Certain music is just of the people. While classical music and opera can be for high society and rock music can be for those of a certain age today, country music and rap music share a common bond. They are storytelling and truth-telling genres that are meant for common folk to enjoy and maybe learn a lesson or two from.
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For that reason, it makes sense why several rap artists have jumped to the country genre. And to great success! Here below, we wanted to explore three such examples. A trio of musicians who put down their rhyme books and picked up acoustic guitars. Indeed, these are three famous songwriters who went from rappers to country stars.
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Jelly Roll
While Jelly Roll was born in the Nashville area, the music he first took to was not country. Instead it was rap. And the sharp-tongued lyricist released a plethora of rap albums, which garnered him moderate success. But it was later in his career when he released the 2022 singles “I Need a Favor” and “Son of a Sinner” when country fans took note of his perfect twangy, warbling voice and his ability to sing heart-on-his-sleeve lyrics that resonated with big audiences. Today, Jelly Roll is arguably the biggest star in country music—its fastest-rising comet, its torchbearer. But if you had told him that a decade ago, he probably would have laughed.
Kid Rock
Kid Rock rose to popularity in Detroit right around the time another Motor City rapper (Eminem) did. The two were some of the biggest names in underground hip-hop in the area in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But while Em kept on his rapping path and later met Dr. Dre, Kid Rock instead picked up a guitar and started to release rock songs. Then he quickly showed off his country side and released other songs, like “Cowboy.” His 1998 LP Devil Without a Cause brought him great success and its second track, “Cowboy,” recalled southern rock and country twang. Since then, Kid Rock has released other country songs including “Redneck Paradise,” featuring Hank Williams Jr.
Post Malone
In 2015, Post Malone rose to fame thanks to his rap song “White Iverson.” That track hit No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then, he’s participated in just about every genre from rap to rock and he’s now dabbling in country music, finding yet another audience. In fact, in 2024, he released a new single with country star Blake Shelton, the lively “Pour Me a Drink.” That tune was on his 2024 LP F-1 Trillion, which marked Post’s move to the heartland genre. And while some might be surprised to see Post Malone a country singer, he knows how to write a sticky tune.
Photo by John D Shearer/Shutterstock
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