In this blog post, we list some of the best Memphis rappers to listen to right now. A few of these rappers came of age in the early and mid-’90s with Crunk music, including the likes of Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG and, to a lesser degree, Project Pat. The new wave of Memphis artists like Moneybagg Yo, Key Glock and Jucee Froot are pushing the city to greater heights through modern genres like trap music. Even so, you’ll find a mix of influential and underrated artists who have had a lasting impact on the city’s dynamic rap scene.
1. Moneybagg Yo
Moneybagg Yo brings grit and menace to his rhymes about street life. The Memphis rapper debuted his first two projects, “Federal 3X” and “2 Heartless,” in the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 (at numbers 5 and 16, respectively). His third studio album, “Time Served,” released in 2020, charted higher at number three on the Billboard 200. His fourth project, “A Gangsta’s Pain,” released in April 2021, became his first to top the chart.
- Real name: DeMario DeWayne White Jr.
- Born: September 22, 1991 (South Memphis, Memphis)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 12 million
Stream Moneybagg Yo songs
Read more:
2. NLE Choppa
NLE Choppa first caught the attention of the hip hop world as part of a music video called “No Chorus Pt 3” which was uploaded by Memphis rap collective Shotta Fam. But his well known for his 2019 single ‘Shotta Flow’ which went viral on the internet. The music video of the song gathered more than 15 million views in just six weeks from the day of its release on YouTube. Subsequently, a bidding war ensued between popular record labels, such as ‘Caroline Records,’ ‘EMPIRE Distribution,’ ‘Republic,’ and ‘Interscope.’ However, he turned down a $3 million record deal to enter a distribution partnership with Steve Stoute’s independent distribution company ‘UnitedMasters.’
- Real name: Bryson Lashun Potts
- Born: November 1, 2002 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 9 million
Stream NLE Choppa songs
Read more:
- Everything You Need to Know About NLE Choppa
- NLE Choppa opens up about dark times in the rap game: “I felt like suicide was in consideration”
- NLE Choppa on Discovering Purpose in Popularity
3. Key Glock
Key Glock is known for delivering cold, stark, uncompromising verses about sex, guns, and money. As a child, he often listened to such artists as Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, and his biggest inspiration, Three 6 Mafia. Additionally, he greatly admired Project Pat, whose songs influenced his life for the better. On June 16, 2017 he released his debut mixtape Glock Season. The album received a lot of local buzz within his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. This lead to him being noticed by many local artists such as rapper Blocboy JB and local producer Tay Keith. Critics at The Fader and XXL have described Key Glock’s music as “raw reality raps” and ” street tales spun with a sense of humor”. His music focuses on the struggle of growing up in the streets of South Memphis surrounded by gang violence and drug dealing.
- Real name: Markeyvius LaShun Cathey
- Born: August 3, 1997 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 8 million
Stream Key Glock songs
Read more:
- Key Glock Embarks on a Future Without His Mentor: ‘Young Dolph Was My Motivation’
- How Rappers Young Dolph and Key Glock Turned Street Smarts Into Business Savvy
- Key Glock Blasts People Who ‘Fake F*cked With Me’ When Young Dolph Was Alive
- Key Glock: Moving Places
4. Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti was raised in a notorious crime-ridden neighborhood in Ridge Crest housing projects. His father, mother, uncle and aunt were hustlers. They were arrested by cops when Gotti was in second grade. Consequently, he started thugging on the streets to fend for the household. Formerly known as Lil Yo in the 90’s, he released his first album, From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game, in 2000. The lyrics of his songs often describe the dangers of life in the hoods and also are sexually explicit. As a record executive, he is the founder of the record label Collective Music Group, which has signed successful acts such as Moneybagg Yo, 42 Dugg, Blac Youngsta, EST Gee And Mozzy.
- Real name: Mario Sentell Giden Mims
- Born: May 19, 1981 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 5.5 million
Stream Yo Gotti songs
Read more:
- Yo Gotti, there’s nothing more valuable than ‘Free Game’
- Inside The Rise Of Yo Gotti And Collective Music Group
5. Young Dolph
South Memphis rapper Young Dolph became a local hero with stern club bangers and cold punch lines served throughout a series of mixtapes that led to a nationwide breakthrough around 2014. The Memphis-based rapper started out with his mixtape series High Class Street Music to working with Drumma Boy and Zaytoven. He rose to fame with his debut album titled King of Memphis and and in 2020, he released his seventh album titled Rich Slave, which became his highest-charting project. However, Young Dolph died on November 17, 2021 after he was shot at a Memphis bakery he was visiting while en route to a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway. He was 36 years old.
- Real name: Adolph Robert Thornton Jr.
- Born: July 27, 1985 (Chicago, Illinois)
- Death: November 17, 2021 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 5 million
Stream Young Dolph songs
Read more:
- Inside Young Dolph’s violent past as rapper was shot in 2017 and spoke about being ‘targeted’ before his death
- Rolling Stone: Young Dolph Deserved to Live
6. Juicy J
Juicy J is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established in 1991, and also the younger brother of rapper Project Pat. Together with production partner DJ Paul, Juicy J played an important role in the South’s rise to prominence within the once East and West Coast dominated rap industry. In 2002, he released his solo debut album Chronicles of the Juice Man, in between Three 6 Mafia projects. Juicy J also received a Grammy Award nomination for his feature on the Katy Perry single “Dark Horse”, which peaked at number one in the US.
- Real name: Jordan Michael Houston III
- Born: April 5, 1975 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 4.5 million
Stream Juicy J songs
Read more:
- Juicy J Stays Trippy: Inside The Rapper’s Unlikely Comeback
- Rolling Stone: ‘The First Time’ With Juicy J
7. Blocboy JB
Blocboy JB made a name for himself in the southern hip-hop world with the track “No Chorus Pt. 6,” which went viral on YouTube and SoundCloud in 2017. However, he is best known for his song “Look Alive” featuring Drake which peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2018. He also choreographed the “shoot dance,” which became a craze after the release of his single ‘Shoot.’
- Real name: James Lee Baker
- Born: May 19, 1996 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 3 million
Stream Blocboy JB songs
Read more:
- BlocBoy JB Shares Thoughts On The Value Of Black Life And Fatherhood
- BlocBoy JB: Five Things to Know About the ‘Look Alive’ Memphis Rapper
8. Kingpin Skinny Pimp
Kingpin Skinny Pimp is renowned for his rapid delivery, he rose to fame collaborating with Three 6 Mafia. He has released a dozen solo albums since beginning his professional career in 1993 and has collaborated on numerous albums.
- Real name: Derrick Dewayne Hill
- Born: Memphis, Tennessee
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 3 million
Stream Kingpin Skinny Pimp songs
Read more:
- Rolling Stone: Kingpin Skinny Pimp Is a Memphis Rap Pioneer
- The Hazy History of Kingpin Skinny Pimp & Lady Bee
9. DJ Paul
DJ Paul is a founding member of hip hop group Three 6 Mafia and the brother of the late rapper Lord Infamous. He rose to fame in the late 1990s era where his group Three 6 Mafia collaborated with the rapper Juicy J and Lord Infamous for three albums titled “The Serial Killaz”. His skills as a DJ, producer, and rapper helped propel the raucous ensemble to multiple RIAA platinum and gold plaques by way of smash hits such as “Tear The Club Up”, “Late Night Tip”, “Sippin’ On Some Syrup” and “Stay Fly”.
- Real name: Paul Duane Beauregard
- Born: January 12, 1977 (Whitehaven, South Memphis)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 2.5 million
Stream DJ Paul songs
Read more:
- Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul Talks Memphis’ Cultural Impact In Music And Beyond
- Russian Producers Obsessed With Three 6 Mafia Can’t Stop Going Viral
- Three 6 Mafia Remember Their Shocking Oscar Win for ‘It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp
10. Big30
Big30 came up with his first single titled “Murda Day” in April 2020. The song also features rapper Lil Migo. By the end of 2020, he was showing up as a featured artist on tracks from Dee Mula, Gucci Mane, and others. Along with appearing on several tracks on the So Icy Gang, Vol. 1 and So Icy Summer compilations. However, he’s best known for his feature on his childhood friend Pooh Shiesty’s 2021 single “Neighbors“, which peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. Big30 released his debut mixtape, King of Killbranch, in September 2021. It includes appearances from Future, Lil Durk, Pooh Shiesty, and Moneybagg Yo, among others.
- Real name: Rodney Lamont Wright Jr.
- Born: December 28, 1999 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1.5 million
Stream Big30 songs
Read more:
- Album of the Year Review: Big30 – King of Killbranch
- Rapper Big30 Signs with N-Less and Bread Gang Entertainment in Partnership with Interscope
11. Duke Deuce
Memphis rapper Duke Deuce has taken it upon himself to inspire a new generation to tear the club up. With inexhaustible energy and a booming voice, he’s reclaiming the ecstatic subgenre for his hometown, making music as grim as it is gleeful, and turning up all the while. Duke Deuce is best known for his collaborations with hit producer Tay Keith. He has a hit song called “Grab A…”. Duke released his first projects on Quality Control Music (QC): Memphis Massacre (2018) and Memphis Massacre 2 (2020). Those records split the difference between the dark crunk of Three 6 Mafia and the gleaming hits of Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz, offering vivid glimpses into Duke’s life before and after rap, full of both salvos aimed at local enemies and bottle-popping celebrations.
- Real name: Patavious Lashun Isom
- Born: May 1, 1992 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1 million
Stream Duke Deuce songs
Read more:
- Rolling Stone: Duke Deuce Is Memphis Rap’s Truest Apostle — But He’s Not Stopping There
- Duke Deuce Is The Latest ‘Crunkstar’ Coming Out of Memphis
12. Project Pat
Project Pat is the older brother of Juicy J, the co-founder of Three 6 Mafia. Although not an official member, he had collaborated with Three 6 Mafia and all of his albums have been produced by members of the group. His first recording appearances were on Three 6 Mafia releases from 1991. After serving time in prison on various charges in the mid-1990s, he released his first solo album, Ghetty Green in 1999. One of his early hit songs “sipping on some syrup” was released in 2000.
- Real name: Patrick Earl Houston
- Born: February 8, 1973 (North Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 1 million
Stream Project Pat songs
Read more:
13. Blac Youngsta
Blac Youngsta is very famous for his mixtapes and album, and his many singles hold positions in billboard hot 100. Before fame, at the age of 7, Blac Youngsta got his first job – he was hired as a shop assistant at a local grocery store. Unfortunately, he was fired when the manager caught him placing fake orders to the store in order to steal the food home for him and his brothers. He became a nationwide name with the release of his hit single “Heavy” in 2015. He came into the news after being accused of the murder of his fellow rapper Young Dolph. People speculated that due to rivalry, Youngsta was allegedly involved in the incident.
- Real name: Sammie Marquez Benson
- Born: April 8, 1990 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 820,000
Stream Blac Youngsta songs
Read more:
- Blac Youngsta Opens Up About Growing Up Poor, His Brother’s Death & Why He Waves Guns Around
- Young Dolph And Blac Youngsta Beef Explored Amid Video Controversy
14. Lil Wyte
Memphis rapper Lil Wyte gained recognition for his mixtapes and performances. He was a member of the rap collective Hypnotize Minds. Lil Wyte is affiliated with some major Hip Hop names who hail from Memphis, Tennessee including Juicy J, the late Lord Infamous, Project Pat, and DJ Paul. His first album Doubt Me Now, produced by DJ Paul & Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia, sold over 130,000 copies independently.
- Real name: Patrick Dhane Lanshaw
- Born: October 6, 1982 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 650,000
Stream Lil Wyte songs
Read more:
15. 8 Ball & MJG
Influential Memphis duo 8 Ball & MJG was one of the first Dirty South acts to achieve national attention in the 1990s. In 1993, the duo released their debut album Comin’ Out Hard. After a couple years in limbo, Bad Boy Records, helmed by Diddy, picked up 8Ball & MJG and released Living Legends (2004), the duo’s most star-studded album to date. “You Don’t Want Drama,” the lead single, became 8Ball & MJG’s biggest hit ever, reaching number 30 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart, while Living Legends itself likewise became the duo’s best-selling, debuting at number three on the Top 200 album chart and topping 500,000 in sales.
- Origin: Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 325,000
Stream 8 Ball & MJG songs
Read more:
16. Jucee Froot
Memphis based rapper Jucee Froot gained popularity through freestyles and car raps such as ‘Bad and Boujee’ which went viral. With the ability to switch up the flow from hardcore raps to singing a hook, Jucee continues to be a rising artist. She is best known for her contributions to the soundtracks of many films and television shows, including “Eat Itself” from Insecure, “Down in the Valley” from P-Valley, and “Danger” from Birds of Prey (2020).
- Real name: Katisha Kateema Henry
- Born: July 12, 1994 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 250,000
Stream Jucee Froot songs
Read more:
- Why Memphis Rapper Jucee Froot Is Popping Up Everywhere You Look
- Jucee Froot: The New Budding Voice Of Memphis
- XXL Mag: The Break Presents – Jucee Froot
17. Cities Aviv
Memphis rapper Cities Aviv debuted with the mixtapes Digital Lows (2011), influenced by the then popular chillwave movement, and Black Pleasure (2012), that instead adopted an almost punk grit. He was the lead singer of Memphis-based hardcore punk band Copwatch. During his involvement with the band, he began experimenting with hip hop music, eventually leaving grade school to make a full leap into the genre.
- Real name: Gavin Mays
- Born: 1989 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 135,000
Stream Cities Aviv songs
Read more:
- Cities Aviv “Just Wants to Put the Highest Emotion Out There”
- Talking About Rap And Rapping With Cities Aviv
18. Gangsta Pat
Gangsta Pat established himself in the Memphis underground during the late 1980s. Gangsta Pat is also one of the first rap artists from the city to make the move from an indie label to a major label when signing to Atlantic records during the start of the Gangsta rap era. Though, with a promising start, Pat never gained the notoriety nor the success like his Memphis rap peers, Three 6 Mafia and 8 Ball & Mjg, who also signed to major labels during the early 1990s.
- Real name: Patrick Hall
- Born: November 17, 1973 (Whitehaven, South Memphis)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 125,000
Stream Gangsta Pat songs
Read more:
19. Gangsta Boo
Gangsta Boo has been referred to as a pioneer of female rap music. Boo’s first solo album, Enquiring Minds, was released in 1998 and reached number fifteen on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and number 46 on the Billboard 200. She was the second female member (after K-9) of the Memphis-based hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, where she initially rose to prominence.
- Real name: Lola Chantrelle Mitchell
- Born: August 7, 1979 (Whitehaven, South Memphis)
- Spotify monthly listeners: over 100,000
Stream Gangsta Boo songs
Read more:
- Turning Points: Gangsta Boo
- Gangsta Boo proudly gives fellow Memphis emcee GloRilla her blessing
- Twenty years in the rap game with Three 6 Mafia’s Gangsta Boo
20. Snootie Wild
Snootie Wild, was an energetic artist who used his talent as a freestyler to build a rap career and put his troubled past behind him. His 2014 hit song “Yayo” caught the attention of fellow Tennessee rapper Yo Gotti, who included a remix of the song on his mixtape titled November 19. In September 2014, Wild released his only extended play, Go Mode. The EP’s second single, “Made Me”, peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the highest-charting single of his career. However, on February 25, 2022, Snootie Wild was found with gunshot wounds to his neck in Houston, Texas. He was hospitalized in critical condition, but died. He was 36 years old.
- Real name:
- Born: April 23, 1985 (Memphis, Tennessee)
- Death: February 26, 2022 (Houston, Texas)
- Spotify monthly listeners:
Stream Snootie Wild songs
Read more:
Honorable mentions
You may also like: