The 25 Best Rappers 25 And Under

Hate it or love it, the game changes. Some old cats refuse to let go of the Red Alert era (younglings probably going Red who), and still maintain that that’s the true Hip-Hop. That's an argument for another day but in the meantime Complex compiled according to them the best under 25 rappers. Now some I agree and some well maybe shouldn't be on the list.

Rap is a young man's game. Hip-hop has always been consumed and created by young people. It's that youthful exuberance that leads the culture into exciting new directions. To put things in perspective, consider the fact that 2Pac, Big L were killed at 25 and Biggie at 24, Nas wrote Illmatic before he was old enough to order a drink, and Lil Wayne coined terms like "bling" and "drop it like it's hot" while still in his teens.

Sure, as hip-hop has gotten more established, some of its biggest stars are still making hits by age 40. But at Complex we're forever in search of the next wave, that new sound coming from young upstarts.

They range from Billboard chart-toppers to Internet sensations, but all have that special x-factor that tells us they're going to be in the game for the long haul. While a few of today's best young rappers narrowly missed the cut (J. Cole, Wale, and Waka Flocka are all over 25 now), this list represents the best and brightest rappers the genre has to offer.

25. Diggy Simmons

Age: 17
Label: Atlantic/Violator
From: Queens, New York
Active Since: 2009
Best Known Song: "Copy, Paste" (2011)

Diggy Simmons has the blood of hip-hop royalty in his veins and he's stuntin' like his daddy. It may be a bit of a struggle for the teen sensation to earn his street credentials—everybody watched him grow up on Run's House—but Simmons isn't just resting on the power of his industry connects. His three masterful mixtapes were enough to land him a spot on XXL's Freshman cover. His debut album may have flopped, but don't count Diggy out. He wouldn't have gotten co-signs from Pharrell and Kanye West if he didn't have a legitimate shot at blowing up.

24. Iggy Azalea

Age: 21
Label: Grand Hustle
From: Mullumbimby, Australia
Active Since: 2011
Best Known Song: "PU$$Y" (2011)

"PU$$Y" was the wave in 2011. Australia-born Iggy Azalea turned heads with her controversial video for "Two Times" and had those same heads bobbing with "PU$$Y" and her mixtape, Ignorant Art. The combination of her catchy music and stunning looks was good enough to land her a spot on XXL's Freshmen list and a deal with T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint. Despite a little friction with similarly named Azealia Banks, Iggy remains dedicated to trillness in 2012, as evident in her single, "Murda Bizness." She's preparing to release her debut set, The New Classic, this year.

23. Big Baby Gandhi

Age: 21
Label: Greenhead
From: Queens, New York
Active Since: 2010
Best Known Song: "Blue Magic" f/ Das Racist

BBG is something like the Bengali Meek Mill, mostly because BBG spends all his time screaming into the mic. With a co-sign from Himanshu aka Heems of Das Racist (he's signed to Heems' label), Gandhi got a big buzz going this year, culminating with the release of his NO1 2 LOOK UP 2 mixtape. The funny part about all this is—despite his penchant for putting together ill rhymes—he's still just a student studying pharmacy at J. Cole's alma mater, St. Johns University. We're not sure if BBG will pursue a career in rap, but we'd hate it if he didn't try.

22. Casey Veggies

Age: 18
Label: Peas N' Carrots International
From: Los Angeles, California
Active Since: 2007
Best Known Song: "Ridin' Roun Town" (2010)

After releasing his first mixtape, Customized Greatly vol. 1, Casey Veggies decided to break off from Odd Future and do his own thing. While that decision may have deprived him of some of the buzz that the OFWGKTA has achieved, it allowed his creativity to flow. With strong fan support generated from his five mixtapes-and talks underway with Roc Nation among others-the young Inglewood MC seems well set up for future success.

21. Machine Gun Kelly

Age: 21
Label: Bad Boy/Interscope
From: Shaker Heights, Ohio
Active Since: 2006
Best Known Song: "Wild Boy" f/ Waka Flocka Flame (2011)

As his namesake suggests, MGK is known for spitting bullets. The Ohio native first turned heads with his rapid-fire delivery and dynamic stage performances-and since then he's been stacking up the accolades. MTV named him the Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2011; he won the MTVu Breaking Woodie Award; he was featured on the latest XXL Freshmen cover; and he may have the greatest name for a home recording studio ever-The Rage Cage. Now the Wild Boy is backed by Bad Boy Records, and his fans are patiently waiting for his debut album Lace Up to drop this summer.

20. Ab-Soul

Age: 25
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment
From: Carson, California
Active Since: 2009
Best Known Song: "Illuminate" f/ Kendrick Lamar (2012)

Referred to as the genius of the Black Hippy crew by fellow members Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul has been getting shine because of his sharp wordplay, his ability to speak on real topics, and just all-around being "that dude." He's been releasing material for years, and his most recent effort Control System is one of this year's highlights.

The album finds him speaking on world politics ("Terrorist Threats"), spitting braggadocio ("Illuminate"), or doing both at once ("Black Lip Bastard" (Remix)). His other verses are nothing to sleep on either (check "Ab-Soul's Outro" on Section.80). The Black Hippy crew are all young, gifted, and still on the rise, which fortunately for us means more Ab-Soul.

19. Tyga

Age: 22
Label: Young Money/Cash Money/Universal
From: Compton, California
Active Since: 2007
Best Known Song: "Rack City" (2011)

With everybody from Vanessa Hudgens to your Grandmother on his dick, Tyga has taken over the airwaves with his hit, "Rack City". But even though he officially blew up with that single, Tyga has been kicking verses with Young Money for years-starting with their 2009 hit "Bedrock." The Cali MC is still riding the success of Careless World: Rise of the Last King.

18. SpaceGhostPurrp

Age: 21
Label: 4AD Records
From: Miami, Florida
Active Since: 2010
Best Known Song: "The Black God" (2012)

Many have made comparisons between SpaceGhostPurrp's Raider Klan and the Odd Future collective, but a closer listen to the music reveals just how much he and his team stand out on their own. While his name may suggest otherwise, SpaceGhostPurrp's tracks are far from cartoonish.

His production has an extremely dark, eerie aesthetic and his lyrics pretty much follow the same tone. In addiiton to crafting his own sparse and brooding tracks, he's produced tracks for A$AP Rocky and Wiz Khalifa.

His latest release, Mysterious Phonk: The Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp-a blend of new and remastered tracks-is currently streaming online and should be on your summer playlists. Now that SpaceGhostPurrp has signed a deal with 4AD Records, we're expecting big things from him and his crew.

17. Joey Bada$$

Age: 17
Label: Cinematic Music Group / Creative Control
From: Brooklyn, New York
Active Since: 2012
Best Known Song: "Survival Tactics" f/ Capital STEEZ (2012)

Although he's not even old enough to buy Lotto tickets, this Brooklyn MC is as real as they come. Since dropping the single and video for "Survival Tactics," Joey and his Pro Era crew have been developing a loyal contingent of fans, and everybody's been taking notice of his skills. Joey Bada$$ opened for Mac Miller in NYC and is featured on the song "America" with Mac and fellow under 25 MC Casey Veggies. Joey is only gonna get bigger with the release of his mixtape, 1999.

16. Wiki

Age: 18
Label: N/A
From: New York City, New York
Active Since: 2011
Best Known Song: "Wikispeaks" (2011)

We just discovered Wiki and his video for "Wikispeaks" a few months ago but right from the start we were blown away. After digging deeper, we got into his 1993 EP (1991, 1993, 1999—jeez, kids these days sure did love the '90s) and later got down with him and his RATKING crew. Wiki hasn't blown up on a major scale just yet (though we hear he may have inked an indie deal) but there's no denying his skill as he hurls syllable after syllable at listeners in a barrage of bars. We're still waiting for that RATKING EP to drop—it's due this summer—but based on Wiki's track record thus far we're confident that this kid's here to stay.

15. Azealia Banks

Age: 21
Label: Interscope
From: Harlem, New York
Active Since: 2006
Best Known Song: "212" (2011)

This Harlem rapper vocalist caught our eye as soon as she released "212" and we've hardly turned away since. Banks has released a number of singles since her signature hit, each one sounding totally different from the next-one minute she's spitting bar after bar over a tropical beat on "Jumanji," the next minute she switches to prima donna mode on 1991.

Banks apparently has many more styles to hit us with; she's planning to release her mixtape, Fantasea, on July 4th, and her debut Broke With Expensive Taste in September.

14. Chief Keef

Age: 16
Label: N/A
From: Chicago, Illinois
Active Since: 2012
Best Known Song: "I Don't Like" f/ Lil Reese (2012)

Rap fans were still catching up on A$AP and the Black Hippy wave when out of nowhere a 16-year-old straight out of Chicago started catching national attention. There's no doubt that Chief Keef's mixtape Back From The Dead is made for the streets. But his aggressive songs and "Bang!" ad-libs didn't make industry heavyweights shy away from the young spitter.

When Kanye co-signed him and remixed his song "I Don't Like," for G.O.O.D. Music, Campaign Sosa really started catching on. Now he seems to be on the verge of scoring a label deal with Birdman or Young Jeezy. Now there's something to like.

13. Theophilius London

Age: 25
Label: Warner Brothers
From: Brooklyn, New York
Active Since: 2008
Best Known Song: "Humdrum Town" (2009)

While he may not be everybody's cup of tea, the bottom line is that Theophilus London makes great music. Plus he stays all over the blogosphere-whether for his songs, his clothes, or his kicks, so by this point Theophilus has developed quite a following.

His genre-bending blend of sounds and styles has made him impossible to pigeon hole, and he's shown the ability to croon on pop records like his Mark Ronson–produced hit, "Humdrum Town," or get grimy with his verses like on the single "Big Spender" with A$AP Rocky. Whatever type of music Theophilus chooses to make, his overall talent is more than enough to cement him a spot on this list.

12. Big KRIT

Age: 25
Label: Def Jam
From: Meridian, Mississippi
Active Since: 2005
Best Known Song: "Country Shit (remix)" feat. Ludacris & Bun B

As soon as Big K.R.I.T. dropped his debut album, Live from the Underground, he immediately solidified the reputation that he'd been developing since first venturing onto the mixtape circuit in 2005. K.R.I.T is one of the most original artists in the game, and few-if any-rappers can touch his skills on either the mic or the boards.

He blessed his fans with three mixtapes-K.R.I.T Wuz Here, Return of 4Eva and 4Eva N a Day-that sounded more like full albums than free mixtapes. With four impressive projects under his belt, he's established himself as a career artist who promises to give us more music for man years to come-all while maintaining his distinctive swag.

11. Earl Sweatshirt

Age: 18
Label: Odd Future Records
From: Los Angeles, California
Active Since: 2009
Best Known Song: "Earl" (2010)


There have been a lot of questions about Earl ever since he first gained attention as the most mysterious member of the infamous Odd Future outfit. However, one thing has never been disputed: his skill on the mic. Of course his 2010 release Earl took vulgarity to absurd levels, but the fact that a 16-year-old could could spit this hard earned him props.

One trip to Samoa and a thousand "Free Earl" chants later, we're still waiting to hear what else this young prodigy has to say now that he's got his own Tan Cressida label deal through Columbia Records. We've got a feeling that his verse on "Oldie" was only the beginning and that the best is yet to come.

10. B.o.B

Age: 23
Label: Grand Hustle/Rebel Rock/Atlantic
From: Atlanta, Georgia
Active Since: 2006
Best Known Song: "Nothin on You" f/ Bruno Mars (2010)


B.o.B has had more commercial success than most other MCs on this list. And while this may have soured some rap purist's perception of him, just because he's your little niece's favorite rapper doesn't mean he isn't sick on the mic. While making multiple appearances on the Top 40 chart, B.o.B has also kept rap fans laced with mixtapes like B.o.B vs. Bobby Ray and EPIC, which are both stacked with serious hip-hop tracks.

While his debut album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray, may lean more toward pop than hip-hop, there is no denying the fact that B.o.B has serious skills and, at age 23, he's got the commercial clout to do whatever he pleases.

9. Tyler, The Creator

Age: 21
Label: Odd Future Records
From: Los Angeles, California
Active Since: 2007
Best Known Song: "Yonkers" (2011)

At the age of 21 Tyler has accomplished what most people his age have only dreamed of doing. He won Best New Artist at the MTV Music Awards, released two solid albums, owns his own record label, and stars in his own televsion show (Loiter Squad) on Cartoon Network. The list of people he's pissed off in the process is enormous, and he clearly does not care in the slightest.

But Wolf Haley hasn't peaked and neither has his number of critics. The rapper/producer/designer/director/actor is currently working on his third album Wolf, and that's just the one we know about. When it comes to Tyler, expect the unexpected.

8. Mac Miller

Age: 20
Label: Rostrum Records
From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Active Since: 2007
Best Known Song: "Donald Trump" (2011)

Mac Miller already built a strong following via his thorough mixtapes, but there is one achievement that sets him apart from all the other rappers on the list. His full-length debut, Blue Slide Park, was the first independently-distributed record to top the Billboard albums chart since Tha Dogg Pound's Dogg Food in 1995. But the young Pittsburgh sensation didn't ease up after this historic success-he's since released his seventh mixtape, Macadelic, finished up The Macadelic Tour, and is currently prepping his collarboration with Pharrell entitled Pink Slime. If "Onaroll" was any indicator, this one should be a treat.

7. Schoolboy Q

Age: 25
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment/Interscope
From: Los Angeles, California
Active Since: 2008
Best Known Song: "Hands on the Wheel" f/ A$AP Rocky

The year is past the halfway mark and Schoolboy Q's Habits & Contradictions is still among this year's best, even though it was released way back in January. The quality wasn't much of a surprise, either. Ever since his independent album, Setbacks, Schoolboy Q has been killing his numerous guest verses, particularly with Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky ("Brand New Guy"). With Black Hippy coming up and Top Dawg Entertainment's deal with Interscope/Aftermath, there's no reason not to be up on Schooloy Q.

6. Big Sean

Age: 23
Label: G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam
From: Detroit, Michigan
Active Since: 2005
Best Known Song: "Dance (A$$)" f/ Nicki Minaj (2011)

There's dozens of reasons to hate on Big Sean: his confidence, his swagger, the fact that he could screw your girl if he wanted to. But why hate when this Detroit native has so much charisma on the mic? His strong following has been growing since the Finally Famous mixtape series, and the hype reached fever pitch when he finally released his debut album last year.

The wait was well worth it-2011 wouldn't have been the same without a little "Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay" and of course who doesn't like "Dance (A$$)"? Big Sean still should have many more hits left in the tank, especially with such a strong team on his side. Watch for Sean to play a Big role on the G.O.O.D. Music album, Cruel Summer, when it drops this summer.

5. Wiz Khalifa

Age: 24
Label: Taylor Gang/Rostrum Records
From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Active Since: 2005
Best Known Song: "Black and Yellow" (2010)

With all the WTF moments he's had with Amber Rose lately, some folks may have forgotten that Wiz Khalifa is the same man who put Pittsburgh rap on the map. Remember when you couldn't go a day without hearing that "Black and Yellow"? And what about when Kush & Orange Juice was your daily breakfast of champions? While the Taylor Gang leader has continued to drop radio-friendly hits—like his Snoop collab "Young, Wild & Free"—look for him to refresh everybody's memory with his sophomore effort O.N.I.F.C (Only Nigga In First Class, which is scheduled for an August 28 release. Until then, Wiz fans have the Taylor Allderdice mixtape to hold them down.

4. Meek Mill

Age: 25
Label: Maybach Music Group
From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Active Since: 2005
Best Known Song: "Ima Boss" f/ Rick Ross (2011)

We're not sure if it's his high-volume delivery or the aggression of his hooks, but when Meek Mill starts rapping, everything just gets turnt up. The MMG soldier had a solid 2011 and he's continuing the momentum this year. His Summer Jam performance was almost good enough to make us forget all about the Nicki Minaj fiasco, and his mixtape Dreamchasers 2 was one of the hardest releases of the year. Plus, "Ima Boss" and "House Party" are still on constant rotation on the DJ deck. You best believe Meek Mill's going to bring the drama on MMG's upcoming Self Made Vol. 2.

3. Kendrick Lamar

Age: 24
Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope
From: Compton, California
Active Since: 2003
Best Known Song: "A.D.H.D" (2011)

Ever since he was a relative unknown who went by the name K. Dot, Kendrick Lamar has been steadily tightening his grip on the game. And Lamar's grown by leaps and bounds since he dropped the alias-which is a scary thing considering he had enough lyrical ammo to kill dozens of MCs from the start (see Training Day). His mixtapes, Overly Dedicated (2010) and C4 (2009), still hold weight, and Section.80 ranks among 2011's finest.

His multiple big features (Drake, Meek Mill) arebe just a hint of what's in store. Lamar is currently working on his major label debut, Good Kid in a Mad City, one of the most highly anticipated releases in recent memory. It's not just hype either-Lamar has some of the sharpest flows and on-point lyricism in the game.

2. A$AP Rocky

Age: 23
Label: A$AP Worldwide/RCA
From: Harlem, New York
Active Since: 2007
Best Known Song: "Pe$o" (2011)

A$AP Rocky exploded onto the rap scene in 2011 like a grenade with braids. Rocky and his Harlem-based A$AP Mob officially formed in 2007 but it was just last fall that we were asking who is A$AP Rocky?. Rocky's buzz grew out of his singles "Peso" and "Purple Swag" and the hype around the A$AP movement reached ridiculous heights with reports of a $3 million record deal.

Last October, Rocky dropped his much-anticipated debut mixtape, LiveLoveA$AP, and all the hype was validated. That, combined with his presence on Drake's Club Paradise tour and the promise of his debut album, LongLiveA$AP, have made Rocky one of the hottest newcomers in the game-a rapper who's sure to have a real, lasting impact on the rap game. And let's not forget about that swag either.

1. Drake

Age: 25
Label: Cash Money/Young Money
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Active Since: 2006
Best Known Song: "Best I Ever Had" (2009)

Since he is one of the biggest rappers in hip-hop in general, it should come as no suprise that Drake tops this list. Even if he's got tons of haters who feel that the swag don't match the sweaters, it seems that no amount of hate (not even bar brawls with Chris Brown) can knock Drizzy out of the hip-hop stratosphere.

Drake's catalog and accolades would be impressive for a rapper of any age-but the fact that he's accomplished so much before hitting 26 is simply mind blowing. With mega mixtapes, endless features, and two platinum albums in his rearview mirror, Drake's road ahead is looking like a long and successful one.