With trap being the biggest sub-genre of hip hop at the moment it's easy to forget that hip hop has had and still has a lot of other sub-genres which have made an impression at one point or another. Country rap is one such sub-genre which, although hasn't seen as much mainstream success as some subgenres, has brought a different and refreshing perspective to hip hop. The genre, apart from mixing country rhythms, lingo and accents is known for its earnestness which is often lacking in much of hip hop which promotes a lot of macho bravado lyrics; hence country rap tends to go against the grain. Country things such as riding tractors, feeding livestock and even the southern accent have for long not been seen as cool. So it's refreshing to see people rep their heritage and roots proudly and mix country and the urban styles of music seamlessly. In order to celebrate the people who shaped that sub-genre of music here's a list of artists who've released country rap music of note that may interest you.
Bubba Sparxxx
This Athens, Georgia country boy came out at a time when Eminem was still a fresh face and red hot rap artist. The Marshall Mathers LP, which went on to be certified diamond for selling more than 10 million copies, had just been released. The debate on whether white folk could rap as well as black people was over and white rappers became cool. When Bubba started to gain recognition people immediately started to make comparisons with Em, claiming Bubba is inferior. However, this didn’t last long because it became clear that Bubba was in his own lane. His debut album Dark Days, Bright Nights, was filled with stories of his country and redneck roots. A lot of the lingo was unlike what had been heard before in hip hop. Despite it being a good record his magnum opus came in his follow up release, Deliverance, which just took the whole idea to another level. His production was more refined, his lyrics were more mature and you could feel that he had grown as a man and an artist. His biggest single Ms. New Booty came from his third album which marked a slight shift from country rap. Personally I think Bubba is at his best when he gives his perspective on life through the country rap style. It sounds earnest and untainted. Bubba is most likely the single biggest rap artist to bring country rap to the mainstream and help solidify it as a formidable subgenre.
Haystack
Haystack has been active in the rap game for more than 20 years. he does not look like a typical rapper at all. He ran into trouble with the law for drug possession as an adolescent. Since then he decided to take his white trash, redneck persona and his ability to tell stories through music to gain fans. He may not be as well-known as some of the others on this list but he's got notoriety among deep country rap supporters.
Big Smo
Big Smo has been around since the early 2000s and has since released 5 independent albums until 2014 when he finally made his major label debut with the release of Kuntry Livin which has sold more than 150,000 copies to date. His music blends rap, country and rock and talks about good ol' country livin. While not the most talented rapper on this list he does have very strong delivery and an energy which is not a typical trait of many country rappers who often tend to take a laid back approach.
Yelawolf
It's no secret that Alabama is one of the most racist states in the USA. So to have a white rapper from there is quite a breath of fresh air. It does kind of seem like the natural thing though because country music is huge there. It's probably safe to say that Yelawolf is the most prominent rapper who's currently carrying the torch of country rap. He's sort of in a way the successor to Bubba, who's not in the limelight as he once was. Apart from being a talented rapper Yelawolf can also sing, and I mean really sing. The rapper's signed to Eminem's label Shady Records and has released a few albums under his belt. It still feels like he hasn't reached his peak though because he's an extremely talented musician who has a lot to offer. My personal favourite track is one of his singles Till It's Gone which is a guitar-heavy track with introspective lyrics and a moving music video.
Nappy Roots
These guys are among the first guys to have success with elements of country rap. Their signature song is Awnaw. Nappy Roots’ early music brought a black perspective on country rap and have collaborated with other distinctly country rappers on this list.
Colt Ford
Colt is one of country rap's mot successful artists having sold more than 1.5 million records in his career. He has the ability to blend his singing and rapping abilities seamlessly to create a sound which can easily cross-over to to both audiences. He has also collaborated with Nappy Roots, another notable crew which helped to build the foundation of country rap.
Nelly
Nelly is not technically a country rapper but rather an honarable mention due to his contribution towards solidifying the genre into the mainstream. He has paved ways for a lot of the singing rappers of today. His list of career achievements is long. But one of the most notable things he did is to sing Over and Over with Tim McGraw; a song which was a hit on hip hop and country charts alike.
