Country rap became a genre over 20 years ago, with the first song on this list by Kid Rock. Since then, many country artists have collaborated with rap artists to bend genres and include spoken-word rap verses in their songs.
Other artists focus on country rap and produce songs in the genre as a rule rather than an exception, while others still focus on classic country music and have one or two songs with spoken sections.
To learn more about these approaches to the genre, we’ve listed 19 of the best country rap songs of all time. Let’s get started.
1. “Cowboy” By Kid Rock
“Cowboy” from 1999 gets credit as the first country rap song. Kid Rock blended rock, country, and rap in this track about becoming a pimp in California. The bluesy piano and harmonica give it a distinctly country-music sound.
This song was Kid Rock’s first to reach the Billboard Hot 100. It also hit the Mainstream Top 40 and reached #5 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks.
“Cowboy” is on the singer’s Devil Without a Cause album, which sold over 11 million copies in the US. And though the song is said to be one of the worst cowboy songs, critics have cited it as “timeless.”
Related: For more good country songs, check out our post here.
2. “Old Town Road” By Lil Nas X Ft. Billy Ray Cyrus
Rapper Lil Nas X‘s remix of his song “Old Town Road” with country star Billy Ray Cyrus peaked at number 19 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Billboard removed it, claiming it didn’t fit into the country genre and sparking a controversy about country rap.
Despite this, the song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and broke the longest consecutive number-one record by staying on top for 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song to sell 10 million copies in the US and earned three Grammy Award nominations, winning two of them.
“Old Time Road” describes the life of a cowboy taking his horse for a ride through the old road until he “can’t no more” and living his life the way he wants.
3. “Cruise” By Florida Georgia Line Ft. Nelly
Though “Cowboy” and “Old Town Road” caused some controversy about whether they were country songs, this song by Florida Georgia Line featuring hip-hop star Nelly earned the Top Country Song award from Billboard in 2014.
The lyrics describe the narrator seeing a woman who’s as beautiful as a song. He wants to take her on a cruise on his brand-new Chevy with the “windows down and the radio up.”
This track hit #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and broke records by spending 24 weeks at number one on the Hot Country Songs Chart. It also hit #4 on the Hot 100 and #6 on the Adult Top 40 chart.
4. “Superman” By Snoop Dogg Ft. Willie Nelson
“Superman” is a duet with popular rapper Snoop Dogg and country music legend Willie Nelson. It was only one of their duets in country rap but became their most popular, included in Snoop Dogg’s 11th studio album Doggumentary.
The song’s about how they’re not supermen, just ordinary people, and contains references to smoking pot and taking pain pills to overcome common human weaknesses.
The song starts with Willie Nelson speaking, and though Snoop doesn’t rap during the track (he sings), it’s one of the best country rap songs from a collaboration.
5. “Workin’ On” By Colt Ford
The violin background of “Workin’ On” makes this country rap song unique. The lyrics are also relatable as it describes how people deal with their struggles and troubles by turning to alcohol, but the narrator is “workin’ on” kicking this bad habit.
The song comes from Colt Ford‘s album Thanks for Listening, which hit #2 on the Top Country Albums chart and #1 on the Top Rap Albums chart, with almost 100,000 copies sold by 2015.
Ford donated 10% of the proceeds from five months of sales to the Lone Survivor Foundation to assist veterans. The singer is the only artist with an album in the #1 position on both the Billboard Top Rap Albums and Top Country Albums charts.
6. “Both Of Us” By B.o.B Ft. Taylor Swift
“Both Of Us” by rapper B.o.B. features Taylor Swift on some of the lyrics, making it one of the best country rap songs with a female country singer. The song debuted in 2012 at #18 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
It also reached number 24 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and sold over 1 million digital copies as of 2017.
“Both of Us” is about being bullied and suffering the effects of racism in the US. Though the theme is deep, it has a softer sensibility than most rap songs, with country vocals from Swift interspersed with B.o.B.’s rap stanzas.
7. “Dirt Road Anthem” By Jason Aldean
In many of the best country rap songs, the country singer sings while a rap artist adds the rap sections. In this 2011 song, “Dirt Road Anthem,” Jason Aldean sings and raps the entire piece.
Country rapper Colt Ford wrote the song, and Jason Aldean recorded it for his fourth album, My Kinda Party. The song describes a cowboy “chillin’ on a dirt road” with an ice-cold beer. He’s thinking back to good ol’ times as he relaxes while he drives.
“Dirt Road Anthem” became the best-selling digital download by a male solo artist with over 4 million sales. It also earned Aldean a Grammy Award nomination.
8. “I Play Chicken With The Train” By Cowboy Troy
Country rap artist Cowboy Troy released “I Play Chicken with the Train,” a fun, up-tempo song about pushing boundaries, in his musical career as the first single from his debut album, Loco Motive.
We say it’s about pushing boundaries because most people think that rap and country don’t mix, but here comes this song stating just the opposite. The narrator refers to his country rap style as “hick-hop” and that “Tim McGraw said he liked the change”—and many fans are sure to agree.
The song became the best-selling iTunes download for one day in 2005 and reached number 48 on the Hot Country Songs chart. Loco Motive debuted at an incredible #2 on the Top Country Albums chart and also hit #13 on the Top Rap Albums chart.
9. “White Lightning” By Ryan Upchurch
Comedian and singer-songwriter Ryan Upchurch primarily sings country rap, and “White Lightning” comes from King of Dixie, his fifth studio album.
The album ranked on five different charts: it reached #65 on the Billboard 200 chart, #30 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and the top ten on the Top Country Albums chart. It also hit #3 on the Independent Albums chart and five on the Digital Albums chart.
Unlike the other songs on this list, the first two stanzas of “White Lightning” are spoken, followed by Upchurch’s rapping. The song is about avoiding all the shiny, fancy things that look important and focusing on what matters, even though it might not seem glamorous.
10. “I Wanna Talk About Me” By Toby Keith
Country singer Toby Keith raps his way through “I Wanna Talk About Me,” a song about how he wants to talk about the subjects he likes instead of only talking about what his girlfriend likes.
Keith said the music would be labeled rap, even though he didn’t think rap fans would consider it part of that genre. The spoken lyrics qualify it as country rap, as Keith suspected. It became his seventh song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
Blake Shelton was supposed to record the song as his debut but turned it down. It’s also not Keith’s only country rap song. His 1998 song “Getcha Some” features spoken-word lines.
11. “Accidental Racist” By Brad Paisley Ft. LL Cool J
“Accidental Racist” is from country singer Brad Paisley‘s ninth album, Wheelhouse. It is about racism and discrimination against people who display the Confederate flag. He contends that people can be proud of where they’re from without any racist meaning behind the display of that pride.
The song caused controversy because of the topic, but it still reached #77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #23 on the Hot Country Songs chart. A rapped section featuring LL Cool J giving a black man’s view on the flag turns it from a slow country song to country rap.
12. “Country Folks” By Bubba Sparxxx Ft. Colt Ford & Danny Boone
“Country Folks,” by rapper Bubba Sparxxx, is about living in the country. It includes many topics found in country songs that establish it as country rap, , from an “old dirt road’ll get you home” to being “country fried” and “baptized in gravy.”
The song also features country rapper Colt Ford, which helped it gain a foothold in the genre. It also includes Danny Boone from the country rap group Rehab.
Sparxxx released “Country Folks” in his fourth album Pain Management in 2013. Though the song did not chart, the album did, peaking at #40 on the Top Country Albums chart.
13. “Keep It Redneck” By The Lacs
“Keep It Redneck” is a 2013 song by the Lacs that blends country, southern rock, and rap in an anthem about “keeping it redneck,” which means staying polite, loving country life and music, and being a “good ol’ boy.”
The Lacs is a country rap duo that’s released over a dozen independent albums. This song comes from their album of the same name. The group has had eight albums on the Top Country Albums chart in the US, with two that reached #3: this album and 2015’s Outlaw in Me.
14. “Back” By Colt Ford Ft. Jake Owen
“Back” is Colt Ford’s duet with country singer Jake Owen from Ford’s fourth album, Declaration of Independence, which was released in 2012.
The song is unapologetically sentimental. It speaks of returning to simpler times when life was easier and before parents and elderly loved ones passed on. It’s a slow song about reminiscing and missing those wonderful parts of childhood way back when.
The song reached #50 on the Country Airplay chart and #40 on the Hot Country Songs chart, while the album reached #1 on the Top Country Albums chart, #5 on the Billboard 200, and #50 on the Top Rap Albums chart.
15. “Ghetto Cowboy” By Mo Thugs
Hip-hop collective Mo Thugs‘ second album, Chapter II: Family Reunion, features “Ghetto Cowboy” as its first single. The song reached #15 on the Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
The song tells the story of a big bad cowboy named Krayzie. After stealing money and kidnapping the mayor’s daughter, he’s in a “whole heap of trouble” and on the run. Despite this, he’s already planning his next hit.
“Ghetto Cowboy” includes elements from country music legend Kenny Rogers’ classic hit song “The Gambler.” It sold over 500,000 copies and earned Gold certification by the end of 1998.
16. “California Country” By Moonshine Bandits
The Moonshine Bandits is a country rap duo with nine albums and two EPs. The song “California Country” comes from their fifth studio album, Calicountry, released in 2014.
“California Country” is a distinctive country-themed song with completely rapped lyrics. It talks about laid-back life in the country—fishing, drinking, bonfires, sitting by the tailgate, and more.
Though the song didn’t rank, its album hit #126 on the Billboard 200 chart. Calicountry and Moonshine Bandits’ sixth country rap album reached the top ten on the Top Rap Albums chart.
17. “Till It’s Gone” By Yelawolf
“Till It’s Gone” reached number 25 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and became one of their most popular tunes. The song was released in Yelawolf‘s studio album Love Story in 2015.
The song deals with handling your own life and not relying on others to prop you up when times get hard. It’s about independence and not being the doormat for someone who always needs your help.
The song earned Platinum certification after selling over 1 million copies. It has also been featured in the film Black Mass as well as the game Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
18. “Country Road” By The Lacs
Next up, we have “Country Road.” The song is the Lacs’ alteration of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Road.” It is a sentimental piece that mixes singing with a rap and talks about taking country roads home after trying life in the big city and deciding that going home is the best choice.
“Country Road” comes from their album 190 Proof, released in 2012, and features Crucifix and Bubba Sparxxx in some lyrics. The album ranked in three charts; it reached #68 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, #8 on the Top Rap Albums chart, and #16 on the Top Country Albums chart.
19. “Parachute” By Ryan Upchurch
Our last entry belongs to Ryan Upchurch. His country rap song “Parachute” is about making it big and discovering that many people only want you for your money.
The narrator continues to describe how being on top is lonely despite the crowd, so he’s coming back down to where he believes the real party is at.
The song comes from Upchurch’s country rap album of the same name. The singer released the album in 2019 through his independent record label, after which it reached #23 on the Top Rap Albums chart and #6 on the Top Country Albums chart.
Summing Up Our List Of Country Rap Songs
Though some songs on this list lean more toward rap and hip-hop than country, they have unmistakable country influences in the instruments and lyrics.
And if you give the songs a listen, they prove that the genres of country and rap mix well together and can appeal to a vast audience worldwide.
We hope you have enjoyed the list we’ve created and added new songs to your playlist. If you think we’ve missed a country rap song that should be on here, let us know, and we’ll add it!
