Rappers love the 'gram. It gives them a chance to flex their lavish lifestyles with snaps of their latest whip, diamond chain or million-dollar mansion, while also reveal small parts of their personality through racy posts, hilarious memes, family pics and entertaining videos. Along with flaunting their riches, many hip-hop artists use Instagram as a marketing tool to promote their latest single or endorsement deal.
Whatever their reason for being on Instagram, any credible rapper understands the power of social media and having an engaging presence is necessary for success. With so many artists using the platform, we want to make sure you’re only following the most entertaining, so here are our favourite rappers you need to follow on the 'gram.
Cardi B
Handle: @iamcardib
Followers: 76.5m
Why you should follow: The most entertaining rapper in the game uses her account to promote her music, share memes, post thirst traps and upload hilarious videos of herself discussing all manner of random subjects. Lately, Cardi has also been vocal about the presidential elections, using her platform to endorse the Democratic Party and provide hilarious commentary on the presidential debates.
Drake
Handle: @champagnepapi
Followers: 72.2m
Why you should follow: Do we really need to explain why? Drake loves a throwback pic, posting about his beloved Raptors and sharing shots of his famous friends. Toronto’s Own is also a big fan of supporting other artists' projects with a re-post, so you can always find new music through his account. As you’d expect, some of his content is cheesy, like the video of him eating pasta from his bowl-shaped Spotify award, but that’s Drizzy in a nutshell.
Gucci Mane
Handle: @laflare1017
Followers: 13.9m
Why you should follow: Gucci Mane has been using his account to promote artists from his label of late, but normally his feed is a mixture of pictures depicting his luxurious lifestyle and candid shots of his wife Keyshia Ka’Oir. Big Guwop also has a great sense of humour, often posting pics and memes of him before he stopped drinking lean and lost a shit ton of weight, using them to get a laugh while showing how far he’s come.
Megan Thee Stallion
Handle: @theestallion
Followers: 16.1m
Why you should follow: Besides the adorable snaps of her dogs 40e, Dos, 5ive and X and eye-popping fashion shoots, Houston MC Megan Thee Stallion keeps shit real on the 'gram. Whether using her account to address the Tory Lanez shooting in a freestyle or promoting her “Don’t Stop” scholarship, Stallion mixes business with pleasure on her engaging Insta.
DJ Khaled
Handle: @djkhaled
Followers: 21.9m
Why you should follow: One of the first in hip-hop to take advantage of social media, DJ Khaled’s Insta is more of a marketing tool than his story-driven Snapchat. That said, Khaled posts lots of wholesome pictures of his kids and interactions with celebrities, along with hilarious videos of him cooking, giving advice, riding his jet ski and dancing terribly. Bless up!
Ashnikko
Handle: @ashnikko
Followers: 640k
Why you should follow: Weird, wonderful and surreal are just some of the words that best describe Ashnikko’s Instagram. The rising American rapper is like Grimes meets Tommy Genesis, with her socials full of colourful visuals, nonsensical videos and anime-inspired pics. It might not make sense but it’s damn sure entertaining.
Action Bronson
Handle: @bambambaklava
Followers: 1.7m
Why you should follow: If you need some fitness inspiration Action Bronson is your man. The New York spitter has made it his mission to get fit during isolation and uploads videos of his training regime regularly. When not showing off his weight loss, Bam Bam fills his feed with videos from his various TV shows and pics hyping his new music.
Lizzo
Handle: @lizzobeeating
Followers: 9.2m
Why you should follow: What’s not to like about Lizzo? The flute-toting singer/rapper uses her IG to promote body positivity and self-love through videos of her dancing and embracing her natural shape. From gym workouts to bikini pics and meditation sessions with SZA, Lizzo’s followers are treated to a smorgasbord of quality content from the Truth Hurts artist.
Snoop Dogg
Handle: @snoopdogg
Followers: 53.1 million
Why you should follow: The OG Instagram rapper, Snoop Dogg has been sharing memes and posting throwback pics since 2011. The Compton native posts multiple times a day and provides plenty of laughs, particularly when it comes to his alter ego, Todd.
Meek Mill
Handle: @meekmill
Followers: 20.3m
Why you should follow: Since his release from prison in 2018, Meek Mill has become somewhat of spokesperson for the African American community and an active supporter of Black causes. Between standard rapper pics of him flexing with his crew, Meek uses his position as a celebrity to promote change and bring social issues to the attention of his 20 million followers.
Saweetie
Handle: @saweetie
Followers: 7.8m
Why you should follow: Rising rap star Saweetie loves a thirst trap, but she’s also prone to posting hilarious clips on her regularly updated account. From miming videos (her Friday homage is incredible) to throwback pics and one hysterical clip of her interviewing boyfriend Quavo, Saweetie will having your belly aching with her funny vids.
