Rap music is all about beats, bars, and bass. This article lists some of the best bass rap songs, from the biggest rappers of our generation.
Rap music producers have been constantly leveling up in recent years, as genres like drill and trap have taken over the mainstream. This has led to ever-improving sound design standards.
So if you’re wanting to feel that bass rumble, here’s a list of the best bass rap songs to get your subwoofer going.
1. Humble – Kendrick Lamar
This track from Kendrick Lamar’s iconic ‘DAMN’ album features some amazing production and one of the heaviest bass lines you’ll find in rap music.Â
The kick drum and bass line fall more or less in unison, and the long, descending decay creates a super heavy feel. One of Kendrick Lamar’s best tracks, and a legendary bass rap song.Â
2. Magnolia – Playboi Carti
‘Magnolia’ is one the best Playboi Carti songs, and it features stunning production, courtesy of Carti’s long-term collaborator, Pi’erre Bourne.
The track features a big round bass sound that interplays with the minimal trap beat and the overall spacious sonics of the track. An absolute banger to test out your subwoofer, and one of the defining rap songs of the 2010s.
An essential track for any bass rap playlist.
3. Man – Skepta
Skepta is a UK grime artist who has found a following on both sides of the Atlantic.
‘Man’ comes from his critically-acclaimed 2016 Konnichiwa album and features one of his best bass lines. The one-bar bass ostinato wraps around after picking out an octave, which makes it roll perfectly.Â
Combined with extremely warm production and Skepta’s aggressive rapping style, the track is a winner every time.
4. Look At Me! – XXXTentacion
First dropped on Soundcloud in 2015, ‘Look At Me!’ is the track that broke XXXTentacion. The artist went on to develop a cult following before his death in 2018.
X is known for combining elements of trap, emo, and nu-metal in his music. ‘Look At Me!’ fits in the trap bracket, and it features an extremely heavy, throbbing sub bass line. The bass line is so low that some speakers hardly pick it up.
For that reason, it’s the perfect track to test your subwoofer. A legendary bass rap song from one of the 2010s most controversial rappers, and one of XXXTentacion’s best songs.
5. Witness – Roots Manuva
‘Witness (1 Hope)’ was a UK club classic from grime artist Roots Manuva, and it features one of the most infectious bass lines from UK rap.
The track, characterised by Roots Manuva’s leftfield, slightly comical lyrics, takes influence from dubstep and grime. The outcome is an iconically bouncy bass line that hits hard even on weak speakers.
6. I’m In It – Kanye West
Kanye’s track ‘I’m In It’ is one of the legendary artist’s most bass heavy songs. The big drop comes on 1:19, when the subby, distorted bass makes its first appearance.
The track comes off Kanye’s 2013 Yeezus album and features guest vocals from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and Assassin. The track is also noted for its sexually explicit lyrics.
The overall production on the track is totally wild, and featured the input of five producers in addition to Kanye – Evian Christ, Dom Solo, Noah Goldstein, Arca, and Mike Dean.
7. Swing My Door – Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane is credited as one of the founders of trap music, and his music features some of the heaviest bass of all the trap artists.
‘Swing My Door’ is a case in point, with its outrageously huge bass sound. Some would say it goes too far with the bass distorting and taking over massive space within the mix.Â
The jury is out on the finer details of the production, but it’s undeniably a huge bass rap track that deserves a place on this list.
8. You See Me – Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino’s ‘You See Me’ showcases impressive production with some extremely heavy bass.
The kick and bass have an extended, almost reverby decay that totally fills out the bottom end of the mix. On a good subwoofer, it sounds insane.
What really makes the track is the way the metallic brass sounds and virtuosic rap vocals sit against the bass. An amazing mix that totally slaps on a good sound system.
9. Neon Guts – Lil Uzi Vert feat. Pharrell Williams
This cloud rap classic from Lil Uzi Vert features an usual bass line that works extremely well.
The track combines strong melodic and atmospheric elements with trap high hats, and a staccato, percussive bass line.
The combination of the spacious atmosphere that Lil Uzi Vert does so well, combined with the punchy bass make it perfect for testing out your car’s subwoofer.
10. Ultimate – Denzel Curry
An aggressive trap anthem, Denzel Curry’s ‘Ultimate’ is full of searing energy and features a heavy bass line.
The bass pushes the track along with unrelenting energy, using the kick drum and bass sound in unison.
The track, produced by Ronny J, is packed with obscure TV and pop culture records, and was rocketed to fame thanks to going viral on Vine.
11. Phantom – Smokepurpp
Smokepurpp is a trap artist who has avoided the limelight, and that has led to him building a cult underground following. His underground popularity is no doubt thanks, in part, to the hard production on his tracks.
‘Phantom’ is the perfect example. The track’s bass is extremely simple, using just one note. But the extremely deep tone, and the spacious mix make it earth thundering on the right speakers.Â
The contrast between the dark, atmospheric production with the screechy, bizarre Playboi Carti-esque vocal interjections makes for a hard-hitting, bass-heavy rap track.
12. Coupe – Future
One of the biggest names in rap, Future is at the forefront of the trap scene. A pioneer of mumble rap, Future is revered for his creative use of autotune and vocal effects.
Future’s success has been astonishing. A prolific artist, he has released a total of nine studio albums since 2012. He has been heavily involved in the production on all of them. All of them are at least gold certified, with his 2015 album DS2 going double platinum.
‘Coupe’ showcases Future’s production skills. The track has that characteristically dark trap atmosphere, with the rapid hi-hats providing the counterpoint to that huge, round, long-decay bass sound.
13. Freebase – 2Chainz
2Chainz is a legend of trap, and the majority of his tracks showcase some pretty hard production. ‘FreeBase’ comes off his 2014 FreeBase EP, and it’s one of his best bass rap songs.Â
The track builds a lot of tension with pauses and silences where the beat drops out entirely, making the bass hit even harder when it drops in.
14. SICKO MODE – Travis Scott feat. Drake
‘SICKO MODE’ is one of Travis Scott’s most-loved tracks, and comes from his seminal 2018 ASTROWORLD album.
The track features two distinct sections with different basslines. The middle section hits hard, but arguably the biggest bass line is the one that drops at 3:21.
The ‘SICKO MODE’ bass lines are extremely simple. It’s the production that makes the bass on this track feel so heavy and so effective, and one of the ultimate rap bass songs.
15. Day ‘N’ Nite – Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi is one of the most influential names in rap music over the past two decades.Â
He has earned the respect of hip-hop heads the world over thanks to his thoughtful lyrics and his ability to craft massive hooks, combined with some hard production.
The production on this track is kind of genius. For the first two minutes, the kick drum alone provides ample bass. It’s not until 1 minute and 52 seconds in that the song’s deep fuzz bass line drops in, taking it to even deeper, fatter levels.
A rap classic that testifies to the power of bass!
I hope you’ve found something you like on this short list of bass rap songs. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Header image: Kid Cudi
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