Jon Barlas

Key Takeaways Complex ranks the 100 hottest rappers right now by weighing recent music, sales, streams, headlines, viral moments, and anticipation—not technical skill alone. Drake takes No. 1 after dropping FOMO and the fact that Iceman topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks, followed by Don Toliver, Ye, Rod Wave, and Playboi Carti.

Key Takeaways This ranking traces Mac Miller’s evolution from a punchline-heavy Pittsburgh rapper to an adventurous album artist who blended hip-hop, jazz, funk, and soul. The list features classics like Swimming, Watching Movies with the Sound Off and Faces near the top. The 20-project countdown spans studio albums, mixtapes, EPs, a live record, posthumous releases, and alter-ego experiments. It's very rare you see an artist evolve in the ways Mac Miller did.

Key Takeaways Complex ranks the 100 hottest rappers right now for August 2026 based on impact, streams/sales, viral moments, and anticipation for new music—not pure lyrical skill—with eligibility tied to recent releases, performances, or active teasing of new work. Drake is still at No. 1 off his three-album run led by the rap-centric Iceman. He's followed by Jay-Z, Don Toliver, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Playboi Carti, who's headlining ComplexCon 2026.