Hip hop’s commercial peak appeared to have passed by 2023. Only a select few rappers held number-one albums on the charts, such as Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2, Drake’s For All The Dogs, Travis Scott’s Utopia, Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape and Rod Wave’s Paint The Town Red by Nicki Minaj or Rod Wave respectively.
But despite any concern, hip hop remains vibrant and diverse. Veteran MCs as well as rising stars released projects that kept fans talking throughout 2018.
1. Sexxy Red
Sexxy Red made waves in 2023 with her provocative lyrics that will have you clutching your pearls. The confident female rapper’s bold sexuality was perfectly suited to her debut single “Pound Town,” which reached #1 on TikTok charts and led to a remix featuring Nicki Minaj. Soon thereafter Hood Hottest Princess came out, also dominating charts; its single “SkeeYee” becoming one of the year’s most-played songs.
Sexyy Red made her presence known across various tracks and remixes throughout 2023, from NLE Choppa’s “Slut Me Out” (Remix) to DaBaby’s “Shake Sumn” (Remix). From NLE Choppa’s “Slut Me Out” to DaBaby’s “Shake Sumn” (Remix), Sexyy Red kept audiences dancing to her playful lyrics and infectious energy. Additionally, she appeared in multiple New York Drill hits such as Ice Spice’s “Deli,” where producer Riot added his frenetic club drums to Riot’s frenetic club drums as well as filtered wails that blended seamlessly into its infectious beat.
No doubt about it; Drake’s 2023 album For All the Dogs stands out among this year’s finest releases. His third single “Rich Baby Daddy,” featuring SZA and Sexy Red as guest rappers, stands out even further with memorable verses on this exuberant track.
Sexy Red’s song has seen incredible momentum since its initial debut at the BET Hip Hop Awards where she performed with an entourage of dancers wearing bright red wigs and performed TikTok favorites like Drake & SZA’s “Rich Baby Daddy,” adding her own comedic flare while blasting their hook wittily with clever commentary. Additionally, Sexy Red appeared at several home openers of major NFL teams like Jets against Buffalo Bills to perform its hit prior to White Out games; Penn State football’s annual White Out game as well. She will be expanding even further with her upcoming project and project due out by 2024!
2. SZA
SZA is one of the most beloved hip hop artists. Her 2017 debut album Ctrl cemented her place as a major force within hip hop culture, while SOS built on this success by topping Billboard 200 chart for 10 consecutive weeks without interruption and garnering nine possible Grammy award nominations – making SZA 2017’s most nominated artist across all categories.
SZA, born Solana Imani Rowe and raised as a Muslim in New Jersey, credits religion as one of her primary influences for her music. After dropping out of college to focus on becoming a rapper full-time she recently announced she has retired.
She stands 5 feet, 4 inches and boasts an eye-catching head of hair that her fans adore. While keeping her personal life relatively private, there have been reports that she may have been married in the past; there have been links with several rappers as potential partners as well as one popular fashion designer being suggested as potential suitors for her affections.
Rappers have flourished in the Internet Age, and SZA is no exception. Her music is both relatable and profound – the song “Princess Diana” being one such hit on TikTok; her videos also draw fans in. Fans love SZA and her talent has an exciting future ahead.
3. Latto
Latto has already made an astounding impression within two years of starting her music career. Selected as 2022 XXL Freshman, Latto has made waves in hip hop this year by dropping her major label debut Queen of Da Souf and appearing on numerous singles and remixes. Her witty yet raw verses stand out, demonstrating her immense talent as an MC.
Last month, she accomplished something truly remarkable when she collaborated with K-pop star Jung Kook for their collaboration “Seven”. The record topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and proved a milestone in cross-genre collaborations that bridge cultural gaps to capture audiences worldwide.
Latto has been making waves this year by teaming up with various artists on tracks like Luh Tyler’s “The Grinch Freestyle” and NLE Choppa’s “Make Em Say”. Her most recent single features TiaCorine in “FreakyT,” a catchy song with both rappers trading bars that fit perfectly onto its beat; its minimalist production enhances Latto’s vocal delivery to create one of her strongest works this year.
She earned multiple Grammy nominations this year, including Best Rap Album nomination for Let’s Start Here, her breathtaking project that marked a departure from her pop and R&B roots with songs such as Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, SZA and Lil Yachty as collaborators – should she win, this would mark her very first win! We wish her all of the best – look forward to remastering and releasing Let’s Start Here with bonus tracks this fall.
4. GloRilla
At the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards in Memphis, an elderly gentleman in a suit stands in front row watching Memphis rapper GloRilla perform. Although he may be older than most members of the audience, he seems enthusiastic as any. His cheers outweigh anyone else’s, seemingly without care that they might not match up perfectly with those around him.
Ice Spice was one of the breakout rappers of 2023. Her debut EP, Like..? and its deluxe edition were massive hits in charts around the country with hits like “Pound Town,” “SkeeYee” and her collaboration with Drake and SZA on “Rich Baby Daddy.”
SZA made history this year when her album SOS held onto its spot at #1 for ten consecutive non-consecutive weeks on Billboard 200 chart – making history by becoming the longest running woman artist ever in this chart’s history. SOS features tracks that seamlessly merge R&B and rap into an irresistibly catchy package.
Hood Hottest Princess first burst onto the scene with her song, “SkeeYee,” which became the first record to make its way all the way to No.1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50. This groundbreaking success catapulted Hood Hottest Princess to prominence within rap scene where she is carving out an exciting career path as an emerging female artist.
Kota the Friend is another up-and-coming rapper worth keeping an eye on in 2018. His latest project Protea offers up more relaxed hip-hop with elements from jazz, funk and electronica that fans will likely appreciate and dance to.
5. Coi Leray
Coi Leray is an innovative rapper who blends hip hop, R&B, and trap music together into her signature style. Her songs have been featured on major music playlists and showcased to an even wider audience. Additionally, Coi maintains an active social media presence engaging with fans. She has performed at multiple music festivals with increasing success – she hopes that her success continues and grows exponentially!
Female rappers dominated the rap game throughout 2023. Some, like Ice Spice and Sexxy Red, gained prominence for their standout projects. Others like Benzino and J. Cole could capitalize on an incredible feature run that went down as one of the greatest ever seen before; underground stars like MIKE and Billy Woods found their way into mainstream consciousness; hometown heroes such as Detroit’s Veeze or Chicago’s Kashh Mir made sure adrenaline-pumping cuts could always be counted on!
Hip-hop’s veteran acts have also proven that they still possess what it takes to break out big in 2016. While much of hip-hop culture focuses on young and new talent, these hip-hop veterans have shown they still possess what it takes to reach success on an international scale.
While 2023 started out slowly for rap, it ultimately saw incredible transformation within its genre. From veteran artists such as Drake and Gunna to rising stars Doja Cat, Rod Wave, Coi Leray, Flosstradamus and Yungblud showing hip-hop’s relevance for decades to come; no matter its ups and downs the scene remains stronger than ever.