Mumble rap is a subgenre of rap music that is characterized by inconsistent and incomprehensible lyrics. The music gained popularity in 2010 following the influx of such rappers to the online music distribution platform SoundCloud. The platform allowed these artists to bypass music leaders and radio stations to reach its audience, hence the phrase SoundCloud Mumble Rappers.
While many mumble rappers have achieved huge success due to its growing popularity, the style is generally not accepted by old school boom BAP rappers who have built their reputation based on the content/lyrics of their work. Artists like Joe Budden, J. Cole and Eminem have expressed their frustration with the Mumble rappers. Regardless of opinion, the fact that this genre of music is becoming a force to be reckoned with cannot be dismissed, hence our compilation of music to watch.
As you read, note that music is subjective and anyone else might have a name or two that they think should be added to this list. Plus, with the accessibility that SoundCloud offers to musicians, a thousand and one rappers seem to pop up every other day, and because of that, this list won’t be the same for years to come. However, this list has been compiled based on influence, success, and popularity at the time of writing.
10 Best Rappers Soundcloud Mumble
Tekashi69
Tekashi69, often stylized as “6ix9ine” was born Daniel Hernandez on May 8, 1996 in Brooklyn, New York to a Mexican mother and Puerto Rican father. He received an education until 8th grade before his expulsion for unknown reasons. It was the last time the budding young mumble rapper saw the four walls of a school when he never went back.
In 2004, Tekashi69 started to focus on a music career, releasing a number of songs on SoundCloud. A few years later, in July 2017, his first shot at fame came through an Instagram account, which saw him rock colorful hair and grills with a rainbow with different versions of “69” tattooed all over his body. The video went viral and turned him into a meme. A few months later, he achieved his breakthrough after the release of his debut single “Gummo,” number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and later certified platinum by the RIAA. The rest became history.
A boogie with a hoodie
A boogie wit da Hoodie is another mumble rapper to watch. The Bronx, originally from New York, is named after the character A Boogie in the movie Fully Paid (2002) and his love for wearing a hoodie. He started rapping in high school, however, he managed to record his first song, “Temporary,” in 2014 until graduation.
A boogie started catching national attention after Forbes Magazine included him on their list of up-and-coming rappers in February 2016. It also helped platinum-selling artist Drake take him with him to the Future’s Summer Sixteen Tour, where Boogie played the lead role in July of that year. What followed was well deserved as A Boogie with Hoodie was invited to perform in a BET Hip Hop Awards cipher, after which he released his debut EP titled TBA, an acronym for The Bigger Artist.
Lil Yachty
Of all the rappers who would mumble on this list, Lil Yachty might arguably be the top performer, which inadvertently makes him a target for anyone who doesn’t like the musical genre. Rolling Stone described the Grammy and Billboard Music Award-nominated artist’s music as “proudly amateur vocals” while The Guardian called it “rap forgetting vocals and structure”.
Lil Yachty began his journey to stardom in 2015 when he moved from his hometown of Atlanta to New York. Here the rapper began working as a model while making his music. His big break came when one of his Soundcloud songs titled “One Night” was used in a viral comedy video. The following year, he collaborated with musician DRAM to make “Broccoli,” the number 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, which resulted in a joint venture deal with Capitol Records, Motown Records and Quality Control Music.
Lil Uzi Vert
Lil Uzi Vert is another Grammy and Billboard Music Award-nominated Mumble rapper who has divided opinion. Some described him as a natural performer with a unique rapping style, while others raised eyebrows at his interest in Satanism.
Uzi Vert started rocking in high school when he and his friends formed the now-defunct band Steaktown. After being kicked out of school and home by his mother, he started recording music and later released the EP Purple Thoughtz Vol. 1 in January 2014. Some of Lil Uzi Vert’s most popular songs to date include Money Longer, XO Tour Llif3, and a feature on Migos’ Bad and Boujee.
Lil Pump
Lil Pump is a mumble rapper from Miami, Florida of Colombian descent. In his youth, Pump, born August 17, 2000, Gazzy Garcia, struggled to stay in school, as he was expelled from every school he attended. At 16, he began collaborating with producer Smokepurpp and released his music on the SoundCloud platform. Each of Lil Pump’s early songs was an online hit, amassing over 3 million streams each. In 2017 he released two new tracks; Boss and D Rose who propelled it further to the mainstream.
Lil Pump’s big break came in August 2017 with the song Gucci Gang peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, he’s released two albums and collaborated with artists like Kanye West, French Montana and Rick Ross. .
XXXTentacion
XXXTentacion began his career in June 2013, right after his release from a juvenile detention center. The late rapper, who focused on creating music that staves off mental illness and suicide, was best known for songs like Look at Me, Sad!, Changes, and Moonlight.
In June 2018, the mumble rapper was killed in a robbery as he left a motorcycle dealership in Florida. XXXTentacion was then posthumously awarded Best New Hip Hop Artist at the 2018 BET Hip-Hop Awards and Favorite Album – Soul/R&B at the American Music Awards.
Lil Xan
Lil Xan, who got his name from the prescription drug Xanax due to his addiction, started his rap career after dropping out of high school. He first sold drugs and then pursued a career as a photographer before starting rapping and posting his work on YouTube and SoundCloud.
Lil Xan’s signature song, “Betrayed” was released in August 2017 and it peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album titled Total Xanarchy arrived about a year later in April 2018, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. .
BlocBoy JB
BlocBoy JB is another mumble rapper on this list that has Drake to thank for his ultimate rise to fame. Born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 19, 1996, his musical career began when he was 14 years old. During this period, he was heavily involved with a notorious street gang with which he committed crimes, including his arrest and incarceration.
After serving his sentence, BlocBoy JB began to take music more seriously and released a number of records on SoundCloud. Some of the songs released include No Chorus Pt. 6, Shoot and Rover which were all viral hits. This caught the attention of Drake, who decided to collaborate with him on the song “Look Alive”, which peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Playboy Carti
PlayboiCarti, Jordan Terrell Carter, born September 13, 1996, Mumble Rapper and model hails from Atlanta, Georgia. Carti started his career in 2012 under the pseudonym Sir Cartier, but later started going by his current name in 2015. Around the same time, he started releasing his music on SoundCloud and gained a huge following. popularity on the Atlanta underground rap scene.
Carti took his big break when he started collaborating with New York hip-hop group A$AP Mob, which led to a deal with their label AWGE and Interscope Records. Some of his most popular songs are ‘Magnolia’ and ‘Woke Up Like This’.
Rich the kid
The final name on the list of top SoundCloudMumble Rappers is Rich the Kid. He came onto the music scene in 2013, at the age of 21, when he released his first solo mixtape titled Been About the Benjamins. The success of this mixtape led to collaborative efforts with hip-hop group Migos, which cemented his reputation in the growing mumble rap scene.
New York native The Queens, who had now called Atlanta his home, continues to attract heavy hitters from the mainstream rap scene to collaborate with him, while establishing his own label, Rich Forever Music, while signing a contract with Interscope Records. Some of his most popular songs are On My Way, New Frieza with Kendrick Lamar and Plug Walk.