From Trending on TikTok to Topping the Charts: 6 Rap Artists Who Got Their Start on Social Media

The days of discovering new rap artists on the radio are over. Social media platforms like TikTok have changed how consumers hear and see new rap artists for the first time.

These platforms made it possible for artists to receive mass popularity in a short amount of time — or in layman's terms, go viral. Every famous rap artist who blew up on TikTok saw the potential benefits that engaging with their fans and trends online could generate

NLE Choppa blew up from his hit single “Shotta Flow” in 2019, which has more than 200 million streams to date.

Early in NLE’s career, he took the advice from his management team to use TikTok because of its potential reach with fans, which turned out to be a great career move! Today, NLE Choppa has 16.8 million followers and over three billion streams altogether.

Yeat's rise to stardom began in 2021 following the release of his mixtape, 4L, and album, Up 2 Me. His music blew up on TikTok thanks to the unique use of sounds like bells and autotune.

A few songs that have accelerated his career include “Sorry About That”, “Get Busy,” and “Money So Big.” To date, Yeat has over three million followers on Instagram and 300,000 on TikTok. He has two billion streams on Spotify, bringing in 12 million listeners monthly (via Spotify.)

Armani White blew up before putting out an EP or album. So how did Armani become a famous rap artist who blew up on TikTok? Simple. His hit song “Billie Eilish.”

Armani shared a 16-second clip of the song, which sampled “Nothin” from rapper Noreaga. The audio was later reshared by millions of TikTokers. Armani White continues to grow as a storyteller and has 5.3 million monthly listeners (via Spotify).

SoFayGo is an Atlanta Native who started out on SoundCloud and his fan base grew by using TikTok. SoFaygo got his big break on TikTok with his single “Knock, Knock” back in 2019.

He was formerly signed to Travis Scott’s Label, Cactus Jack Records, and is known for his albums ANGELIC 7, Pink Heartz, and Hostility. SoFaygo has over 2 million monthly streams (via Spotify).

Don Toliver’s success didn’t happen overnight, but TikTok helped skyrocket Don into the spotlight.

Don Toliver’s was featured on Travis Scott’s, Astroworld album and featured on the hit single, “Can’t Say.” From there, Don Toliver's career grew. He has worked with some heavy hitters in the industry including Gunna, NAV, Future, and more.

Some of Don’s viral songs on Tiktok are “No Idea” and “After Party.” Don Toliver has over 20 million monthly streams (via Spotify).

Rod Wave's first viral moment in the industry goes back to 2016 when Rod participated in the Ten Toes Down Challenge. In 2018, Rod Wave's hit single, "Heart on Ice" gained traction on TikTok.

Rod Wave's take on emo trap has changed music as we know it. His most popular albums include Ghetto Gospel, Hunger Games, and SoulFly. Rod Wave has over 9.2 million monthly streams (via Spotify) and continues to grow as an artist.