The 15 Best Rappers with Deep Voices
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Before being tragically gunned down in 2020, Pop Smoke was one of the hottest rappers in modern hip-hop. His naturally guttural vocals complimented his chosen harsh drill beats perfectly. His posthumous debut album was executive produced by New York legend 50 Cent and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
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If there was a Mt. Rushmore of rappers, there's no doubt The Notorious B.I.G. would be on it. With his booming voice matching his large frame, Biggie's voice is easily one of the most recognizable in hip-hop history. Along with his tone, the Brooklyn rapper also had a lisp and slightly slurred his words. These distinctions were looked down upon in the 90s when Biggie was first coming up, but would probably be considered attractive quirks today.
- 1Juicy265 Votes
- 2Big Poppa226 Votes
- 3Everyday Struggle200 Votes
- 4Gimme the Loot113 Votes
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Nowadays, you can see 50 Cent act as a lovable guest host on The Drew Barrymore Show, which can make it easy to forget that this man was the foremost gangsta rapper of his day. In the early 2000s, 50 Cent popularized this style of rap with his descriptive pictures of life on the streets and had the voice and credibility to back it up.
- 1Get Rich or Die Tryin'491 Votes
- 2Before I Self Destruct338 Votes
- 3All Things Fall Apart190 Votes
- 4Freelancers221 Votes
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4Maybe less “deep” and more “rough”, DMX made a name off of his unique voice and of course, barks. Interestingly, the late rapper's distinct voice was caused by the untreated bronchial asthma he suffered as a child. Oftentimes, firefighters had to climb several flights of stairs to treat him when his condition was particularly bad, which inspired a young DMX to want to become one.
- 1Cradle 2 the Grave172 Votes
- 2Exit Wounds134 Votes
- 3Never Die Alone125 Votes
- 4Belly102 Votes
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Easily one of the greatest underground rappers of all time, if not the greatest, MF Doom's signature husky voice was able to perform vocal acrobatics over Madlib's production. The mysterious figure kept his identity and face well hidden throughout his career, ensuring fans were focused on his voice and rhymes more than anything else.
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Tyler, the Creator has been outspoken about how much he dislikes his voice. He believes it has been one of the barriers he faces to true mainstream success. Indeed, it can be an interesting juxtaposition to hear Tyler's low, low tone describe the tender moments of his life scattered across 2017's Flower Boy but most fans find his voice endearing. In fact, in his early and more provocative days of Odd Future, his voice set him apart and worked extremely well for their edgy concept.
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Scarface's voice has always sounded much older than the man himself. Listening to his classic The Diary today, it's hard to believe this was a young rapper in his twenties. On lead single “I Seen a Man Die,” the Houston emcee sounds exhausted yet unsurprised with the state of the world.
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Freddie Gibbs, now one of the most recognizable names in the non-mainstream rap scene, got his start releasing a number of mixtapes that gradually gained steam. His career really started blowing up when he joined forces with acclaimed hip-hop producer Madlib. The latter's sample-based, gritty instrumentals were a perfect pairing to Gibbs's guttural tone. The prolific pairing have released two studio albums and multiple extended plays over the years.
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Rick Ross is proof that a nice voice (and good production) can take you a long way. Not exactly the most lyrically dextrous, the big boss Rick Ross came to be known for his deep voice and husky grunts. There's no better example of this than his debut single “Hustlin'” which, to this day, might still be his greatest work.
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Odd Future alum Earl Sweatshirt has gone on to make some of the most thoughtful and introspective hip-hop in recent memory. Speaking on themes of self-doubt, depression, and hopelessness, Earl's deep and sometimes sleepy voice serves to accentuate these ideas. Combined with stellar beat choice and some excellent wordplay, it's easy to see why so many are enamored with him.
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On Flatbush Zombies's “Odyssey” off of their stellar 2016 project 3001: A Laced Odyssey, Meechy Darko confesses that “this fan told me her parents said I sound like the devil.” Meechy's ability to manipulate his rough voice makes him instantly recognizable on all Zombies tracks and his really might be one of the coolest voices in hip-hop right now.
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Young M.A.'s mega-viral hit “OOOUUU” first introduced the world to the masculine rapper. Her low tone and laid back drawl perfectly matches the bravado of her lyrics and mannerisms and it's hard to imagine her sounding any other way. In 2022, M.A. took her talents to popular Cartoon Network show We Baby Bears and used her recognizable voice to explain echolocation in a bizarre but delightful rap segment.
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13When GloRilla first started rapping, she tried to make her voice sound higher, a little bit more “like a girl.” The feedback she received, however, was that she had the bars but her voice sounded squeaky. After that, she decided to embrace her low voice and even accentuate it. Her deep voice, unique in the landscape for a female emcee, is now her hallmark characteristic and even led to a Grammy nomination for "F.N.F. (Let's Go)."
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Long standing Bay Area rapper Andre Nickatina has been churning out albums for decades. His name change from Dre Dog to Andre Nickatina implied one would get addicted to his work and the distinguishing feature that helped him do that was his voice. His bars are dextrous and many of his songs run self-sufficiently without hooks, aided by his clear and distinct vocals.
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“Ya never catch me with no lame girl homes/Cause the fish voice is deeper than James Earl Jones” from “International” pretty much sums it up. Chali 2na knows one of his distinguishing and most compelling characteristics is that bass-baritone voice. In an interview with Vice, the Chicago emcee revealed he has always gravitated to deeper instruments like the upright bass as well as deep-voiced dancehall artists.
