On the 1994 Gang Starr classic “Mostly Tha Voice,” the late, great Guru said:
It's mostly the voice that gets you up
And mostly the voice that makes you buck
A lot of rappers got flavor, and some got skills
But if your voice ain't dope, then you need to chill
A great rap voice isn’t necessarily the smoothest or the deepest. It’s the one you recognize before the first bar is over. Whether it’s DMX’s gravelly bark or Snoop Dogg’s laid-back drawl, the sound can be as much a calling card as the lyrics. It doesn’t have to sound pretty. It just has to sound like nobody else.
Last week, reddit user @lbrxhim posted a simple question in the /rap subreddit:
“Who is the rapper that u think that has the most unique voice?
Like that rapper has a voice so good and unique that almost no one sounds like him
For me its probably Jay Z and method man
So Let me know what yall think!”
The /rap community had a lot to say in response, adding almost 1,700 comments to the discussion, nominating rappers across the spectrum, from booming baritones to high-pitched wild cards.
To put together this countdown, we tallied all the names mentioned and factored in the support those comments received, giving nominations more weight than upvotes. The ranking below is based on a combination of the two data points, as of September 28…
Check out the Reddit community’s choices below, or re-rank your own list now.
Eazy-E
Eazy-E didn’t need a booming voice to make N.W.A.’s records hit hard. His high, pinched tone did the opposite: it made the menace sound almost casual. Eazy was nominated by @ishsweeney and 36 other Reddit users, and racked up over 250 votes in support.
B-Real
You only need a few seconds of a Cypress Hill record to know B-Real is on the mic. That high, nasal delivery is as much a part of the group’s identity as the beats. He drew 40 nominations and 300 votes, while user @WillieDripp admits being shocked by how different his speaking voice is from rap voice, saying, “He sounds nothing like the voice in the studio.”
Chali 2Na
It’s always a highlight when Chali 2Na takes his turn on a Jurassic 5 record. That deep, booming baritone fills the track without him having to raise his voice, giving the group a sound no one else could supply. The thread gave him 37 nominations and 304 votes, and @knowwhatImeme76 put the appeal simply: “the deep baritone has sounded different for years.”
Jadakiss
The LOX have never been short on commanding voices, and Jadakiss might be the easiest to pick out of a crowd. His trademark rasp puts a little extra threat behind a punchline without muddying the words. Jada picked up 42 nominations and 330 votes, with @lbrxhim zeroing in on the reason: “He has that grit and distortion to his voice.”
E-40
E-40 has been making his own rules about how rap is supposed to sound for decades. The Vallejo legend can stretch a vowel, rush a phrase, then throw in an interjection that nobody else could quite pull off. He finished with 42 nominations and 332 votes. As @ODYY_TOASTED wrote, “I love the way he says Oooooooooh.”
Snoop Dogg
Snoop didn’t need to out-shout anybody to steal attention on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic. His Long Beach drawl just glided through the tracks, loose and unbothered. It still sounds like he has all the time in the world. @OtherBaker4352 was one of the fans backing him in the thread, where 41 nominations helped him finish with 335 votes.
Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes was never going to blend into Leaders of the New School. Even before you get to the speed, there’s that huge, ragged roar—a voice that can take over a track from the first syllable. That voice drew 44 nominations and 350 votes, and @seciluh found the right comparison, calling it a “40 grit sandpaper voice.”
Ol’ Dirty Bastard
Wu-Tang had no shortage of unmistakable voices, but nobody else sounded like Ol’ Dirty Bastard. He could turn a croak, a yelp, or a stray noise between bars into the part you remembered. His 39 nominations and 353 votes put Dirty just ahead of Busta Rhymes. @Suaded83 nailed it: “he just makes a single sound effect or coughs and I immediately know it's him.”
Danny Brown
Detroit’s Danny Brown can make a verse sound like it’s about to fly off the rails without ever losing the beat. The high-pitched yelps and sudden shifts in delivery aren’t something to smooth out; they’re the attraction. He landed in second with 61 nominations and 593 votes. @madhappyyo offered a great way of hearing all those voices in one: “Danny Brown sounds like all of Pharcyde at once.”
DMX
From It's Dark and Hell Is Hot onward, DMX made that Ruff Ryders bark impossible to ignore. The Yonkers MC could go from a growl to a shout without losing that scraped-raw rasp. There was no mistaking who had the mic—and 90 nominations and 778 votes put him comfortably at No. 1. As @Europe_MMA put it, “DMX stands out for how gravelly he sounded.”
