The Top 75 Best Lyricists in the Rap Game Right Now: 2023

In the vibrant and ever-changing landscape of hip hop, one element has remained the most revered – the art of lyricism. Those who master it ascend to the pantheon of the greats and leave an enduring impact on the culture. But the lyrical craft isn’t just about how many words a rapper can cram into a line, but how they can paint vivid pictures, deliver biting social commentary, and convey raw, emotional honesty that connects deeply with listeners.

Luminaries such as Jay-Z, Andre 3000 and Nas, whose legacies have been cemented long ago, continue to innovate and push the envelope, delivering features and albums that make the whole culture stop and listen. Rising stars like JID and Denzel Curry, brimming with an intoxicating blend of raw talent and refined technique, are boldly defying convention and crafting new paths in the dense hip hop jungle.

Meanwhile, established names like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Pusha T continue to evolve, displaying a chameleonic knack for adaptation and transformation that ensures their sound stays as fresh and relevant today as when they first burst onto the scene. On the abstract end of the spectrum, enigmatic figures like Aesop Rock, Mach-Hommy, and Billy Woods continue to mesmerize fans with their labyrinthine verses, loaded with cryptic metaphors and complex narratives.

So let’s get into it. From Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and JID to Nas, Black Thought, and Lupe Fiasco, here are the top 75 best lyricists in the rap game today.

75. Jack Harlow

Essential listening: Jackman

Jack Harlow’s commercial splash Come Home the Kids Miss You was nothing noteworthy from a lyrical perspective, but after the surprise drop of Jackman this year, he’s earned his place on the list. Where Jack shines most is in his storytelling, most notably on the standout “Gang Gang Gang”, where he uses each verse to narrate his disbelief finding out that his closest friends have committed unforgivable crimes. Juggling dark subject matter with the occasional witty one-liner and braggadocious bar, Harlow makes up for his standard rhyme schemes with a versatile mix of comedy and introspection rarely heard in the mainstream.

74. Flee Lord

Essential listening: Delgado (with Roc Marciano)

Starting his career as a protégé to the legendary Prodigy, Flee Lord’s pen game conveys all the same fury and hunger as his Mobb Deep mentor. Packing his verses full of imagery, he uses similes to hype himself up, spitting dozens of quotable metaphors to reiterate his elite skill level and strike fear into anyone who would doubt his ability. Most recently, on 2-3 Zone with Crisis, Flee Lord’s persistent focus on the hustle to success and strive to take over the game is made more entertaining by all the colourful metaphors he sprinkles into his bars, never bragging without some clever wordplay to further flex his lyrical prowess.

73. Larry June

Essential listening: The Great Escape (with The Alchemist)

San Francisco’s own Larry June has been steadily crafting one of the most impressive hip hop discographies in recent memory. After an underwhelming tenure with Warner Records in the 2010s, June bounced back, embraced the independent grind, and has since flourished artistically. With the creative liberty that independence provides, this West Coast MC has blessed fans with nearly a dozen projects since the beginning of the 2020s. Larry June’s lyrical prowess is characterized by his smooth flow, soulful inflections, and a quintessential Bay Area vibe that sets him apart from his peers. But it’s his unique subject matter that truly captures the imagination of listeners — from financial advice to casual flexes about buying expensive candles — June regularly talks about a different side of rap not often explored by his peers.

72. Tha God Fahim

Essential listening: Iron Bull

Having dropped four projects in 2023 alone, you would think that Tha God Fahim would be burned out by now, but he continues to breathe fire into the mic like he’s just getting started. Fahim’s rhyme schemes are his strong suit. Take a song like “Man Of Steel” and his skill level is undeniable, listing every possible rhyme until he’s used every word up and moves on to the next rhyme scheme. He ties together his hypnotic verses with a slick ability to play on words, turning his songs from meaningless collections of rhymes into clever exercises in wordplay.

71. Kota the Friend

Essential listening: To See a Sunset (with Statik Selektah)

His rhyme schemes may not be the most innovative, but when it comes to personal tales and introspective stories, Kota the Friend is an expert. Dropping the one-two punch of Lyrics to GO, Vol. 4 and To See a Sunset this year, Kota’s vulnerable lyrics take centre stage, using his soft-spoken verses to articulate his love for his partner while occasionally stopping to brag about his riches. Focussing more on feeling than technique, his bars aren’t intricately constructed, but that works in his favour. Kota’s lyrics come off as conversational, making his romantic tracks more intimate and those moments where he shoots down the haters blunt and devastating.

70. Nicki Minaj

Essential listening: Queen

Over a decade after Nicki Minaj rose to superstardom, she’s still tearing up the mic with an onslaught of raunchy verses. She isn’t the type of MC to utilise dense rhyme patterns, but that gives her lyrics an added punch, with the straightforward structure of her verses making the listener focus solely on her savage words rather than her technique. Dissing her rivals and bragging about her success, Nicki’s to-the-point style gives her music a blunt ferocity that makes her presence all the more confident. Playing around with all sorts of wordplay, her hypersexual lyrics are made more entertaining thanks to the limitless similes at Nicki’s disposal, always finding a colourful way to rap about her raunchy lifestyle.

69. Westside Gunn

Essential listening: Pray for Paris

Listing off every luxury brand he can think of, Westside Gunn brags about his expensive clothes so much you can picture his whole outfit by the end of any song. With lyrics all about jewels and riches – and the occasional bar about dealing coke – the Griselda head honcho’s subject matter is far from diverse, but his braggadocious punchlines and over-the-top adlibs make it sound fresh every time. Intricate rhymes and complex stories aren’t his forte, but when it comes to simply grabbing the mic and bragging until he’s breathless, Gunn is a lyrical-flexing mastermind. He never runs out of ways to assert himself as hip hop royalty.

68. Baby Keem

Essential listening: The Melodic Blue

Having a legendary cousin like Kendrick Lamar might have been a double-edged sword, but Baby Keem has proven he’s got the chops to ride his own wave. Remember that jaw-dropping verse on Kanye’s “Praise God”? How about that electrifying exchange with Kendrick on “Family Ties”? That was the Carson-born MC flexing his lyrical muscle, showing the rap world he’s got more than enough to stand on his own two feet. On his debut album, The Melodic Blue, Keem took us on a lyrical rollercoaster, blending introspective themes with his razor-sharp wit and wordplay gymnastics. With a shiny Grammy Award and a gold record already in his trophy case, it’s evident that Baby Keem is more than just Kendrick’s protégé. He’s a dynamic lyricist who soaked up the best of Kendrick’s influence and is now paving his own path.

67. Mick Jenkins

Essential listening: Elephant in the Room

You won’t find many rappers quite as introspective as Mick Jenkins. Covering a range of themes from societal racism to his own mental health, the Chicago MC’slyrics have a refreshing level of maturity where he’s never afraid to speak his mind and admit his own weaknesses. His wordplay skills are superhuman, linking each bar into the next with a tight network of closely related rhymes. Structuring his verses like poems, his rhyme patterns are the furthest thing from basic, packing rhymes at the beginning, middle and end of any given bar. Technique aside, it’s Mick’s reflective lyrics and personal tales where he shines most as a lyricist.

Check out the rest of the list on Beats, Rhymes & Lists: