You could argue that one reason people get into rapping is because they don’t have prominent singing voices. So, without the ability to carry a melody, these performers and lyricists go to the more verbal, spoken-word qualities that rap affords.
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But that of course is not the case for every rapper who picks up a microphone. These five artists below can smoothly and capably slide between singing and rapping.
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1. Drake
Is he a rapper? Is he a singer? Does it have to be one or the other? Long has the debate raged on about what kind of musical artist the 37-year-old, Toronto, Canadian-born Drake is. But the answer never really seems to matter as the actor-turned-songwriter has garnered billions of streams to go along with five Grammy Awards. Whether he’s crooning or spitting fire, Drake’s talents are effective.
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2. Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill, who rose to fame in the 1990s with her trio the Fugees, is a dual threat if there ever was one. Not only could she rap on songs like “How Many Mics” or “Vocab” but she could effortlessly soothe the masses with performances in songs like “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” She undoubtedly had one of the sharpest tongues in the decade as well as one of the sweetest singing voices.
3. Nelly
Okay, maybe the St. Louis rapper Nelly doesn’t have a perfect singing voice, not like Lauryn Hill, but he does have a strong one that graced the radio airwaves in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His singing voice boasted charm and wit, leading to other rappers like 50 Cent being able to walk both lines. Nelly was excellent at doubling his vocals—whether singing or rapping—giving them a chorus-like feel.
4. Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah had such an effortless ability to switch between singing and rapping, which was perfectly displayed in the under-one-minute offering as part of the theme song for the hit 1990s sitcom, Living Single. On the theme, Latifah sings like a goddess and raps like a young and hungry emcee.
5. Missy Elliott
Speaking of Queen Latifah, the artist recently inducted the great Missy Elliott into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And it makes sense why—Queen Latifah paved the way for Missy, who is also a skilled rapper and talented singer. Just check out Missy’s song “Pussycat” below. If it was the only track you’d ever heard from her, you’d think she was a ballad singer.
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