100 Hottest Rappers Right Now [November 2026]

Last Month’s Rank: 84
Movement: Up 34

When 2 Chainz isn’t making the internet mad about his views on fine dining and what perks should look like, he’s releasing music. He just dropped the opulent new single “A Week in Paris.” The song is expected to appear on his upcoming album with Statik Selektah, Playaz Only Live Once. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 17
Movement: Down 34

Quavo just dropped the Pharrell-produced QRÖMELIFE, which features everyone from Offset to Future to Tyler, the Creator. And the response…was not great critically and middling commercially. But very few rappers are in the spotlight like he is. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: N/A
Movement: New

Zeddy Will’s latest project, an EP simply titled #Zeddy, just dropped a couple of weeks ago, and it’s being carried by “BOW BOW BOW,” which has become another minor radio hit for the Queensbridge-bred rapper.—Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 46
Movement: Down 1

Xaviersobased spent late summer opening for Ken Carson on the Xperimenting Tour. He has been busy dropping new songs like “Walls Closin Inn” and “Living Proof.” The tour and a steady stream of releases signal he’s ready to be more than NYC’s favorite underground cult rapper. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 49
Movement: Up 3

Dallas rapper Dolly Babe has found herself with the TikTok smash "Pink Blush," which users might know as "ratatatata." That's right, her song that talks about…well, you know, is still everywhere, partially thanks to a remix with Megan Thee Stallion. She just dropped a follow, “‘Hittin’.” —Will Schube

Last Month’s Rank: 33
Movement: Down 12

Since his release from jail at the end of 2024, Young Thug has been finding his footing post-YSL's lengthy RICO trial. Through the label's hardships, Thug still stands as one of the most iconic rappers in the game. Over the last couple of months, he performed at Coachella, appeared at Rolling Loud with Ken Carson, and was named one of the best American songwriters by The New York Times. He also has a new crew—ØWAY. His latest project, Slime Language 3, is massive, featuring 40 songs that feature all of the main ØWAY players. —Jon Barlas

Last Month’s Rank: 83
Movement: Up 39

Alabama rapper NoCap just released his latest album, Heaven on Mars, which, while technically in the pain rap subgenre, is slightly less street and more about navigating relationships. The album ended up moving 16,000 units its first week, a sturdy number for what is essentially a blue-collar rapper. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 39
Movement: Down 4

Dave took some time off but came back blazing. Last year he dropped The Boy Who Played the Harp, his third straight No. 1 UK rap album, making him the first UK rapper to accomplish that feat. He also had standout features on Jim Legxacy's Black British Music, solidifying himself as an elder statesman in the scene. He’s spent a good portion of 2026 on his North American tour, with his Tems collaboration "Raindance” still dominating radio. —Jordan Rose

Last Month’s Rank: 34
Movement: Down 8

Chicken Talkin Bastard, Bossman Dlow's fourth mixtape, featured a number of different pockets from the rapper. The most notable, of course, is "Motion Party," which was one of the surprise rap hits of 2026, driven by a sample of “My Neck, My Back (Lick It)” from Khia. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 43
Movement: Up 2

Opinions might be split on Che's new deep-voiced flow, but there's no debating his work rate. He's been one of the most consistent names in the underground, and he isn't letting up: his latest is RichPhønks, a new mini tape with Tezzus. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 41
Movement: Up 1

Detroit rapper Skilla Baby asked an important question on his debut album: what’s the price of fame? Seems like he’s close to finding out. “Face Card,” featuring Chris Brown and Bryson Tiller, is a radio hit that’s been quietly dominating. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 19
Movement: Down 20

“Spend Dat” went from being an internet joke—people clowning Jadakiss and Fat Joe for how hard they were riding for it—to becoming a full-blown anthem, maybe the most legitimate City Girls-adjacent moment since “Twerk” with Cardi B.

Unfortunately, the album that it was attached to, Watch Dis!, didn’t quite have the same impact. The album debuted at No. 38 on the Billboard 200 with around 10,500 units moved. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 42
Movement: Up 4

The bad ass fucking kid from Virginia continues to climb rap's ladder…then use it to beat on his peers. His debut album, Early Life Crisis, was his highest charting album so far. However, it received a polarizing reaction from longtime fans. But that's just a slight speed bump. He just dropped another project, this time an EP called Virginia Creeper. —Jordan Rose

Last Month’s Rank: 40
Movement: Up 3

Surprise, 00PIUM TWINS—his long-awaited collab tape with Ken Carson—didn’t drop on Halloween. But that’s OK. Destroy Lonely remains one of the most consistent forces in the game today. However, Lone is evolving—actively experimenting to make music he’s never made before. Drop Dead Gorgeous feels like that next leap for Lone, with him saying the album sounds like “ILCK on ecstasy” as he challenges himself to create with new sonic textures. Last month, he was one of the highlights of ComplexCon 2026. —Jon Barlas

Last Month’s Rank: 44
Movement: Up 8

Quavo and Offset back on a track together? Yes, please. One of the standouts from Quavo’s new album, QRÖMELIFE, is “Away,” which marks the first time the two have linked up in years. Offset is keeping the momentum going without his ex-Migos brethren, with his single “Every Night,” which features an appearance from Don Toliver. GMFU, his latest album, will be dropping on Nov. 13. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 38
Movement: Up 3

Fueled by a viral Timothée Chalamet crossover moment, EsDeeKid became one of the most talked-about artists in the world last year.

That momentum translated into real demand, with hit records including "4 Raws" and "Phantom" both charting on Billboard, a standout performance at Gucci's AW26 afterparty, an appearance at Rolling Loud, and a massive global tour. EsDeeKid also just keeps dropping new music—his latest is the wicked-sounding “Bandit.” —Antonio Johri

Last Month’s Rank: 31
Movement: Down 3

Life has changed for Latto. BIG MAMA is now a new mama and she just dropped her latest album to prove it. Propelled by "GOMF" with GloRilla, Big Mama arrived May 29th and debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 with roughly 33,000-34,000 equivalent album units. It's a number that sparked some noise online, which Latto quickly shut down. Her latest move? Appearing on Nemzzz's "Locked In" tape. —DeMicia Inman

Last Month’s Rank: 36
Movement: Up 3

Sexyy Red might be one of hip-hop's most polarizing artists due to her crass lyrics and playful antics, yet she has moved from gimmick to mainstay. The St. Louis native has had to defend her artistic vision—whether through AI-generated, physics-defying twerking in her "If You Want It" music video or her NSFW take on a Michael Jackson classic, "Beat It"—but her ability to deliver an earworm of a hook speaks for itself. Her Drake collaborations "Cheetah Print" and "Hurrr Or Thurrr" both charted on the Billboard Hot 100. She just dropped a collab with Rob49, "In the Club," and has another banger with GloRilla in the works. —DeMicia Inman

Last Month’s Rank: 32
Movement: No Movement

Between his ability to switch between styles and ideas with a chameleonic spirit and the development of his crew, Concrete Boys—who put out another album in March—Yachty is an MC for everybody. He has spent most of the year just killing guest appearances, spitting verses on songs from Ice Spice to BigXthaPlug to Fred again.. —Will Schube

Last Month’s Rank: 30
Movement: Down 1

Admittedly, 21 Savage’s What Happened to the Streets? wasn't as sticky as his previous efforts. But a number of songs still found their way to the charts, including the hypnotic "Mr. Recoup" with Drake and "Dog Shit" featuring GloRilla. It wasn't just about the music with 21; the Atlanta rapper showed the kind of respect he's built in hip-hop by sparking the "Fuck the Streets" moment that dominated podcast conversations. He is also one of a few to appear on Iceman and was on the FIFA World Cup 2026™ album.

In late August, he caught another notch on the Billbard Hot 100 charts appearing on Belly Gang Kushington’s “WTF Goin.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 25
Movement: Down 5

No matter how often fans beg for the "old Uzi," they continue to reinvent their sound.

Now operating under their Cor(e) label with Roc Nation distribution, Uzi is clearly gearing up for their next major run; "What You Saying" took over the algorithm and the charts as they tapped back into their Jersey club bag, alongside a slew of vibrant singles like "Relevant" and "Chanel Boy."

Now…we need the album—which he has been teasing for a while now. —Antonio Johri

Last Month’s Rank: 21
Movement: Down 8

Whether churning out undeniable raps with ear candy hooks or explaining the reasoning behind her body work, GloRilla has proven herself to be a one-of-one hang. She's funny, honest, wildly talented, and seems genuinely obsessed with being the best rapper she can be. She didn’t drop an album in 2026 but kept herself busy making appearances with all your favorite rappers, from Da Baby to YKNIECE to Pooh Shiesty. She has “Jiggly Bow Bow”, a new heater with Sexyy Red, dropping Friday. —Will Schube

Last Month’s Rank: 99
Movement: Up 71

In an interview with AP, Cordae described Anderson .Paak as “one of my best friends, I love that dude to death.” And that has led to real-life success between the two. They’ve released their collaborative album, Heavy Is the Crown, and it currently sits No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart.

Last Month’s Rank: N/A
Movement: New

Anderson .Paak went from not being on the list to landing in the top 50. This is what one new album with one of his beloved contemporaries will do. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 22
Movement: Down 4

Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty was arrested in April alongside eight others—including his dad, Lontrell Denell Williams Sr.—in connection with a coordinated attack against Gucci Mane. The moment dealt a serious blow to his comeback, which was led by "FDO." Even with his legal situation, Pooh still found a way to drop an album, All Eyes on Shiesty, which features some of the rawest rapping in contemporary hip-hop. —DeMicia Inman

Last Month’s Rank: 35
Movement: Up 10

After years of false starts, delays, and near-misses, A$AP Rocky finally dropped his fourth studio album, Don't Be Dumb, to (mostly) critical acclaim. However, despite the success of the album—which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard charts—there hasn't been a breakout single. But of course that's not stopping him from going on a global arena tour, covering VIBE Magazine and locking in on Quavo’s new album.

He’s not close to being done. He just dropped “SHROOM CLOUDS,” which will be on the deluxe edition of the album. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 17
Movement: Down 7

Tyler rarely hops on other artists' songs. That's what makes his two features on AZ Chike's new album, No Rest for the Wicked, so noteworthy. He also turns up on Quavo's new album. His appearance isn’t a top 25 verse—but it’s still damn good. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 20
Movement: Down 3

Who knew that the song of the summer would come from a teenage rapper who is still trying to recover from saying he once used ChatGPT to help write his rhymes. But "Ghetto Love Story" is a real Billboard hit, powered by the virality it's catching on TikTok. The song is the standout from his latest album, Rise Against My Broken Odds. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 29
Movement: Up 7

Florida rapper Loe Shimmy is in the running for breakout rapper of the year. Not only did he release his latest album, Pretty Girlz Run The World, but he’s been killing every feature he’s been on, from Drake’s “I’m Spent” to BigXthaPlug’s “I Like It.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 74
Movement: Up 53

Doechii is in full rollout mode. In mid-October, she relaunched her Swamp Sessions series, which is her first bit of new music since the Lady Gaga-assisted “Runway.” She’s had three so far—“BOMBS,” “CATWOMAN,” and “LOCK JAW”—and all are hard. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 45
Movement: Up 25

Gunna rarely goes long without a song in heavy radio rotation. This time, it’s his latest single “pop it,” which is from his upcoming seventh studio album, Splurge. The song is one he won’t forget: it was his 100th career entry on the Billboard Hot 100. More impressive, he becomes the 25th artist to have 100 or more entries on the chart. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 52
Movement: Up 33

Megan Thee Stallion is once again embracing her Tina Snow alter ego, mostly through the series of “Tina Tuesday Freestyles” she’s been putting out. The most potent from those releases is “Thin Ice,” which has been picking up steam on DSPs. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 18
Movement: No Movement

Legal disputes, relationship drama, petty rap beef, a new baby, and a constant presence in the headlines have kept Cardi B fixed in the cultural conversation; oh, and the music has been good too. After dropping her sophomore album last year, she followed that up with "AH HA"—another top 40 hit for the rapper. —DeMicia Inman

Last Month’s Rank: 10
Movement: Down 7

After one of the most dominant stretches by a rapper in recent history, Kendrick Lamar has earned his rest.

Following his dismantling of Drake in one of the most heated rap beefs of all time—punctuated by a massive record—he returned with a monster album, a stadium tour, and a Grammy haul to match.

But after all of that, Kendrick has kept a relatively low profile in 2026. His most notable moves have been a standout feature on Baby Keem's Ca$ino and a guest spot on Jhené Aiko's "So Good." Whether or not we see another Kendrick project this year remains to be seen, but those occasional peekaboo moments are more than enough to keep him firmly near the top as one of the hottest rappers in hip-hop. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 26
Movement: Up 10

Atlanta upstart Belly Gang Kushington has landed his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with "WTF GOIN," his link-up with 21 Savage. The string-heavy trap throwback is everywhere right now, helped along by a hilarious Druski skit. Belly Gang Kushington is so hot that when BigXthaPlug needed a single to roll out his new album, guess where he looked? —Will Schube

Last Month’s Rank: 15
Movement: No Movement

Despite not having put an album out since 2024, Eminem is still one of the most streamed rappers on the planet.

During Jay-Z's three shows at Yankee Stadium, he stole the show when the two performed "Renegade" and then "Lose Yourself." He still pops up with new music and makes noise, like when he linked with Kid Rock on “Heal My Faith.” In the meantime, he's doing cool things like selling part of his sneaker collection for charity. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 11
Movement: Down 3

Coming off a white-hot 2025 that earned him our Best Rapper Alive title, YB carried the momentum into this year with Slime Cry. The album debuted at No. 6 with roughly 70K equivalent albums moved. And then, in late June, he dropped a collection loosies, More Leaks 2, which moved around 31,000 equivalent units

Between these projects, and prominent features on projects from Nettspend, Mike WiLL Made It, Skrilla, and Yeat, YB's presence remains undeniable (even when he’s not showing up for his Rolling Loud performance.)

Like The Game told us, he's "the Tupac for YNs"—and he's showing no signs of slowing down.—Jordan Rose

Last Month’s Rank: 12
Movement: Down 1

J. Cole is still one of the most powerful artists in the world.

He came into the year as an underdog. There was a lot of doubt surrounding him after he bowed out of the biggest rap battle in history two years ago. He had been teasing The Fall-Off, his alleged last studio album, for nearly a decade, and for some the apology had soured that anticipation.

But great rapping and an even better rollout can solve all. Not only did The Fall-Off deliver on Cole's promise to bring his story full circle, but the way he promoted the double disc project took over social media and reminded his naysayers why he is still one of the biggest rappers on the planet.

He just wrapped up the US leg of the Fall-Off World Tour. He’s headed to Europe in a couple of days. —Jordan Rose

Last Month’s Rank: 14
Movement: Up 2

Hard to believe we're over a decade removed from Future's legendary mixtape run. His last few projects don't quite carry that same level of impact, but you can never count him out. After a relatively quiet stretch—only appearing on J. Cole's The Fall Off this year—he's heating up again. He just dropped his latest album, The Real Me, led by the single "Radio," which gave him his 12th No. 1. And he's hinting he's back in the studio. ——Mike DeStefano

Last Month’s Rank: 8
Movement: Down 3

The master of the mosh, the 00 dark prince, the lord of chaos, Boy Barbie—whatever you call him, Complex cover star Ken Carson has been the commanding presence of the rage wave for years now. Nearly a year removed from More Chaos, Ken dropped his latest album, xperiment, which features Playboi Carti, 2hollis, Young Thug and more. He just shut shit down at ComplexCon 2026. —Jon Barlas

Last Month’s Rank: 13
Movement: Up 3

WHAM has been fighting the “Lil Baby is washed” narrative for years. His latest single is the Pharrell-produced “Dead Fresh,” and it’s a blatantly commercial attempt to prove he still has his fastball. That song is a hit and the lead single from his upcoming album, FRESH. — Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 7
Movement: Down 2

There are very few rappers as hardworking as Yeat. He releases music at an overwhelming clip; he just dropped a new EP, COCOON. That project follows his double album ADL—which was his biggest mainstream swing yet. And then a couple of weeks ago, he dropped the Luh Leakyz Vol. 1 tape, which features a collection of previously unreleased tracks culled from different periods of his career. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 23
Movement: Up 15

The last time we saw BigXthaPlug, he was going country. This time he’s in his rap bag again. He just released his fourth studio album, BETTER OVER TIME, which has singles like “LITE” with red-hot Atlanta rapper Belly Gang Kushington and the Loe Shimmy-featured “I LIKE IT.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo

Last Month’s Rank: 9
Movement: Up 2

Despite not putting out a new solo album last year, Scott still made himself omnipresent, and that's before even factoring in the brand collabs and crossover wrestling moments. On the music front, there was the release of the Jackboys 2 album, which stepped on the Clipse’s reunion album. More recently, he's turned in standout features on Don Toliver's and Young Thug's albums and landed a spot on the upcoming Grand Theft Auto VI soundtrack. And of course, a new album is on the way. —Kiana Fitzgerald

Last Month’s Rank: 4
Movement: Down 2

Rod Wave might be the most low-key superstar in rap. His new album Don't Look Down is another smash—it debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 charts, collecting 99,000 equivalent album units in the United State. It is his fourth No. 1 album. —Jordan Rose

Last Month’s Rank: 5
Movement: No Movement

A a year after Playboi Carti dropped MUSIC, we are officially on Baby Boi watch. That's the strength of Carti, the most influential rapper in hip-hop, with dozens of artists—including some on this list—ripping off his swag. Last year, it all crystallized on the sold-out Antagonist 2.0 tour, with the full Opium/YVL roster out in force.

In 2026, he's been heating up—bringing that world-class swag and aura to Rolling Loud, giving Atlanta rapper Fatt Smaxk a minor street hit with an appearance on "Smaxk or Die," and turning in a stellar verse on Ken Carson's "Deaf Note." Most importantly, he killed shit as the headliner of ComplexCon, bringing out Ye for his show. —Antonio Johri

Last Month’s Rank: 3
Movement: Down 1

Every time it looks like Ye is finished, he finds a way back. Even before Bully dropped, his star power had fans scrambling for his back-to-back SoFi Stadium dates. Then came Bully itself, a return to form of sorts, with "All the Love" and "Father" as the clear standouts.

But the real story was his homecoming in Chicago, which became the rap event of the year. Those two nights featured everyone from Chief Keef to Kid Cudi to Travis Scott.

Last week he took the show to Houston, where he had 85,000—with one opp—in attendance. —Jordan Rose

Last Month’s Rank: 2
Movement: Down 1

This year is shaping up to be one of the biggest for the 32-year-old, with a to-do list that includes headlining a cross-country tour in support of his chart-topping album.

As he ascends closer to hip-hop superstardom, the Grammy-nominated artist has set himself up as one of the most in-demand acts in the genre. Drake’s FOMO features four new tracks and Don is on two of them.

For months, Octane was the top selling rap album of 2026. He also has multiple songs buzzing on the Billboard Hot 100, including "E85" and "Body." If it all plays out in Don Toliver's favor, his hypnotic anthems will keep him in "best rapper" conversations for years to come. —DeMicia Inman

Last Month’s Rank: 6
Movement: Up 4

Despite no new music since 2022, Jay-Z has become the center of conversation for summer 2026. It started with a revealing GQ article, then his first US show in years at Roots Picnic, where he spit a three-minute freestyle taking shots at everyone from Drake to Kanye West. He then kicked off a series of anniversary shows at Yankee Stadium—honoring Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint—while teasing a new album.

Now he’s doing the Super Bowl, making it a guarantee that he will be part of the biggest music moment of the year. —Jordan Rose

Last Month’s Rank: 1
Movement: No Movement

Drake’s Iceman is easily the album of the year, which makes his placement on this list a no-brainer. After a bruising dust-up with Kendrick, Drake has returned to the center of pop music, dropping the rap centric Iceman and two additional albums.

If anything, he's found new ways to innovate. He has dismantled the traditional rollout playbook by leaning into streaming and creating IRL moments, like the massive ice structure in Toronto. And then he shocked the rap world—without warning, he dropped three new albums instead of one.

What makes the achievement even more impressive is that every album is different. Iceman is the album for the rap nerds, Habibti is the one for the R&B heads, while Maid of Honour hits that clubby, global pocket.

And the best part is he's still going. He just dropped FOMO, a four-song addition to the deluxe edition of Habibti. —Antonio Johri