Who Are the Fastest Rappers of All Time?

Fastest Rappers of All-Time

Rebel XD Rebel XD is the first entry on our list who sort of belongs here because he made it his life’s mission. This veteran emcee has been appearing in TV spots, cyphers, and underground shows for decades, where he’s been demonstrating his chops. In recent years, Rebel XD has tried to distance himself from the “fast rapper” label, but his legacy still deserves a shout-out on this list. Most impressive track for its speed: It’s not technically a track, but his 2007 world-record attempt earned him a Guinness World Record Most popular song: “See What I’m Saying?” Rebel XD never had a big charitable hit, but it’s 100% worth checking out his recorded work. It has an extremely raw and hardcore edge you only find in old 90s underground boom bap. Documented rap speed: 20 sps

Gawne Often stylized as GAWNE, Gawne is a Chicago-based rapper who might be the youngest artist to make the list. He has consistently branded himself as one of the fastest rappers alive, and he might be on to something. Most impressive track for its speed: “Chopper” is a direct showcase of his rap speed. Most popular song: “This is War” featuring Tech N9ne and Atlus. This track is an ominous and moving examination of how war really hasn’t changed over the past 300 years. Documented rap speed: 20 sps

Twisted Insane Twisted Insane is a veteran with over 15 records. He’s undoubtedly earned his spot on the Mount Rushmore of chopper rap, especially given how consistently he’s abided by the genre’s core aesthetics. Most impressive track for its speed: “Lucifer” gets our vote for being a phenomenal example of how Twisted Insane can weave a narrative while alternating between the fastest flows of all time and a more sing-songy, vibe-based style. Most popular song: “The Chop Shop” is not only his most popular song, but it’s probably the perfect example of what chopper rap sounds like. Documented rap speed: 15.7 sps

Watsky George Watsky isn’t just a rapper. He also sings, produces, illustrates, and writes poetry. His style as a rapper isn’t quite chopper-esque, but he does tend to rap his butt off when he’s on the mic. Most impressive track for its speed: “No Flex Zone (Remix)” with Karmin may not be the fastest track in his discography, but it’s the perfect showcase of how Watsky’s flow, personality, and energy work together to impressive effect. Most popular song: “Whoa Whoa Whoa (All You Can Do)” is his most popular track. It also features some wildly impressive, fast-paced rapping. Documented rap speed: 15 sps

NoClue Also known as Ricky Brown, NoClue hasn’t put out any work in about a decade now, but for a period in the early aughts he was Seattle’s reigning chopper MC. Most impressive track for its speed: “New West” is a blast from the past sonically, but this track perfectly encapsulates what made NoClue such a vibrant voice. Most popular song: His Seattle Seahawks anthem “12th Man” is still the unofficial theme song for Seattleites on gridiron Sundays. Documented rap speed: 14.1 sps

Busta Rhymes While Eminem only started rapping as fast as humanly possible later in his career, Busta started off with the style and only got faster as time went on. His zany flows and over-the-top lyrics really lend themselves to the frantic energy Busta brings to every track he puts out. Most impressive track for its speed: His verse on Chris Brown’s “Look at Me Now” is one of the most iconically fast verses of all time. Most popular song: It may surprise you as much as it surprised us, but “I Know What You Want” featuring Mariah Carey is his most popular song of all time. We thought for sure it would be “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” or “Break Ya Neck.” Documented rap speed: 12.8 sps

Krayzie Bone Krayzie Bone is a member of the iconic Bone Thugs-n-Harmony outfit. His rapid delivery became the inspiration for one of the backbones of the “chopper” style of rap, a subgenre of hip hop that evolved in Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland in the early and mid-90s. Most impressive track for its speed: “Clash of the Titans” was released as a response to Eminem’s “Rap God” track. It was sort of Krazyie’s way of reminding the hip-hop world who pioneered this style. Most popular song: As a solo artist, “Ridin’” (by Chamillionaire) is his most popular piece of work. With Bone Thugs, “Crossroads” is their most iconic work. Documented rap speed: 12.5 sps

Logic This is probably the first big surprise on this list. Logic is known for his mixtapes, fun lyrics, upbeat personality, and his obsession with reminding listeners that he’s biracial, but he’s quietly one of the fastest rappers in the game. What makes Logic’s speed so impressive is that he’s not overpacking bars to the point where his lyrics become incomprehensible. He never crosses that line from fast to “too fast,” which can be really difficult. Most impressive track for its speed: “100 Miles and Running” featuring Wale and John Lindahl is a really fun and impressive demonstration of Logic’s smooth and speedy delivery. Most popular song: “1-800-273-8255” featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid. Just as a warning, this can be a pretty tough listen. It’s a beautiful and brutal look at depression and self-harm. Documented rap speed: 11.8 sps

Joyner Lucas Joyner Lucas is basically Logic—they both blew up with a big single (for Lucas, it was the controversial “I’m Not Racist”), they’re both known for their conscious, high-speed flows, and they both sort of disappeared into the background after blowing up initially. The two of them also happen to collaborate a lot. Most impressive track for its speed: “Isis (ADHD)” featuring Logic is a really fun, explosive, and vibrant track. Most popular song: “Ramen & OJ” with Lil Baby. Documented rap speed: 11.4 sps

Tech N9ne Another chopper pioneer, Tech N9ne is Kansas City’s golden child. He almost single-handedly carved out his own niche of hardcore hip hop that floated perfectly between the Detroit Juggalo sound, nu-metal, grimecore, and underground boom bap. Dozens of artists working today owe their sound to Tech N9ne and his brutal, fast-paced flow. Most impressive track for its speed: “Speedom (WWC2)” featuring Eminem & Krizz Kaliko. It’s basically a showcase of Tech, Em, and Krizz’s collective ability to absolutely tear up a track. Most popular song: “Erybody But Me” featuring Krizz Kaliko and Bizzy is probably his most organically popular track, but “Face Off” featuring Joey Cool, King Iso, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson caught a lot of eyes for the Rock’s participation. Documented rap speed: 11 sps

Twista The OG tongue twister emcee from Chicago, Twista has been spitting mind-numbingly fast since 1992. He almost single-handedly pioneered the polysyllabic no-breath style that artists like Gawne and Ski Mask the Slump God use today. What’s so fresh about Twista’s work is that his speed never feels like a gimmick—his songs actually feel like they naturally benefit from his style and cadence. Most impressive track for its speed: “Death Before Dishonor.” We all know Twista can rast unfathomably fast, but “Death Before Dishonor” really showcases just how good he is at adjusting his speed and making adjustments mid-line to hit the pocket of the beat. “ Most popular song: “Slow Jamz” and “Overnight Celebrity” were huge hits. Documented rap speed: 10.9 syllables per second (sps)

Dizzee Rascal The first non-American to make the cut, British rapper Dizzee Rascal is a pioneer of the grime genre—a British variation of hip hop focused on intricate raps, high-tempo beats, and an emphasis on rhythm. Dizzee has been putting records out for over two decades now, and he’s instantly recognizable for his fast-paced, playful and upbeat energy. Most impressive track for its speed: “I Luv U” may not have the fastest flow of any Dizzee Rascal song, but the beat absolutely slaps and it’s the perfect depiction of how Dizzee’s early work influenced the creation of grime music. Most popular song: “Bassline Junkie” is his most listened to song, which is kind of funny considering how unlike a traditional hip hop track it is. Documented rap speed: 10.9 sps

Eminem Probably the most popular artist to crack this list, Eminem actually hasn’t demonstrated his speed chops until relatively recently in his career. His flows on The Slim Shady LP and other earlier tapes are much more relaxed and feel more boom bap than bombastic. But on his most recent 3-4 projects or so, Eminem has repeatedly proven himself to be one of the smoothest, slickest fast rappers out there. Most impressive track for its speed: “Godzilla” featuring Juice Wrld and “Rap God” are his most iconic “fast” tracks. Most popular song: “Without Me” has the most plays on Spotify, but he won an actual Oscar for “Lose Yourself,” so we’re counting both of them. Documented rap speed: 10.6 sps

K.A.A.N. An acronym for “knowledge above all nonsense,” K.A.A.N. is the rare East Coast chopper with some staying power. Part of that is likely due to his insane output. Seriously…the guy puts out like two albums a year and has done so for almost a decade. He’s one of the most slept on artists on this list, so give him a closer look if you haven’t checked him out before. Most impressive track for its speed: There are a ton of great options, but we love the upbeat, motivational content and intense flow on “White Lines,” which perfectly showcases what makes his work so unique. Most popular song: “Concealed The Outro” is his most popular song, and one of the most common guesses among hip hop heads when answering the question, “What’s the fastest rap song of all time?” Documented rap speed: 10.1 sps

R.A. the Rugged Man A staple of underground hip hop history, R.A. the Rugged Man came very close to being a breakout artist. The Notorious BIG himself even once said R.A. was one of the illest rappers alive. A combination of label issues, personal struggles, and large gaps between releases kept him from blowing up the way he should have, but he will still go down as one of the most influential and important fast rappers of all time. Most impressive track for its speed: It’s hard not to give the nod to “Uncommon Valor” (by Jedi Mind Tricks). R.A.’s verse is considered one of the best verses of all time by many underground rap historians (Talib Kweli called it “one of the most important hip hop verses ever written”). He tells the chilling story of his uncle’s experience in the Vietnam War, and R.A.’s speed, vocabulary, and storytelling will actually send chills down your spine. It’s a true story, too. Most popular song: On paper, it’s “The Dangerous Three” featuring Brother Ali and Masta Ace. This is a super fun track because each verse features a beat break that triggers a brand new flow, and watching each rapper tackle the break in their own way is pretty fun. Documented rap speed: 9.3 sps

Mac Lethal Another Kansas City chopper, Mac Lethal is a Scribble Jam champion and underground battle rap hall of famer. Like longtime collaborator Sage Francis, Mac Lethal never cracked into the mainstream and blew up like former Rhymesayers peers Atmosphere, Prof, or Aesop Rock. Still, he’s carved out one of the most impressive niches in hip hop. He also has one of the most iconic underground records of the early aughts, 11:11. Most impressive track for its speed: Check out his untitled alphabetized chopper verse here. It’s not really a track in any traditional sense, but in terms of impressive wordplay and speed, it’s pretty unmatched. Most popular song: “Angel of Death” with Tech N9ne. Documented rap speed: 8.7 sps

Ab-Soul You’re probably surprised to see his name on this list because Ab-Soul rarely goes to Eminem/Twista levels, but Ab-Soul happens to be the most consistently fast rapper in the business. He averages a whopping 8.31 syllables per second across his entire discography. In other words, Ab-Soul may not be the fastest rapper in a vacuum, but he’s the most consistently speedy rapper out there, and that deserves some love. Most impressive track for its speed: His verse on Danny Brown’s “Really Doe” perfectly demonstrates his consistent flow. It’s not technically a song, but his freestyle on the LA Leaker’s podcast is a really good illustration of his speed as an MC. Most popular song: “Bloody Waters” has the most streams on Spotify, but most hip-hop heads would probably cite “Terrorist Threats” as his most iconic song. Documented rap speed: 8.3 sps

Daveed Diggs Daveed Diggs is not a name every hip-hop scholar knows, but they absolutely should. After putting in a ton of work underground in both the theatre and hip hop scene, Diggs broke into the American mainstream for his performance as Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette in the original run of Hamilton. Most impressive track for its speed: We have to give it up for “Fresh From the Hood.” It’s not the single fastest song in his discography, but it’s hard to remember the last time socially conscious and pro-theatre hip hop sounded so hard. It’s also impressive to see him spit hot fire with a French accent as Lafayette in “Guns and Ships.” Most popular song: “Easy Come, Easy Go” with Rafael Casal. We also want to give a shoutout for Diggs’ long-time collaborator, Rafael Casal, who absolutely crushes it on the second verse. Documented rap speed: 8 sps

What’s the fastest rap song of all time?

The fastest rap song of all time is “Power Up” by Crucified. To quote the YouTube comment section for Crucified’s “Power Up,” “Man really rapped every word in the dictionary twice.” We’ll be honest—Crucified’s flow is so fast on this song that we’re not even confident we can parse what the song is about, but it is the fastest rap song ever created. Estimated syllables per second: 28.9 sps Honorable mentions: “Chopper” — Gawne (20 sps) “Undaground Choppers 6” — DJ Lil Sprite (19.9 sps) “The Chop Shop” — Twisted Insane (15.7 sps) “Crispy” — Tonedeff (14 sps) “New West” — NoClue (14 sps) “Break Ya Neck” featuring Rampage — Busta Rhymes (12.8 sps) “Vretty Vrocker” — Ski Mask the Slump God (10.6 sps)