Top 10 Fastest Rap Verses Ever

Krayzie Bone

This verse will go down as the stuff of legend. After taking time off from his multi-platinum group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Krayzie Bone didn’t have anything left to prove as a solo artist. However, you’d be sorely mistaken if you thought he’d get complacent. Aside from several features throughout 2013, Krayzie Bone absolutely crushed the beat of Eminem’s “Rap God” on “Clash of the Titans.” Sampling Slim Shady is a ballsy move for any rapper, but he rose to the challenge straight from the first verse. Despite billing it as a “Clash,” Krayzie later admitted to being an Eminem stan, showing there was no bad blood between the brisk bards. Say that three times fast!

Outkast

Outkast’s “B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)” retains its high-octane energy all the way through. But the opening verse is especially potent, thanks to André 3000’s electrifying delivery. Dare we say it’s so fresh and so clean? Not only does he merely keep up with the song’s chaotic tempo, but he commands it, devoting his fastest lines to the subject of the frontline. Of course, Big Boi also deserves some credit for maintaining momentum in the follow-up verse. The Iraq War would only raise the song’s profile, as Outkast’s grasp on the beat is like a drill sergeant over their cadets.

NoClue

Not even a detective could figure out how he did it. Seattle rapper NoClue briefly held the Guinness World Records title of Fastest Rap MC. Bestowed with the honor in 2005 for his song “New West,” he was only 20 years old at the time. According to the Seattle Times, the rapper’s throat would hurt in the practice stages as his body wasn’t yet accustomed to the superhuman speed he was spitting at. Over the span of “New West”’s second verse, he was dropping a whopping 14.1 syllables per second, which comes out to 723 over its 51.27 seconds. Although NoClue would later be dethroned, his mid-2000s moment is a testament to the saying “practice makes perfect.”

Logic feat. Wale & John Lindahl

In the test of syllable ability, he passes with flying colors. Unlike our other entries, Logic’s “100 Miles & Running” is more of a feel-good song than anything braggadocious. That said, it ramps up the cockiness for the fourth and final verse, which positions the Maryland rapper as Jack the Ripper. From then on, it’s a lyrical massacre clocking in at 11.7 syllables per second. Logic previously performed the verse as a freestyle at concerts, and it more than shines through in the studio version. Given his foray into hyperspace, closing on a “Star Wars” reference couldn’t be a more appropriate ending.

Busta Rhymes

When this rapper picked up his pace, it practically caused an extinction-level event. On 2001’s “Break Ya Neck,” Busta Rhymes doesn’t just paralyze other fast rappers — he decapitates them. Assisted by a classic beat from Dr. Dre and Scott Storch straight out of a Nintendo boss level, things get especially lethal in the second verse. Busta’s venom-spitting isn’t just limited to the studio version, though: if anything, his live performances are even faster and cleaner than the original. While he asserts himself as a towering presence for sure, “Break Ya Neck” also doubles as a banging party track with a star-studded music video. Just don’t mosh too hard over Busta’s motor-mouthing, or the title just might come true.

Rebel XD

While the title of his manifesto hasn’t aged the best, it did what it needed to do at the time. Throughout the 90s and 2000s, Rebel XD claimed, lost, and fought for the Guinness Book of World Records title of Fastest Rap MC, besting adversaries like Twista. But just two years after NoClue was crowned with the label he once had, Rebel XD fired on all cylinders for his 2007 comeback. His composition “Record Breaker (World’s Fastest Rapper),” which he performed live on air, led to his third reign as a Guinness title-holder. Even when he switched things up to show off his slow flow, it was still miles faster than most rappers’ quickest output.

Twista feat. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx

This classic verse will definitely set the party off right. Back in 2003, people probably didn’t expect a song called “Slow Jamz” to go so hard, but that’s the exact appeal of Twista’s contribution on the #1 hit. Opposite a young Yeezy and “Ray”-era Jamie Foxx, the chopper genre’s earliest record-breaker paid homage to classic R&B and soul crooners like Marvin Gaye and Luther Vandross. The catch? His tone and flow were the complete opposite of the gentle songs and artists he referenced. Twista did amazing work before and after, including his groundbreaking debut “Mr. Tung Twista,” but these calculated contradictions are still his smartest and swiftest hour.

Eminem feat. Juice WRLD

A whole other list could be made with his verses alone, but here’s one for starters. Decades into his career, Eminem shattered his previous records. Assisted by the late Juice WRLD on “Godzilla,” the mayhem really kicks in around the three-minute mark. According to hip hop site Genius, the closing verse features Eminem’s fastest-ever rapping, spitting out 10.65 syllables of fire per second. It’s almost enough to feel sorry for the animators of the lyric video, who certainly had their work cut out getting the graphics to keep up. The impressive 2020 showing blew Eminem’s previous record on “Majesty” out of the water, as well as his 2013 smash “Rap God.” With one verse, he became the king of monsters and mouth speed.

Tech N9ne feat. Busta Rhymes, Yelawolf, Twisted Insane, Ceza, JL, Twista, U$O & D-Loc

Who said supergroups were a rock thing? Tech N9ne assembled fast rap’s finest in 2011, a year before “The Avengers” did the same with comic heroes. And while the resulting track, “Worldwide Choppers” boasts standout verses from A-list names like Busta Rhymes and Twista, Tech N9ne’s portion gets a perfect ten. After a quick intro from Turkish export Ceza, Tech N9ne takes over as the Nick Fury of the proceedings to considerable whiplash. Besides bringing breakneck speed to the table, he gets extra points for delivering it with surprising clarity and coherence. He’d later team up with Eminem for a sequel, but Tech N9ne’s first trip around the globe is light years ahead of his peers.

Crucified

You might not have heard of him, but he’s the secret weapon of chopper. What Crucified lacks in hits and fame, he more than makes up for in pure speed. Mostly connecting with his niche following via social media, the underground Texas-based rapper opened his 2017 song “Power Up” with his all-time fastest verse. One of its few decipherable lines is about making the competition vanish, and based on his placement here, it’s safe to say there’s none to speak of. That said, Crucified hasn’t been without his naysayers: after being accused of editing his speed early in his career, he proved the critics wrong with a live video. Although he has yet to have a true mainstream moment, Crucified’s verses are hidden hip-hop treasure.