The future of music

25 Best Rap Karaoke Songs (Hip-Hop Tracks)

June 7, 2023
best rap karaoke songs

In today’s shortlist of the 25 best rap karaoke songs, we have a fun mixture up our sleeves for you!

We have the catchy karaoke rap tracks; The ones that dominated when hip-hop started to creep into the mainstream.

The songs that will have the audience rooting for you.

Raps that went down in history to become classics that will always be an acceptable karaoke staple.

Rap karaoke with bars so fast you might fall flat on your face.

Whether you manage to wrap your tongue around the words or not, you will have a laugh trying to do so and so will anyone who is with you!

Not all of us are singers, some of us feel more comfortable at a karaoke party ripping one of these guys.

So, here are some of our suggestions for the most entertaining rap and hip-hop karaoke tracks to try.

1. “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang

Up first is “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang, it’s the song that brought hip-hop to a wider audience in the early 1980s.

It started life as a freestyle over Chic’s “Good Times” and eventually evolved into the track we know today.

Rap was not new but it was niché, many were rapping within the Bronx.

In the eyes of the masses, however, “Rappers Delight” was one of the first they had ever heard.

2. “U Can’t Touch This” by MC Hammer

This one is ridiculously catchy and makes you want to dance making a great rap karaoke party choice.

You’ll have people moving with its memorable opening riffs borrowed from Rick James that continue throughout.

The rapping itself isn’t the most difficult in the world so you won’t make a fool of yourself.

Unless you wear the Hammer Pants.

3. “Jump Around” by House Of Pain

The best rap songs for karaoke are the ones everyone knows the hook to, so they can sing along even if they can’t keep up with the verse.

That high-pitched squeal is instantly recognizable, one bar, and your company will know what song you have chosen to brave your way through. 

It is again another track to get people moving, great for front-room renditions or something more public if you dare.

4. “Push It” by Salt-N-Pepa

Equally as catchy as those above and once again a dancefloor filler is “Push It”.

Released before the three tracks above in 1987 this one found its feet after a remix made it to radio.

It charted at number 2 and is another fun choice that everyone will be familiar with.

The rapping itself isn’t fast-paced and is easy to spit and remember. Lyrically it borrows from some other famous songs.

You’ll notice a fair few writing credits.

“Boy, you really got me goin’/You got me so I don’t know what I’m doin’”

The line above is directly ripped and rapped from The Kink’s “You Really Got Me Going.

5. “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio ft. L.V

Following Coolio’s death this one was used in Michele Pfifer’s “Dangerous Minds” Soundtrack and the song rose to popularity.

A piece of hip-hop history, this one deserves a spot on our rap karaoke songs rundown.

It was released with a distinctly bleak contrast to Coolio’s previous work which had been fun and funky.

So if you want something a little more serious to rap at a karaoke night it’s a great choice.

The rapping is at a good pace, and the string instrument choices and choral elements of it give a vehement weight behind the dark lyrics.

6. “The Message” by GrandMaster Flash

Sticking with the Golden age of hip hop we have another great rap karaoke challenge.

It again has a more serious side to it than some we have shown.

It was one of the first mainstream raps to make political commentary.

Until its release Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five had been a little more fun and flash.

Either boasting about their accolades or feel-good vibes.

7. “It’s Tricky” by Run DMC

Released far later in the 80s “It’s Tricky” marked the start of hip-hop evolving into something else entirely.

Run DMC was experimenting with this one, beginning to dabble in rock.

It was at the same time they got involved with Aerosmith for “Walk This Way”.

The critically received track makes for a fun hip-hop karaoke song to choose from. 

Bringing hip-hop and rock together with its sample from The Knack’s “My Sharona”.

8. “It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube

A lot of the best hip-hop rising to popularity was more political.

Known for his brutal commentary Ice Cube rose to prominence with his aggressive honesty with a violent edge.

His rapping style helped birth Gangsta Rap.

But if you are looking for an Ice Cube rap song to perform at karaoke that is less savage then “It Was A Good Day” is the track for you.

9. “California Love” by 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre

Another karaoke rap song by one of the most influential hip-hop artists to consider is this one.

California Love” is a rap that isn’t too taxing to try your hand at.

The rap goes over a dance track which will keep the crowd pleased whilst you give it your best shot.

It might not have been one of his most poetic tracks nor is it as raw as some of his work gets but it was hugely popular.

It was 2Pac’s most successful single and became his most well-known song as well. 

10. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg

If you want a choice of rap songs for karaoke but can’t rap at speed then Snoop is your man.

The Californian rapper is known for his laid-back delivery style that redefined west coast hip-hop.

His rhymes are not long and you don’t have any tough syllables to pack in to panic about either.

11. “No Diggity” by Blackstreet and Dr. Dre ft. Queen Pen

The first single from Blackstreet’s second album, “No Diggity” blew up unexpectedly. 

The now critically acclaimed track wasn’t popular with the group; they didn’t like the phrase for starters.

The hook was left to producer Riley as no one wanted to be associated with the bars.

Once it rose to popularity everyone in the group wished they had sung the line!

12. “Lose Yourself” by Eminem

We can’t write a best rap karaoke songs article without an Eminem track and spoiler alert this won’t be the only mention of the Rap God.

Although he had seen some early fame for his work with D12 and a few of his own raps, the release of 8 Mile gave us this gem.

Many in the mainstream found Em to be too offensive, too violent, and chauvinistic whether it was tongue in cheek or not.

“Lose Yourself” with its anthemic feel and gritty but honest lyrics that have an inspiring conscious message was a different story.

Seeing Slim in a different medium in this case film also pushed notoriety.

If you want a rap karaoke song that won’t rattle any feathers, look no further!

13. “In Da Club” by 50 Cent

“Go shorty it’s your birthday”…

This track became 50’s first number-one hit, freshly released from his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

It is packed full of nostalgia for anyone who peaked in the early noughties and will go down a treat if you want a rap karaoke track to perform in front of friends.

The rest of the album was pretty dark but this one was a celebratory bit of fun and flexing. 

14. “Miss Jackson” by Outkast

This song won André 3000 and Big Boi a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

It is a great rap karaoke song to opt for if you are planning on getting up with a buddy.

The hook line is sung so if one of you is better at the bars and the other has a voice it’s ideal.

15. “Hey Ya!” by Outkast

André 3000 and Big Boi also brought us this track which was arguably even more popular.

Critically acclaimed from the moment of release, this number-one is considered one of the greatest songs to have emerged from the 90s.

“Hey Ya!” was an instant hit and if you are performing a rap at a karaoke night then it will be a crowd-pleasing favorite.

It has plenty of iconic parts that the audience will want to sing and dance along with.

“Shake it, shake, shake it, shake it, shake it (Uh oh)

Shake it like a Polaroid picture, hey ya!.”

16. “Insane in the Brain” by Cypress Hill

Chock-full of nostalgic samples from the 60s and 70s this chilled-out rap is perfect for a summer evening karaoke party.

It was Cyprus Hills’ first single from their second album, Black Sunday, and broke out of the rap charts into the mainstream bringing their name to wider audiences.

The rapping isn’t too word heavy, you shouldn’t trip up too much if you give this one a try.

17. “Can I Get A…” by Jay Z ft. Amil and Ja Rule

If you are looking for a hip-hop karaoke song that a mixed group can have a crack at then this could be the one for you.

With Jay Z’s protégé Amil’s vocals chiming in, you have a part for the ladies to hold as well.

This one rose to popularity after being featured on the Rush Hour movie soundtrack.

It was played to death everywhere for a while, but it’s been long enough that your audience probably won’t have heard it recently.

18. “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest

We are back to the fun raps for karaoke with “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest.

It is a laid-back funky little number with a great groove.

You need to rap confidently to pull it off.

Sampling was prominent throughout hip-hop music but until it was mainstream there were no real monetary arguments.

For the most part, the artists sampled had no clue their work was being rapped over.

A Tribe Called Quest received no royalties for this one, and although Lou Reed permitted them to use “Walk on the Wild Side” he never shared the boon.

19. “Break Ya Neck” by Busta Rhymes

When the beat is right, you can’t help but want to move.

This hip-hop staple from Busta Rhymes encompasses the sentiment in simple repetitive phrases.

It is a song about turning the music up and nodding your head to the beat.

Busta thinks he has music that will “Break ya neck” as you bop along.

The rapping does get a little high-velocity and might be hard to pull off.

But it’s ideal if you want a challenging rap karaoke song to perform.

Your crowd will recognize parts even if they have never heard the Bust Rhymes track.

It interpolates with “Give It Away” by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

But be warned there are a lot of expletives that could be offensive in the wrong company. 

20. “Get Back” by Ludacris

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLWglcvgDkU&ab_channel=Let%27sSing%21

Something a little slower-paced and less of a tongue twister with equal impact is “Get Back” by Ludacris.

It is a hip-hop brawling rap.

The beat again will have you nodding your head like Busta’s.

The hook is fun, with “whoop whoop” noises that the crowd is guaranteed to help provide.

They might recognize it as the song Tom Cruise dances to at the end of the 2008 movie “Tropic Thunder”.

21. “Milkshake” by Kelis

If the women are looking for a rap karaoke song to execute in front of an audience then “Milkshake” by Kelis is always a fun option.

It is catchy, everyone knows the chorus, and let’s be honest the rapping isn’t first-class.

So you won’t trip over the words too much!

You have the bonus of some real singing to show off with the melody being a little more, well, melodic than most of our entries.

22. “For For Your Right” by Beastie Boys

With their alternative hip-hop style, the Beastie Boys also made a huge impact on the scene. 

This one is the perfect track to pick if you really want to rap karaoke but have a crowd of rockers.

Your audience won’t be able to resist belting out the hook with you and the rapping itself is pretty tame in terms of talent.

It is an easy choice, but not so obvious!

23. “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Another rap karaoke song choice that isn’t necessarily a first thought is the anthemic dance track “Can’t Hold Us”.

While it isn’t strictly a hip-hop track the rap sections will impress a rap connoisseur.

Macklemore lays down some intricately structured bars throughout.

There is rhythmic interest to keep an audience engaged and the song style will get any crowd amped up.

It builds to an empirical state, just when you think it can’t get any more epic it does.

“Can’t Hold Us” is a rap karaoke song to get a party well and truly started.

24. “Homicide” by Logic ft. Eminem

If you’re not a fan of Eminem you may as well scroll past our last two entries! 

This one is an underrated masterpiece from Logic, as he makes a very critical observation of the hip-hop industry and modern rappers’ contributions.

If you follow his commentary and understand what he is trying to achieve in his lyrics then you’ll see how clever he is with his words.

Chock full of humor, and a variety of rapping styles it is a challenging rap karaoke song perfect for a pair as you have Em’s cameo to tackle too.

25. “Rap God” by Eminem

We are ending with a suggestion that is probably going to be beyond the rapping capabilities of many.

But, with good friends in the comfort of your home, it is going to get everyone giggling as you try to compete with those “Super-Human” lyrics “comin’ at you at supersonic speed”.

It might even be the most fun option to try as a group on today’s list.

Let’s not forget, if you can keep up with Slim’s “lyrical acrobats”  you may well be crowned the “Rap God” of your karaoke party.

It is bound to impress!

Best Rap Karaoke Songs – Final Thoughts

Whether it is epic 80s rock or rap, karaoke should be fun!

We have tried to provide an eclectic mix that covers some of the most popular raps to ever emerge into mainstream music.

Whether you’ve got bars or not, trying to get from start to finish in your lounge with your bestie with the songs above is going to bring smiles and maybe even cackling.

If you have skills and can keep up with the greats then you will impress in a karaoke bar.

We have dug out some of the best hip-hop karaoke tracks for any event public or private and we hope you agree.

You may also like: Best Karaoke Songs of All Time

Will Fenton

Will, the founder of MIDDER, is a multifaceted individual with a deep passion for music and personal finance. As a self-proclaimed music and personal finance geek, he has a keen eye for futuristic technologies, especially those that empower creators and the public.

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