10 Best White Male Rappers of the 90s You’ll Love

The 90s were a unique time that I feel lucky to have been alive to witness. Everything was changing and the music industry was especially welcoming to new and creative genres and artists. It was also a time when white male rappers were starting to break into the hip-hop and rap genre and helped mold the music. Here is a list of some of the best white male rappers of the 90s that are worth a listen. 

Top White Male Rappers of the 90s

1. Eminem

When mentioning white male rappers, Eminem is undoubtedly the first person many people will think of, and for good reason. He is not only crowned the “Rap God,” he has accomplished so much in his career and has helped to both change and influence the rap genre. For many fans, we can distinguish between the Eminem that many of today’s listeners know, but also, he was incredibly good when he was using the persona, Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers. 

Each one of these personas are used to talk about something differently; Eminem songs are done just for the purpose of rapping, Slim Shady is the darker version of Eminem where he raps about violence, and Marshall Mathers is the side where he raps about his hardships as an adult and family members. In an interview with XXL, Eminem said, “My role in today’s hip-hop is to always try to be the best rapper.” 

Eminem has proven himself to be a legend and still comes back to work when young rappers of today call him out. It is understandable why Eminem is often called the GOAT and why he will forever be one of the best white male rappers of the 90s. 

My favorite song by Eminem is: Love The Way You Lie ft. Rihanna from the album Recovery (2010).  Both Rihanna and Eminem were fantastic in this song and complimented each other perfectly. I love how it switches between Eminem rapping his point of view on the relationship, then it goes to Rihanna singing about her point of view. 

The song is about a couple that loves alcohol and their domestic violence issues and what both people think about it. Many people also feel this song is Eminem’s way of making a statement since the song was released during the time of Chris Brown’s domestic violence. 

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2. Slug

Slug is an American rapper from Minneapolis, Minnesota who is one-half of the hip-hop group Atmosphere. Slug got started in the music industry when he started to DJ and eventually formed Atmosphere with Ant. In his earlier work, he tended to talk a lot about women and past relationships. Slug’s music displays a great deal of storytelling and he tends to use metaphors to talk about his life struggles and past relationships. 

In an interview with SoundSphere he talked about his writing, “but aging, and death, and time seems like a long-term narrative that runs through a lot of my writing, and I don’t know why.” His creativity and imagination are what sets him apart from other rappers and his songs are more than the traditional theme of drugs and women. 

My favorite Slug song is: Yesterday from the album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That S*** Gold (2008).  While many Atmosphere fans will say “Sunshine” and “Trying To Find A Balance” are their favorite songs, I tend to lean more towards “Yesterday.” This song is not the traditional song that you might hear from Atmosphere and I love how open Slug is with the death of his father. 

When losing a loved one, you may find yourself constantly thinking about them and like Slug, maybe even thinking someone passing by on the street looks like them. The song is all about how he greatly misses his father and how he saw someone yesterday that looked just like him; letting Slug reminisce about old memories and how proud his dad would be of him. 

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3. Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al is arguably one of the most underrated rappers of the late 90s and early 2000s. He is best known for doing humorous spoofs of popular rap songs and funny music videos to go along with them. His original music also commonly features polka medleys and he likes to pair the accordion with his music. 

Weird Al talked about his writing style in a New Yorker interview saying, “The challenge for me was always trying to figure out new ways to be funny, because I found myself, early on, falling back on the same tropes, like writing a lot of songs about food.” As for his spoof songs; they were some of the best things to watch on the early days of YouTube and every kid who had Limewire was sure to download “White & Nerdy.” Weird Al’s music always features creative lyrics and rapid-fire rhymes. 

My favorite Weird Al Yankovic song is: White & Nerdy from the album Straight Outta Lynwood (2006).  This was the song that really got me into Weird Al Yankovic and how great his music is. At the time of this song, MySpace was huge, and “White & Nerdy” is a time capsule of how great social media was in the mid-2000s. 

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4. Aesop Rock

Aesop Rock is a rapper from Long Island, New York that was the lead of the underground and alternative hip-hop movement that swept through the late 90s and early 2000s. He is the core of East Coast rappers and attributes this to his daily commute through New York as he was able to get a better view of the hip-hop culture.  Aesop’s 1999 Appleseed EP is what helped get him noticed and allowed him to gain a huge underground hip-hop following. There is no debate that his lyrical ability is great and that he is extremely creative. 

My favorite Aesop Rock song is: Kirby from the album The Impossible Kid (2016).  I love how Aesop used this as an ode to his old kitty cat named Kirby. I love how it’s not a song about typical hip-hop themes and is actually a very touching song. Near the end of the song, Aesop mentions that he bought Kirby because his psychiatrist told him he needed to. 

5. Vinnie Paz 

Vinnie Paz is an Italian American rapper who grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was also the founder of the underground Philadelphia hip-hop group called the Jedi Mind Tricks and the frontline of the Army of the Pharaoh hip-hop group. Vinnie’s music overall is pretty great and he has near-perfect delivery of his rhymes. 

His gritty lyrics and his raw delivery are one of the things that set him apart from other rappers and give him an obsessive following. His lyrics commonly contain elements of politics, religion, conspiracy theories, and the paranormal. With the Jedi Mind Tricks’ recent album, Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell, their music centers around more political leanings. 

My favorite Vinnie Paz song is: Is Happiness Just A Word? From the album Carry On Tradition (2013).  Vinnie’s “Is Happiness Just A Word?” is not only a great song, but he is also opening up about something he struggles with. Vinnie was diagnosed with Depersonalization Disorder and the song is about his struggles in dealing with it. 

6. Snow

Snow is a Canadian rapper and musician who is best known for his 1992 single, “Informer.” The Canadian rapper was on trial for being accused of murdering a SUNY Potsdam student and when in jail, he wrote “Informer,” he was later acquitted of the crime. The song also made it twice into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the best-selling and highest-charting reggae single in US history. 

Snow was influenced by his cultural upbringing in the Toronto housing projects and raps about real events that have happened to him. One of the reasons people liked Snow’s music so much is the way he created his own style by fusing rock, pop, rap, and reggae all together. Snow is still a very active rapper and has worked with famous rappers like 

My favorite Snow song is: Informer from the album 12 Inches of Snow (1993).   It’s weird how listening to this song now as an adult, this song now makes complete sense. I love how this is a classic hit and is super nostalgic for anyone who was growing up in the 90s. The way snow combines rap and reggae is phenomenal and is easily what makes this song so attractive. 

7. Fred Durst

Fred Durst is best known for being the lyricist and frontman of the rap metal band Limp Bizkit. At a young age, he started to take an interest in breakdancing and hip-hop. He later started to learn how to beatbox and DJ. 

After forming the band Limp Bizkit, once DJ Lethal joined the band they began to form their image of blending hip-hop and metal. Fred Durst helped the band achieve mainstream success after releasing their albums Significant Other and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.

My favorite Limp Bizkit song is: Nookie from the album Significant Other (1999).  Limp Bizkit was ahead of its time with this song and how they effortlessly blended rock, rap, and hip-hop beats. I love how catchy “Nookie” is and how it can switch from sounding like different genres. 

8. Brian Green

After being known as an actor who played David Silver on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, Brian became a rapper. Since Brian’s on-screen character, David Silver, was starting to get into hip-hop and being a DJ, Brian started to like these things in real life as well. When he officially started to rap, he went by the name Brian Green and released his One Stop Carnival album in 1996. fr

My favorite Brian Austin Green song is: You Send Me from the album One Stop Carnival (1996).  Even though many did not like Brian’s style, it’s hard to not give him props with “You Send Me.” I love how this song shows that he was actually a good rapper, but found he would have better success as an actor. 

9. Marky Mark

Before Mark Wahlberg was the successful actor that we all know and love, he was Marky Mark and was in the Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. The band made it huge when they released their 1991 album, Music for the People. While in the group, they released the single, “Good Vibrations,” which dominated the radio and on television. 

When the group ended, he paired up with reggae musician Prince Ital Joe and together they released two albums in Europe. Marky Mark continued to make music until 1998 when he decided to become an actor. 

My favorite Marky Mark song is: Good Vibrations (1991).  I think “Good Vibrations” is the most 90s thing that has ever been created. I love the feel of this song and how nostalgic it is. From the 90s choreographed dance moves to the funky techno hip-hop-infused beat, this song has it all. 

10. Brother Ali

Brother Ali is an American rapper and member of the Rhymesayers Entertainment collective who is from Madison, Wisconsin. He began rapping at the young age of eight and was influenced by hip-hop culture from a very young age. 

He has more than a dozen records that he has put out and eight of them have been critically acclaimed. He is best known for his titles “Uncle Sam Goddamn,” and “Not A Day Goes By.” Brother Ali has had to overcome a lot due to being albino and legally blind, but his lyrics are happy and uplifting to capture the person that he is.

My favorite Brother Ali song is: Uncle Sam Goddamn from the album The Undisputed Truth (2007).  The lyrics for “Uncle Sam Goddamn” are incredibly deep and are the reason I have so much respect for Brother Ali.

This song talks about the racism that is present in the south and shows the US government as cruel and harsh. I feel the themes in this song are still present today and it’s something we should all take time to listen to and reflect on. 

This article was written by Jesse and edited by Michael.

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