10 Emotional Rap Songs That Will Make You Feel Seen
If you’re having one of those days, these 10 tracks will speak to your soul.
There’s no magical cure-all for depression, but one key is realizing that you’re never really all alone. Somewhere, someone like you — or someone completely unlike you — has felt the same exact way that you do. Sometimes, music is the best way to remind yourself of that fact.
For this week’s edition of Wellness Wednesday, we take a look at 10 emotional songs that will make you feel seen. Check them out for yourself below:
Juice Wrld - “Lucid Dreams”
Wielding a Sting sample and a broken heart to their most potent effect, Juice Wlrd served up a certified Sad Boy classic with “Lucid Dreams,” a breakout single that deals in paralyzing pain. His melodies here are desperate, and the beat itself is elegant but lonely. It’s a perfect track for vibing out and accepting any loss for what it is.
2Pac - “So Many Tears”
’Pac’s known for apex gangsta rap and quote-unquote conscious hip-hop. True, and fair enough. But he’s really great at emotional raps, too. Exhibit A: “So Many Tears,” a track that’s as fatalistic as it is beautiful. Coasting across a forlorn Stevie Wonder sample, ’Pac traverses dark thoughts and hard-learned philosophies he picked up on the road to Thug Life.
Jay-Z - “This Can’t Be Life” feat. Beanie Sigel and Scarface
“This Can’t Be Life” is Jay-Z at his most vulnerable. For the track, he teams with Beanie Sigel and FaceMob for a reflection on life’s ills, with an early-ish ’Ye beat being a fitting canvas for a portrait of psychological trauma.
XXXTentacion - “Jocelyn Flores”
“Jocelyn Flores” is the literal sound of loneliness. The guitar strings are as sunken as XXX’s vocals, which themselves are swallowed by a general sense of resignation; you can hear it in the dragging melody and spurts of furious rapping.
Future - “Perkys Calling”
Future is the master of club anthems and bando theme songs, but his narcotized sounds are perfect for Sad Boy confessionals, too. “Perkys Calling” sees him sorting through his personal demons, with his hook noting a troubling drug dependency. His thoughts are sober, but his slurred melodies aren’t, which only pulls you into the heart of his dilemma.
Ghostface Killah - “All That I Got Is You”
Ghostface Killah’s Iron Man is an absolute classic, and “All That I Got is You” is the most potent cut from the album. It’s practically ’Ye’s “Family Business 1.0,” with its emotional soundscape and transparent bars being a soundtrack for family bonds forged in shared trauma.
Tierra Whack - “27 Club”
Dark and dreamy, “27 Club” is Tierra Whack’s masterpiece of sadness. The lyrics here are piercing and the beat is forlorn but vaguely whimsical. It sounds like a fairytale without a happily ever after.
J. Cole - “Crunch Time”
“Crunch Time” tells the tale of the proverbial struggling artist. It’s a story few can tell better than J. Cole, who famously got curved when trying to pass Jay-Z his CD a couple of years before landing a deal with Roc Nation. For this one, he serves up a humanizing portrait of the desperation some of these folks face while chasing their dreams. With a haunting beat and some hyper-relatable bars, it’s an underrated Cole gem.
Max B - “Never Wanna Go Back”
Going to prison for a potential 75-year sentence really sucks, and Max B makes that much known with this haunting record he unloaded ahead of his prison term. The beat is as dreary as his mournful vocals, which combine to more than live up to the title.
ScHoolboy Q - “Blue Slides”
“Blue Slides” is the thoughtful centerpiece of ScHoolboy Q’s Blue Lips album. Listen to his ruminations and mourn the talent that was the great Mac Miller.
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