German Hip Hop
List of the Top German Rappers
In one of Europe’s most prominent countries resides German hip hop that has been one of the continent’s oldest and most iconic hip hop and rap scenes to date. Since the 1980s German rappers have been growing a genre that has totally dominated every genre of music within Germany, from pop music to rock music.
In cities all around the country, German rappers have been establishing themselves, unlike other European rap scenes where hip hop seems to be only based in a few cities that are the main metropolitan areas. With German hip hop being so widespread, rap music has been very accessible. With its accessibility the ability for the genre to grow has been quite easy as Germany has one of the largest lineups of rappers in Europe.
A roster of German rappers that began its development during the 1980s with likes of Advanced Chemistry, Cora E., Stieber Twins, Massive Töne, Too Strong, and DJ Stylewarz. Continuing into the 1990s with German rap artists like Die Fantastischen Vier, MC Rene, Rödelheim Hartreim Projekt (RHP), Ferris MC, Anarchist Academy, Eins Zwo, No Remorze, Fresh Familee, Dynamite Deluxe and numerous others.
During the 2000s, the German hip hop culture has become firmly established and had started to expand its reach beyond the country’s borders. Currently, in the 2020s, rappers from Germany have achieved an unprecedented level of success, with many of Europe’s top rap artists hailing from the country.
Top 40 German Rappers
1. Bonez MC
With his aggressive flow and intricate wordplay, Bonez MC debut album Palmen aus Plastik reached number one on the German charts. Continuing his success, his sophomore album was equally as successfully, collaborating with famous American artists and reaching certified. Through his time, Bonez MC has always been viewed as one of the very top German rappers to the international hip-hop community, being one of the most influential of the last two decades.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
2. MERO
In 2018, MERO made his first appearance with his song “Baller Los”. Since then, he has become one of the most well-known and prosperous rappers from Germany, with his music dominating the German music charts and winning over audiences from both Germany and Turkey.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
3. Luciano
Luciano, who comes from the Schöneberg area of Berlin, made his debut in 2016 with Nikky Santoro as part of their project Locosquad 12812. He has since released six albums, including Eiskalt in 2017 and Majestic in 2022, all of which have reached the top of the charts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
4. Capital Bra
Originally from Russia, Capital Bra spent a considerable amount of time in Ukraine before moving to Germany. Involved with athletic and extracurricular activities during his years growing up in Germany, Capital Bra would eventually find himself as one of the local talents in Berlin’s rap scene during the mid 2010s. Following the release of his debut album Kuku Bra in 2016, Capital Bra would gain fame with hits such as “Tilidin”, “Neymar”, “110”, “Cherry Lady”, and “Rolex”, and collaborations with other top German rappers.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
5. Apache 207
Apache 207, who comes from Ludwigshafen am Rhein and has Turkish roots, is known for his unique and diverse blends of styles. Although he made his debut in 2018, his album 2020 album Treppenhaus was highly acclaimed and is considered one of the best German albums of the year. Additionally, Apache 207 has gained popularity with his hit songs like “Roller”, “Wieso tust du dir das an?”, “Fame”, “200 km/h” and “Boot”.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
6. RAF Camora
RAF Camora, a rapper based in Germany, but originally from Switzerland and Austria, spent much of his teenage years performing in various rap groups. He released his first project Nächster Stopp Zukunft in 2009. After a period of self-discovery and artistic development, he emerged as one of the leading German rappers. He has released several albums that have reached number one and been certified gold or platinum and has been nominated for many awards.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
7. Gzuz
Gzuz, a prominent figure in German hip-hop, was raised in Hamburg and had close ties to the streets, in which would later to his incarceration over several yeas. He first gained recognition as a key member of the hip-hop group 187 Strassenbande, which also featured Bonez MC . Known for his unreserved and unrestrained approach, he is considered one of the first German rappers to gain attention in America with the release of the “Was Hast Du Gedacht” video on WorldStarHipHop.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
8. Ufo361
Ufo361’s upbringing took place in Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. Initially, he made his debut under the Hoodrich label but later founded his own brand called Stay High. In 2016 and 2017 Ufo361 released three mixtapes, Ich bin ein Berline volumes 1, 2 and 3, which gained him popularity in German hip hop. His first album, 808, was released in 2018 and became a huge success. All of his albums, including the most recent release Love My Life in 2023, have topped the charts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
9. Samra
Samra, who has Lebanese roots, hails from Berlin and is known for his hit tracks such as “Undercover”, “Kiss Me”, “Weiss”, “Colt”, and “Penthousedach”. He has also released two albums, Jibrail & Iblis and Rohdiamant, both of which topped the charts. Samra has been recognized for his work with numerous award nominations.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
10. Kontra K
Kontra K, a veteran German rapper, gained popularity for his hit tracks such as “Erfolg ist kein Glück” and “Letzte Trane”. He has released over 10 albums, including his latest one, Für den Himmel durch die Hölle, Sie wollten Wasser doch kriegen Benzin, which was released in 2019, and Erde & Knochen in 2018. Born in Berlin, he started his career in the hip-hop industry in the 2000s and has established himself as one of the most prominent veteran rappers from Germany.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
11. Dardan
Originally hailing from Stuttgart and with Albanian roots, Dardan is a well-known German rapper most recognized for hit tracks like “Facetime”, and 2019’s “Genauso” and “Coco Mama” from the album Sorry. He has also collaborated with Hava on several popular songs like “Mailbox” and “High”. Dardan, who also goes by the name Dardy, has released a total of 11 albums and EPs since his first debut with Hallo Deutschrap in 2017.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
12. Farid Bang
Farid Bang, a rapper of Moroccan origin who was born in Spain, was raised in Düsseldorf, Germany. He made his debut in the country’s hip-hop scene in 2005 and has since released a number of popular albums, including Killa, Asphalt Massaka 3, Blut, and Asozialer Marokkaner. While some find him controversial, he is known for representing Germany’s gangster rap scene and has collaborated with renowned international artists such as 6ix9ine and French Montana.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
13. Summer Cem
Summer Cem is a rapper of Turkish origin, hailing from Mönchengladbach. He entered the music scene in the mid 2000s and has gained recognition for tracks such as “Tamam Tamam” and “Casanova”. Since his album Sucuck & Champagner in 2012, he has released a total of nine albums, with his most successful being Endstufe.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
14. Nimo
Nimo is a Persian-German rapper who hails from the region of Baden-Wuerttemberg. He has gained popularity for his music including tracks like “One More Time,” “Ende,” “Flouz Kommt Flouz Geht,” “Heute Mit Mir.” He is the founder of Moonboys Entertainment and made his debut in 2016 with instant success, particularly with his highly successful album K¡K¡ released in 2017.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
15. Haftbefehl
Haftbefehl, a rapper of Turkish descent, hails from Hesse and spent his formative years in the Mainpark housing complex. Due to his troubled upbringing, he adopted the rap moniker Arrest Warrant. Due to a troubled upbringing, he adopted the moniker of Arrest Warrant for his rap career. In 2010, he made his mark in the music industry with his first album Azzlack Stereotyp, followed by his second album Kanackis, and has released a total of eight solo and collaborative projects, including his latest album, Mainpark Baby, which was released in 2022.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
16. KC Rebell
KC Rebell, who comes from a Turkish background, was raised in Essen. He first entered the German hip hop scene in the late 2000s and has since released eight albums, starting with Derdo Derdo in 2011. His most prominent works include Fata Morgana in 2015 and Abstandd in 2016. Additionally, he has also worked on mixtapes, EPs, and collaborative projects, which has established him as one of the most hardworking individuals in German hip hop. He has even founded his own label called Rebell Army.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
17. Azet
Azet, who comes from Dresden and has Albanian roots, made his debut in 2016 with the album Fast Life, which became a chart topping success. Some of Azet’s most well-known tracks include “OEO,” “UBERLEBT,” “Karussel,” “Mango,” “Kriminell,” “Fast Life,” “Qa bone,” “Lelele,” among others.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
18. Bushido
Bushido, who started his career in the late 1990s and early 2000s in Berlin, has produced more than 12 albums. Almost all of them have been certified gold or platinum, and 8 of them have topped the German charts. Bushido has become known for songs like “Alles wird gut”, “Alles verloren”, “Für immer jung”, “Für euch alle”, “Ronin”, “Hades”, and numerous more.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
19. Bausa
In 2015, Bausa made his debut with the release of the EP titled Seelenmanöver. He subsequently launched his first studio album, Dreifarbenhaus, in 2017, and followed it up with Powerbausa in 2018, Fieber in 2019, and 100 Pro in 2021. Some of his most popular tracks include “Was du Liebe nennst”, “Mary”, and “Madonna”.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
20. Shindy
During the late 2000s, Shindy started his hip-hop career as part of Crime Payz before teaming up with Bushido and releasing the renowned German hip-hop album Classic in 2015. He is famous for his albums F*** B****es Get Money and Drama, as well as hit songs like “Affalterbach”, “Dodi”, and “Nautilus” from the Drama album. Shindy’s other notable tracks include “What’s Luv” and “Mandarinen”.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
21. Kollegah
Kollegah grew up an hour outside of Frankfurt, Germany. Known for his “Pimp Rap” style, he made his debut during the 2000s after participating locally in rap battles. While often at the center of controversy, he has remained to release more than 10 albums, 10 mixtapes, 7 EPs, and numerous collaborative projects since 2005, with his most noteworthy project, King, which came out in 2014. He has also earned him more than 50 nominations for various awards.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
22. Olexesh
As a child, Olexesh moved from Ukraine to Darmstadt-Kranichstein where he spent his formative years. He was introduced to the world of hip hop in the early 2010s through the rap group Celo & Abdi. Olexesh’s first album, Nu eta da, was released in 2014 and was followed by five more albums and various mixtapes. His most successful project to date is Rolexesh.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
23. AK Ausserkontrolle
AK Ausserkontrolle, who hails from Berlin and has Turkish roots, started his music career as part of the group Ausserkontrolle, also known as Out of Control, under the name DramaKing. In 2012, he released his first EP, titled Geschlossene Gesellschaft, as a solo artist. His most popular song so far is “In meinem Benz.”
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
24. Zuna
Zuna, a member of KMN Gang, hails from Lebanon and later moved to Germany. He has produced seven albums with Super Plus alongside Azet being his most successful album. Zuna’s most popular songs on the charts include “Du bist mein”, “Lelele”, “Fraggen”, and “Nummer 1”.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
25. Veysel
Veysel is a rapper of Kurdish descent who was raised in Essen, Germany. After serving a brief time in jail, Veysel would hit the ground running by releasing his debut album 43 Therapie in 2013. Initially starting his career working with Haftbefehl, Veysel gained recognition through popular songs such as “Kleiner Cabrón”, “Habibo”, “TI AMO”, “UFF”, “Ohne Dich”, and more.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
26. Kurdo
Kurdo is a German artist with Kurdish roots who grew up in Heidelberg. He made his debut in the music industry in 2012 with the track “Nike Kappe umgekehrt”. Throughout his career, he has released a number of albums including 11ta Stock Sound (2012), Slum Dog Millionaer (2014), Almaz (2015), Verbrecher aus der Wüste (2016), and many more, with his latest album being Miserabel in 2022.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
27. Eno
Eno is one of several Kurdish German rappers on top of Germany’s hip hop scene. He was raised in Wiesbaden and started his music career in 2017 with his project Khalaz. Since then, he has released five additional albums, expanding his music collection.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
28. Miami Yacine
Miami Yacine, a rapper with Moroccan roots, hails from the German city of Dortmund. He first appeared in the music industry in 2012 and is affiliated with the KMN Gang. He has dropped a number of albums, with his most acclaimed work being Casia in 2017 and Welcome 2 Miami. His most popular tracks include “Bon Voyage” and “Kokaina”.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
29. Kool Savas
Since the 1990s, the German rapper Kool Savas has been a trailblazer in the hip-hop scene. He has paved the way for dozens others, been nominated for numerous awards, and has put out more than 30 albums, EPs, mixtapes, and joint projects since his initial release in 2000 titled Die besten Tage sind gezählt. His first track, “Schwule Rapper,” was released in 1999.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
30. PA Sports
PA Sports beginning to master the art form of hip-hop at early age, PA Sports is a Persian German rapper who grew up in Essen, Germany. He first began to make appearances during the mid-2000s, from collaborating and featuring on several mixtapes, while being part of multiple rap groups. While his first project released was Kinder des Zorns with the group SAW, he released his debut album in 2011, Streben nach Glück. Since he has build his catalog to releasing close to 20 albums and EPs.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
31. SA4
Sa4, a prominent German hip-hop artist, is associated with the renowned group 187 Strassenbande. He is widely regarded as a top rapper, with a strong reputation in the gangster and street rap genres. Although he gained fame during the 2010s, Sa4 actually began his solo career in hip-hop with the release of his mixtape titled Undercover in 2009.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
32. Mert
Mert, who has Turkish roots, started his music career in 2015 with the release of “Ausländer”. Some of his popular songs include “Ajajaj”, “Mula”, “Ruf mich nicht an”, “U23”, “U21”, and “Liebe heißt”, while his albums Delikanlı and Kunde ist König, which was his first album released in 2017, are considered to be his best works.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
33. Jamule
Jamule grew up in Essen and has a strong musical background as his mother was a member of the pop group Passion Fruit. He made his debut in 2018 with the release of “NBA” and followed it up with his first album, Ninio, in 2019. He has since released four more albums, including Kids With Attitude with Fourty in 2022. Some of his most popular songs include “Liege wieder wach”, “Ich hol dich ab”, “1000 Hits”, and “Kissenschlacht”.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
34. Kay One
Ravensburg was the hometown of Kay One. He ventured into rapping at an early age and made his debut in the music industry with the album titled Kenneth allein zu Haus in 2010. With his initial success in the industry, Kay One went on to release a number of albums including Rich Kidz, which turned out to be his most successful project, and his most recent album Makers Gonna Make. Initially, Kay One collaborated with other German rappers, but eventually, he established himself as a solo artist and became one of the most accomplished rappers during the 2010s.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
35. Fler
Fler, hails from Berlin and began his career in hip hop alongside Bushido in the early 2000s. He later made his solo debut with the single “Aggroberlina” in 2004. Despite the emergence of new artists in Germany’s hip-hop scene, Fler has had an impressive career spanning three decades, with 14 albums released and 10 of them reaching the top 3 on the charts, making him a significant influence in German hip hop.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
36. Fero47
Fero47 is of Turkish origin and was raised in a small town called Bad Pyrmont in Germany. Through his social media platform, Fero47 gained a significant number of followers and made his debut in 2019 with popular tracks such as “Jaja” and “Puerto Rico”, in addition to releasing his debut album titled 47.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
37. Kalim
KALIM, who comes from Afghan ancestry, grew up in Hamburg and began his career in 2012 with the release of his project, Wo ich wohn. He has gained popularity for songs such as “SKRR”, “Bis um 3”, and “Bleib’ über Nacht”, and has released eight albums, including T.O.T.Y and B2B.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
38. Majoe
In 2012, Majoe, a rapper of South Asian descent from Germany, first appeared on the music scene as part of the collaborative project Übernahme, after signing with Banger Muzik, a label owned by Farid Bang. Majoe gained popularity in the German hip hop scene during the 2010s with a number of successful projects, including Breiter als der Türsteher, Breiter als 2 Türsteher, and Auge des Tigers, all of which were chart-toppers.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
39. Celo & Abdi
Celo & Abdi are a rap duo from Germany with different cultural backgrounds – one is Bosnian and the other is Moroccan. They crossed paths in the late 2000s and collaborated on their first project called Mietwagentape. Their music career includes popular tracks such as “Rhythm N Flouz” and “Besuchstag”, as well as five albums, including Hinterhofjargon.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
40. 18 Karat
18 Karat, who is associated with Banger Musik and Warner Music, made his entrance into the German hip-hop scene with the release of his single Raubtier auf Jagd. This Düsseldorf native went on to release his debut album, FSK18 Brutal, the next year. He has since released a total of five albums, all of which have made it to the top 10 on the German charts. Through his music, 18 Karat brings hip hop to the underworld of Germany.
Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
Honorable Mention German Rappers:
– NGEE Youtube: NGEE and Instagram: @NGEE
– Undacava Youtube: Undacava and Instagram: @Undacava
– Fard Youtube: Fard and Instagram: @Fard
– Milonair Youtube: Milonair and Instagram: @Milonair
– Ali Bumaye Youtube: Ali Bumaye and Instagram: @Ali Bumaye
– Hanybal Youtube: Hanybal and Instagram: @Hanybal
– Sun Diego Youtube: Sun Diego and Instagram: @Sun Diego
– azzi memo Youtube: azzi memo and Instagram: @azzi memo
– Ali471 Youtube: Ali471 and Instagram: @Ali471
– King Khalil Youtube: King Khalil and Instagram: @King Khalil
– Mudi Youtube: Mudi and Instagram: @Mudi
– Lil Lano Youtube: Lil Lano and Instagram: @Lil Lano
– MoTrip Youtube: MoTrip and Instagram: @MoTrip
– Achtvier Youtube: Achtvier and Instagram: @Achtvier
German Hip Hop Related Topics
1 Top 25 German Female Rappers
2 Top 20 Best German R&B Artists
3 Top 25 Turkish Rappers
4 Top 25 Poland Rappers
5 Top 30 New York City Rappers
*Unofficial Order. The more popular artists that have a combination of the most followers, streams, views, and most recent releases are near the top.
*If any artists are missing from the list email media@kulturevulturez.com