A current tiff between underground rap promo pages has sparked an impassioned on-line debate in regards to the definition of “gimmick rappers” over the previous week. Most of it’s boring and wrapped up in inter-promo-page politics (in the event you’re , dig in here), however it’s got me fascinated about how ubiquitous “gimmicks” really feel today — a lot in order that it’s created an setting the place it appears like no artist can actually be labeled as a gimmick rapper.

Being a “gimmick rapper,” or a rapper counting on antics to achieve listeners, used to have a foul rap, however because the rise of TikTok and algorithmically-catapulted memes have normalized more and more wild habits, it feels getting as much as antics has change into required simply to interrupt by way of. That leaves us in an odd area the place audiences are anticipated to not solely tolerate however actively help clipfarming, whether or not it’s Playboi Carti attempting to juice Billboard gross sales or Dave Blunts ragebaiting with racial slurs. You would possibly take into account this phenomena downstream of the overall acceptance of promoting out, or a pure consequence of incessant brainrot, however to me it feels extra like a snapshot of the present state of leisure, the place shoppers are so overloaded with choices the best option to break by way of to being memorable is repeated, obnoxious publicity.

The massive query is: Will it ever cease? It appears unlikely. Anyway, if I needed to identify the 5 worst gimmick rappers within the recreation proper now, I might choose Will Smith 5 times.

The good factor is none of the next songs right here depend on gimmicks for his or her benefit. Listed here are the best rap songs of May 2025.