Written by written by @bryce
Intro
If you’re like me, recommending rap or hip-hop music to others can sometimes be a challenge due to its explicit nature. Sure, you could suggest the clean versions of popular tracks, but these edits often feel choppy and leave the underlying explicit themes intact. This makes it tough to find clean rap songs that are enjoyable without worrying about the content. Whether you’re creating a playlist for a family gathering or just want something more appropriate for all ears, finding songs that strike the right balance can be tricky.
But today, I want to explore the world of clean rap songs out there that deliver the energy, rhythm, rhyme schemes and story telling that hip hop and rap is known for, without the explicit content. Whether you’re looking for something you can share with any and all audiences, or even just want to explore your favorite genre in a new way, clean rap songs offer a fantastic solution. Check out our playlist here!
Why Clean Rap Songs Matter
Clean rap songs play a crucial role in making hip hop more accessible to a wider audience. They offer a way to enjoy the genre without worrying about inappropriate or explicit language and themes. This is especially important in settings like family gatherings, school events, public spaces, or use in media such as TV, YouTube, or other social media platforms.
Clean rap songs and clean hip hop songs can act as an entrance to the genre for those who are hesitant about explicit content. They demonstrate that rap can be both entertaining and suitable for all listeners, showing off the genre in a much more accessible way.
Clean Rap in Pop Culture
While clean rap songs and clean hip hop songs might seem to be a lesser experience than the traditional explicit experience, there are plenty of fantastic examples throughout culture. For a stellar example, just look at the soundtracks for Sony Picture’s film’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse“. Both soundtracks feature tracks from popular artists that showcase the best of clean hip hop songs. They provide a diverse array of clean rap songs that highlight the genre’s ability to entertain and inspire, all while remaining family friendly.
Across the two soundtracks you’ll hear from many legends across the genre, from trap to boom bap, old and new. This includes but isn’t limited to, Vince Staples, Nas, A$AP Rocky, Juice WRLD, and of course Post Malone and Swae Lee on the iconic track “Sunflower“. You can also hear many of the great producers on Metro Boomin’s soundtrack for “Across the Spider-Verse”, including Metro himself, Mike Dean, James Blake, and many others. It really feels like a full hip hop and rap experience, without even being explicit in the first place. Catchy beats and uplifting lyrics, showing that clean rap songs can be both engaging and impactful.
Our playlist of Clean Rap Songs
From artists new and old, from the east coast to the west, from clean hip hop songs and clean rap songs to clean trap songs, our playlist will help you scratch the rap and hip hop itch you have without the explicit nature the genre is known for. Running at over 4 hours, this playlist was built to give you a full hip hop experience without the explicit content.
Featured Clean Rap Songs from our playlist
- “Express Yourself” – N.W.A.
- “The Ills” – Denzel Curry
- “Nas Morales” – Metro Boomin, Nas
- “Butterfly Effect” – Travis Scott
- “Off The Grid” – Kanye West
As you can see, if clean rap songs are your jam, that doesn’t mean that you have to limit yourself from listening to some big names in the industry. This is just a selection of 5 of the 75 tracks featured on this playlist, and you can still enjoy legends like Nas, Kanye West, Travis Scott, N.W.A., and many many more. Use your own judgement, and explore the genre!
Creating Your Own Clean Rap Playlist
If you’re interested in making your own playlist of clean rap songs, we’ve got some tips for you!
- Look For Clean Versions: Many popular rap songs have clean versions available. Check streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music for explicit-free versions.
- Explore Soundtracks: Movie and TV show soundtracks often feature clean rap songs to avoid it affecting their age ratings. Like we mentioned before, the “Spider-Verse” soundtracks are a fantastic example, and there are many others out there, try checking the soundtracks for your favorite movies or tv shows!
- Check Artist Releases: Many artists consistently produce clean versions of their releases for those that appreciate the genre but don’t appreciate the explicit nature. You can find these for plenty of albums, just do a search on the streaming platform of your choice, and look for the version of the album without the “E” for explicit.
Outro
Clean rap songs and clean hip hop songs prove that the genre can be entertaining and suitable for all audiences. Whether you’re enjoying the soundtracks to your favorite movies, or checking out Kanye’s latest Christian rap endeavor, you’ll find that rap can still be very diverse and impactful, without relying on explicit content.
What are your favorite clean rap songs? Share some of your recommendations or a playlist in the comments below, and check out our curated playlist for more family friendly, clean hip hop songs. Check out the other blog posts here on The Groove Grounds, and sign up today so you never miss a post in the future. I hope you have fun with your squeaky clean listening!
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