21 Best Mumble Rappers

Some people think mumble rap is too unclear to be enjoyable… They’re wrong!

With many rappers that adopt the style getting videos that hit millions of views, there’s clearly a huge audience that can appreciate this often overlooked style of rap.

In this article we look at the best mumble rappers of all time.

1. Lil Yachty

Lil Yachty, sometimes called Lil Boat, is one of the first names that comes to mind when someone mentions mumble rappers. Utilizing a vocal style that’s heavy on the effects, Yachty can be tough to understand for newcomers to the genre.

Still, it’s heavy beats and trap instrumentals that help carry his vocal talent. Often sampling nostalgic sounds like Charlie Brown, console gaming effects, and the Mario Brothers, Yachty is one of the most notable names in the genre.

However, he isn’t without his controversies. Yachty stirred up rap’s old-head crowd by saying he had no interest in the history of rap. Many found his comments on legends like Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac a touch disrespectful.

2. Playboi Carti

Carti reached a massive level of prominence nearly overnight with his releases. The aesthetic of mumble rap is heavily influenced by artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Young Thug.

His album Die Lit reached an incredible amount of popularity upon its release. His lyrical content is typically repetitive, bringing beats and easy-to-memorize songs to the forefront of his musical style.

3. Gunna

Joining Atlanta’s ranks of famous rappers, Gunna is known for his impressive output of music. Releasing multiple mixtapes a year, Gunna brings on dozens of collaborators at a time. His feature-filled mixtapes and releases have all hit the fold after only a few years.
Growing exponentially and seemingly overnight, Gunna’s music has connected with millions. His music is known for being more emotive and passionate than many of his contemporaries in the genre. His lyrics are less repetitive, and his vocal performance is more impressive than most.

4. Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert is the influence of countless SoundCloud rappers, famous or not. To call him a mumble rapper is slightly inaccurate, as his vocalization is often clear and harmonic. Still, many stick him with the label due to his incredible influence over the mumble rap scene.

Vert’s music is often compared to rock, emo, and punk, bringing the genres into rap. Considered one of the titans of mumble rap, Lil Uzi Vert is a can’t-miss in the genre.

5. Chief Keef

Millennials are certain to recognize a name like Chief Keef. Coming to prominence before mumble rap was coined as a term, Chief Keef remains massive among youth. His viral songs like I Don’t Like reached even greater virality once they were circulated among platforms like Tik Tok.

Inspiring rappers of all genres, Keef’s music helped pioneer drill in the United States. His vocalization doesn’t match mumble rapping, but his lyrical content is easy to equate.

6. Rich Homie Quan

Rich Homie Quan is one of the most popular mumble rappers of the last decade. His lyrical content is extremely repetitive, making it easy to bump or listen to for the first time. Easily memorized, his songs are often carried by adlibs and hard trap beats. You can find Quan’s music blasting through the speakers of most clubs and concerts.

7. Young Thug

Young Thug has been throwing bangers out since the day he hit the scene. With a quirky vocal style and a musical style that melds different genres, Thugger is one of the most notable names in mumble rap.

With soaring vocalizations and a voice that’s often carried with vocal effects, Thugger’s musical style is unique in the scene. Many other mumble rappers – including those on this list – were inspired by his signature style.

8. Future

Future is one of the most recognizable names in the modern rap of any genre. Though often called a mumble rapper, Future is a cut above most of the artists in the genre. His vocalizations are clear, his lyrical content more varied, and his beats more a complement to his music than a carry.

His influence can be found in every corner of modern rap, especially in the underground. Helping bring auto-tune back into the fold after it fell out of style, Future has been killing it since Pluto.

9. 21 Savage

Born in London, 21 Savage moved to Atlanta at the age of seven, where the local music scene influenced his eventual releases. Releasing two mixtapes in 2015, 21 Savage reached quick international attention.

His release in 2016 with Metro Boomin, Savage Mode, helped him climb to stardom. Often working with artists like Future, Drake, and other titanic names, 21 Savage is one of the biggest artists coming out of the United States.

Fitting more under trap than mumble rap, 21 Savage is a prolific name across all genres. If you’ve been in a club in the last eight years, you’ve heard 21 Savage blasting over the speakers.

10. Kodak Black

Kodak Black reached prominence in 2014 with the release of his single No Flockin’. After a few years, the artist released his debut album, Painting Pictures. This debut landed a spot in 3rd place in the U.S. Billboard 200, with singles from the song landing in the top 10 singles.

His next album, Dying to Live, would reach first on the same list. Often working with artists like Travis Scott and Offset, Kodak Black has remained mainstream despite controversies.

Often surrounded by the negative press due to rape allegations, sexual misconduct charges, and even having his sentence commuted by former President Trump, Kodak’s music remains influential.

11. Lil Pump

Lil Pump is one of the modern trap’s most recognizable faces. Helping to popularize the trend of mumble rappers being as colorful and loud as possible, Pump’s music borders on comedy. He’s aware of the stigma against him and his music and often chooses to embrace it.

Earning the praise of critics like Anthony Fantano and Pitchfork, Pump’s music is aggressive and abrasive.