The Top 15 Best Philly Rappers of All Time

Rap music has flourished in Philadelphia, also known as the “City of Brotherly Love,” which has given rise to some of the industry’s most brilliant and important performers. Through their music and lyrical content, these Philadelphia-based rappers have expressed their personal accounts of overcoming adversity, achieving success, and keeping themselves alive.

This article is going to take a look at the top 15 best Philadelphia rappers of all time, and it will be posted on a blog. These musicians have affected not only the communities in which they are based but also the music business as a whole worldwide. We will investigate their impact on the culture as a whole, as well as the rap scene specifically and the poetic skill they possess.

This list will provide you with a complete reference to the city’s most accomplished and recognized rappers, regardless of whether you have been a fan of Philadelphia hip-hop for a long time or are just beginning your exploration of the genre. So without further ado, let’s get into the top 15 right away.

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15. The Ambassador

William Tyrone “Duce” Branch is a highly regarded Christian hip-hop artist who has released music as both an individual artist and a founding member of The Cross Movement. William Tyrone “Duce” Branch is also known as The Ambassador. He received his education at Dallas Theological Seminary and is also a co-founder of Epiphany Fellowship, which is located in Philadelphia.

In addition, he has served as the President of the charitable organization Cross Movement Ministries and has devoted the better part of the past 15 years to preaching and rapping to disseminate the Gospel’s message. Notable songs from The Ambassador’s discography include Talk A Lot, Hope Man and Whatchu Goin’ Do? The Day I Met U and Love & Grace.

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14. Schoolly D

Schoolly D is a well-known and highly regarded rapper who rose to prominence in the middle of the 1980s because to the distinctive kind of rap music he created. His birth took place in Philadelphia in 1962, and he started his career in music in the early 1980s by working as a DJ in local bars.

Later on, he adopted an Afrocentric style and, together with KRS-One, was one of the pioneers in bringing Afrocentric culture to hip hop. In the middle of the 1980s, Schoolly D worked with DJ Code Money, and the lyrics he wrote at the time reflected the harshness of urban life as well as s*xual brazenness.

Additionally, he was responsible for composing the score and narrating certain episodes of the popular cartoon series Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which aired on the Adult Swim block of Cartoon Network’s programming block.

Schoolly D continued to create albums throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, despite the controversy surrounding his musical career. Schoolly D catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including Gucci Time, Saturday Night, Yes Yes Y’all, Housing the Joint, and Livin’ in the Jungle.

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13. Will Smith

Willard Carroll Smith II, better known by his stage name and nickname “The Fresh Prince,” is a well-known American actor and rapper. His mother, Caroline (née Bright), was a school board administrator, and his father, Willard Carroll Smith Sr., was a refrigeration engineer and a United States Air Force veteran.

He was born in Philadelphia to parents who were both successful professionals in their fields. Throughout his career, Smith has been honored with various prestigious awards, including one Academy Award, one BAFTA Award, and four Grammy Awards. His lyrical content was often influenced by his upbringing in West Philadelphia, which gave his rhyming style a humorous and lively tone.

His rapping style was defined by comedy and fun rhymes. Some of his most well-known songs are “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” “Summertime,” and “Boom! Shake the Room.” His music reflected this because he was known for the charm and charisma he exuded on and off stage. His music was a reflection of his personality.

12. Kurupt

Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, professionally known as Kurupt, is a notable American rapper and record producer who played a significant role in the rise of gangsta rap during the 1990s.

Born on November 23, 1972, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kurupt relocated to Los Angeles, California, at the age of 16, where he resided in Hawthorne before settling in the Crenshaw District of South LA at 18. Kurupt’s recording career began with three songs on the S.O.S. Band’s 1991 album, One of Many Nights. His career took off when he joined the rap group “Tha Dogg Pound” in 1992.

The group was associated with the Death Row Records label, established by Suge Knight. Kurupt’s initial album with Tha Dogg Pound, called “Dogg Food,” was released in 1995. The kurupt catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including C-Walk, Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey, Xxplosive, What Would U Do?, and Who Ride Wit Us.

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11.Lisa Lopes

Lisa Nicole Lopes, better known as Left Eye, was a skilled American rapper and singer. She was born and raised in the United States. She was born in the year 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to her mother, LaWanda Andino, who worked as a seamstress, and her father, Ronald Lopes Sr., who served as a staff sergeant in the United States Army.

In 1990, Lopes moved to Atlanta in order to participate as a dancer in a music video that was being filmed there. Lisa’s participation in the groundbreaking group TLC, which helped usher in a new era in the music industry’s history, was a major factor in her influence on that field.

Their distinctive fusion of R&B, hip-hop, and pop music was completely unique, and it appealed to audiences of varying ages and backgrounds worldwide. Both Supernova in 2001 and Eye Legacy in 2009, published after Lisa’s death, were Lisa’s solo albums. Supernova was released in 2001, while Eye Legacy was released in 2009. Lisa Lopes catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including Big Willie, Takin’ Me Over, Block Party, Takin’ Me Over, and Through the Pain.

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10. Lil Uzi Vert

Lil Uzi Vert is the stage name of American musician Symere Bysil Woods, renowned as a great rapper, singer, and songwriter. Mike Jones and the Ying Yang Twins are two of the musicians who have been an influence on them musically. The first album that they ever bought was Jones’ debut.

For the past three years, Lil Uzi Vert has been doing everything they can to get fans excited about their next album, Pink Tape. Upon its initial release, pink Tape debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and featured the top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart titled “Just Wanna Rock.”

In addition, Woods worked with Gucci Mane on a mixtape released on November 23, 2016, named 1017 vs. the World. Lil Uzi Vert catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including: Money Longer, Hi Roller, Canadian Goose, Do What I Want, and Buy It.

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9. Vinnie Paz

Vincenzo Luviner, commonly known as Vinnie Paz, is a talented Italian-American rapper and producer who heads the Philadelphia underground hip-hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. Ikon, the Verbal Hologram, was his previous stage name.

His fourth solo album, The Pain Collector, was published in September of 2018, following the release of his third solo album, The Cornerstone of the Corner Store, which was released on October 28, 2016. In 2003, Jedi Mind Tricks released their third studio album, Visions of Gandhi.

This album was inspired by Foxy Brown’s passage on Nas’ 1996 album “It Was Written” in the song “Affirmative Action,” in which she raps, “They praise Allah with visions of Gandhi.” Lil Uzi Vert catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including Don Eladio, Keep It Movin, Vahid Moradi, and Hannibal.

8. Meek Mill

Robert Rihmeek Williams, professionally known as Meek Mill, is a renowned American rapper. Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began his music career as a battle rapper and later formed a short-lived rap group, The Bloodhounds. In 2008, Atlanta-based rapper T.I. recognized his talents and signed him to his first record deal.

Meek Mill’s first album, Dreams and Nightmares, was released in 2012 under MMG and Warner Bros. Records and features the hit single “Amen” featuring Drake. The album peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200. In October 2012, Mill announced the launch of Dream Chasers Records, his own label imprint, named after his mixtape series. Meek Mill Vert catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including Going Bad, Dreams and Nightmares, R.I.C.O, Sharing Locations, and All Eyes on You.

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7. Freeway

Freeway is an American rapper and former rap group State Property member. He is currently signed to Roc-A-Fella Records alongside Jay-Z. Leslie Edward Pridgen, better known by his stage name Freeway, is his real name.

Freeway sharpened his skills by competing in freestyle battles when he was still in high school. He finally met fellow Philadelphia native Beanie Sigel while performing at a local nightclub. Freeway is now a successful rapper. Freeway released his debut album, Philadelphia Freeway, on February 25, 2003.

Most of the tracks on the album were created by Roc-A-Fella-affiliated producers such as Just Blaze, Bink!, and Kanye West, and the album also included several other artists signed to the label. Freeway Vert catalog consists of a number of notable tracks, including: What We Do, Flipside, Roc The Mic, Take It To The Top, Roc The Mic.

6. Lil Dicky

Rapper, comedian, and actor David Andrew Burd, better known by his stage name Lil Dicky, is a successful multi-hyphenate in the United States. Burd was raised in the prosperous Elkins Park area with his Jewish family by the time he was a young adult.

Burd was born in Cheltenham Township, which is located on the outskirts of Philadelphia’s northern boundary. In 2015, he released the album Professional Rapper, which introduced him to the world of music.

Burd continued to build his fan base thanks to his one-of-a-kind sound, and on April 19, 2019, he released the smash hit track “Earth,” which included well-known musicians such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and Shawn Mendes. Lil Dicky catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including: Lemme Freak, Oh Well, Earth, White Crime, Pillow Talking, and . Professional Rapper.

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5. PnB Rock

PnB Rock, whose real name was Rakim Hasheem Allen, was an American rapper and musician who passed away on September 12, 2022. His stage name, PnB Rock, knew him. He came into the world to a family of Muslim faith in the Germantown area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America.

Allen lost his father to a senseless act of violence when he was only three years old; consequently, his mother had a significant role in Allen’s upbringing. TrapStar Turnt PopStar was the title of his first studio album, which was released in May of 2019.

On the track “Cross Me” off of Ed Sheeran’s album No.6 Collaborations Project, PnB Rock and Chance the Rapper both made guest appearances. PnB Rock catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including Selfish, Cross Me, MIDDLE CHILD, Needed That, and Luv Me Again.

4. Young Chris

Christopher Francis Ries, better known by his stage name, Young Chris, is a successful rap artist from the United States. Alongside his longtime friend and fellow rapper Neef Buck, he is a member of the popular Philadelphia rap duo Young Gunz.

Young Gunz is based in Philadelphia. Their music is distributed by the illustrious record label Roc-A-Fella Records, and they have enjoyed a great deal of success thanks to their chart-topping track “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.” Because of this, the record label enthusiastically decided to release the band’s debut album, titled Tough Luv.

The album includes a remix of the band’s successful single, which features St. Louis rapper Chingy. This album has cameos by well-known musicians such as Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Slim of 112, and John Legend, and it debuted at an astounding No. 15 on the Billboard 200 chart. Young Chris catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including Aw Naw, Raised On Country, Rescue Me, Nothin’ But The Cooler Left, Drowning, and Lonely Eyes.

3. Beanie Sigel

Beanie Sigel is the stage name of American rapper Dwight Equan Grant, who has amassed a significant body of work under that moniker. Sigel made his return to the music industry in 2007 under the Roc-A-Fella label and released his fourth studio album, The Solution, which critics well welcomed.

Sigel had previously taken a temporary break from the music industry. The Truth, Sigel’s debut album, was released by Roc-A-Fella Records on February 29, 2000. Critics well received the album and was also successful commercially.

The album contained collaborations with other well-known MCs such as Cam’ron and Jay-Z, and it spawned a smash single called “Feel It in the Air,” which sold 131,000 copies in its first week of release. Beanie Sigel catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including Tales Of A Hustler, What A Thug About, Man’s World, Look At Me Now, and What Your Life Like 2.

2. Eve

Eve Jihan Jeffers was born in Philadelphia, which is located in the state of Pennsylvania. Both of her parents worked as supervisors; her mother, Julie Wilcher, worked at a publishing company, and her father, Jerry Jeffers, worked at a chemical plant.

Eve was raised in West Philadelphia, but when she was 13 years old, she relocated to Germantown. Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders First Lady, her first album, was published in 1999 and quickly rose to the top of the Billboard 200 album list after its initial release. This accomplishment earned her a double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and made her the third female rapper in history to accomplish this goal.

When she was 18, she began a career as a stripper, but rapper Mase eventually persuaded her to leave the industry. Eve catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including Gotta Man, Love Is Blind, Let’s Talk About, Who’s That Girl?, and Let Me Blow Ya Mind.

1. Black Thought

Tarik Luqmaan Trotter is an extremely well-known American rapper, musician, and actor. He was born on October 3, 1973, in the United States. His role as lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip-hop duo The Roots, which he co-founded with the world-famous percussionist Questlove (Ahmir Thompson), is the primary reason for his widespread recognition.

A new song titled “Rise Up” was produced by Black Thought, Fashawn, and Del the Funky Homosapien in collaboration for the video game Street Fighter V in February of 2016. This partnership led to the production of a music video by Capcom, distributed online and featured guest appearances by Black Thought and the other individuals involved in the project.

Black Thought catalog includes a number of notable tracks, including: When We Move, Good Morning, I’m Still Somehow, State Prisoner, and Section.

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