Key Takeaways
- This a ranking of the 13 teenage rappers shaping rap’s increasingly unhinged, experimental future while older stars continue to dominate the mainstream.
- BabyChiefDoit holds the top spot after scoring a TikTok-fueled hit with “Ghetto Love Story,” while Nettspend commands a cult following and Slayr pushes rage toward pop.
- Selected for impact, music quality, and commercial momentum, the list spans underground rage, New York and Chicago street rap.
Whether it’s the rap underground or street rap, new rap music has never sounded this unhinged and extreme and devote of tradition. It’s as if would think it was a bunch of children running around making this.
But for the most part, it’s not. As we mentioned in our Best Rappers in Their 20s list, hip-hop has gotten older, with legends of the past dominating for longer than ever. There was once a time when being a 40-year-old rapper was a diss. Now Drake—leader for best rapper of 2026—is hitting the big 4-0 in a couple of days
That’s created a clog at the top, and the youngest rappers are feeling it most. Some of the greatest rappers of all time, from Nas to OutKast to Lil Wayne to YoungBoy Never Broke Again, were teenagers when they broke out. That’s become rarer. Rappers are breaking out in their mid-20s now. Hell, if you expand your idea of what “breaking out” means, some—like Don Toliver—are doing it in their 30s.
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So what does that mean for a list like this? There are still plenty of rappers to choose from, but they’re typically raw, still figuring shit out, and ultimately still representing smaller scenes and niches. They’re also often close to 20: six of the 13 names here will age out by next year, which means the 2027 crop could be wild.
Still, that’s a ways off. Until then, let’s take stock of what the scene looks like now. When picking the names for this list, we focused on impact so far, quality of music, and commercial success—though that last one is tough to measure, considering most of these artists are still underground.
Here are the 13 best teenage rappers of 2026.
Baby Gee
Age: 17
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: Skillful ex-drill rapper trying to show there’s another way out.
Last year, Baby Gee posted a video aimed at Fivio Foreign. “I’m 16 with a more mature mindset than a 40-year-old,” he said of Fivio, who was in the middle of what seemed like a yearlong crashout.
The Brownsville rapper and Fivio have a lot in common: both came up in Brooklyn drill, and both are now trying to distance themselves from the genre that’s recently been mostly about “dissing opps.” For Fivio, that means Christian music. For Gee, the destination is still in flux.
He’s spent the year working more positive, anti-violence messaging into his music. In June he dropped the motivational “Let Me Tell You” alongside AR26, another drill rapper trying to make a similar pivot. Along the way, he’s tightened his flow, broadened his subject matter and gotten more experimental with beats.
You could see it in the two On The Radar performances he did earlier this month: one was a traditional street-rap set, the other was a Now That’s What I Call Music!–style punk song called “I’m GD.” Guess which one is getting more attention? —Will Schube
MC Abdul
Age: 18
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: A real spitter detailing the plight of Palestinians
MC Abdul spent his early teens dropping freestyles from Gaza, rapping in English over classic beats from “Paid in Full” to “Road to the Riches” (Kool G Rap gave him a shout-out) to “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.” He eventually signed with EMPIRE and flew to the US a month before October 7, expecting to stay a few weeks. He hasn’t been home since.
That displacement is the backbone of his debut album, Day by Day, Shway Shway, which documents the transition in vivid detail. He came up as a pure spitter, but the album is noticeably polished: the title track leans into Afrobeats, and “Zanan” is driven by a more melodic flow. The album is at its most effective when he’s telling his own story, as on the three-part opener “Is It Real?,” which traces his journey from Gaza to San Francisco, Kanye West “Last Call”-style. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Bri3
Age: 18
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: Went from TikTok newcomer to DaBaby’s opening act in no time as a high schooler
Bri3 had only been making music for a couple of months before she found TikTok success with songs like “Aura” and “Female YN Flow.”
Since then, she’s taken off—like a “missile,” if you let her tell it. She’s from the DMV, but she has a bright, bubbly style that’s more Atlanta trap-adjacent. That uncontrived vibrancy makes for music that’s hard to deny, and it’s given her enough momentum to open for DaBaby on his Be More Grateful Tour. This summer, she showcased the fruits of her labor on the celebratory “Whistle,” which is nothing but a victory lap. Trust, we hear you Bri3. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
STAR BANDZ
Age: 18
Last year’s rank: 7
Why they’re on this list: Sharp lyricist who has real hit making potential
STAR BANDZ has made this list each of the last two years, but has struggled to gain traction. Last year she landed the biggest cosign of her career, a collaboration with Chance the Rapper called “Touch the Ground”—a heartfelt tribute to the city that raised both Windy City MCs.
It was a prime opportunity to drop the follow-up to her 2024 debut, ESTRELLA. But it never came. Instead, her newer releases—“Get Outside,” a mesmerizing Jersey club track, and the shit-talking playground cut “MGO”—appear to be independent releases, signaling a new era for the young MC.—Will Schube
LeoStayTrill
Age: 19
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: Good rapper who has been putting in work for almost a decade
LeoStayTrill is still a teenager, but this isn’t an overnight success story.
The UK rapper started out as OfficiallyLeo, posting freestyles online before appearing on The Voice Kids UK when he was only 14. Drawing on his Zimbabwean roots, he’s become known for blending emerging Afro-pop-influenced sounds with hip-hop rhymes. Like a lot of rappers, staying consistent while also advancing can be tricky. He addressed it on “No Love Freestyle,” an emotional song where he sounds conflicted about his status in the UK rap scene.
LeoStayTrill, who’s on the brink of turning 20, raps: “They think I made it based on a couple hits/Yeah, I’m lit, but got a couple goals I ain’t scratched off the list.” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
YFG Fatso
Age: 19
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: Has the potential and talent to be a new Chicago drill star
At 19, YFG Fatso is still a kid. Just don’t tell him that. On “World On Drugs,” the opener from his album Sanity Evaded, he raps: “I made many mistakes/ I'm a grown man so I gotta fix this shit.”
He brings that self-reliance to most of his songs. He’s in the process of changing the trajectory of his life thanks to this rap thing. And yet it’s been bumpy road. Over the span of a couple of years, he’s built up notoriety outside of the music, most notably through his beef with Skrilla and his feud with the late BloodHound Q50. But if he can keep the focus on the music, there’s enough there for him to be a Chicago star—a rapper who has the ability to balance pain rap’s melodies with the blunt, direct delivery drill is known for. —Will Schube
Tana
Age: 19
Last year’s rank: 8
Why they’re on this list: An underground darling with the ability to make commercial level hooks
Tana is only 19 but already feels like a rap vet. He’s been through all the ups and downs of a talented rapper who’s had some success but not the momentum needed to become a star, from name changes (he started out as BabySantana) to behind-the-scenes label drama.
After a stretch where he wasn’t really putting shit out, he’s independent now and flooding the scene. He’s working on a trilogy, and the first installment, simply titled Me, dropped in June. It’s a bit more uneven than day-one Tana fans were hoping for. But his latest song, “KimK,” which will most likely be on U, is more encouraging: two minutes of stunting over a beat that sounds almost intergalactic. —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Lil Noonie
Age: 18
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: Was good enough to get the North West co-sign
Fresh off a North West cosign, Lil Noonie is a rapper we stamped early as one to watch, thanks in part to his ability to turn often bleak experiences into captivating music.
Noonie has already seen more shit than most people do in a lifetime, and his music shows it, but there are signs he’s broadening his approach. “Searching Through Phones” finds him fully embracing melody, getting introspective in the vein of Polo G and Lil Durk.
His latest, “Not Me,” returns to a slow-creep, horror-movie drill sound that Philly popularized but might feature his best mic performance yet, with more precise pacing and a knack for switching his cadence to match the urgency of his words. —Will Schube
YUME
Age: 19
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: A standout artist that is able to produce, rap, sing, and DJ.
Young Thug has spent the last couple of years investing in the youth, rebuilding YSL with a new generation of talent. Among its most promising new acts is YUME, a Curaçao-born singer and producer on a roster that includes Tezzus, Diamond*, and more.
She straddles the line between trap and R&B, pairing soft, airy vocals with lush, self-produced instrumentals, and she isn’t afraid to stray from either. Her infectious Jersey club cut “Love & Tequila” is built for the dance floor, while the Slime Language 3 standout “Losing Sleep” finds her trading lines with Diamond* over smooth trap production.
What’s funny is she’s been around for a while and is just now stepping into the spotlight. As a teenager, she earned production credits on Drake and Kid Cudi’s “IMY2” and Thug and Chris Brown’s “Go Crazy.” Since then, she’s kept producing her own music while showing off her classical training, playing violin and keys live on tour with Thug and the rest of the YSL/ØWAY crew. —Antonio Johri
Judah Weston
Age: 18
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: Bringing non-drill street music back to New York
For all of New York’s influence and importance, the Lower East Side was never a hotbed for rap talent. Which makes the rise of Judah Weston, who grew up there, so fascinating. He’s only had real motion for about a year, but he’s already shown serious potential, thanks to “RA TA DIA,” which blew up online.
In New York City, street music has essentially just been drill, so it’s almost novel to see someone get motion without embracing that sound. There’s something old school about Judah’s approach. He raps almost exclusively about the streets and how they’ve infected his relationship with his family, in a way that recalls mid-2010s mixtapes: loaded with New York slang and bluntness, with a vulnerability that never sinks too deep into self-loathing.
But his ear for production is what sets him apart. His brother IsoKeys produces his music, and the beats are often bonkers. You see a title like “I’m Sellin Crack Mama” and expect a melancholy, boom-bap-inspired beat. Instead, it’s electronic-inspired, more club than corner.
On their debut album, Why So Much Hate, the standout is “Thug.” IsoKeys adds grit to his synths, while Judah’s rapping is a mix of mean-mugging and hurt. He raps: “Mom so sad, lost her son to the stateHow could she think that the gun ain’t mine?Don’t know what to think, she's too used to me lyin'” —Dimas Sanfiorenzo
Nettspend
Age: 19
Last year’s rank: 2
Why they’re on this list: One of the faces of the modern-day rap underground
The underground moves at the speed of the internet, with a new artist chasing virality every week and fickle audiences always ready for the next big thing. Which makes it all the more impressive that, a few years into his career, Nettspend still commands a cult fan base that helped him sell out his recent tour. He’s also become one of the de facto big three in the rage scene, alongside OsamaSon and Che.
His latest album, early life crisis, delivered another dose of blown-out anthems that translated to the stage at Rolling Loud, where his rain-soaked run through “you ready,” “Shut Up,” and “Nothing Like UUU” has become the stuff of fan legend on Twitter.
On “Lil Bieber,” he likens himself to one of modern pop’s GOATs, a fitting comparison for an artist whose fame seems to have outpaced his music. Fans have clocked his every move as he’s shaved his signature blonde locks, dropped a track proclaiming his sobriety, and teased a new project tentatively titled Virginia Creeper, expected at the end of October.
That fervor is why he’s collaborating with Vans and walking Demna’s Gucci runway alongside fakemink, proof that the underground is still very much the source of the swag mainstream culture so desperately craves. —Antonio Johri
Slayr
Age: 19
Last year’s rank: N/A
Why they’re on this list: Is making some of the most elevated rage music in the underground
While his peers have continued to push a more literal interpretation of rage’s bible—Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red—with heavier distortion and abrasive, ear-bleeding mixes, Slayr has taken a poppier approach. The Philadelphia rapper is building songs with actual hooks and bridges, structures that would sit comfortably on pop radio.
Don’t get it twisted, though: his music still packs plenty of distorted 808s and punchy Auto-Tuned flows under all the glitter. Half Blood, its deluxe Half Blood (Bloodluxe), and the Avant Nova EP go in all kinds of directions, from the explosive EDM breakdown on “Brain Fog” to the rock passages on the anthemic “Sloppy Joe.” Meanwhile, the glitchy single “remember them days” points toward a promising new direction for the genre. And trust me, it all fucking bangs live.
Terms like “negative aura” and “burger music” continue to swirl around him. But between the backlash and his ambition, Slayr’s time in the underground seems likely to be short-lived. “I don’t feel like I belong here,” he told Complex earlier this year, speaking about the scene. —Antonio Johri
BabyChiefDoit
Age: 18
Last year’s rank: 1
Why they’re on this list: He’s gotten bigger—and better, with one of hte biggest rap hits of the year
After topping last year’s list, BabyChiefDoIt has only solidified his position as the best teenage rapper alive. He’s also the one rapper on this list who has proven he can score a hit. “Ghetto Love Story” was the surprise smash of the summer, nearly cracking the Top 40 largely thanks to TikTok, where it soundtracked thousands of goofy but joyous videos.
The warm, nostalgic, Miami bass-inspired beat is an instant earworm, but it’s really BabyChief who shines. There’s a Slick Rick mixed with Ol’ Dirty Bastard quality to his performance, both in the way he weaves a comedic tale with a number of twists about how he keeps getting dubbed by a girl and in the off-key crooning hook that becomes the song’s best moment.
There’s an irony in BabyChief, who was at the center of rap’s first ChatGPT scandal, outlasting the AI-assisted “RUBBERZ” as the ’80s-inspired rap song of the year. The album “Ghetto Love Story” is featured on, Rise Against My Broken Odds, is a little tougher and more stylistically varied, but it proves the rapper is all childlike charm, with even the violent songs coming across as tongue-in-cheek rather than actual threats.
It’s significantly less dark than the music of the rappers who inspired him, like Chief Keef and Young Pappy. BabyChief is still only 18, and the rappers closest to challenging him are about to turn 20. Can he three-peat?—Will Schube
