Oakland Rappers

List of Top Rappers from Oakland

For the longest Oakland rappers have played a major role in not only the Bay Area rap scene, but also rappers from Oakland have been pioneering West Coast rap music since the 1980s.  Pioneers like Too Short, who relocated to Oakland from Los Angeles during his teenage years, has been a West Coast hip hop legend since the 1980s with a career that has spanned over 30 years.

While most know of Too Short, there are other pioneers of the Oakland hip hop scene.  West Oakland legend DJ Daryl, who is mainly known for his work with No Limit, helped facilitate the well-known hip hop group 415 with another California legend in Richie Rich.  One of the Bay Area’s most accomplished MC Hammer also calls Oakland home. And we also cannot forget the group that introduced the world to Tupac, Digital Underground.

By the 1990s, the Oakland rap scene was slowly making a name for itself with the help of Luniz and their song “I Got 5 On It”, a group featuring Yukmouth and Numskull. Also Oakland saw the emergence of Dru Down, and No Limit records’ Steady Mobbin’ and E-A-Ski.  The most impactful locally in the Bay Area was Keak Da Sneak. One of the pioneers of the Hyphy Movement, he began with Dual Committee and 3X Krazy, until launching a very successful solo career.

While the 2000s and the early 2010s was a great era for the Oakland rap scene with the likes Mistah FAB, Lil Rue, D-Lo and several others, fast forwarding to the present-day rap scene of Oakland rappers, hip hop in Oakland is booming like never before.  Artists like Philty Rich, ALLBLACK, Kamaiyah, J Stalin, Lil Blood and a handful of others have helped facilitate a presence in the rap game.

Top 12 Oakland Rappers

1. Philty Rich

East Oakland’s own Philty Rich has been making a major impact in the Bay Area and the West Coast for some time now. One of the hardest grinders in the rap game, Philty Rich debuted during the 2000s with the Slap House mixtapes on Thizz Entertainment. Since, the Seminary representer has released over 70 projects, from mixtapes to albums to collaborations.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

2. Symba

One of the top rising West Coast rap artists, Symba debuted years ago, during the start of the 2010s. Reinventing himself, Symba made a recent resurgence in 2017 with the single “All We Ever Wanna Do”. Since he has released two albums, Don’t Run from R.A.P and Results Take Time, collaborated with top artists like Roddy Ricch and 2 Chainz, and receive much praise and press over the last few years.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

3. Kamaiyah

Kamaiyah began with YG and gained initial recognition by featuring on the hit song “Why You Always Hatin?” with YG and Drake. Since her time with YG, Kamaiyah has ventured off and has been accomplishing much through her own brand. Overall, her catalog consists several hit West Coast songs, like “How Does It Feel”, “Windows” with Tyga and Quavo, “F*** It Up” with YG, and classic albums like Oakland Nights and A Good Night in the Ghetto.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

4. allblack

In 2017, ALLBLACK gained recognition with a series of singles that eventually led to the release of No Shame 2 and KimSon. His popularity continued to grow with the release of six more albums, including Born to Score in 2023. Some of his most successful songs include “Trip On It”, “Canadian Goose”, and “Road Run”, among others.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

5. J Stalin

Veteran Oakland rapper J Stalin made some of his first appearances during the 2000s, with one of his first projects being 2006’s On Behalf of the Streets. Since his debut, the nonstop grind of J Stalin has landed him over 60 albums, mixtapes, and collaborative projects.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

6. Offset Jim

Offset Jim, aka 22nd Jim, has become known for songs like “No Pressure”, “Off White Mikes”, “Leave Nothing”, and several collaborations with ALLBLACK. He debuted in 2017, and has released three albums since, 2019’s No Pressure and 22nd Ways and 2021’s Rich Off the Pack.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

7. Capolow

Capolow made his debut in 2017 with his first album titled Gutta Gutta Island. Since then, he has released multiple other projects including Sandman in 2019, Room 304, Oakland Nights with Kamaiyah, and Kid Next Door in 2020. His latest album, Code Name 16, was released in 2021. Some of his most popular tracks include “Drip”, “Outta Sight”, “Vomit”, and “Highway Robbery”.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

8. Baby Gas

Baby Gas has been consistently working hard ever since he first appeared on the Thizz Nation album in 2012, Purple Flowers and Muddy Waters. He has released more than 10 projects to date, such as Ghetto Vato in 2019 and Street Vendor in 2021, featuring well-known tracks like “Life in the Ghetto” with E-40, “Ain’t Safe”, “Pound Cake”, and many others.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

9. Lil Blood

Dating back towards the end of the 2000s and the beginning of 2010s, Lil Blood has now become a veteran Oakland rapper. Despite the passage of time, he has managed to maintain his position as one of the top rap artists in the city, having released over a dozen projects since 2010’s Heroin Music.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

10. LikyBo

Entering the rap game in 2017, LikyBo has become known for songs like “Kraazy” and “Hypnotized”. At the same time, he has released 10 full length projects, including his debut 2017’s Million Dollar Mindset, 2018’s Different Breed, and 2022’s Rather Be Rich Than Famous.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

11. Cookie Money

A true embodiment of the town of Oakland and its culture, Some of Cookie Money’s first appearances were in 2013 and 2014 working alongside Philty Rich on several projects and a collaboration with YG on the song “Turnt Up”. He has continued his success as one of the most admired and respected Oakland rappers, with releasing 9 projects, from 2014’s Cookie World to 2022’s Cookie World 5.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

12. 1100 himself

In 2017, 1100 made his first appearance as an Oakland rapper by releasing his song “From Da Funk”. He has produced multiple albums so far, including Funk Theft Auto in 2020 and 11th Hokage in 2022. Throughout his career, he has released several popular tracks such as “How It Go”, “The Set Up”, “Actin Crazy”, and “All Night Long”.

Instagram | YouTube | Spotify

Honorable  Mention Rappers from Oakland:

– Maj4l Instagram: @Maj4l and Youtube: Maj4l

– Aflacko Instagram: @Aflacko and Youtube: Aflacko

– Lil Mikey TMB Instagram: @Lil Mikey TMB and Youtube: Lil Mikey TMB

– FredoBagz Instagram: @FredoBagz and Youtube: FredoBagz

– Clyde The Mack Instagram: @Clyde The Mack and Youtube: Clyde The Mack

– db tha general Instagram: @db tha general and Youtube: db tha general

– Spideyyy Instagram: @Spideyyy and Youtube: Spideyyy

– YID Instagram: @YID and Youtube: YID

Top Bay Area RaP Youtube channels:

Proxclusiv M: https://www.youtube.com/ProxclusivMedia

Thizzler On The Roof: https://www.youtube.com/ThizzlerOnTheRoof

Thizzler TV: https://www.youtube.com/ThizzlerTV

Snipe Films: https://www.youtube.com/SnipeFilms

Stewy Films: https://www.youtube.com/StewyFilms

Above All: https://www.youtube.com/AboveAll

Top Oakland Rappers Related Topics:

1 Map of Bay Area Hoods

2 Top 12 Bay Area R&B Artists

3 Top San Francisco Rappers List

4 Top Richmond, CA Rappers List

5 Top Los Angeles 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