Top 16 clean rap songs
There has never been a shared definition for explicit music. Some think it is a curse word or an inappropriate reference, but what really is it?
When I started searching for songs I used Spotify. The problem with Spotify is that there is really no explicit definition. Sometimes I’d click on a song that said it was clean, but really wasn’t. I learned that for a song to be claimed “explicit” a viewer had to report the song or the label identify it as explicit, “We can’t guarantee all explicit content is marked as such,” this is a very inefficient system and will most of the time fail.
I have spent hours making sure all songs on this list are clean. I’ve interviewed several parents/teachers on what they thought of the songs and if they were clean. All song have been approved by the people I have interviewed. I made this playlist because I knew the pain to find a straight-up clean song. All 16 songs on this playlist are clean in every way; there is no explicit content or inappropriate references. While all songs on this list are clean, most of the artists on this list are not. Here are some short descriptions on the top 10 to this list:
1. Butterfly Effect- Travis Scott
Artwork: AstroWorld album cover
Butterfly Effect is a very well known clean song, despite being a clean song Butterfly Effect placed 50 on the billboard hot 100 following the release of Astroworld. Former US president Barack Obama said that the song was one of his favorites that came out that 2017 year.
2. Portland- King Cassius x Zmny
Artwork: Single cover for Portland
King Cassius was 18 years old when Portland first dropped. Zmny has 31k subscribers on youtube. Even though Portland has not blown up yet, it probably will soon.
3. Big Fish-Vince Staples
Artwork: Big Fish single cover
This song deserves to make it into the top 3. The beat is hard, and it’s a great song to add to many different types of playlists. The chorus is strong, and the lyrics are tight, as well as clean. Big Fish talks a lot about basketball: “I was up late night ballin,” which also connects to basketball players that aren’t into rap songs.
4. Wrong- Luh Kel
Artwork: Single cover for Wrong
Wrong is more of a deep song on this playlist. The lyrics are very well thought of and connect to the listeners. Just like all of the songs on this playlist, it is clean. Even though it’s a bit different, it is still a great rap song.
5. Save the Day- Ski Mask the Slump God x Jacquees
Artwork: Spiderman mixtape
Initially, Save the Day was not on the list, but as soon as I heard it, it was a must to add it. This song is part of the Spiderman mixtape, along with a few others on the list.
Check out playlist here
6. Now or Never- Kendrick Lamar
Artwork: Good kid Maad city was one of Kendrick’s earlier hit album
To date, this is the only clean song by Kendrick Lamar. Out of all 9 album’s (including deluxe edition), there was one song, Now or Never. It was a bonus track to Kendrick Lamar’s hit album Good Kid MAAD City.
7. Panini- DaBaby x Lil Nas X
Artwork: Single Cover of Panini remix
Panini had already hit its peak before DaBaby hopped on the track get back on the hot 100. Panini’s official music video had dropped a couple of days before this remix was released. DaBaby adds more rap lyrics into the song, even though Panini originally already was hip hop/rap.
8. Emotions- Iann Dior
Artwork: Iann Dior’s Album Nothings Ever Good Enough
Emotions was the hit single on Iann Dior’s 2nd album. Iann Dior talks about his emotions, mainly during his high school life. The record is partly clean, with “Emotions” and another song, “Crash my whip,” is the most successful one. Sadly, Crash My Whip is not clean.
9. All day long- Chance the Rapper x John Legend
Artwork: The Big Day album cover.
All day long is the first song on Chance the Rapper's 6th album The Big Day. Chance the Rapper is known for having clean songs. John Legend is more in the pop scene, and his most popular All of Me is clean, and it peaked at #1 on the hot 100.
10. Hide-Juice WRLD x Seezyn
Artwork: Spiderman mixtape
Hide is one of Juice WRLD’s few clean songs. Hide has a sad beat, but the lyrics aren’t sad. Just like Save The Day, it is also from the spiderman mixtape. The song comes up when the main character in the movie is told that he is not good enough. After the song plays, he says: “I’m tired of letting everyone down.” This is when the movie starts getting action-packed and exciting. Juice WRLD recently died december 8th in the Chicago airport, we all wish him a peaceful rest.
RIP Juice
Check out playlist here
11. Pay the man-JID x saba foster the people
Single cover
12. Fallen-jaden
13. Elavate- YBN Cordae x Denzel Curry x Swavay x Trevor Rich
14. Worth it- YK Osiris
15. Celebrate- DJ khaled x Travis Scott x Post Malone
16. Changes- XXXTentaction
? album cover (RIP X)
Check out playlist here
Thank you:
Mr. Corbett
Mr. Smith
Mr. Switzer
Mrs. Silverstein
