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TopOppGen: Bringing Emo Rap Back from the Brink?
20 Nov, 2025
Summary
- TopOppGen attempts to revive emo rap with a modern sound.
- Emo rap's past featured artists like Lil Peep and Juice WRLD.
- Early emo rap was diverse, encompassing varied artists and sounds.
A 20-year-old artist named TopOppGen is making waves with his attempt to revive the emo rap subgenre. His recent performance showcases a sound echoing artists like Lil Peep and XXXTentacion, featuring characteristic melancholic melodies and lyrical themes of despair and substance use.
While TopOppGen channels the established tropes of emo rap, the article posits that the genre's definition has narrowed over time. Historically, 'emo rap' was a looser descriptor, applied to a wide array of hip-hop artists who exhibited nihilistic, eerie, or emotionally raw qualities.
This broader interpretation included artists from Mobb Deep and Three 6 Mafia to Future and Kid Cudi, highlighting a richer, more nuanced lineage. Kevin Gates is cited as an example of an artist whose music captured the genre's earlier essence of misunderstood rage and isolation.
