The 20 Best Rappers In Their 20s Right Now
Rappers in their 20s may not be as dominant as they once were, but they still play a vital part in hip-hop. From Doechii to Yeat to Megan Thee Stallion, here are the best current rappers in their 20s.
Historically, the most popular rappers in hip-hop have been in their 20s. That's no longer the case. Rap music is well into middle age, and the artists who dominate the zeitgeist are approaching it, too. Take the biggest rap event of 2024: Kendrick Lamar (37) vs. Drake (37). It was a feud sparked by a Future (40) song and featured input from rappers like J. Cole (39), A$AP Rocky (35), and Rick Ross (48). Every rapper mentioned in those sentences is older than Jay-Z was (33) when he first retired with The Black Album.
So, yeah, rap is no longer a young person's game. When crafting our list of the best rappers in their 20s, we found an inordinately high number that are in a state of flux. Every rapper here is gifted in their own unique way, but a good portion of them display an agnostic relationship towards traditional rapping. Many have struggled with consistent output, gaining and maintaining momentum, and transcending the pockets they started in. We also found that a majority of the rappers on this list are nearing 30; fifteen are north of 25. Part of this is because we weigh cultural impact into the equation and the most talented and interesting rappers in their early 20s are happily thriving in their own ecosystems, showing little concern for broader mainstream success.
This terrain is great for listeners, who can choose the music they want and bathe in it. But it’s much more challenging for an industry that depends on stars—or for a publication trying to identify where the next big thing is coming from. So, one could look at this list in its entirety and declare this shit is bonkers; but we would argue it’s a representation of the untamed state of rap music right now.
For our ranking, we measured each rapper’s skill as an artist, quality of music, and the impact of their output. We heavily weighted the last two years over historical achievements. We also factored in popularity; numbers play a part, obviously. However, there is also an intangible factor, or what we consider basic gut-check shit: If this rapper dropped new music tomorrow, how much would the community care? It’s not a perfect metric—but ideal for the imperfect times we’re in right now.
Here, then, are the 20 best rappers in their 20s.
20. Cash Cobain
Age: 26
Why they’re on this list: He is essentially the architect of a new subgenre of rap
Why they’re not higher: He still has work to do if he wants to be recognized primarily as a rapper
Cash Cobain knows how to rap about sex in 100 different ways, with each additional verse being slizzyer than the last. The New York rapper first gained prominence thanks to his production chops, but over the last two years he has been making progress behind the mic as well. Once known as the “Sample God” who was making predominantly drill beats for the likes of Shawny Binladen and B-Lovee, Cash has had a breakout year as a rapper. He successfully introduced his own unique version of the subgenre—dubbed “sexy drill”—to the masses, catching the attention of major acts like Drake and Don Toliver in the process.
Cash was on fire this year, thanks to a run of impressive singles like “Dunk Contest,” “Rum Punch,” and the viral “Fisherrr.” These tracks weren’t exactly chart smashes—none charted on the Billboard Hot 100—but they had a palpable impact on the streets and spread Cash’s lore beyond the confines of New York City. (I personally heard “Fisherrr” ring off in the UK.) Cash rode the momentum of these tracks into a new album, Play Cash Cobain, a collection of songs so irresistible that Slizzy Summer is now extending into the fall. —Jordan Rose
19. Jack Harlow
Age: 26
Why they’re on this list: He released one of the most memorable and successful rap singles of the last 12 months
Why they’re not higher: He has been oddly inactive this year, which hurts his placement on the list
What’s the deal with Jack Harlow? It’s been almost a year since he released “Lovin on Me,” arguably the best song of his career. The track was a smash from the start, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in just its second week. Despite this momentum, he seems to have taken a step back. Aside from a feature on the Lyrical Lemonade compilation album, Jack hasn’t released any new music this year—a disappointment considering that 26 is a prime age for creativity and Jack has both the charm and talent to compete. In fact, it seems like his only recent highlights have been launching the Gazebo Fest in his hometown of Louisville and randomly playing a minor role in some new Matt Damon and Doug Liman movie.
So, why is he on the list? Well, Jack Harlow is still one of those rappers whose album releases actually mean something, even if the end products can be disappointing. For all of his talents, Jack can be confused about the direction he wants to take his music. The last time he had a world-conquering hit was in 2022 with “First Class;” he followed that song by releasing an album consisting of duds. Seems like he tried to listen to the feedback and returned with Jackman, a more introspective and modest project that he released with minimal promotion in 2023. Jackman got better reviews but it wasn’t quite the “this is my serious album” classic that Jack probably imagined he was making. It might sound like I’m being harsh, but I view his placement on the list as a vote of confidence. It’s hope that another significant Jack moment is on the horizon. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
18. BossMan Dlow
Age: 26
Why they’re on this list: He is the breakout street rapper of the year
Why they’re not higher: He needs to show he can make more than rugged trap anthems
Every generation gets the BossMan Dlow it deserves. Originally from Port Salerno, Florida, Devante McCreary is a descendent in a long line of drunk, rambling, and conversational rap uncles, somehow sounding both immature and like an old soul from their first bars. He floats in and out of the pocket, often more concerned with his lavish shit talk than staying on beat. The Alamo Records signee is an engaging presence, making addictively flossy tapes full of old-school trap vibes.
The success is new for Dlow; his debut tape, Too Slippery, was only released a year ago. Yet, in that short time, he’s attracted collaborations with established artists like Lil Baby, Glorilla, Sexyy Red, and Rob49, and earned co-signs from the likes of Quavo, Moneybagg Yo, and Plies. Perhaps it’s because he sounds equally at home on Detroit and Milwaukee production as he does on classic Southern trap, as evidenced by his two biggest hits so far, “Get In With Me” and “Mr. Pot Scraper,” both of which have been receiving national play for most of the year.
He’s a dynamic talent, unhurried unless he’s suddenly rushed, who never loses sight of the fact that this is the entertainment industry and it’s supposed to be fun. —Abe Beame
17. Baby Keem
Age: 23
Why they’re on this list: He is a supremely gifted rapper, song crafter, and producer
Why they’re not higher: He has to put out music again to have a more competitive ranking
The curious case of Baby Keem continues with an air of silence. Since the release of his debut The Melodic Blue in 2021 and his contributions to Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, K-Dot’s cousin seems to be as selective as Kendrick himself. That doesn’t discount his talent, though. Keem, the youngest rapper on this list, is an auditory savant, cut from the same ambitious cloth as generational producer-rappers like Tyler, the Creator. Baby Keem’s lower placement on this list isn’t because he lacks talent—he just, so far, lacks the output to keep up with the others.
His appearance on the surprise release “The Hillbillies” with Lamar is the only Keem song we can track from over the past year and a half. However, Keem’s modern classics stack up impressively to the artists listed below. TMB’s “16,” “ORANGE SODA” and “HONEST” prove Keem’s pen operates at an elite level. But when your biggest songs are aided by the culture—aka Kendrick Lamar—it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Until the jovial, baby-voiced aficionado returns with his highly anticipated Child With Wolves, his true impact remains a mystery still waiting to be uncovered. —Jon Barlas
16. YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Age: 24
Why they’re on this list: After all of these years, he still has some of the most passionate fans in hip-hop
Why they’re not higher: A mix of oversaturation and legal adversity has hurt his musical output
There was a time when YoungBoy Never Broke Again was arguably the most popular rapper in hip-hop, especially if you measured engagement by intensity rather than just aggregate numbers. His fans were fervent, and he rewarded them by releasing music at a breathless pace, with each song having the urgency as if it could be his last.
Burnout seemed inevitable. Even before his labyrinth of legal troubles and personal demons fully emerged, there were signs that YoungBoy, as an artist, was slowing down. Most rappers who produce constantly tend to fall into patterns, using templates and grooves they are comfortable with to maintain a steady churn of unremarkable songs. (I refer to this as the DaBaby trap.) YoungBoy actually deployed an opposite tactic, where he was trying almost everything in an attempt to see what sticks. The nadir of this strategy was I Rest My Case, an almost comically bad knockoff Playboi Carti album which dropped at the top of 2023. The tapes slightly improved as the year went on but followed a now-predictable cadence of three to four signs of brilliance amongst a whole lot of garbled filler.
And then there are the legal issues: In April, he was arrested on gun and drug charges and hit with two Class 2 felony charges in his home state of Utah. It was terrible timing; YoungBoy was already on house arrest awaiting trial for federal gun charges. Just this week, he received a 27-month sentence for those charges, although with time served he may be out in a year’s time.
YoungBoy turns 25 next month, and I would be lying if I said I know how the next half of his 20s will play out. Even with all of his troubles and setbacks, it’s hard to have a list like this without mentioning him. At his peak, YoungBoy wasn’t just popular; he was also emotionally raw—one of the few unapologetically street rappers who didn’t try to shoehorn aspirational bullshit into their music. Even before being arrested, he slowed down his musical output in 2024, but his team maintained a steady drop of loosies, including the searing “Tears of War,” which in retrospect sounds almost like a farewell. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
15. Sexyy Red
Age: 26
Why they’re on this list: She has undeniable charisma and the ability to get people talking
Why they’re not higher: So far, she has come across as one-note—though that note is undeniably fun
Sexyy Red has been an inescapable force in rap. From “Pound Town” to “Get It Sexyy,” the raunchy St. Louis rapper has managed to transcend her street origins; her songs are now heard everywhere from baby showers to wedding parties. Since heating up at the top of 2023, she’s consistently had a song in rotation. “Pound Town” dominated the spring and summer of 2023, while her mixtape Hood’s Hottest Princess caught fire in the fall and winter, thanks to the electrifying “SkeeYee.”
Because of her content and demeanor, Sexyy Red is also one of the most controversial new rappers in recent memory. Constantly criticized, she uses these rebukes to her advantage. She’s clearly aware of the narratives around her—everything from her not being a super-lyrical rapper to her being a CIA plant—and she flips these negative sentiments in her favor. Whether it’s the off-key manner in which she sings on “U My Everything” or her filming a prison-themed video for "Free My Nigga," Sexyy Red embraces humor and hyperbole in a way that makes her unique amongst her peers. There’s only one Sexyy Red, and despite what the critics say, she doesn’t seem like she’s leaving anytime soon. —Jordan Rose
14. Veeze
Age: 29
Why they’re on this list: He is a technically gifted MC who made a great album recently
Why they’re not higher: He is an excellent rapper but has not been able to make true hit records yet
Veeze isn’t dominating the charts, hasn’t collected any music awards yet, and is about to be out of his 20s come February. So why is he above some of the other names on this list who have accomplished these feats? Well, because Veeze is a hell of a rapper. More so than any MC on this list, Veeze is someone who rewards repeat listening, with bars and flows so slippery that you have to listen to them three times over to catch every trick that’s layered in them.
Ganger, Veeze's debut album from 2023, has quickly become a cult classic, thanks to standout tracks like “Not a Drill” and “GOMD.” The album illustrates Veeze’s clever mind with bars like: “Pint sealed like my true feelings, stay bottled up.” Veeze has kept the momentum from Ganger going, sprinkling loosies throughout 2024, with the Rylo Rodriguez-assisted heater “‘F.A.F” being the highlight. —Jordan Rose
13. Doechii
Age: 26
Why they’re on this list: She just dropped a legitimate album of the year contender
Why they’re not higher: There's still a lot of time for her to do more damage
After building a cult following, Tampa rapper Doechii signed with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2022. For a while, her musical output seemed more Sizzler than Wagyu. That changed a few weeks ago with the release of Alligator Bites Never Heal, which is shaping up to be a serious album of the year contender and possibly the best TDE release since SZA’s SOS (no disrespect intended, ScHoolboy Q).
She didn’t ask for permission to release the project; instead, she called her label and told them the tape was coming, saying, “I am going to drop a mixtape on August 30th. This is my plan.” It seems TDE wasn’t upset by her boldness. Top Dawg himself compared the album to Kendrick Lamar’s classic project Section.80. This might seem hyperbolic to some, but I think it actually fits: Doechii is very Kendrick-coded in how she blends ’90s traditionalism with fluid flows, genre mashups, and influences in a way that feels cohesive and thoughtful. It’s also evident in her approach to grappling with personal demons, using histrionics—mutating her voice and elongating certain vowels—for effect.
She’s just such a fucking sick rapper—hyper-specific and charismatic, with a knack for using unconventional phrasing that sticks. (I’ve been saying “Whoopsie, made a oopsie. One hundred thousand dollar ‘oops’ made me loopy” all week.) I’ve been hearing for years from Doechii zealots about her potential. Consider me converted. I can’t wait to see where she ends up on this list next year. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
12. Ken Carson
Age: 24
Why they’re on this list: He’s a leader in the mosh pit rap scene
Why they’re not higher: After a bumpy beginning, he has only just recently come into his own as an artist
Ken Carson’s half-baked early projects like X made it hard to see why Zoomers were so obsessed with him, using framed photos of his song titles as Christmas presents and presenting his one-note lyrics as yearbook quotes. The Carti protégé moaned and droned like he was dab-penned out of his mind over copy-paste, monotonously buzzing rage beats. But then came last year’s A Great Chaos, ushering the delirium to new heights of anarchy. Suddenly, Ken was flying over the outrageous instrumentals and matching their craziness. It’s an evil carnival of obliterated low end and synths that conjure up chainsaws slicing in double time, the kind of tape that would surely send a senior citizen into cardiac arrest. It’s maybe the most ornate and futuristic-feeling rap album since the scene-spawning Whole Lotta Red.
What really separates Ken from other rage vibe-crafters is his doofy charisma, the way he chortles like Bowser and compares his lady’s physique to the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo. While many of the rage albums that came in the wake of Carti’s opus were derivative and relied heavily on mosh-pit madness, AGC is joyously silly and stylishly designed. This hyper-cluttered version of rage is already inspiring new rappers like the bass-drowned upstart Osamason. Ken’s still killing it with the madly buoyant “overseas” and “ss,” which were both on the deluxe version of A Great Chaos released over the summer. He might have lost Sydney Sweeney’s co-sign, but the music keeps getting more irresistibly unhinged. —Kieran Press-Reynolds
11. Lil Uzi Vert
Age: 29
Why they’re on this list: They remain one of hip-hop’s most notable rappers, known for creating chart-topping hits
Why they’re not higher: The last time Uzi dropped an album it was the underwhelming Pink Tape
Philly’s Symere Bysil Woods, better known as Lil Uzi Vert, is 29, and will soon be exiting this list, but there have been few rappers better at staying ahead of trends this decade. In 2022, they did the most for Jersey Club since Bandmanrill started rapping over the caffeinated beats by releasing “I Just Wanna Rock,” a viral smash that took a regional sound global.
That song ended up on Pink Tape, a 26-track, genre-melting odyssey that debuted at No. 1 and featured legends like Rick Rubin and Travis Scott alongside tapped-in cool kids like Ken Carson and Don Toliver. That album was something of a letdown, though, suffering from messy bloat and a lack of commercial hits (other than the Nicki Minaj collab “Endless Fashion”). And it seems like Uzi is still trying to grapple with the tepid response. They have openly talked about retiring from music, indicating that their last album will be Luv Is Rage 3. So they go into their third decade with a lot on the line, and it remains to be seen where they’ll land on a future Complex list dedicated to 30 somethings. —Abe Beame
10. Chief Keef
Age: 29
Why they’re on this list: He’s making some of the best music of his career, including his latest album, Almighty So 2
Why they’re not higher: He is still mostly a cult legend, but one who hasn’t had a hit record in a number of years
Chief Keef has been a professional rapper for over a decade and, remarkably, he’s still under 30. He entered the game at the tender age of 16, launching Chicago drill music into the mainstream. Over the years, he’s grown from a major-label priority to being an independent cult figure in rap, tolling away in his own lab, putting out music on his own schedule. In the process, he’s influenced countless rappers (including many who appear on this list).
At 29, Chief Keef is a seasoned veteran, and he’s currently making some of the best music of his career. This year, he accomplished something that many rappers struggle with: releasing a worthy sequel to a classic project. In fact, Almighty So 2, his long-awaited fifth studio album, almost matches the original. Tracks like "Tony Montana Flow" and "Neph Nem" evoke the essence of classic drill while incorporating the psychedelic production quirks he’s developed over the years. With Almighty So 2, I particularly appreciate how he collaborates with female rappers like Sexyy Red and Tierra Whack, allowing them to outshine him. (Tierra’s verse on "Banded Up" is legit one of the best of the year.)
Chief Keef also took a major victory lap earlier this summer by headlining Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash Festival, marking his first performance in Chicago since 2012. Even after all these years, the city still loves Sosa. —Mikeisha Daché Vaughn
9. Lil Baby
Age: 29
Why they’re on this list: He’s had a resurgence thanks to a number of great guest verses
Why they’re not higher: He has had a rough couple of years; he’s only now getting his groove back thanks to his guest verses
Lil Baby is like one of those ballers who have been in the league for five years and is still somehow a few months younger than an incoming lottery-pick rookie. It’s probably because the Oakland City kid has been getting shout-outs on Quality Control records since 2015—back when his moniker made sense.
By the time he turns 30 in December, Baby will have lived more lives and careers than the cool kids setting regional YouTube nerd rap on fire right now. The last time Complex made this list, back in 2021, he was the clear number one, the Best Rapper Alive off the heels of releasing a classic, My Turn, and a very solid collabo tape with Lil Durk, The Voice of the Heroes. But there have been some bumpy years since. It’s Only Me—a decent 23-track album that debuted at No. 1 and did numbers that dwarf most artists on this list—came and went because it didn’t have the standard clutch of monster hits Baby has reliably churned out.
Critics and fans pointed to a disposability in the music he was making, that he didn’t seem to be expending much energy in the way of experimentation or growth, and that his verses all had a quality of sameness to them. It seems like he’s starting to rectify that problem; he’s dropped a number of excellent guest verses in 2024. The standout is the Central Cee-starring song of the summer contender “BAND4BAND.” But there are also excellent verses on songs he did with Byron Messia, BossMan Dlow, and his artist Tay B. (Don’t even get me started on the 4batz snippet that’s floating around.)
With this kind of activity, a new album from Baby feels imminent. You bet against him at your own risk. —Abe Beame
8. Lil Yachty
Age: 27
Why they’re on this list: He has continually found ways to stay relevant while experimenting with various styles
Why they’re not higher: His last album, Bad Cameo with James Blake, was somewhat disappointing
Lil Yachty’s been flipping rap on its head since his early SoundCloud days, but he's really been on a killer experimental streak since the meme-turned-megahit “Poland” conquered the internet. “Strike (Holster)” mutated his vibrato effect into a gorgeously haunted hook. Let’s Start Here shocked rap heads with shroom-brained rock psychedelia. It got even freakier with the molasses churn of his Faye Webster indie-rock collab “Lego Ring” and the deranged Death Grips cosplay tune “Something Ether.” Yachty can succeed with practically any texture—flaming rage, fluttering falsetto, trance-y flex rap.
Far from a copycat chasing trends that drive TikTok, Yachty’s really a shark: his voracious appetite keeps him constantly moving. He's similarly unafraid of upsetting people with what he says, whether it be the vexing declaration that he pivoted from rap to psych-rock to be "taken seriously as an artist" or his Instagram Live lash-out against Karrahbooo, an ex-member of his group Concrete Boys. (Yachty claimed he ghostwrote everything by her, which she refuted.) At 27, he's one of the most influential figures in culture; he's close friends with Drake and has helped write some of his songs (including an alleged reference track that became ammo in the Drake-Kendrick war).
Not everything Yachty makes (or says) works—I’m talking to you Bad Cameo—but it’s fun to watch someone so successful just tinker around, remaking subgenres in his troll-happy image (even if I wish he would put out more pure rap songs.) And in a landscape filled with rappers trying hard to appear nonchalant, it's bizarrely refreshing to see someone inflame the public and risk crashing out. What’s next—Yachty’s whizzing vibrato over a menacing gabber beat? Shock me. —Kieran Press-Reynolds
7. GloRilla
Age: 25
Why they’re on this list: She was the comeback rapper of the year, dropping a number of impactful singles
Why they’re not higher: Comeback years typically aren’t MVP years
It’s hard to believe, but GloRilla has only been around for two years. In 2022, the 25-year-old skyrocketed with “F.N.F (Let’s Go),” an anthem promoting doing ratchet activities with your friends and swearing off fuck boys. The track's success propelled GloRilla into the spotlight, leading to appearances at the 2023 Grammys, where she was nominated for Best Rap Performance, and a performance of “Tomorrow 2” with Cardi B at the American Music Awards. And then she hit a cold streak, dropping clunkers like "Internet Trolls" and "Nut Quick" that failed to garner the same amount of steam. The phrase “one-hit-wonder” started to be floated around despite the fact, at that point, she already had a couple of songs chart well.
But GloRilla is a prime example of why fans can’t be prisoners of the moment; sometimes, it’s important to let things play out. GloRilla has absolutely been one of the best rappers of 2024, thanks in large part to “Yeah Glo!” a self-empowering anthem that has a similarly caffeinated, confrontational cadence as “F.N.F (Let’s Go).” She followed that up with her Southern link-up with Megan Thee Stallion, “Wanna Be,” and the crunk-inspired “TGIF.” It was almost a back-to-basics strategy from GloRilla; these songs are the perfect blend of aggression, confidence, and exuberance that made Glo pop in the first place.
Part of GloRilla’s success stems from her responsiveness to feedback. She’s rapped about her cold periods and how she’s adjusted (“Stop overthinkin', these hoes can't fuck with you, period”). Recently, we saw her swap out the R word on a song after getting pushback from fans. (She replaced the word with “naughty.”) This attentiveness will only help her clear the way for more success. —Mikeisha Daché Vaughn
6. Latto
Age: 25
Why they’re on this list: She is a versatile rapper who has shown an ability to consistently make hits
Why they’re not higher: There is still another level for her to hit before we crown her
It feels like a true crossroads year for Latto, who is at the midpoint of her 20s and more than eight years into her career. The question is whether she can reach another level or if she is in the midst of a solid, yet not necessarily all-time great rap career. If I’m being transparent, I’m not sure which route she will go, but I do know she deserves to be this high on this list. Part of the reason is she constantly keeps a hit record in her pocket, with her latest being “Big Mama,” a track that’s packed with quotables, with the line “What do I get for my birthday?” leading the pack for Instagram caption of the year.
“Big Mama” is a single from her third studio album Sugar Honey Iced Tea, which is a cohesive blend of Latto’s lyricism and Georgia roots. Her slick tongue, confident bravado, and Southern twang on tracks like "Broken" and "Settle Down" make it arguably one of the best female rap releases of the year. Now for the elephant: The album debuted at No. 14, selling only 29K units, a fact that might undermine her high position. But rap sales are a complicated topic, and the charts are as gameable as they’ve ever been. Beyond arbitrary stats, she is easily one of the most stylistically flexible rappers on this list, whether via gritty raps, braggadocious anthems, or bubbly pop songs. (It's worth noting that her previous album, 777, also had modest first-week sales, moving 23K units, despite having the pop-oriented “Big Energy” as its main single.)
Latto is one of the great rap personalities we have now. People have criticized her for coming across as stiff, but it’s a bad read. Latto excels at trolling: When fans noticed she was repeatedly wearing a leopard print thong, she turned it into a signature move—selling the famous pair on eBay, sporting a phone case with the thong design, and embracing leopard print in her wardrobe. And who can forget how she handled her dust-up with Ice Spice? She treated her as a joke, putting her and various other rappers on the cover art for "Sunday Service,” dropping a couple of subs on and off wax (including eating a shit cake), and then pulling up to Ice Spice's home turf to shoot the video. Big energy indeed. —Mikeisha Daché Vaughn
5. Yeat
Age: 24
Why they’re on this list: He is one of the most unique rappers in the industry, boasting a fervent fanbase that adores him
Why they’re not higher: He has to break out of his dystopian bubble to move up this list
Merriam-Webster is dogwater compared to Noah Olivier Smith. The rap mutant might be responsible for the most new “words” of the 2020s, from “chonka” and “twizzy” to “shmunky” and “Shmooktobër.” Carti and Trippie Redd kickstarted the rage-rap era but Yeat made it truly deranged, littering titles with umlauts, hurling addictive gibberish like “She eat me up like benibachi,” and sampling Talking Ben’s gruff groan. He spawned some of the most intoxicating TikTok dances of the decade—you feel drunk just watching them—and even dropped a collab with the Minions. He’s one of only a few new rappers to fully graduate out of the internet underground, scoring songs with megastars like Lil Uzi Vert.
His latest album, 2093, debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and the Drake song he’s featured on, “IDGAF,” hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. He towers over the rest of the 2020s generation. Haters call him inane. Yet he’s truly adept at stretching his voice beyond the human realm, spewing a slew of freaky ad-libs and mouth noises that sound like goblin burps. 2093 saw him cosplaying as an overlord of a future dystopia. It was his most conceptual release yet and clearly an attempt to garner mainstream approval. But even if it was a commercial success—moving the equivalent of 70,000 units—it felt mostly like a discount Travis Scott album, stuffed with luxurious beats and empty luster. Yeat is now in this purgatory where he’s a star but not really a household name. But does it matter if the diehard fans love it?—Kieran Press-Reynolds
4. Megan Thee Stallion
Age: 29
Why they’re on this list: She is capable of headlining arenas and is consistently topping the charts
Why they’re not higher: She had a big year and made significant improvements, but the top three still show more potential
After a challenging few years marked by a high-profile trial, social-media conspiracy theories, and sensational blog headlines, Megan Thee Stallion returned with a vengeance. She is steadily building her empire: She announced her company, Hot Girl Productions; released her first album as an independent artist; secured campaigns with Nike and Planet Fitness; and headlined her first-ever arena tour with her new bestie, GloRilla. She also scored a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Hiss,” a track where she took direct aim at Nicki Minaj and emerged victorious. (“Big Foot” never happened.) Considering all her accomplishments, there’s a strong argument that 2024 was Megan’s best year yet.
And yet, it didn’t always feel that way. Megan Thee Stallion is one of the most scrutinized rappers, even as she continues to sharpen her skills. For years, she’s faced criticism for her perceived inability to switch flows and for the way she rapped about sex. She addressed some of these aspects on her latest album Megan. And I don’t think she got the proper credit for some of the growth she’s shown. She flexed new muscles on this album, addressing personal hardships and experimenting with different sounds, like when she collaborated with Japanese rapper Yuki Chiba on "Mamushi." At least it paid off with her fans; Megan was a success and became the highest-charting album by a female rapper in 2024. Just further proof that Megan Thee Stallion is still that bitch. —Mikeisha Daché Vaughn
3. Central Cee
Age: 26
Why they’re on this list: He’s a UK rapper who’s been able to garner significant crossover success in the United States
Why they’re not higher: There isn’t a large enough sample size for him to be in the “best rapper in their 20s” conversation
In just a couple of years, Central Cee has evolved from being the face of UK rap to being one of the most promising young rappers, period. He hasn’t released a full-length debut album yet, which adds to this aura of endless potential that’s surrounding him. Part of the appeal is that we can see him striving towards greatness—looking to transcend to new commercial heights without alienating the day ones.
One thing he’s done is distance himself from the UK drill sound that he was associated with early in his career. (He’s always had ambivalent feelings about the genre, telling us in 2021 that he doesn’t “want to be boxed in as a drill rapper.”) He’s started collaborating with proven hitmakers across various genres, from pop (PinkPantheress) to Afrobeats (Asake) to lighter rap acts (Ice Spice). Not only does he not sound corny trying these styles, he’s also the highlight of all of these songs, stealing the spotlight each time.
As a technician, he might be the best pure rapper under 30, showcasing a mixtape-era dedication to intricate wordplay and acrobatic flows. Even as the hits grow bigger—like “BAND4BAND,” his stunting anthem with Lil Baby, which cracked the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100—he remains best known for being a real spitter. His freestyles are moments: He famously went toe-to-toe with Drake on his On The Radar freestyle and casually took out rival Digga D in under three minutes with his “CC Freestyle” this year. However, it’s his L.A. Leakers Freestyle from 2023 that is his career highlight, functioning almost as a “welcome to the U.S.” moment. The freestyle is essentially a modern-day take on Big L’s “Ebonics,” where Cee translates regional London slang for an American audience. He raps: “You say ‘The feds just done a sweep’/We say ‘The boy dem run in my gaff’/You say ‘On God, no cap’/We say ‘Swear on your life, don’t gas’/You say ‘Spin the block’/We say ‘Jump out and slide and crash.’”
And this is what makes Cench stand out: Among young rappers, he has done the best job of balancing homegrown authenticity, fluid rapping, and the ambition to compete for the throne. If he plays the next couple of years right he’s looking real big three-ish to me. —Jordan Rose
2. Doja Cat
Age: 28
Why they’re on this list: Doja is a legitimate superstar with a profile so large that she can successfully headline Coachella
Why they’re not higher: Number two is nothing to sneeze at; she just barely missed being recognized as the best rapper in their 20s
Even amongst a crowded crop of female MCs, Doja Cat stands out from the pack. Her superior lyricism, animated tone, buttery vocals, and theatrical performances have cemented her place ahead of even her most talented contemporaries. To put it bluntly, the girls just aren’t doing it like Doja.
Part of her strength is that she lives at the intersection of undeniable talent and controversy, which keeps her under the watchful eye of critics, stans, and everyone in between. It often seems like she’s on the brink of a crash-out, yet she always manages to come out stronger. The controversies surrounding her have been numerous, from associating with incels to showing feet in racial chat rooms to wearing a shirt showcasing alleged neo-Nazi Sam Hyde. Despite this, Doja Cat has found a way to turn criticisms into opportunities, engaging with her fans through online debates and “I Hate Doja” merch that only fuels the hype.
Doja Cat gets bored easily and isn’t afraid to be adversarial with her fans; just so we’re clear, she is the alpha in this parasocial relationship. After years of dominating the pop charts, she released her fourth studio album Scarlet, a no-features “serious rap” project that signified her attempt to distance herself from her celebrity persona and assert control over her artistic direction. This was her attempt at making a capital-R rap album, one that was lyrically deft and addressed the criticisms and controversies that have surrounded her career. And you know what…it fucking worked. Scarlet emerged as one of the best releases of 2023. The funniest thing about that album is that, even while taking an anti-pop stance, she still had monster singles, including “Paint the Town Red,” which went No. 1, and the dreamy "Agora Hills."
One last note: Doja Cat is the best pure performer on this list (although No. 1 is close). She is the only rapper still in her 20s with the mainstream appeal, quality of music, and visual flair necessary to headline Coachella, which she did this past spring to stellar reviews. Doja makes it almost impossible to leave her world, no matter how much we think we want to. —Mikeisha Daché Vaughn
1. Playboi Carti
Age: 28
Why they’re No. 1: He has slowly crafted one of the great modern rap catalogs while influencing a new class of up-and-coming rappers
On March 10, 2021, Playboi Carti went to Instagram to announce that a new album was on the way. “LeTs dr0p thiS new Album . w3 noT done,” he wrote, just three months after releasing the mind-melting classic Whole Lotta Red.
The post now seems like a cruel joke. It’s 2024 and there is still no new album. But if you’re a real Playboi Carti fan, this isn’t surprising; you know how he likes to make you wait. More than three years later, anticipation for a new Carti album has reached extreme heights. Fans want it now; and Carti is giving out crumbs—a sneak peek at a live show here, random NBA-inspired photos there. He knows that once he drops an album, the collective rap world stops—thinkpieces will start to be written, podcast mics will be plugged in, and Akademiks will pull out the Hennessy.
It’s the kind of power held by only the most dominant rappers in hip-hop. And, let me be clear, Playboi Carti is clearly the best rapper in his 20s—a statement that might be baffling to rap fans who expect the best rappers to show some sort of stylistic alliance to the Lil Waynes and Jay-Zs of the past. However, there’s a precedent for a different kind of “best rapper,” akin to Young Thug, Chief Keef, and Gucci Mane—artists whose radical styles were so innovative they practically invented their own subgenres, creating a wave of imitators in the process. This is Carti—so significant I can make a top 25 list of the rappers who tried to replicate the sauce.
Some of the knockoffs are cool, but let’s be real—Carti is still on another level. His commitment to his albums—taking the time to craft them meticulously, as if he’s trying to keep his undefeated streak going like a prime Floyd Mayweather—makes him different from his contemporaries. And no matter how many rappers have tried their own versions of Whole Lotta Red, none have managed to capture the distinct feeling of a great Carti record. Listen beyond the yelps, baby voices, moments of gibberish, hiccups, and squeals, and you’ll find a rapper dedicated to replicating the live, teeth-rattling music experience for DSPs.
Carti’s new album is reportedly titled I’m Music, and it’s expected to release sometime this year. Last December he spent weeks dropping singles on random places, like his finsta—@opium_00pium—or exclusively on YouTube. The new tracks don’t represent the same evolutionary leap we saw with Whole Lotta Red and Die Lit, but the songs are still revelatory; on “2024”—out of nowhere—he transitions from baby-voiced Carti to deep-voiced Carti. And just like that, the best rapper in their 20s added a new dimension to his repertoire. We’re sure all the Carti clones were in the lab taking notes. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo