Rap's Next 50 Years

These are the artists who will help define hip-hop's next half-century

- JEFF IHAZA

IN 50 YEARS, hip-hop has transformed and taken on any number of different shapes and contexts while remaining undeniably distinct. You don't quite know why something is hip-hop, but it strikes you as immediately as any physical quality. The rap world has invented new forms of expression capable of adapting to the changes brought on by the expansion of technology like the internet, all while remaining true to its essence, the indomitable spirit at the heart of this culture. More than just artists, today's rap world is a constellation of figures all interlinked by the lineage they share with hip-hop's forebears. Whether they're rappers, producers, fashion designers, or online creators, hip-hop is as stuffed with talent as ever. Hip-hop changes too fast to predict far into the future, but here are 20 figures who are changing the game and will help shape rap's next 50 years. (You can see the full list, featuring an additional 30 picks, on our website.) 

Baby Tron

"I DON'T KNOW what it is, but I feel like we got the sound that everybody wants right now. Not necessarily me, or somebody in particular, but just the state of Michigan as a whole," Baby Tron told Rolling Stone in 2021. Over the years, he's become the Pied Piper of Michigan rap the regional style of intense punchlines and goofy music videos. The internet adores his elastic flow and penchant for lyrical agility; real heads connect with Tron's ability to rap about whatever is in his head - the NBA, video games, weed and still be humorous while doing so. If Babyface Ray and Veeze are the critically acclaimed rappers from Detroit, the ones who craft albums crisply and efficiently, then Tron is the city's king of the internet. (Though he'd probably prefer a basketball metaphor.)