Playboi Carti is one of the most popular trap artists in the world today, and he boasts a cult following. His distinctive style, which has been described as cloud rap and mumble rap, is characterised by his repetitive, and often playful rapping style.
Emphasising atmosphere over lyricism, Playboi Carti’s vocal style is typified by his babyish vocals, and slurred, unclear pronunciation. His lyrics are typically focused on sex and drugs.
Playboi Carti got his first taste of success around 2015, dropping tracks on Soundcloud including the hits ‘Broke Boi’ and ‘Fetti.’ His 2016 mixtape In Abundance was another step up in his journey.
It was Playboi Carti’s 2017 self-titled mixtape, however, that saw the artist really make waves. On that record, he laid the foundations for the sound that has made him so popular today.
He has since dropped two albums – Die Lit (2018) and Whole Lotta Red (2020). Whole Lotta Red debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. The record includes features from rap legends Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Future.
Aside from his music, Playboi Carti is known for his fashion sense. His style has been described as a midpoint between the gloss of A$AP Mob, the punk of Lil Uzi Vert, and the camp of Lil Yachty.
In this article, we rank the very best Playboi Carti songs, including tracks from his latest albums and his early discography.
15. Lean 4 Real (feat Skepta)
Album: Die Lit
With its dark, moody trap beat, ‘Lean 4 Real’ is a firm fan favourite. The simple rolling beat with the breathy, minor synth creates a heavy, dank atmosphere. The track features verse from UK grime artist Skepta.
14. Choppa Won’t Miss (feat Young Thug)
Album: Die Lit
Featuring fellow trap legend Young Thug, ‘Choppa Won’t Miss’ has a chilled, yet party-like vibe. The stark, minimal trap beat sits perfectly against the staccato rap verses and Playboi Carti’s vocal interjections.
13. FlatBed Freestyle
Album: Die Lit
Showcasing sparse trap production and Playboi Carti’s unique vocal style, ‘FlatBed Freestyle’ is classic Playboi Carti. The track features that juxtaposition of Playboi Carti’s babyish vocals rapping about sex and drugs.
12. Sky
Album: Whole Lotta Red
The most-streamed track from Playboi Carti’s latest album. ‘Sky’ is one of the more chilled tracks from Whole Lotta Red, an album which is a little more erratic, and more aggressive than Die Lit. The track is about getting high on weed and lean.
11. Broke Boi
Album: N/A
First released in 2015 on Soundcloud, one of the original tracks that got Playboi Carti recognition. With a fat, slow beat, and glistening synth melody, ‘Broke Boi’ showcases much ‘cleaner’ vocals, with minimal effects – characteristic of Playboi Carti’s earlier releases.
10. Fetti (feat Da$H and Maxo Kream)
Album: In Abundance
‘Fetti’ was a key track in Playboi Carti’s evolution, and one of the songs that got him on a lot of peoples’ radars. Like his other early releases, it has a much cleaner vocal. The track was initially released on Soundcloud, before appearing on his In Abundance mixtape.
9. YUNGXANHOE
Album: In Abundance
The opening track to In Abundance, ‘YUNGXANHOE’ features a super dark, slow trap beat. It has the clean vocals of Playboi Carti’s early material, with some out of this world production. A stand out track from his early discography that still earns a spot amongst the best Playboi Carti songs.
8. dothatshit!
Album: Playboi Carti
One of the top tracks on Playboi Carti’s self-titled mixtape, ‘dothatshit!’ is a firm fan favourite. With its weird, happy melody, the track has a very cloud rap sound, and overall a really upbeat, almost comedic vibe. The track is about making sure you do what you say, rather than just talking about it.
7. Yah Mean
Album: Playboi Carti
‘Yah Mean’ is a super chill and atmospheric trap – it’s almost ambient except for the trap beat and percussive vocals. With a thick layer of vocal injections (‘beeps’ and ‘whats’), ‘Yah Mean’ shows Playboi Carti totally pulling off his distinctive style at its most experimental.
6. Location
Album: Playboi Carti
The opening track of Playboi Carti’s groundbreaking mixtape, ‘Location’ is a slow and epic track, that combines ambient elements with a hard trap beat. A perfect example of Playboi Carti’s atmospheric take on trap, and one of the all-time best Playboi Carti songs.
5. Right Now (feat Pi’erre Bourne)
Album: Die Lit
One of the most underrated Playboi Carti tracks. ‘Right Now’ features a dark, heavy trap beat with a trance-like riff that just rolls over and over, uninterrupted for the whole 3:27 of the track. The track also features Pi’erre Bourne, who Playboi Carti often works with in his capacity as a producer. This trick is Playboi Carti at his atmospheric best.
4. Shoota (feat Lil Uzi Vert)
Album: Die Lit
Playboi Carti’s collaborations with Lil Uzi Vert always slap, and ‘Shoota’ is no exception. Uplifting, poppy, and extremely melodic, ‘Shoota’ has atmospheric, cloud rap vibes. If you can get on board with Lil Uzi Vert’s saccharine melodies, then this is a great track – and it features a big drop.
3. Long Time
Album: Die Lit
The opening track on Die Lit, ‘Long Time’ is the perfect introduction to Playboi Carti. Featuring minimal, almost trance-like production, ‘Long Time’ showcases Playboi Carti’s typically repetitive, melodic, and babylike vocals. It’s classic Playboi Carti at his best.
2. wokeuplikethis* feat Lil Uzi Vert
Album: Playboi Carti
One of Playboi Carti’s biggest tracks of all time, ‘wokeuplikethis*’ features those big cloud rap vibes that we expect from a Lil Uzi Vert collaboration. A chill, kick-back track, its trance-like repetitive loop is so atmospheric it’s almost meditative. An undeniable banger, and an all-time essential cloud rap track.
1. Magnolia
Album: Playboi Carti 2017
‘Magnolia’ is Playboi Carti’s most-streamed track for good reason. With its simple, minimal trap groove, it features everything we love about Playboi Carti. Produced by Pi’erre Bourne, ‘Magnolia’ blends all the good elements of trap, cloud rap and mumble rap. Atmospheric, playful, and totally audacious.
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