--, “We out here tryna have a good time / And here I am, all heavy with the words where / Somebody that's a nerd, likely fast forward / But, shit, they asked for it / It’s hard to throw up them deuces ‘Cause when you know it’s juicy / You start to sound like / Confucius when makin' up excuses / Chase the Cabooses until the track gone / I gotta find me a new locomotive, stop makin' sad songs.”. The fact that DOOM manages to deliver these complex strings of sounds like an effortless exhale is though. Widner DeGruy, also known by his stage name Flow, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from New Orleans, Louisiana.Flow began his music career with hip hop group, The Flamez and is the CEO of Flame Gang Music. As such, his flow was given ample space to explore, with the door kicked open for all matter of segues and mid-sentence flips. the Atlanta rapper has flexed his technical prowess on several occasions. He finds the pocket of any beat like it’s second nature, from his heyday to recent releases like October’s “Sabotage.” Whatever you want to say about his current Instagram feed and commentary he espouses, it’s hard, Three 6 Mafia has been one of the most influential groups of the 90s. Price. Little did we know its impact. 5. Aside from her being able to detail her superiority with a levelheaded swagger, she shifted in and out of personas as if it were no masterful maneuver. Charismatic with a vernacular worthy of your favorite uncle, Big Boi can string together idioms like “cooler than a polar bear’s toenails, oh hell, there he go again” with pure finesse. “You almost forget because Drake is like Lebron,” he said, imagining the likelihood of King James being subjected to a similar injustice. While he often goes uncredited for this new wave of flows, he’s deserving of a spot on this list for the influence and ingenuity he’s brought to our ears. The accusations that he was pandering to drunken white dudes likely stemmed from the gleeful bounce of his earlier music… and the fact that he was a white dude who was often drunk. The fine-tuning of a record, and the intricacies therein-- finding the exact flow or melody for a certain part of a beat, and (re)assessing the best word to use in a given couplet-- are often lost. As he said on 21 Savage’s “A Lot,” people don't even like rapping with him anymore. “Practice by opening your mouth as wide and as much as possible when spitting your verses. It’s a given that this type of meticulous nature would also coincide with the approach to flow, perhaps inextricably so, given that all those words need to be delivered somehow. She is a producer and actress, known for Bad Boys (1995), Big Momma's House (2000) and Wasabi (2001). His flow has been used, flipped, and influenced those who’ve gone onto the influence the game themselves. Part of the appeal, again, not only goes back to the distinct manner in which he pronounces each word and syllable, but also the breadth of his vocabulary, and the fact that he more often than not, managed to also share a ‘short story’ with each verse he bestowed (Future’s “Benz Friendz” is another great example). They have three children. He had an immaculate cadence that many have tried to replicate but can never come close to Pimp himself. As such, his earliest structural DNA feels surreal to behold - a youthful Jigga-Man delivering rapid-fire tongue-twisted bars and deftly at that. If this were a list of the fifty best rapper deliveries of all time, Bay Area legend E-40 would certainly fit in strongly. Combined with his recognizable cadence, Staples always comes through with a truly innovative flow that will have you rapping along with him to every song. You can also see just how articulate he was with his flow, often incorporating multi-syllable rhymes and internal rhymes around his punchlines. Singing on a rap song? Don’t let the 20th place ranking fool you though, Pac has one of the best and most recognizable flows in hip-hop history. On top of learning from the 2Pac style of a simple flow then converted into more complex bars, as a I wrote more and more and recorded more and more I began to tighten up HEARING when I was off beat. In recent times, he’s shown this on Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now,” along with Busta Rhymes, where goes into double-time effortlessly. Despite a limited discography, as well as a limited time on this Earth, Biggie’s impact (of course) can’t be denied. He released one album while alive, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, with his next album The Big Picture arriving posthumously. The rapper sometimes veers into what feels like spoken-word territory (but without the heaviness that often comes with the label) when he employs his conversational flow (also see: “God (Interlude)”). This bar is crazy and just his flow made this 10x better. While Eminem is often the source of both fan and critic’s disparagement when he releases any hint of music in 2019, we can’t forget the zany and explosive flows he brought to the scene during his humble beginnings. You gotta find what works for you and then run with it! In all honesty, the 36-year-old is one of the best to ever do it. The sheer volume of references and brilliant imagery inside the typical Raekwon verse is nothing short of staggering, a master storyteller with swagger and underrated technical prowess. Choose your own themes and topics or use our automated keyword picker. On “Itty Bitty Piggy” off 2009’s Beam Me Up Scotty, Nicki carved out intricate routes that one wouldn’t even think possible in a beat that simply consisted of claps and ‘yup’’s. Even when he’s lacking the grace of his competitors, his raw approach only highlights the depths of his instincts. Another element that is obviously deserving of praise is his lyricism. listener, they are on the other side of a deep, and perhaps therapeutic, conversation with Big. When he was starting out, the East Atlanta Santa was damn-near incomprehensible in his pronunciation, allowing his mere presence to do much of the talking for him. If this were a list of the fifty best rapper deliveries of all time, Bay Area legend E-40 would certainly fit in strongly. You sense it in the way he enunciates words like they take on physical form and require all the muscles of the mouth to spew out. A titan in the West Coast canon of great emcees, it’s time to start recognizing Quik’s prowess behind the mic, especially when he’s given us so much evidence to sift through. As we inch our way closer to number one on the list, it was inevitable that Snoop Dogg would show up eventually. You may have your reservations at first but we promise you, he well worth the listen. On “Break The Bank,” you feel his tenacity when he barks, “Heart filled with octane, fire in my soul,” and his boredom when he drawls, “Tell Kendrick move from the throne, I came for it.” The fact that he has test-driven different breeds of beats on his LPs and has repeatedly come out unscathed is a testament to the inventiveness of his flows. As seen in the documentary. The song appeared on his underrated Relapse album, a project that showcases plenty of serial killer and murderous fantasies on wax. He has been married to Shante Taylor since June 12, 1997. “Mumble rappers” and the current trend of artists “freestyling” entire songs and albums, as opposed to writing down their lyrics on paper (or an iPhone Notes application) means that, while there is also room for a certain spontaneity and freedom, there is also room for mistakes and rough drafts becoming final copies. While we often praise Eminem for his lyrical dexterity, his flow is perhaps one aspect of his artistry that is under-praised. chooses to lean into his Southern accent, using it almost like a crutch when he flows, Andre managed to both distance himself from that Southern twang, and using it to his advantage whenever he felt like it. Little did you know, it's a big day for us. When the hook comes back in, so too do the strings, making for, for all intents and purposes-- a, hook. The entire song is based around him having a rap flow. And yet seldom is Nas’ flow the topic of discussion. While his last few projects showed Mac getting more musical, Faces was Mac prioritizing the lyrical. Snoop Dogg is just too iconic to be copied and at this point, he’s so recognizable that as soon as you hear his voice, you know it’s him. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Kejuan "Havoc" Muchita, is a two-time Grammy Award nominated music producer (2011 and 2017), and multiplatinum recording artist of international acclaim. In fact, he even gives us a proper sing-song couplet with, “There'll be nothin' but smooth sailin' / When I spit shots, now your crew's bailin'”. Before “Harambe” was released, how long had it been since you heard a mainstream rapper use their voice in such a particular fashion? Eight Ball is an actor, known for Azealia Banks: Yung Rapunxel (2013), 8Ball & MJG: Pimp Hard (2000) and Three 6 Mafia Feat. There’s something about Drake’s presence that is so ubiquitous and his greatness that is so implicit that he can easily slide under the radar. Specifically, in the third verse, he changes the entire structure of the song. He uses each syllable to his advantage and will make sure he paints a picture every single time. Forty generally spits in a quick and efficient manner and, for some rappers, enunciation would become an issue. Bone Thugs’ flow is one of the most influential in the game but Krayzie Bone was the one who brought the flow to the group and subsequently influenced the generations to follow. The Notorious B.I.G. While fortune favors the flashy, at least in the greater flow discourse, certain qualities should not go uncelebrated. As seen in the documentary Time Is Illmatic, a young Nasir Jones was quickly establishing himself as a force to be recommended with. As such, his earliest structural DNA feels surreal to behold - a youthful Jigga-Man delivering rapid-fire tongue-twisted bars and deftly at that. Beanie Sigel was born on March 6, 1974 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA as Dwight Grant. Problem, indeed. $297.00 . Listen to his projects now and you’ll hear a flow that would fit in perfectly with today’s music. Thug embraces it though. Cole has always sat comfortably within the elite category, one of his generation’s definitive lyricists. Doubtless, he’s become familiar with his insane mastery of double-time. The ascent continued on The Black Album, with songs like “What More Can I Say,” and “Public Service Announcement” revealing Jay at an arguable peak. While some would argue that it’s Tupac’s voice that really makes his flow, it’s really his technical ability that makes him stand out amongst other rappers of his ilk. On one of OutKast’s biggest records, “Ms. With every single bar, Tech feeds you sick, twisted, and devilish imagery with insane impeccable flows that will leave you satisfied every single time. He continues the feat, getting into even more sinister territory, leaving each final word on an upswing that he picks back up in his flow on the bar that follows: I got more flows to come, and if I ain't better than Big, I'm the closest one,” rapped Jay-Z, on his classic. From his protegee, Drake, who undoubtedly took a thing or two from Wayne in his early years, to Young Thug’s reign as one of the greatest artists of the 21st century, the elasticity of Wayne’s use of words and delivery has transcended his own peer group and continues to influence generations of rappers to come after him. There’s something about Drake’s presence that is so ubiquitous and his greatness that is so implicit that he can easily slide under the radar. I wrote out all 50 states below and organized them to flow better. Because we’re looking at flows, Forty may not be as high as some would imagine but, regardless of his placement, his influence and cadence basically go unmatched. Weezy has, however, innovated his flow at every turn of his career. At nine years old, he started rapping. ’s “Cartier Gucci Scarf” and since then, Lil Keed has picked up the technique, adopting it for his feature on 88GLAM’s “Bankroll.” It feels like Thug intentionally tries to be weird, spicing up what would regularly be a pretty mundane track by stretching the depth of his vocal chords, exploring what he can accomplish through the power of his voice alone and trusting himself to carry the track. Rap experts say that a good rap is composed of two parts – flow and lyrics blended together. On tracks like “M.E.T.H.O.D Man” and “Da Rockwilder," Meth puts the full scope of his talents on display. There’s always been a star quality to Method Man even before he became a Hollywood icon. Andre 3000 is clearly the kind of artist where you can actually hear that he takes the time to sit down, think about his words, how to organize them, how to structure his rhymes-- you can easily imagine that he probably writes, and rewrites, and edits, and rewrites, until a verse is perfect. She comfortably slipped into the homes they built and left the door open for all to enter. That comes from his ability to change his flow up. On “Lauder” and “Just Da Other Day,” he gets slightly more frenetic yet no less poised, spitting alliterative lines without missing a step. Midwest. Widner DeGruy, also known by his stage name Flow, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Biggie Smalls, was born on May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York. Danny Brown is the most madcap emcee of the modern-day. Styles P was born in 1974 in Corona Queens, New York USA, when his father was from Bed Styu and his mother originally came from South Africa. As he shifted into the, Jay explored new methods of riding a beat, sliding compound syllables into image-rich bars. All flow and no content won’t hold you up against the top rappers out there. Unafraid to be a unique and quirky individual, almost to a fault? As production techniques evolved, so too did artists’ words-- they no longer needed to stick with the early blueprint of blunted, straightforward raps. His vocals, often sounding like he’s just getting over a head cold, are grounded against any beat-- you won’t necessarily find Spitta squeaking and squealing and stretching his flow like a Young Thug-- instead you’ll find him lazily, yet purposefully, matching the pace of his instrumental. Stars like Gunna, Young Thug is one of the youngest artists in our Top Ten and, with such a high ceiling, he might end up creeping forward a few spots before it’s all said and done. ... Soundtrack | His volume fluctuations are central to imbuing his flows with their dynamism. With his nasal-driven vocals, he often sounded like he was on the brink of running out of breath-- yet it never happened. He is also known as T.I.P. For years known primarily ... Three 6 Mafia Feat. It is this precise nature that leads Andre 3000 to be a masterclass when it comes to flow. Growing up just outside of Atlanta, the youngest member of the Migos has managed to further the culture in his beloved ATL by hundreds of steps. This versatility shines through in her verses and ensures they stick with you. He is an actor, known for The Fast and the Furious (2001), Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) and Scary Movie 3 (2003). He died on February 7, 2000 in White Plains, New York. Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. Even when he’s plowing through coarse terrains, he never compromises their grooves. Not only is his work ethic unmatched, his consistency is ridiculous. While some roll their eyes at fast, technical rappers for a lack of substance, Tech N9ne has been able to subvert those expectations. Many moments on that mixtape were steeped in a druggy haze, but “Diablo” is remarkably clearheaded. From his early days “Pitchin’ N On Parties” to his mid-career days riding the “Black Mercedes,” Quik’s groove is among the game’s most underrated - and that’s a fact. If ever you’re unsure of why Takeoff belongs on a list of the best rapper flows of all time, simply revisit. He is an actor, known for Blade II (2002), Coach Carter (2005) and Honey (2003). But Smino does it with a proficiency that blurs the line between the two, so you never know where you stand. To solely focus on the times Drake was biting is also to overlook the melodic flows he had a hand in popularizing. He was raised in the poor Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant. Mind you, his discography isn’t flawless. The truth is, regardless of the pitch of Danny’s voice or the level of chaos in his production, his delivery has always been sharp and deliberate. Part of that impact resides in his flow. The fact that DOOM manages to deliver these complex strings of sounds like an effortless exhale. Staples raps over distorted, abrasive beats while bringing a mix of subdued and high energy flows to the table. Upvote +1 Downvote. Many other rappers and hip hop artists have used various beats from Donuts. This video is about Top 10 Rappers with Unique Flow (New School Only) FOLLOW ME! Part of the appeal, again, not only goes back to the distinct manner in which he pronounces each word and syllable, but also the breadth of his vocabulary, and the fact that he more often than not, managed to also share a ‘short story’ with each verse he bestowed (Future’s “Benz Friendz” is another great example). Wayne’s slick wordplay and otherworldly references made him one of the sharpest lyricists but even with an incredible pen, it’s the conviction and his delivery that’s kept his music riveting. These ‘short stories’ were all the more impactful because of the way they came off his tongue, as though, he’s really only speaking to you. Given Big’s mythic status within the pantheon of greats, it’s difficult to imagine a timeline in which the student has surpassed the teacher. A philanthropist who has presented almost $900,000 in scholarships over the past seven years, an actress on Power, Queen of the South, SWAT, and more, MC LYTE is ONLY female solo hip hop artist to receive the BET I Am Hip Hop ICON Award. Not even when he’s absolutely bodying tracks, from the golden era till this very day. As such, his flow was given ample space to explore, with the door kicked open for all matter of segues and mid-sentence flips. With every single bar, Tech feeds you sick, twisted, and devilish imagery with insane impeccable flows that will leave you satisfied every single time. He is an actor, known for Turbo (2013), Training Day (2001) and Baby Boy (2001). Beyond his melodic hook, Andre links his words together in such a stilted yet purposeful way that it can often feel like it’s part of the production, and, at times, he essentially did become part of the production (on the same album, “Gasoline Dreams” and “Xplosion” showcase this well, especially due to the added vocal effects). Both he and Tech N9ne popularized the chopper-style, spitting on their collaboration record “Worldwide Choppers” that he’s “Like a helicopter when the words fly.”. From double-time to boom-bap, there are Layers to this shit. There isn’t any other rapper quite as loquacious and quite as full of that Southern charm (and twang) as much as T.I. First known as a rapper who became one of the more prominent voices in hip-hop's new millennium renaissance, Common later transitioned into acting. We’d like to think “Stay Wide Awake” is the latter though, and it’s another amazing example of just how well Eminem manipulates the English language to make his flow work. The way Sean places emphasis on certain words speaks to his creativity and openness to explore flows that have not been claimed before. The rapper leaned into his accent, allowing his flow to follow suit— his accent meant that he would pronounce words with a certain wideness to them, elongating or stretching out his vowels; or else, shortening his words, dropping off the last letter or two. The inventive sample adds a sense of musicality to the record that would have been lost if it were just the typical trope of breaks and vinyl scratching-- such as the scratching you hear at the beginning of the record, which is eventually pushed out in favor of the harp sample. Even though the beat cuts, Kendrick approaches each bar with burst-fire while strategically using brief moments of breath to reload the next clip. This could be attributed to his profound respect for the instrumental. Tell us what you think about this feature. Stringing together bars and easing into new rhyme schemes on a pre-sentence basis, J.I.D. The last twelve months have been incredibly fulfilling for California rapper Tyga. That alone is enough to get him on this list but the sheer fact that the average listener can still comprehend what he’s saying while spitting that quickly is truly what landed him here. Showcase Your Creativity In order to improve your rap flow, you can try rapping in different accents such as French, English, etc. In this chunk from the first verse, you can see how “assault,” for example, begins on one bar and is finished on another. Home > Lists > Chill Out: 10 Rappers With Laid-Back Flow Chill Out: 10 Rappers With Laid-Back Flow By Chris Tart January 13, 2015 12:57. Rap Music Analysis #8 – Common, “I Used To Love H.E.R.” When it comes to the next generation of rappers hailing from Florida, Denzel Curry should always be the first rapper that comes to mind. As strange and haunting as the subject matter is, so too is Em’s linking of his words and sentences-- he strategically breaks up his bars to give you his thoughts in almost piecemeal manner, sometimes even breaking up the word itself into two bars: “Fe-fi-fo-fum, I think I smell the scent of a placenta / I enter Central Park, it's dark, it's winter in December / I see my target, put my car in park, and approach a tender  / Young girl by the name of Brenda, and I pretend to befriend her / Sit down beside her like a spider, hi there girl, you mighta / Heard of me before, see whore, you're the kind of girl that I'd a– / -ssault and rape, then figure why not try to make your pussy wider”. Not even when he’s absolutely bodying tracks, from the golden era till this very day. Save (shift+enter) cancel. Flow began his music career with hip hop group, The Flamez and is the CEO of Flame Gang Music. It may not reflect the side of Missy that I just described above, but it proves that if she wishes to dig in her bag, she can pull out all kinds of captivating things. chooses to lean into his Southern accent, using it almost like a crutch when he flows, Andre managed to both distance himself from that Southern twang, and using it to his advantage whenever he felt like it. Rising after the unimaginable success of “Versace,” Takeoff’s potential was always clear. There is an argument that can be made that Jeffery is the most influential artist to have broken out in the last half-decade. Consider that he was the only Wu-Tang member to have a solo track on Enter The 36 Chambers which, to this day, still stands as a memorable moment on their classic album. He glided over muddy production with authority while ensuring his consonants popped with each breath. One need only look to “When Disaster Strikes,” where his closing “exotic pasta/Cucaracha” bars reveal the depth of his zany brilliance. Yet with 2018 came a renewed creative fire, one that found Cole embarking on a truly monumental slew of guest features. Master Series Content . Rappers with most unorthodox or weird flow. He can speed it up while cramming as many syllables as possible into a bar before effectively slowing it down and picking it back up without warning. The second verse is representative of what Sean is capable of. info@smartrapper.com +1 (323) 848-4167; 1600 Vine Street Los Angeles, CA 90028; Get Started. Even then, he hasn’t been able to be boxed into any sort of generalized style. He pays respect to Dilla in the beginning of the song. Twista is one of the fastest rappers in the game and, while there are some forces that arguably took chopper rap and expanded on the idea further than the Chicago legend did, the tongue-twisting style of rhyming he employs easily earns him a spot on this chart. Over the last decade and some change, since his foray into the rap game, his versatility has been a key to his success. The way he approaches a beat, adjusting his cadence to enhance his chosen flow, can and should be studied by aspiring emcees. Everybody that’s coming up out of Atlanta right now wants to sound like Young Thug. While some rappers approach streetlife depictions from a bird’s eye view, Raekwon has the camera on a shoulder mount, shooting guerilla-style footage. Enroll In Master Series 162 min. There’s a playfulness to his lyrics that is equally reflected in how he conveys them. After the dizzying circus of. In a world where so many people can potentially have the “it” factor to become a star, E-40 has something that you just can’t coach: a flow as smooth as filtered water. As production evolved, with newer techniques entering into the fold, the rapping that went on top of said production was also adapted. As production evolved, with newer techniques entering into the fold, the rapping that went on top of said production was also adapted. Rap is, and always has been, about pushing the envelope. Of course, it would be remiss to glance over Illmatic, the seminal classic that started it all. When one wonders who is the wordiest wordsmith in the whole wide world, DOOM comes crashing in. ... Lil' Wayne was born on September 27, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA as Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. He uses vocal inflections to bring out a zaniness to his delivery but when he touches on tracks like “The What” with Biggie, he dials it back a bit while going toe to toe with the Brooklyn legend. Rappers with the Best flow of all time. Although he can bring you into an atmospheric world with his stylistic approach to his flow, he wouldn’t be able to do that without skillfully mastering the technical side of things. He switched up the entire structure of rhyming. “I be placin' snitches inside lakes and ditches / And if I catch AIDS, then I'ma start rapin' bitches / I'm all about makin' papes kid / I killed my mother with a shovel just like Norman Bates did / My old man in the past, stuck me up without a mask / Then his ass cold dashed with my cash fast / Fifty G's is what the creep stole / So the next day, knocked on his door, and shot his granny through the peephole / That's the type of shit I'm on, word is bond / Got it goin' on, from the break of dawns to the early morn' / You know my style, I'm wild, comin' straight out of Harlem, pal / It's Big L, the motherfucking problem child”. Creative song topics? Future’s voice is malleable. With his distinctive cadence, Bizzy Bone emerged as an immediate standout presence, arguably the fastest spitter of the bunch. Considering he emerged during an era absolutely stacked with fierce competitors, many of whom are included on this very list, Jay was forced to continuously innovate on a technical level. The line was later re-used “Live From The 504” freestyle but Wayne has maintained that approach to every single song he’s created. That alone is enough to get him on this list but the sheer fact that the average listener can still comprehend what he’s saying while spitting. Introduction. Bursting onto the scene back in 1992 thanks to Dr. Dre’s album. If it’s the Art of Flowing, then we need to take a page out of Andre’s book. He has a way of enveloping eerie beats, his preference for minimalistic trap sounds clear. The texture of Project Pat’s voice alone stuck to instrumentals like tree sap and it’s only gotten better with age. Seriously speaking, why is DJ Quik not included in more Top 50 round-ups? It's as if RZA understood that Method's boundless, yet notably controlled energy needed ample space to breathe. Check out how rappers record in the studio to help you find your way. Consider that he was the only Wu-Tang member to have a solo track on. Some might even deem him the greatest in that regard, if only on the basis of versatility. In rap’s heyday, melody was essentially obsolete-- it’s something that RZA recently expounded on, on Joe Rogan’s podcast, and of course, it’s evolved into the highly melodic genre we know today. His voice is gruff but he coats it in a flow that slides over any type of production. In today’s age of the melodic rapper, fawning over an artist who is capable of alternating between rapping AND singing could incite eye-rolling. , it’s surprising to see him omitted from a similarly-angled flow discourse. Before “Harambe” was released, how long had it been since you heard a mainstream rapper use their voice in such a particular fashion? The fact that the majority of her songs were produced by either herself or Timbaland (often the two of them together) ensured that every beat was tailored to her style. At any given time, Tupac can either give you fast, energetic flows or he can bring the song to a slower pace so he can really tell the story he wants to illustrate. The components of rap include "content", "flow", and "delivery". He takes syllables and stretches them as if its malleable metal and emphasizes it in a way that sets precedent for the rest of the rhyme scheme, whether or not the words themselves are actually supposed to rhyme. Big Pun would easily be in the top 10 on this list had he been given the chance to put a larger discography together. Perhaps most notable about Tip’s flow is the fact that he makes it sound way too easy (and we might attribute that apparent ease to his accent). Biggie helped us find a middle ground, before we fell off the ledge entirely (into that melodic hole) these past couple of years.