Every day, you face all of life’s hassles and pressures. Some days you’re a bit stressed out, and it gets to you. Sometimes, however, your job or life stresses you out. When this happens, listening to music is one of the easiest ways to remove yourself from your worries. One of the most effective methods for people is to take their minds off things at the press of a button or dial tone.
You know you need something to listen to on your way home from work, and you’re sick of the same old Drake and Kanye tunes. Don’t worry; we’ve put together a list of the top 20 New York Rappers that’ll get you feeling like a true class act.
1. Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj was born in 1982 and is of Trinidadian and Guyanese descent. She was born on the island of Trinidad in South America but received an education in New York. She was a very popular kid performer and actress who appeared on shows like “American Dreams” and “The Simple Life.” Comedian Lil’ Kim discovered her after she won a local rap battle contest, leading to Minaj’s career as a rapper. She is widely known as a new school rapper but has been making noise for over ten years. Nicki caught the attention of Big Sean, who signed her to his label and helped make her name.
2. Cardi B
Cardi B was born in 1992 and has already made a name for herself in rap/hip-hop. Cardi B has released a hit single called “Bodak Yellow” ft. Kodak Black. She is not only a promising rapper and singer, but she can also play the violin, clarinet, and guitar. Cardi was raised in the Bronx with her family. When she was a teenager, she got into battling other girls in school, which led to her winning amateur fights around New York City and was then put on stage by the legendary Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest in his concert.
3. Pop Smoke
Pop Smoke was born in 1990 and is a New York-based rapper. He has recently released a song called “Everyday” ft. Supa Bwe. The song has a catchy tune that you’ll be humming all day. In 2013, he was the winner of Funk Flex’s freestyle competition, which got him his first major credit on a track by PnB Rock called “Out My Mind”.
4. Lil TJay
Lil TJay was born in 1990 and is a part of Guianese descent. He was raised in New York and became involved in music at an early age. He has released many hit singles, including the song “#1”. His debut album, “No Hands,” was released in 2015 and has impacted radio/music charts worldwide.
5. French Montana
French Montana was born in 1984 and is of Moroccan/Puerto Rican descent. He was raised in Morocco with his family and moved to New York at 11. In 2012, he released his first album, “Excuse My French”, showcasing his unique sound and was objectively a hit. He has recently been collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Kanye West and Drake, for whom he gained widespread success for producing “Pop That”.
6. Lil Tecca
Lil Tecca was born in 2000 and is of Mexican and Jamaican descent. He is a part of a very popular music group called “The Life Of A Hot Boyz” and has been making music since he was 16. He has recently released a song about the life of being rich called “Money Callin”, which is a suitable tune to play while you’re having financial issues.
7. Sleepy Hallow
Sleepy Hallow was born in 1992 and is of Long Island Lucian/American descent. He was raised in New York and has received a lot of support from DJ Khaled for his talents. He recently made available the album “Danger Zone,” and the single he came out with to promote it is called “No Pressure”, a good song to listen to when you’re feeling down. Sleepy Hallow has been on the rise lately with his recent tracks, singles, collaborations, and shows across the country.
8. Bobby Shmurda
Bobby Shmurda was born in 1994 and is from New York City. He has been in the rap game for quite some time but only blew up recently with his summer hit “Hot Nigga”. Bobby has a unique style and a large fan base. He’s collaborated with many of today’s biggest rappers, like Rowdy Rebel, Fetty Wap, and Young Thug, for great success.
9. Lil Snupe
Lil Snupe was born in 1994 and is a rapper from Louisiana. He was raised in New York City and is a part of the Rollie Pemberton murder, one of the most famous rap crimes. Snape released his first mixtape in 2011 before releasing his first single, “Killa”.
10. Sheff G
Sheff G is a New York rapper who was born in 1990. He first gained renown on Twitter by posting freestyling videos, quickly increasing his popularity. He has had significant success working with musicians like Chris Brown and DJ Mustard.
11. The Weeknd
The Weeknd was born in 1994 and is of Canadian descent. He is of a light-skinned, mixed race, and his mother is Black. His real name is Abel Tesfaye, and he has collaborated with Wiz Khalifa, Drake, and more for great success.
12. Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor was born in 1990 and is of Puerto Rican descent. She got her first taste of music when she was three years old by singing in her church choir. She began performing at Lincoln Center at the age of 13.
13. Dave East
Dave East was born in 1993 and is from New York City. He was raised in Brooklyn and had a childhood full of violence, which led him to write poetry for most of his life. He released his first mixtape, “King Sosa,” in 2014, his most notable accomplishment in the music business.
14. Stunna Gambino
Stunna was born Andre Thomas in 1989. He was raised in the Queens neighborhood, N.Y, and attended public school for grades K-8 in Woodside High School, a few miles away from Queens Plaza. Stunna was raised by his mother and stepfather (originally from the Dominican Republic) after his father moved out when Stunna was very young. At 7, his stepfather exposed him to the hip-hop genre. It wasn’t long after that Stunna started rapping himself.
15. Tahiry Jose
Tahiry Jose was born in 1985 and is of Dominican descent. She moved from D.R. to New York when she was five years old with her family to seek a better life for all of them. She has recently released a single called “On My Own”, which is a good song to listen to if you feel alone.
16. Joey Badass
Joey Badass was born in 1987 and is of Haitian descent. He was raised in Yonkers, NY, and has released a single called “Put Purp On”, a suitable tune to play when you want your day to go even better than it has.
17. Kay Flock
Kay Flock was born in 1980. He was raised in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, New York City, by his mother and father, who were both originally from Kingston, Jamaica. In 1994, Flock, who was 13 then, started rapping and adopted the name Kay Flock after a character on the T.V. show “The Cosby Show.” By 1995, Flock made a name for himself as a battle rapper. In 1996 he started his rap group called AK-47, which consisted of 6 members.
18. Dusty Locane
Dusty Locane is an American rapper and actor best known for his debut album “Dusty Strings,” released in 2007. DJ Khaled also appears on the track “She Hates Me” on the 2006 compilation album “The Khaled Tape.” He currently resides in Queens, New York.
Dusty Locane was born in Roslyn, New York, located on Long Island. Because his mother battled drug addiction, he was raised by his grandmother starting at six.
19. Rowdy Rebel
Rowdy Rebel was born Kevin Hunter in Queens, New York. His cousin is the late rapper Big Pun. He grew up in Harlem, New York & attended Lehman College in the Bronx for a while. He was originally signed to Fat Joe’s Terror Squad Entertainment record label and is a member of the Chinx Drugz crew. In 2007 he signed a contract with 50 Cent’s G-Unit Records and fellow Long Island natives Tony Yayo & Spider Loc.
20. Flipp Dinero
Flipp Dinero was born on Long Island, New York. At the age of 14, he began writing music, and at 15 started producing as well. By 16, he had written his first feature on a compilation called “The New Blood,” hosted by Mysonne & DJ Kay Slay. Flipp Dinero did a song with Death Row recording artist The Mechanic titled “Dead Man Walking” & toured the east coast with him.