Best up and coming rappers include 1. Superstar Pride 2. Aleza 3. Mello Buckzz and more. The rappers on this list are next when it comes to fame.
Now that we are in the fourth year of the decade, rap music has finally started to find a definite sound going into the 2020s. Gone are the days of Trap and Soundcloud rap that dominated much of the industry in the mid to late 2010s, with the new wave being a form of Drill music mostly coming out of the East Coast.
However, the South is making new sounds too, with the rise of a different sort of Southern music that takes from Drill, Bounce, and a variety of influences to create a brand new type of rap that is still finding its footing. All in all, we are seeing an unprecedented time for young and hungry rappers.
Here are 10 best up and coming rappers to listen in 2023.
10 Best Up And Coming Rappers
| Name: | Location: |
| 1. Superstar Pride | Mississippi |
| 2. Aleza | Tennessee |
| 3. Mello Buckzz | Chicago |
| 4. Bizzy Banks | Brooklyn |
| 5. NCG Kenny B | Texas |
| 6. Dudeylo | Harlem |
| 7. Bktherula | Georgia |
| 8. Real Boston Richey | Florida |
| 9. Ndot Spinalot | The Bronx |
| 10. SugarHill Ddot | Harlem |
1. Superstar Pride
| Age: | 20 |
| Date of Birth: | May 15, 2002 |
| Real Name: | Cadarrius Pride |
| Origin: | Sardis, Mississippi |
| Spotify Listeners: | 7,772,432 |
Superstar Pride is one of the best up-and-coming rappers working today. Pride has already amassed over 5 million listeners on Spotify.
The rapper’s claim to fame is that despite debuting less than a year ago, he has already had his single Painting Pictures debut on the Hot 100, at number 99. The same song also entered other charts like Hop Rap Songs, at number 16, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Sings, at number 38.
Pride’s music is a mix of the Trap sound that became popular during the 2010s and his own unique flair of classic Hip-Hop. In a way, Pride doesn’t have a unique sound so to say, but he can do a little bit of everything, which is precisely why he has the following he does.
In essence, Pride’s chameleon abilities are sure to take him far in the game, and already make him a rapper to look out for.
2. Aleza
| Age: | 25 |
| Date of Birth: | January 2, 1998 |
| Real Name: | Aleghsa Jamel |
| Origin: | Memphis, Tennessee |
| Spotify Listeners: | 201,469 |
Aleza is part of a new wave of up-and-coming rappers from Memphis, Tennessee. This Southern female rapper has all the makings of a star.
After the success of fellow Memphis native, Glorilla, Aleza has been making music in a similar vein, but in a style all her own.
While her music is reminiscent of other female rappers, with bars about her beauty and ego with violent takedowns of her enemies, the rapper has enough personality to make them work.
Best of all, Aleza has enough self-confidence not to just ride the wave of the popular trend she is a part of but to make it her own. The rapper has decided to do just that by adding an R&B flair to her music which immediately makes her distinct from many of her peers.
3. Mello Buckzz
| Age: | 21 |
| Date of Birth: | April 10, 2001 |
| Real Name: | Melanie Doyle |
| Origin: | Chicago, Illinois |
| Spotify Listeners: | 134,315 |
Mello Buckzz is a Drill rapper from Chicago who is making her own lane in an old genre. Buckzz is one of the few female Drill rappers out there.
However, one would be wrong to think of the rapper as simply a novelty for she has enough experience both in and out of the studio to back up her violent but funny rhymes.
The rapper is seeing a lot of prominence during the last few months due to the success of her recent single Boom and its sequel Boom Pt 2 featuring the popular rapper Latto, who might as well be the biggest female rapper at the moment.
With both the streets tuned into her music and the mainstream listening in as well, it won’t be long before Buckzz becomes a name that is hung on everyone’s lips regardless of whether they like Drill or not.
4. Bizzy Banks
| Age: | 24 |
| Date of Birth: | October 24, 1998 |
| Real Name: | Majesty Moses |
| Origin: | Brooklyn, New York |
| Spotify Listeners: | 687,629 |
Bizzy Banks is one of the hottest up-and-coming Drill rappers in Brooklyn right now. Banks has been gradually growing fans since his debut.
The rapper first debuted in 2019, and within a year had become recognized by major publications like Rolling Stones. However, he didn’t instantly become a star like many would have hoped.
Instead, the rapper took the more traditional route and grew his fans organically, rather than through the hype of a viral song or TikTok trends. As such, the fans that the rapper has amassed swear by him and follow him loyally wherever he goes.
Banks is an up-and-coming rapper in the purest sense of the word. Instead of simple hype, the rapper is clawing his way to the top, and every indication shows he will soon reach it.
5. NCG Kenny B
| Age: | 23 |
| Date of Birth: | 1999 |
| Real Name: | Kenny |
| Origin: | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Spotify Listeners: | 3,522 |
NCG Kenny B is a gangsta rapper from Texas making a name both in music and online. The rapper is as much a rapper as he is a content creator.
Like many on this list, Kenny is talented and has plenty of charisma, but if ranked purely on the latter, Kenny might beat every other name on this list.
The rapper has managed to make quite a name for himself on YouTube purely through interviews where he is known for naming names and playing no games. Kenny has had quite the past and he is not afraid of talking about it.
However, the reason he is on this list is that the rapper’s music is as good as his personality, and whatever lane he takes, he is bound to be successful.
6. Dudeylo
| Age: | 17 |
| Date of Birth: | 2005 |
| Real Name: | Dudeylo |
| Origin: | Harlem, New York |
| Spotify Listeners: | N/A |
Dudeylo is another Drill rapper that should be on everyone’s radar. The rapper is one of the central figures in the new wave of NY Drill.
However, Dudeylo is making a name for himself because he is unlike most other Drill rappers in this new wave. Perhaps because he is a bit older than his peers, Dudey showcases a maturity that’s not readily found among other rappers in his scene.
[viedoembed-1]As such, if one is looking for a more mature take on the takeover of NY Drill, Dudey is the way to go. Incidentally, the rapper also has ties to the golden age of 2000s New York Hip Hop as he is related to Juelz Santana.
Despite this connection, the rapper has managed to make himself stand out through the strength of his music alone and continues to do so despite adversity.
7. Bktherula
| Age: | 20 |
| Date of Birth: | August 30, 2002 |
| Real Name: | Brooklyn Candida Rodriguez |
| Origin: | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Spotify Listeners: | 994,412 |
Bktherula is a Southern rapper hailing from Atlanta. This 20-year-old rapper also models as well.
The rapper’s music is a lot more pop-oriented than many on this list, and one can consider her a lot more traditional than the others. However, this doesn’t mean her music is boring in any way.
In fact, Bk’s music is refreshing in the sense that it does not carry with it the baggage of regional heritage or any affiliations that many others on this list suffer from. One can simply listen to her music as is, and fall in love with it as she has set out to do.
As stated above, Bk also models and she is quite good at it. Aside from music, fashion is her other love and the rapper is clearly good at both.
8. Real Boston Richey
| Age: | 26 |
| Date of Birth: | February 4, 1997 |
| Real Name: | Jalen Taheen Foster |
| Origin: | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Spotify Listeners: | 1,508,890 |
Real Boston Richey is actually from Florida unlike his name suggests. The rapper’s music is very reminiscent of his native state.
A bit older than many on this list, Richey has the perfect blend of maturity and youthful vigor in his music that has been recognized not only by his fans but also by rap legends like Future, whose label, Freebandz, he is, in fact, signed to.
The rapper’s musical career started with tragedy as he started rapping after his cousin passed away in 2021. The tragedy made him take stock of his own life and Richey turned to rap as a way to express himself.
Despite such sour beginnings, the rapper has achieved great success and is sure to amass much more as long as he keeps doing what he’s doing.
9. Ndot Spinalot
| Age: | 14 |
| Date of Birth: | 2008 |
| Real Name: | Ethan Noel |
| Origin: | The Bronx, New York |
| Spotify Listeners: | 192,408 |
Ndot Spinalot is only 14 but is already one of the hottest rappers in New York. Like Dudeylo, Ndot is a Drill rapper.
In fact, Ndot might be most representative of the new Drill movement in Brooklyn rap. The rapper’s lyrics are often violent, usually aimed at real-life enemies, and his music is hard, fast, and unrelenting.
Due to the disparity between the music he makes and the way he looks, Ndot has managed to garner a lot of attention and is sure to keep going as he just doesn’t stop.
Ndot already has amassed almost 200K monthly listeners on his Spotify despite having a handful of songs to his name. However, will the violence he raps about catch up to him before he reaches the fame he so desperately is striving for?
10. SugarHill Ddot
| Age: | 15 |
| Date of Birth: | March 8, 2008 |
| Real Name: | Darrian Jimenez |
| Origin: | Harlem, New York |
| Spotify Listeners: | 104,703 |
SugarHill Ddot is a 15-year-old rapper and a major player in NY Drill. Ddot and Ndot are actually sworn enemies.
Much of what makes NY Drill an exciting genre is the fact that many of the lyrics are about real-life beefs between actual people. SugarHill may be the best at being able to eviscerate his opponents on the mic despite his age.
The rapper is the biggest example of not judging a book by its cover as he raps like he has seen the deadliest of trenches while looking like a schoolboy.
If nothing happens to him, Ddot is sure to become one of, if not the face of New York Hip Hop in the years to come. Not only does he have the talent for it, but also the tenacity.