They often say “rap is a young man’s game,” and some 2025 artists take that to the extreme. Internet access, coupled with a worldwide pandemic, has made the entry point for the music world a lot wider. Now, any teen with a SoundCloud, and an understanding of the algorithm, can drop a hit.
But don’t let the ages fool you, this isn’t a list of Bow Wows and Lil Romeos–some of these artists are going on drills and bringing moshpits to the masses. Here’s our list of the biggest rappers that drop bars (but can’t even go to one).
5. redveil – 21 years old
DMV native redveil debuted in 2019 at just 16 years old, and quickly impressed listeners with his mature and refined approach to every track he released. His first project, Bittersweet Cry, showcased his capacity to tap into emotional reserves–to a degree rarely seen in rappers his age. He credits his vulnerability, vocal delivery, and production choices to his parents playing funk and soul music around the house when he was a jit.
2020 is the year he really started to catch a wave, with artists like Tyler the Creator taking notice (co-signing his song, “Drown”). Two years later, he released a self-produced album titled Learn 2 Swim, earning him tour spots with Denzel Curry and Freddie Gibbs, along with a set at 2023’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival. Today, he’s pulling in nearly 800k monthly listeners on Spotify.
4. che – 19 years old
The first Covid-era artist on this list, che started releasing music on Soundcloud (under the name murkio!) in 2021. After a quick name change to cheRomani+, his first buzz came from a remix he did over Yeat’s “Off Tha Lot” beat—a track that TikTok took off and ran with. 3, his first EP, dropped in 2022 and che’s only been going up since.
In 2023, he dropped the “Romani+” from his name, got signed to 10k Projects, and got cooking. Between then and 2025, che released 4 projects, all of which have garnered millions of streams and positive critical reception. His blend of musical influences, from Playboi Carti to Paramore, is visible throughout his discography. Rest In Bass, released on July 18, 2025, is a nonstop onslaught of sound, indicative of the era of music we’re in today.
3. Nettspend – 18 years old
Born in 2007, Nettspend grew up on Lil Uzi Vert, Chief Keef, Katy Perry, and various other artists from that time. These influences are evident in the flood of songs he released in 2023 surrounding his debut EP, Kickdoor. His bright, often digitized sound blew up on Twitter, eventually leading to a Rolling Loud performance in 2024.
Following his first festival set—and working with Tommy Richman, Cole Bennett, and Osamason—Nettspend dropped his first mixtape, Bad Ass F*cking Kid in December of 2024. Since then, he’s headlined two tours (one of which was sponsored by Vans), and done Paris Fashion Week. At 1.1M monthly listeners on Spotify, Nettspend is definitely cashing in on his popularity.
2. fakemink – 20 years old
UK rapper Fakemink started producing at 10 years old, taking inspiration from Kanye West, Dean Blunt, and Hype Williams. He began releasing music on a more consitent basis in 2022, and hasn’t slowed down in the slightest. In a 3-year-span, he’s dropped nearly 100 songs (50 in 2023 alone). Fakemink is considered one of the biggest rappers in UK’s underground scene at the moment, and for good reason.
His popularity has skyrocketed throughout 2025. In July, Drake brought him out for Wireless Festival in London, which was a massive hit. Four months later, he’s featured on Playboi Carti’s Antagonist Tour 2.0—at the LA show, no less. That said, it might be an interesting point of his career, as he and previously mentioned rapper Nettspend have been beefing and dropping diss tracks. We’ll have to sit back and see how that impacts either of their careers.
1. BabyChiefDoit – 17 years old
The youngest rapper on this list, BabyChiefDoit has been on a crazy run. Since 2023, he’s amassed over 300 million streams, co-signs from Chance The Rapper and Kai Cenat, Rolling Loud performances—the works. The juxtaposition of his appearance—very obviously a high school kid—and his subject matter continuously makes him go viral. A common comparison is Riley from The Boondocks, based on his aggressive lyrics and the straightbacks/tank top combo he tends to wear.
At 3.6M monthly listeners on Spotify, he’s pulling the best streaming numbers of any artist on this list, but that’s not all. His YouTube numbers? Wild. His most recent song, “Fried Chicken”, cracked the top 5 trending on YouTube Music, and the video is approaching 1M views in a week. This is even more impressive, as his features and collabs haven’t been nearly as notable as his peers, so most of the hype has been self-generated. With a long career ahead of him, who knows how far the YN prototype can go.
