Welcome to the monthly RapTV Power Rankings, a top 10 leaderboard that ranks the hottest artists and releases in the rap genre. The list comprises the industry's most talented and influential artists based on their recent accomplishments, musical releases, and overall impact in a given month.

Whether you're a die-hard hip-hop fan or want to stay up-to-date with industry trends, the RapTV Power Rankings have you covered.

Join us as we take a closer look at the artists, music, and stories that stood out within the last month.

#1. Rod Wave

Previous rank: N/A, Highest rank: 1

Rod Wave earned himself the top spot on this month’s Power Rankings following the release of his fifth studio album, Nostalgia. Boasting 18 tracks with only three features (21 Savage, Sadie Jean & Wet), Rod Wave’s latest project sold 137,000 album-equivalent units in its first week and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. He’s the second artist, after Taylor Swift, to have a #1 album in each of the last three years.

The Florida-born rapper also announced his Nostalgia Tour, which is set to kick off on October 19 and will consist of 34 shows across the United States, plus a show in Toronto, Canada. The tour will also feature guest performances by Ari Lennox, Toosii, G Herbo, and Eelmatic.

#2. Drake

Previous rank: 3, Highest rank: 1

Drake climbed to #2 on this month’s Top 10 list as the world anticipates his latest forthcoming album, For All the Dogs. The Canadian rapper was initially planning to release his album on September 22 but postponed it so he could concentrate on completing his ongoing It’s All a Blur tour. The tour is scheduled to end in Toronto on October 7, and the new album is now set to be released the day before, on October 6.

He also dropped a new single from the project called "Slime You Out,” featuring SZA, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This marks Drake's 12th song to reach the top of the Hot 100, placing him in a tie with Madonna and the Supremes for the 5th most #1 entries on the chart ever.

#3 Doja Cat

Previous rank: 6, Highest rank: 3

Doja Cat moves up to #3 on the Power Rankings podium this month following the release of her latest studio album, Scarlet. Consisting of 17 songs and no features, Doja Cat’s latest effort sold 77,000 album-equivalent units and debuted on the Billboard 200 at #4. Her single, “Paint The Town Red,” finally hit the #1 spot on the Hot 100 this month, marking the second No. 1 single of her career.

The “Demons” rapper also gave a thrilling performance at the 2023 MTV Music Video Awards, where she was nominated for six awards, including Artist of the Year, and won the award for Best Art Direction for her song “Attention.”

#4 Lil Tecca

Previous rank: N/A, Highest rank: 4

Lil Tecca earned the #4 spot on Power Rankings this month after the release of his third studio album, TEC. Tecca's latest project features 16 tracks with only two guest appearances by Ken Carson and Kodak Black. During its first week of release, the album sold approximately 41,000 album-equivalent units and debuted at #11 on the Billboard 200 chart. Additionally, the record reached the Top 5 on both the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart and the Top Rap Albums Chart.

#5 Sexyy Red

Previous rank: N/A, Highest rank: 5

Sexxy Red made her Power Rankings debut this month as the St. Louis-born rap sensation continued to release new music, building on her mounting popularity. Sexxy has released several new tracks this month, including collaborations with Lil Durk on "Hellcats SRTs 2", Moneybagg Yo and CMG on "Big Dawg," and Raedio on "No Panties.”

Another one of her new songs, "Shake Yo Dreads,” also went viral in September, leading to a TikTok trend with over 50,000 videos created using the sound. Additionally, Sexyy Red was nominated for the BET Award for Best Breakthrough Hip-Hop Artist and was announced as a performer at the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 10.

#6 Offset

Previous rank: N/A, Highest rank: 6

Offset returns to Power Rankings this September, as the former Migos began the rollout of his upcoming album, Set It Off. The second solo album was announced in mid-September and is set to be released on October 14th. Along with the announcement, the Atlanta rapper dropped the promotional single "FAN" which has already garnered over 4.3 million views on YouTube. He went viral in September for appearing on a 24-hour livestream with popular streamer Kai Cenat and showing off his humor in an interview with podcaster Bobbi Althoff

#7 Gunna

Previous rank: 7, Highest rank: 4

Gunna remains on the Power Rankings this month after giving stellar performances at his first headlining shows in two years. The performances titled The Gift and The Curse were held on September 9 and 28 in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, respectively. He was praised for his leaner physique, allowing him to maneuver the stage in a way fans had never seen, and for his vocal performance, rapping on the instrumental version of his songs with no backtrack.

At the LA show, Gunna brought out Afrobeats artist Victor Thompson to perform his hit song “This Year (Blessings)” and jumped on the mic with him—further flexing his vocal ability to match Thompson’s smooth singing.

#8 Quavo

Previous rank: 2, Highest rank: 2

Quavo remains on this month’s Top 10, moving from #2 to #8. The rapper made headlines for using his platform to advocate for gun violence prevention—several months after the untimely passing of his nephew and groupmate TakeOff. The Rocket Power rapper was filmed meeting with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on the subject and even made an appearance on Good Morning America. 

Quavo also appeared on the first episode of RapTV’s Fame and Flavor alongside culinary influencer Cugine and sparked rumors that a “Huncho Jack” sequel may be in the works.

#9 Travis Scott

Previous rank: 1, Highest rank: 1

Travis Scott's fourth studio album, Utopia, released in July, continues to impress audiences, landing him the #9 spot on Power Rankings for yet another month. The Texas icon prepares to embark on his upcoming Circus Maximus tour, set to begin October 11 in Charlotte, NC. The aforementioned tour is now scheduled to include 39 stops across the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, rumors surrounding a “Huncho Jack” sequel with Quavo began to circulate following his recent comments on an Instagram post by Our Generation Music celebrating “Huncho Jack,” which passed a billion streams on Spotify.

#10 Teezo Touchdown

Previous rank: N/A, Highest rank: 10

Teezo Touchdown made his debut on Power Rankings this month after releasing his first studio album titled How Do You Sleep at Night. He’s received multiple co-signs from industry heavyweights—Travis Scott, Tyler, the Creator, and Drake, to name a few. Although the album only sold around 8,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, it received critical acclaim online and quickly became one of our favorite albums released in September.