Detroit has been beaten and battered for decades by one economic or social misfortune after another. But despite the struggles, Detroit rappers have been rising to the main stage since the ’90s. And the home of Motown was churning out international superstars for decades before that. Detroit birthed world-class acts like Gladys Knight and the Pips, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Darin, The Commodores, and countless more.
Modern greats like Xzibit and the unconquerable Eminem came out of Detroit, drawing attention to the hotbed of underground talent simmering just below Motor City’s surface. In 2021, these 10 Detroit rappers, hip-hop artists, and songwriters are fanning the flames of a 70-year musical tradition with hot tracks and sick beats. Read on to find out which rappers are spitting the most fire from Detroit this year.
Tee Grizzley
Shortly after his prison release in late 2016, Tee Grizzley dropped his debut single, “First Day Out,” on YouTube. The track garnered more than two million views in under three weeks and resulted in an offer from Atlantic Records. After signing with Atlantic in 2017, Grizzley released a stream of singles and mixtapes, dropping his debut studio album, Activated, in May 2018.
Activated peaked at number 10 on the Billboard 200 and led to several collaborations with artists like Chance the Rapper, Chris Brown, Lil Durk, and many more established and up-and-coming artists. And this past May 2021, Tee Grizzley and Seattle rapper 28V channeled true gangsta Scarface vibes on their “Pistolet” World Star Hip-Hop drop. With plenty of top-notch tracks published, fans have plenty of Tee Grizzley music to listen to all year long.
Kash Doll
Kash Doll has one of the best backstories of all time. And she just might end up being one of the city’s greatest of all time too. The short story is, the former business student dropped out of college to help support her family with financial struggles. She started working at a strip club, but during her shifts, this queen of everything would rap too. Soon, she was earning cash for rapping instead of dancing. She was so good, she reportedly made $26k rapping one night at the club.
With talent this slick, she didn’t stay in the strip club for long. Superstar Drake dished an invite on Instagram to perform on his Summer Sixteen tour, and it was on and poppin’ from there. Kash Doll has been releasing high-class, turbo-powered tracks ever since, with some of her newest releases featuring Tee Grizzley, Mulatto, and Benny the Butcher.
BandGang Lonnie Bands
Detroit hip-hop artist BandGang Lonnie Bands hit the spotlight with his single, “Run It Up,” with the video gaining over 1.3 million views on YouTube. He dropped his debut album Talk That Sh*t in 2016, quickly entrenching his status in Detroit’s underground rap scene. But that was over five years ago. After honing his style and perfecting his flow, the BandGang member’s sick beats stand out even more in the sea of Detroit talent today. With some reviewers calling the BandGang Detroit’s version of WuTang Clan, it’s no surprise Lonnie Bands is coming up in the rap world.
Like WuTang, BandGang has its share of drama. Lonnie Bands recently confirmed on social media that he took a bullet to the head over the spring. Luckily, he survived, and he seems to be recovering. Fellow Bandgang member Paid Will was not so fortunate and sadly lost his life in a December 2020 shooting. After his brush with the Grim Reaper and the loss of a good friend, BandGang Lonnie Bands could be feeling more inspired in the studio than ever. May Paid Will rest in love.
Sada Baby
One of a growing number of internet-famous rappers, Sada Baby initially gained attention for his viral YouTube video for “Bloxk Party” in 2018. The viral sensation led to an offer from Asylum Records for a record deal. Since then, Sada Baby has been one of the most prolific Detroit rappers of his generation. 2020 saw the release of his debut studio album Skuba Sada 2, with the “2” marking it as a follow-up to 2017’s mixtape Skuba Sada, which rose to 125 on that year’s Billboard 200.
Last year, he had another viral hit on TikTok with “Whole Lotta Choppas.” The track blew up so mad in 2020 that Nicki Minaj sat in on a remix, shooting the song to number 35 on Billboard’s Hot 100. There’s no doubt about it; Sada Baby’s work is hooky as hell. And with banging beats like this and a slew of collabs with hard hitters like Big Sean and King Von, you’ll be pressing repeat on Sada Baby all summer long.
42 Dugg
42 Dugg infiltrated Detroit’s hip-hop scene in a way that might be most unexpected to hip-hop fans – slam poetry. And he wrote it with Lil Baby. The poetry must have been badass because it got him signed to Lil Baby and Yo Gotti’s label, CMG, through EMPIRE. Dugg had plenty of time to hone his skills while writing and rapping during a six-year jail sentence, and he’s only getting better with each track.
42 Dugg’s collaborations with Lil Baby include the moving “Grace” and number 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, “We Paid.” Yo Gotti and Lil Baby agree 42 Dugg has what it takes to become a superstar, and now Dugg’s got the backing of Tyler the Creator too. Look for Tyler beats on upcoming 42 Dugg tracks, and stay tuned to see what Dugg does with his superb talent in the second half of the year.
Big Sean
Big Sean might be the hottest of Detroit rappers aside from Eminem right now. With 5 million followers on Instagram, a legion of devout fans, and some serious props by superstars from Ariana Grande to Wiz Khalifa and everyone in between, Big Sean is at the top of his game. But when Kanye West is the one who helps with your breakout, you’re bound to be one of the best.
Big Sean’s latest projects include a performance for the upcoming NBA Conference Finals concert series, a wellness video series alongside his mom, and more hot tracks. Keep Big Sean on your radar because this all-star isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
Molly Brazy
Music is one of the best tools artists have for turning adversity into opportunity. Growing up in the “Joy Road” section of Detroit gave Molly Brazy plenty of fodder for her music. After Brazy’s father was shot multiple times, she channeled her anger into art, and her aggressive musical style reflects her troubled past.
Instagram and YouTube helped her find her first steps into the spotlight, and her 2016 debut single, “More Facts,” launched her into the spotlight. Collaborations with Cuban Doll and Mozzy have solidified her status as one of the top Detroit rappers today. Check out her latest album Pink Molly for some hot tracks for your summer playlist.
Payroll Giovanni
Detroit hip-hop artist Payroll Giovanni heads up Detroit’s West Side rap collective Doughboyz Cashout. Giovanni’s ’90s West Coast rap sound and aggressive flows detail the realities of life on Detroit’s mean streets, continuing Motor City’s storytelling legacy in albums ranging from his 2013 debut, Get Money Stay Humble to 2020’s Spirit Of A Boss.
With a steady stream of new music coming out in 2021, Payroll Giovanni is one to watch, especially if you dig classic rider-style rap and counting money while smoking up.
Baby Smoove
When Baby Smoove releases a song on YouTube these days, it gets hundreds of thousands of views in just a few days, adding up to more than 60 million views collectively. Heavy 808 trap beats and a distinct emo-rap influence follow that fresh 2020’s hip-hop sound that’s just coming up into the mainstream. It’s classic millennial rap with all the bells and whistles, including narrative, long opening pauses, and visual storytelling that enhances audio flow.
Smoove is not crewed up like many other Detroit rappers, and he positioned himself as one of Detroit’s top rappers without a gang, so he doesn’t have a ton of collaborations under his belt yet. But he is getting noticed, as evidenced by his feature on Lil Yachty’s May 2021 track, “Don’t Even Bother.” You should definitely bother checking out Baby Smoove’s song library, though.
Peezy
Fresh out of prison (February 2021) after serving 18 months, Detroit rapper Peezy is back, bigger and better than ever. In true rap-star fashion, EMPIRE boss Ghazi Sham was at the gate upon Peezy’s release with stacks of cash. And the popular Detroit hip-hop artist didn’t waste any time getting back in the studio.
His latest video releases are as hot as ever, gaining millions of views like he was never MIA. Don’t ask how he does it. Just smoke it if you got it.
Did we miss anyone? We’re always working to find the newest and hottest underground artists to feature on our site. Feel free to reach out to us directly via email for any inquiries about featuring an artist.
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