#3 Token
The White rapper took a clip of himself that went viral in May freestyling over a J. Cole beat because someone pointed out he looked like Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanović, which immediately flipped his image to climb out the dungeons of being labeled a “YouTube Rapper,” which stems from him initially getting attention from his viral YouTube rap contest entries as a teenager.
Token’s style fits under the category of fast rappers like former collaborator Tech N9ne and Eminem.
One of his latest singles “High Heels” features Rico Nasty
#2 BIA
Rapper BIA is not only one of the hottest rappers from Boston, but in all of hip-hop for 2021. First coming to prominence with her 2019 feature on Atlanta rapper Russ’ “Best On Earth,” and her single “Whole Lotta Money” have been two of the most popular rap songs of the year.
Bia’s voice has a gentle tone that floats over the hardest-hitting 808s, which makes for a harmonic perfection.
BIA performed at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards.
#1 Joyner Lucas
Time after time, Lucas makes a strong case for being rap’s most viral star. From “I’m Not Racist” to “Will” to the J. Cole-featured “Your Heart,” Eminem’s “Lucky You” and an announcement of a patched-up beef with Logic on “ISIS,” Lucas has mastered the art of the conceptual music video.
Not only are the visual images compelling, but Lucas’ flow and wordplay keep him near the top of all artists in the game today.
