The 100 Hottest Rappers Right Now (Oct. 2026) 🔥 This past week, we gave our 100 Hottest Rappers list a full overhaul as we head into the fourth quarter of 2026. From Carti and Rod Wave to Drake and Ye, here are the 5️⃣ Hottest Rappers in the game right now. LINK IN complexmusic BIO to read and #ReRank the entire list on Complex 🔗 A year after Playboi Carti dropped ‘MUSIC,’ we are officially on ‘BabyBoi’ watch. In 2026, he’s give n Fatt Smaxk a minor street hit on “Smaxk or Die” while also turning in stellar verses on Ken Carson’s “Deaf Note” and “wedidit.” Most importantly, he’s headlining and co-creative directing complexcon 2026 on Oct. 3-4 in Los Angeles. Snag your tickets in our bio. Rod Wave might be the most low-key superstar in rap. His new album ‘Don’t Look Down’ is already another smash, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200—marking Rod’s fourth No. 1 album of his career. Every time it looks like Ye is finished, he finds a way back. Even before Bully dropped, his st...