends in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn turned out to be a life-changing moment for the 21-year-old rapper. Sheff G introduced the streets to “No Surbaban” and it became a game-changer for the sound of Brooklyn rap. Arguably one of the best underground rappers and originators of the popular Brooklyn drill sound— that blessed the hip hop scene with talents like 22Gz, Lil Tjay, and Pop Smoke, Sheff G brings an unorthodox sound and flow to his raps as he displays an array of flows and delivery. His deep voice and cadence can be heard in other hits such as “We Getting Money”, and “Flows” as he was able to amass over 10 million streams on Spotify. With a new project out now titled, “One & Only”, Sheff G continues to carry the torch for the popular Brooklyn drill sound as his single “No Surburban, Pt. 2” is an early favorite of becoming a summer street anthem.

This British rap duo has been taking over the scene thanks to their smash hit, “Don’t Rush.” The song has been a major viral hit on Tik Tok as it was able to become a popular challenge everyone was doing on the app. From Marsai Martin to the cast of Orange Is The New Black, they were able to rack up more than 50 million views alone. They have continued their strong start with the release of their debut mixtape titled, “Plead The 5th.”

Next up on our list of best underground rappers is Ice Spice. Though she's becoming mainstream at this very moment, this NY superstar deserves a spot on our list for the sheer quickness that she blew up with. Her EP features no skips, and is one of the most talked-about artists of the year so far.

Yet another one of the best underground rappers is Dee Aura. Dee Aura has been having a major year. He's been going up for a while now, and isn't stopping. As we mentioned in our Curiously Curated series, Dee Aura was brought on stage at Governors Ball by Skepta. This is just another indication that the artist is going places. He absolutely had to be included on our list of best underground rappers.

Next up on our list of best underground rappers at number 23 is Benji Blue Bills. The Atlanta talent needed to be mentioned on our list, as he's sure to be emerging even more into the spotlight this year. We've been paying attention to this particular rapper for a while now, and something tells us he's about to have quite a year.

Tony Shhnow is yet another one of the best underground rappers in the rap scene right now. He's been ridiculously consistent, while keeping an insane standard for quality. Drop after drop, Tony Shhnow just does not miss. 2023 is sure to be a huge year for him.

For our list of best underground rappers, it was a must to include Rome Streetz. The Griselda Records signee had an explosive 2022, and is sure to have an even more explosive year in 2023. He's got an unbelievable amount of great music out already, and we can't wait to hear what's next. Tune in.