Hip-hop consists of four main pillars: rapping, DJing, break dancing and graffiti writing. While graf isn't a huge part of the rap scene nowadays as it once was back in the 1980s, dancing still is. While there are plenty of rappers who have two left feet and don't dance (just a sign of the times), there are other artists that bring the flair and rhythm along with their music. More often, rappers are dropping songs that have a dance attached (looking at you, Drake and BlocBoy JB). Some of hip-hop's favorites simply don't shy away from a chance to get loose and showcase their moves.
There aren't as many obvious picks, such as artists who blew up along with their dance, but there are more subtle acts who've worked their dancing into their rap persona. By now, everyone has seen the footage of Offset dancing when he was a teenager, and how that has worked its way into his performances and videos as a member of Migos. But what about Gunna? He didn't start out as a rapper who dances but has been working more moves into his live shows, and looks comfortable doing it.
Another similar example is O.T. Genasis, who got hot in 2014, with the video for "CoCo," where he doesn't dance at all, but he's a legit dance machine now. There are also other rappers that shocked hip-hop fans with their dance skills. Case in point: Jadakiss doing a windmill like a veteran b-boy on Instagram, showing just how deep his hip-hop ties run. No matter what, there will be some names that surprise you.
From Chance The Rapper to Ski Mask The Slump God and more, XXL highlights some rappers who aren't always known for dancing, but have definitely added it to their repertoire. Check out These Rappers Are Secretly Good Dancers and Have the Skills to Prove It.
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Offset
In 2015, the fans first discovered that Offset was a dancer when video of him getting loose with the popping and locking as a teen surfaced. Further research revealed that he's been dancing since he was a child, performing backup for Whitney Houston and TLC. He now dances on stage and on Instagram regularly.
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Jadakiss
When this video first surfaced in 2016, some rap fans didn't believe it was actually ’Kiss. Time eventually proved that it was really the Yonkers, N.Y.-bred rapper, and that Jada had a hidden talent outside the booth.
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DaBaby
DaBaby has been dancing around in his videos since he first emerged in the rap game. See 2019's visuals for "Walker Texas Ranger" and "Suge" as examples. However, the "Bop" video was a whole different beast. In this one, DaBaby does choreography while rapping, and hits all of his cues as if he's been doing this forever.
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O.T. Genasis
O.T. Genasis blew up with "CoCo" in 2014. Then about three years later, he revealed his affinity for C-Walking. The video for "Cash On It" shows O.T. doing way more dances than that, flawlessly, in the desert.
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YG
YG has always had B-Walking in his bag, but around the time he dropped "Twist My Fingaz" in 2015, he started doing the dance more often at shows. He's even had dance break moments where he blesses the crowd with a look at his skills.
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Fivio Foreign
It's not really evident in the video for his biggest song so far, 2019's "Big Drip," but Fivio Foreign can boogie. The dance he does here during the song's chorus kind of became his staple, along with the spin move at the 1:48-mark that he might bust out at any time.
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Chance The Rapper
Chance came up in Chicago, where footworking and juking are both popular dance styles. He's been dancing since the start of his career, back in 2011. Footworking translates to other ways of dancing, so seeing him flex with a group of kids in this video should come as no surprise.
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Gunna
Gunna didn't start regularly dancing on stage until after he released his Drip or Drown 2 album in early 2019. He hasn't looked back since, and looks at home doing the newer dances of the day while still looking cool.
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Ski Mask The Slump God
Ski Mask The Slump God might break out into dance at any moment since that is simply his personality. Whether he's just hanging with friends or doing a show, he knows what to do when the beat hits.
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Cardi B
As Cardi B's star power has glowed brighter over the last few years, it makes sense for her to add choreography to her performances. Here, Bardi is on point with the moves and fits right in alongside her dance team.