How Rappers Can Earn Charting Singles In Prison

If you're a rapper and you become incarcerated, your rap career is over, right? Wrong. While you may not be open to studio equipment, but you have access to one thing: a phone. Lately, the rap industry has seen rappers phone in verses for songs, with some of them charting.

In 2018, Bobby Shmurda phoned a verse for 6ix9ine's track "STOOPID". The track peaked at number 25 on the Hot 100 and also charted in the UK, Australia, Germany, and more. This may have opened the doors for more jailed hip-hop artists to phone in verses.

In June 2020, producer JoogSzn made an album with incarcerated rapper Drakeo the Ruler titled Thank You for Using GTL. The nineteen-track album was recorded entirely over a prison phone. The album also received praise from established music outlets such as Pitchfork. A week after the album's release, rapper Rowdy Rebel phoned in a verse for slain rapper Pop Smoke's first posthumous single, "Make It Rain". The track charted at number 51 on the Hot 100, earning Rowdy his milestone first entry.

We'll probably see more rappers phone in verses for hit singles in the future, although it has its problems. You can check out the aforementioned tracks below.