While Kentucky might be known for country music and bluegrass, did you know that there are several rap artists who have come from the Bluegrass State? We’ve assembled a list of the 27 best Kentucky rappers of all time, so read on to find out some of the hottest rap artists to come from the state below!
1. Troy Money
One of the biggest rappers in Kentucky is Troy Money, and he is known for rapping about his real-life situations, one of which includes seeing his father do more than 10 years in jail. Street life was a way of life for him in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and he was into sports while he attended school too.
However, his inability to continue getting good grades sidelined his professional sports dream, which is when he began making mixtapes. His tapes were a buzz all over the state, and he’s released a ton of music over the years, including collaborations with Don Trip and EST Gee.
2. Jack Harlow
Next on the list is Jack Harlow, who is known as one of the most famous rappers from Kentucky. He has a great rap game and has been putting out mixtapes and EPs since 2015, and signed with Don Cannon Records as a result.
What’s Poppin is one of his biggest singles, and this was released in 2020, with a remix featuring DaBaby, Lil Wayne, and Tory Lanez. The song made it to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and he just released another album in 2022 called Come Home The Kids Miss You. He is by far one of the most recognizable names in rap hailing from Kentucky.
3. Rubi Rose
Rubi Rose is a female rapper who comes from Lexington, Kentucky, and she attended Georgia State University where she studied politics. She was inspired musically by people such as Nicki Minaj, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, and Cardi B. She’s only had a rap career for about seven years, which started after she was featured in Bad And Boujee by Migo.
It wasn’t long before she covered the track On Top by Playboi Carti and gained attention, and she also was on Wap by Cardi B, which also helped her career in the music industry. You may know her for her hit song For The Streets, which has become her signature track.
4. EST Gee
EST Gee is an incredibly successful rapper who is from Louisville, Kentucky, and went to Xavier High School before attending Indiana State University. He didn’t graduate from college, and instead, in 2017, started his rap career by signing with Interscope, Warlike, and Collective Music Group.
He released a mixtape in 2021 called Bigger Than Life Or Death, which was his fifth to be released and it went onto the Billboard 200 chart where it peaked at number seven. There are two tracks from that album that hit the Billboard charts, which were 5500 Degrees and Lick Back.
5. Static Major
Next on the list is Static Major, who was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and is known for being part of Playa, which is a trio within the R&B genre. He’s not specifically a rapper, but he’s one of the biggest songwriters, singers, and music producers around. Some of his biggest hits include I Got My, ‘Till The Wheels Fall Off, and Bus Stop Breezy.
He has written songs for Ginuwine, Destiny’s Child, Aaliyah, and more through the years. However, he died when he was just 33 years old from medical complications resulting in respiratory distress.
6. R. Prophet
R. Prophet is on our list, and while not born in Kentucky, he moved to the state when he was young and is considered to be one of the biggest rappers out of it. After being a part of the Youth Performing Arts School, he attended Western Kentucky University to further his musical aspirations. He is known for songs such as Run Tell The DJ To Crank It, and his biggest album was from 2002 called Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz, when he was a part of Nappy Roots.
7. 2KBABY
Coming out of Louisville, Kentucky, is 2KBABY, who is one of the most popular rappers today. When he was 15, he began his career in rap and released Old Streets, in which he made a video by himself for the song. Once this track blew up, he went on to release more hits such as Old Soul and Faxts. In 2021, he released an album First Quarter, which became a massive success, and he has continued to up his rap game ever since.
8. 2forwOyNE
Next is Louisville rapper 2forwOyNE, and he made it big when he was in Dark Knight by Jack Harlow. His rap is a blend of hip hop and soul, and he was inspired by André 3000 as well as Frank Ocean. While not the biggest name on this list, his rap and producing skills earn him a spot on our list.
9. BBLasian
BBLasian makes the list and he hails from Louisville, Kentucky, where he began his rap career and is known for having lyrics that are honest and raw. He is one of the many who collaborated with Jack Harlow, which helped him break into the scene, and has a dedicated and loyal following on Soundcloud.
10. Bryson Tiller
Next on the list is Bryson Tiller, who is also from Louisville, Kentucky, and his rap career started in 2011. He released a mixtape called Killer Instinct Vol. 1 and then in 2015, released a single called Don’t, which was a massive success, which made it to 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
From there, he released a studio album called TrapSoul, which peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart. As one of the most successful rappers from Kentucky, he has won many awards throughout his career including a Soul Train award, multiple BET Awards, and iHeartRadio.
11. RA Scion
RA Scion is from Louisville, Kentucky, and he is one of the older rappers on this list with him beginning his dive into rap music in the early part of the 2000s. He knew he could rap when he was young and started writing lyrics by the age of 12.
He dropped out of high school to pursue his rap career, moved to Seattle, met DJ Sabzi, and the rest they say is history. One song of his that made him famous is Gallant Fox. He’s a huge success and has released multiple singles throughout his career and more than five albums.
12. WunTayk Timmy
Next on our list is WunTayk Timmy, who has hit songs you might know including Weight For U, So Goat, and My Name. In recent years, he’s become one of the hottest rappers out of the area, and his flow is genius while his charisma has helped him advance in the business and become loved by fans.
13. Deacon The Villain
Coming out of Versailles, Kentucky, is Deacon The Villain, and he formed a group while he was at Morehead College called CunninLynguists. This was a huge group in the hip hop scene, and he’s put out a studio album, while also being a part of many collaborations.
He is a social activist, which you can tell from songs such as Peace Or Power. He also contributes to HipHopDX and XXL, which are two of the biggest magazines in the rap business. He’s definitely a rapper you need to check out if you haven’t heard of him before.
14. Vory
One name you may recognize is Vory, who has such a high-profile career that he contributed to Everything Is Love, which was the album by Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and he won a Grammy Award for it. He also had worked on Donda, which was an album Kanye West released, and is one of the biggest names in the rap industry with songs including Mind Games.
15. E The Profit
Our next artist is E The Profit who comes from Elsmere and is one of the newer Kentucky rappers on the list. Some of his best songs include Beat Em Down, R T.TB, and Evergreen. What we love about him is that he’s an up-and-coming star and that means he’s going to be around for a long time.
16. ZaZa
ZaZa is on our list, and she’s only a kid, but she’s one of the most famous social media rappers from Kentucky today. She dances and raps and has more than one million followers on Instagram. Her real name is Zahara Noel Bean, and if you haven’t checked her out, we suggest you do, and listen to her smash hit What I Do?
17. Heavy Honcho
One of the biggest SoundCloud rappers from Kentucky is Heavy Honcho. This rapper has been releasing songs since 2019, and a lot of his lyrics deal with topics familiar to those in the state. While he has several hits, Feel My Pain, which was his debut track, is still loved, and he’s going to be around for many years.
18. Chuckie Campbell
Chuckie Campbell hails from Richmond, Kentucky, and he excelled at basketball when he attended high school at Madison Central. He’s been around for over a decade with hits such as Basic. He won Best New Artist at the WNY Awards in 2014. He’s one of the rappers who makes you really sit back and think about the lyrics and meaning of his music.
19. Finis KY White
Finis KY White makes the list, and he’s one of the names on this list who has collaborated with several big names in the business today such as Drake, Meek Mill, and 2 Chainz. He was homeless and now has a successful music career, so it goes to show if you work hard, you can achieve success regardless of where you live.
20. Ron Clutch
Rapper Ron Clutch makes the list, and he was part of Nappy Roots. Some of his best songs as part of this group include Good Day, Awnaw, and Po’ Folks. Let’s Slide is one of his most well-known solo tracks, but he’s had several solo hits as well.
21. Skinny DeVille
Next is Skinny DeVille who also is a part of Nappy Roots. Some songs that are popular he appears in include Good Day, No Static, and Sick & Tired. If you enjoy Southern hip hop music, then he is someone you have to listen to because he’s one of the best examples of its greatness.
22. B. Stille
B. Stille makes the list, and he also comes from the group Nappy Roots, which as you may know is one of the biggest Southern-style rap and hip hop groups around. He has a distinct voice that is gravely and raw, and it sets him apart, and when you listen to his solo work, you really can feel its power. He says that Ice Cube inspired him a lot, and he also has been influenced by Busta Rhymes and Kenny Rogers.
23. Big V
Next is Big V who was one of the members of Nappy Roots and was big within the UK rap community as well as the hip hop community seeing as he was raised in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He has songs such as Shades On, and he is another legendary artist who deserves a special mention among the best Kentucky rappers.
24. Lil 30
We can’t talk about rappers from Kentucky without mentioning Lil 30, and songs such as CDG help him stand out. He’s still new to the scene and has only been rapping since the early part of 2021, with hot tracks although his raps have already made him a beloved artist in the community.
25. DBenzo
DBenzo makes the list, and he’s from Lexington, with him already making a big name for himself. What makes him stand out is that he blends the R&B style into his music, so it’s not traditional rap. He is another rapper to watch in the Kentucky rap scene. When asked, he said Lil Wayne has been inspiring to him and has influenced his style.
26. Benny Euro
Benny Euro is a freestyle rapper who grew up in the heart of Kentucky, although he has both Albanian and Bosnian roots. He seems to blend emo and southern music together to make innovative rap that stands out from other rappers. Some of his best songs are Okay, 2 Tone, Euro Step Freestyle, and Work.
27. Vyb Esco
Last on the list is Vyb Esco who is from Glasgow, Kentucky, and he is one of the newer rappers on our list. He blends both trance and some psychedelic vibes into his rap, making him unique when compared to other rappers out there. He’s also great with social media and has used that to his advantage to gain followers and fans. Some of his best work includes Oh Geez and We Get By.
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From the time she was little, Florence loved listening to music and quickly learned how music can make you happy and feel fulfilled. One of her favorite memories is being in the garage with her dad working on classic cars with the local rock station blaring in the background. Ever since Florence was 3, she loved grunge music and spent hours listening to bands such as Alice in Chains, Mad Season, Soul Asylum, and Soundgarden.
She also enjoys classic rock, modern rock, nu metal, alternative rock, and old 90’s R&B. Her love of music grew as she got older, and used music to help her get through tough times in her life. More often than not, you’ll see Florence with earbuds in while she’s writing, cooking, cleaning, and doing other tasks. She also loves to debate music with her friends such as which lead singer is the best vocalist, the most iconic guitar solos in music, and what songs are really the best of the decade.