19 Best Baton Rouge Rappers

When people talk about Dirty South hip-hop music, typically Atlanta and New Orleans rappers dominate the conversation. But Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has quietly been producing some of the best rappers in the game over the past few decades. Here are some of the best Baton Rouge rappers.

Boosie Badazz

Boosie Badazz (previously Lil Boosie) is one of the best Baton Rouge emcees and among the best 2000s hip-hop rappers. The self-proclaimed “King of Louisiana” is famous for his high-pitched voice, southern drawl, humor, and aggressive lyrics.

Boosie helped popularize the Baton Rouge style of hip hop in the mid 2000s, frequently collaborating with his friend and partner in crime, Webbie. During the apex of his career, he was a popular featured artist on songs.

He is perhaps most famous for his show-stealing performance on Foxx’s 2007 smash hit “Wipe Me Down,” also featuring Webbie. His other signature song is the 2009 track “You Better Believe It,” featuring Webbie and Young Jeezy.

Boosie turned 40 in 2022, but he continues to tour and put out new music. His appearance on new Baton Rouge rappers’ songs is the ultimate sign of respect and stamp of approval.

Webbie

Webbie is the other half of Baton Rouge’s favorite hip-hop duo (Lil Boosie and Webbie). He came to prominence in 2001 as a featured artist on Boosie’s song “Gotta Get It.” The two rappers would go on to release two collaborative albums: “Ghetto Stories” in 2003 and “Gangsta Music” in 2004.

Webbie is a member of Trill Entertainment, the record company that rapper Pimp C founded before his untimely passing. He frequently expresses his gratitude for the late rapper giving him an opportunity.

As a solo artist, Webbie is most famous for his two signature songs: “Give Me That” featuring Bun B from 2005 and “Independent” featuring Lil Phat and Lil Boosie from 2007.

Webbie has a raw, authentic persona and his songs feature gritty lyrics about drugs, guns, and violence. His delivery is intense, and he often appears to be screaming his lyrics. On songs with Boosie Badazz, their combined energy is tough to match.

Kevin Gates

Kevin Gates burst onto the Baton Rouge hip-hop scene in the mid-2000s. Unsurprisingly, he ran in circles with fellow Baton Rouge rappers Boosie Badazz and Webbie, who heavily featured on his first mixtape, “Pick of Da Litter,” in 2007.

His first big hit was “I Don’t Get Tired,” a single from his mixtape “Luca Brasi 2.” However, Gates achieved true breakthrough success with his signature song, “2 Phones,” in 2015. The song was a single from his debut album “Isla” and became a Billboard-charting hit for the rapper and introduced him to a worldwide audience. 

Gates’ music is deeply personal and describes the struggles he has overcome in his life. He has been open about his battles with depression and how he channels it into his songs.

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

YoungBoy Never Broke again is one of the hottest rappers in the hip-hop industry today. The Baton Rouge native started putting out music in 2015, and his career took off rapidly. He is exceptionally prolific, releasing album after album and flooding the streets with music.

YoungBoy has experienced remarkable success in his young career, with four of his albums topping the Billboard 200. He is one of the most popular featured artists, with seemingly every rapper seeking to get him onto their songs. He has a unique lyrical delivery, somewhat singing his rap verses in a harmonious way.

YoungBoy has been entangled in legal controversies throughout his life, with multiple arrests and incarcerations. Fans like his music because of its authenticity – there is no question that he lives the things he talks about, including violence, guns, and drugs.

Fredo Bang

Fredo Bang is one of the top up-and-coming rappers from Baton Rouge. He announced his arrival with the 2018 song “Oouuh,” a playful song about a successful woman he is interested in.

Fredo Bang often incorporates the use of auto-tune in his songs, the audio technology that smooths out an artist’s voice and alters the pitch. He has a magnetic presence as a performer and no shortage of confidence.

Like many other of his fellow Baton Rouge rappers, Fredo Bang is keen to describe a world of poverty, violence, and drugs. He is no stranger to legal controversy and faced attempted murder charges in 2016.

In Bang’s young career, he has already collaborated with hip-hop A-listers like Lil Durk, Lil Baby, and Polo G.

C-Loc

C-Loc is the unofficial godfather of Baton Rouge rap. In the 1990s, he was the leader of the rap group called the Concentration Camp. The camp launched the careers of several Baton Rouge rappers, including Lil Boosie, Max Minelli, and Young Bleed.

His music is unequivocally gangsta/trap style, with lyrics depicting a violent world of gangs, guns, and violence. Many of today’s top rappers in Baton Rouge can trace their careers back to C-Loc, confirming his significance in the hip-hop scene.

The rap OG continues to release music and has a presence in Baton Rouge today.

Young Bleed

Young Bleed is arguably the first breakout rap star to emerge from Baton Rouge. He is a member of C-Loc’s Concentration Camp. In 1998, New Orleans legend Master P took an interest in his fellow Louisiana rapper and decided to remix Young Bleed’s song “How You Do Dat.”

The remix to “How You Do Dat” appeared on Master P’s album “I’m Bout It” and helped turn Young Bleed into a household name.

Later in his career, Bleed would go on to release the successful album “My Balls & My Word” through Master P’s No Limit Records. The album heavily featured No Limit artists and fellow Baton Rouge rappers like C-Loc. “My Balls & My Word” peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200.

TEC

Tec Luciano, or simply TEC, is a Baton Rouge native and one of its rising hip-hop talents. TEC got his breakthrough in 2016 when he was featured on the hit single “Go Crazy” by fellow Baton Rouge rapper Maine Musik, which garnered 17M views.

Since then, he’s built quite a following by continuously working on his craft and releasing a multitude of music videos on his YouTube channel. His lyrics don’t shy away from delving into the rough aspects of his surroundings and the criminal lifestyle, which the rapper knows a thing or two about as he was convicted of armed robbery and imprisoned for two years.

Max Minelli

Max Minelli (Max Pain) is yet another Baton Rouge rapper who can trace his roots back to C-Loc and the Concentration Camp. He rose to stardom in the late 1990s was one the best guest features on Young Bleed’s successful “My Balls & My Word” album.

Minelli, unlike his contemporaries, focused more on writing and lyricism. He left the hardcore gangster showboating to pals like Young Bleed and instead focused on writing lyrics that expressed a deeper meaning. A supremely talented wordsmith, his flow and voice are similar to Atlanta rapper B.O.B.

The Baton Rouge rapper briefly retired in 2019 with the release of his album “Say Goodbye,” but similar to many rappers, the itch to compose was too strong. He resumed making music and is still active today.

Sherwood Marty

Sherwood Marty is another of the up-and-coming rappers from Baton Rouge. He came to prominence in 2016 with the release of the mixtape “In The Trenches: Self Made, Vol. 1.” The following year, he released his best song to date: the underground sleeper track “Sherwood Baby.”

Marty, like his Baton Rouge contemporaries, is laser-focused on giving the world a glimpse of the violence and poverty from which he escaped. His lyrics and music videos are littered with depictions of shootings, beatings, and drugs.

His career is undoubtedly on the upswing, and he was able to secure a featured guest verse from A-list rapper Lil Baby on the 2018 song “Day in My Hood.”

Foxx

Foxx came onto the Baton Rouge rap music scene in the mid-2000s as part of his association with star rappers Lil Boosie and Webbie.

The hit song “Wipe Me Down” was originally his – however, in 2007, he remixed the track with Boosie and Webbie, with Boosie becoming the lead artist. It reached number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and cultivated an underground following in the hip-hop community.

Foxx released his debut album “Street Gossip” in 2007, and he remains active in the Baton Rouge hip-hop scene today.

Lil Phat

Lil Phat was a star on the rise in Baton Rouge in the early aughts. The rapper had a standout performance on Webbie’s song “Independent” in 2008 and seemed destined for stardom. However, he tragically died at age 19 as a victim of Baton Rouge gun violence.

Prior to his untimely passing, he was an in-demand feature on tracks with fellow Baton Rouge rap records and also collaborated with Lil Boosie.

Dusa

If there was a competition among Baton Rouge rappers for the “next to blow up,” Dusa would arguably be at the top of the list.

The young rapper burst on the scene with his 2021 track “Dear God” featuring Kevin Gates. The song racked up millions of plays on streaming services and got the industry buzzing about the latest hip-hop newcomer from the Red Stick.

Dusa recently linked up with Gates again for the 2022 collaboration “Bad Man” and looks primed to build on his recent success in the near future.

HD4President

HD4President definitely knew the formula for a smash hit in 2021 when he combined a catchy beat, a new dance move, and a guest verse feature from one of the most successful Baton Rouge Rappers. The 2021 song “Can’t Stop Jiggn” featuring Lil Boosie put HD4President on the roadmap to stardom.

TikTok exploded with thousands of users attempting the “Can’t Stop Jiggn” dance move, and HD4President gained a whole new fan base outside of Baton Rouge.

His other viral successful songs are “Touch Down 2 Cause Hell (Bow Bow Bow),” a favorite of Louisiana State University students, and “Rollin.”

TrueBleeda

TrueBleeda was another Baton Rouge rapper destined for stardom, but the 18-year-old’s life was cut short because of a drive-by shooting connected to gang activity.

His lyrical style was not dissimilar to fellow Baton Rouge rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again. He employed a singing style in his rap lyrics. TrueBleeda’s music depicted a life of violence, and he was not afraid to show off his guns in music videos.

Sadly, art reflected life, and he became a victim of the culture he glamorized. His best songs are “Soul Survivor,” “Trouble Soul,” and “Play 4 Keeps.”

WNC Whop Bezzy

WNC Whop Bezzy is right up there with Dusa on the “next to blow” from Baton Rouge. The energetic rapper already has several viral hit songs, including “Bird Mane,” “You Know I Ain’t Scared,” and “Don’t Start Me.”

Louisiana State University athletes are particularly fond of WNC Who Bezzy’s music, and some of the men’s basketball players appeared in his music video for “Feeling Myself.”

Baton Rouge rap stars Boosie Badazz and YoungBoy Never Broke Again both gave WNC Whop Bezzy their seal of approval and have collaborated on songs with him and appeared in his music videos. At the rate he’s going, Whop Bezzy could be a household name in the near future.

Scotty Cain

Scotty Cain has been slowly building a buzz in the Baton Rouge rap scene over the past several years and appears to be on the cusp of stardom. He had the biggest song in Baton Rouge in 2014 with the hit “Yea with the Yea” and has racked up millions of streaming listens and views on YouTube.

The rapper was a friend and collaborator of YoungBoy Never Broke again until the two had a falling out. The disagreement led to Cain releasing the diss track “NBA Smoke.” However, the two have since squashed their beef.

Cain raps with a raspy voice reminiscent of Red Cafe and has a smooth lyrical flow with an unending swagger.

Quadry

Quadry brings a unique style to the Baton Rouge rap scene that sounds nothing like his contemporaries. The rapper uses a complex rhyme scheme and employs a laid-back flow. His lyrical delivery might remind you of Kendrick Lamar.

Qadry has been dancing around the periphery of relevance in Baton Rouge and is one of the city’s next great rappers. His most successful songs are “Pirelli,” “Che Guevara,” and “Cardinal.”

Marcel P. Black

Proving that there is room in Baton Rouge for conscious rappers, Marcel P. Black has carved out a lane for himself separate from the trap/gangster rap that saturates the airwaves in the Red Stick.

The Oklahoma native has become one of the best Baton Rouge rappers while projecting a message of social justice. He raps with every ounce of his being, seemingly gasping for breath in a way that will remind listeners of a young Freeway or Killer Mike.

His notable songs include “Boss,” “Cry Freedom,” and “Stare and Whisper.”

Top Baton Rouge Rappers, Final Thoughts

Baton Rouge has been quietly building a reputation for hip-hop greatness over the past few decades. In addition, the best Baton Rouge rappers tend to support each other, collaborate on music, and give relevance to new rappers. As such, the city has become a powerhouse for gangster rap music and shows no signs of slowing down.