Over 50 years ago, the genre that we know today as hip hop was born in a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. DJ Kool Herc is credited with being the founder of this genre, as he introduced this style at house parties within the neighborhood. Since that time, hip hop has evolved into a diverse and rich style of music. One can see hip hop’s influences reflected in multiple genres within the music industry.
While there have been so many talented Black musicians, this article will focus on a few of the names that are currently making waves in the music industry. The following musicians have used their voice and fame to discuss immensely important sociopolitical issues that affect our society.
Doechii
Also known as The Swamp Princess, Doechii has been tearing up the charts with her hit “Anxiety.” I personally was thrilled when she included a shoutout to my (and her) hometown of Tampa, Florida, when she picked up her Grammy for best rap album for “Alligator Bites Never Heal” earlier this year. In her own words, “There is so much culture in Tampa. Whenever people think about Florida they only think about, like Miami, but Tampa has so much talent. Labels, go to Tampa. There is talent there.” Doechii is also an active voice for the LGBTQ+ community, as she has identified as bisexual. She is also a prominent voice for the Black community, speaking out against police brutality, especially in 2016 when she started including the slogan “Stay woke. Stay black.” on her merchandise.
Megan thee Stallion
Megan thee Stallion has also been a hot name on the Billboard charts during the past few years, so far earning three number 1 hits with four additional songs breaking into the Top 10. Probably her most famous has been her collaboration, “Savage,” with Beyoncé. But she also been busy collaborating with other famous artists such as Cardi B, Ariana Grande, GloRilla, and Japanese hip hop star Yuki Chiba. In addition to her music, Megan spoke up at the Kamala Harris campaign in 2024, encouraging the youth of America to vote for the first Black female president of the US. She used her hit “body” to highlight the vital importance of women’s rights, as she proclaimed, “Now I know my ladies in the crowd love their bodies. If you want to keep loving your bodies, you know who to vote for.”
Tyler, the Creator
Creating his style of alternative hip hop since 2007, Tyler, the Creator has reached mega superstar status in the hip hop world, especially after being awarded the Cultural Influence Award at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2021 (also claiming Album of the Year for “Call Me If You Get Lost”). Tyler is currently rocking stages in Europe on his Chromakopia tour. My personal favorite of his songs is “Sticky”, a collaboration with Lil Wayne and GloRilla that highlights independence and resilience in a spectrum of relationships.
Kendrick Lamar
I, for one, am all here for the level saltiness that Kendrick shows on the immense stage of the 2025 Super Bowl, where he played his diss track to Drake, “Not Like Us.” In addition to this played-out feud, the level of societal references within that performance was genius. We could spend hours talking about how Kendrick’s performance included multiple references that pointed out how a portion of society still looks at Black culture as “too loud, too reckless, too ghetto.” In addition to being one of the greatest rappers of our generation, Kendrick has also been taking psychology classes at UCLA.
Childish Gambino
While also touching on sociopolitical issues within American society, Childish Gambino has been making music since releasing an independent mixtape in 2008. Ten years later, his hit “This Is America” was a masterpiece calling out police brutality and gun violence in America and Black society. Besides music, Childish Gambino is also known as Donald Glover in the acting world. He has worked in both movies and television. On the big screen, he has played Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story. While in Adventure Time, he has lent his voice to play Marshall Lee, a gender-swap version of Marceline the Vampire Queen. Community and Atlanta were also massive hits for him.
These five hip-hop artists are just a few of my favorites. What artists are currently on your Spotify playlists?
To learn more about the history of hip hop, check out our article: 50 Years of Hip Hop: 8 Books to Appreciate the Love of Jam.
Also, to read more from Black voices, visit our bookshelf: Diversifying Your TBR: Beautiful Black Voices in Literature.
