31 Best Memphis Rappers, From Tennessee & Others

Memphis is a city in southwest Tennessee famous for the musicians that have come from the area. Many of the best Tennesee rappers are from Memphis, as the city has become a significant hotspot for talent in the rap scene.

Here's a look at the best Memphis Rappers.

#1 Juicy J

Juicy J might be the biggest name to ever come out of Memphis. He was one of the founding members of the prolific rap group, Three 6 Mafia, which started in 1991. Although, throughout the 90s, Juicy J hadn't started his rap career yet and was only a producer.

Juicy J waited over ten years after he started his professional producing career before he released his debut rap album, Chronicles of the Juice Man, in 2002.

Over 20 years later, Juicy J is still a popular rapper and producer, which is an incredibly impressive feat to manage for 20+ years. His most popular hit was “Bandz a Make Her Dance,” released in 2012, which amassed over 300M streams across all streaming platforms.

#2 Project Pat

Project Pat is the older brother of the legendary Memphis musician Juicy J. Project Pat was another one of the founding members of Three 6 Mafia in 1991. However, a prison sentence delayed the start of his rap career until 1999.

Project Pat released his debut rap album, Getty Green, in 1999 and continued to drop seven more albums over the next 16 years.

Totaling eight studio albums, countless features on hit Three 6 Mafia songs, and features with other rappers in the industry, Project Pat managed to obtain one of the most successful music careers coming out of Memphis.

#3 Yo Gotti

Yo Gotti released his first rap album, Youngsta's On a Come Up, in 1996 when he was only 15. He proceeded to drop 11 albums over the next 26 years, with his most recent album released in early 2022, CM10: Free Game.

Throughout his long time in the rap industry, Yo Gotti has consistently been one of Memphis's most recognizable and consistent rappers.

Yo Gotti has, however, recently become more famous for his record label's success than his success while rapping. Yo Gotti was the sole founder of Collective Music Group, a record label that has acquired tons of star talent since its inception. In 2022, the record label manages Moneybagg Yo, 42 Dugg, EST Gee, Mozzy, and other popular rappers.

#4 NLE Choppa

NLE Choppa is a 20-year-old rapper from Memphis who rose to fame when he was just 17 years old after releasing “Shotta Flow.” NLE Choppa grew up on the southeast side of Memphis, where he went to Cordova High School.

He started his rapping career with a string of singles that caught his attention before releasing his debut album, Top Shotta, in the middle of 2020. Fans love the rapper for his high energy and heavy-hitting songs like “Capelot.”

#5 Young Dolph

Young Dolph, also known as Adolph Robert Thornton Jr., is one of the most prolific rappers from Memphis in recent history. Young Dolph released his first studio album in 2015, King of Memphis, where he caught attention within the industry.

Over the next five years, Young Dolph released six more albums, with his final album, Rich Slave, released in 2020.

On November 17th, 2021, Young Dolph was killed while at a bakery in Memphis, picking up cookies for his mother. Two men eventually got caught and charged with first-degree murder for killing the rapper. Nevertheless, he remains one of the city's most beloved rappers, and Memphis residents continue to mourn his tragic passing.

#6 Moneybagg Yo

Moneybagg Yo is a rapper born in southern Memphis who is currently signed to fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's label, Collective Music Group. Moneybagg Yo started gaining popularity in 2016 with the release of his hit mixtape, Federal Reloaded, and eventually dropped his first studio album, Reset, in late 2018.

His most recent album, A Gangsta's Pain, which he released in 2021, had an all-star lineup of features from other artists and was extremely well-received.

#7 Blac Youngsta

Blac Youngsta was born and raised in southern Memphis, where he first became popular due to parties he would throw. He got to know many of the biggest Memphis rappers through his own parties and sequentially released his first mixtape at the age of 22 in 2012.

The rapper released his first album, 223, in 2018 when he signed to fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's label, Collective Music Group. Blac Youngsta's most recent album release was in 2022, titled 4LIFE.

#8 Pooh Shiesty

Pooh Shiesty is one of Memphis' newer contributions to the rap game, as he debuted in 2019. He's signed to Gucci Mane's 1017 Records and frequently collaborates with other rappers from the label, such as Big Scarr.

The rapper's most successful song is “Back in Blood,” a song that he collaborated on with Chicago rapper Lil Durk. The single amassed over 500 million combined listens across all streaming platforms and became one of the biggest rap songs of 2020.

#9 Gangsta Boo

Gangsta Boo is considered by many to be the “pioneer of female rap music.” She was born and raised in Memphis and was one of the first members of Three 6 Mafia, a Memphis rap group, along with rappers like Juicy J and Project Pat.

Gangsta Boo worked on music with Three 6 Mafia from 1991 to 1998, when she released Enquiring Minds, her debut solo album.

The female rapper is revered by her peers in the rap industry and adored by her hometown of Memphis. She's considered legendary in many parts of the city, and residents continue to play her three albums over 20 years later.

#10 Duke Deuce

Duke Deuce is one of the newest rappers on the Memphis rap scene who's currently signed to Quality Control Music. The rapper is best known for a hit single produced by Juicy J, “Crunk Ain't Dead,” which got released in 2019.

Duke Deuce released his debut studio album in 2021, titled Duke Nukem, and has since dropped two more records, Crunkstar and Memphis Massacre III.

#11 Big30

Big30, or Rodney Wright Jr., is a 23-year-old rapper from Memphis who was childhood friends with well-known rapper Pooh Shiesty. Big30 released his first music in 2021, a mixtape titled King of Killbranch, which featured a star-studded lineup of Future, Lil Durk, and Pooh Shiesty.

Almost a year later, in late September 2022, the rapper released his debut studio album, Last Man Standing.