The spookiest rap playlist

Ariana Mendoza

Music Journalist 

Halloween is here! While haunted houses and costumes are essential, the right playlist is still necessary. This one is different from your average monster mash. Whether you’re having a spooky night in or partying the night away, these spine-tingling rap tracks from the darker side of hip-hop can level up your Halloween game.

“Nightmare” by Offset and Metro Boomin

To start our haunted playlist, we have the song “Nightmare” by Offset and Metro Boomin. This song starts off with the typical creepy twinkle lullaby beat. The lyrics even mention the classic horror character, Freddy Krueger. This track comes from the collaboration album of Offset and 21 Savage with Metros production. The whole album has a dark aesthetic that is perfect for Halloween.

“Dracula’s Wedding” by Outkast feat. Kelis

The next one is a little more of a throwback from Outkast’s 2003 album, “Dracula’s Wedding”, featuring Kelis. The lyrics of this song have many spooky metaphors, like casting spells, hauntings, and being frightened. In this track, André 3000 is playing the role of Dracula, while Kelis plays his queen. He waits his whole life for the ‘one,’ but when that person comes, the experience is frightening. Even Dracula fears losing his most beloved. So, if you have been feeling that unfamiliar feeling of love this eerie season, this sound is perfect for you.

“Halloween” by Kodak Black

When writing about Halloween rap songs, I must feature Kodak Black in the playlist. While he has many songs talking about the holiday and names tracks after classic scary creatures — “Halloween” is the one to be added to my list. The song features a scary pumpkin on the cover and has the iconic lyrics, “Wish I was born on Halloween.”

“Scary” by Megan Thee Stallion feat. Rico Nasty

Another frightening track that brings the spooky spirit is Megan Thee Stallion’s “Scary,” featuring Rico Nasty. This song is my personal favorite and is perfect for Halloween. For the girls preparing for a night on the town, this is the song to enjoy your night too! The sound features a wavy, ghost-like beat, screams and scary lyrics. Of course, Megan has that iconic flow to top the song off.

“Zombie” by Childish Gambino

From one of his most popular albums, “Awaken, My Love!” Zombie illustrates how people around you try to eat off your success. With his lyricism, he describes those with zombie-like characteristics and how corrupt the music industry can be. Although this track does not have those typical spooky beats, the experimental production creates quite a unique sound that is perfect for these horror-like times.

“Vamp Anthem” by Playboi Carti

This one is a classic Halloween tune that starts with the iconic Toccata and Fugue by Bach, a classic piano piece from the season. Playboi Carti and his fans are known for being a little wild, and this track is just that. With the organs throughout the track and the chants of “Vamp Anthem,”  the song is a staple to the playlist!

“Murder Ink” by Dr. Dre

Going back to the throwbacks again, to Dr. Dre’s 1999 “Murder Ink” — a special feature to this line-up, since this is the Halloween movie theme song. This makes for a necessary classic, being the oldest track on the list and incorporating the iconic 90’s flow.

“I KNOW?” by Travis Scott

Another unique feature of this playlist is “I KNOW?” by Travis Scott from his most recent album, Utopia. While this one might not be meant for Halloween, the song has that creepy lullaby beat we have seen previously. The sound has some resemblance to any scary movie and matches the theme of the holiday. The whole rollout of Travis’ Utopia album and his recent movie, Circus Maximus, have this reoccurring eerie theme. The dark aesthetic and dark production make for a perfect listen and watch during this time.

“Nephilim” by Flatbush Zombies

Lastly, to wrap up the playlist, the last song to be added is Nephilim by Flatbush Zombies. Their latest release, BetterOffDead, has a creepy theme to it from the titles to the cover art, Also, the track doesn’t have the typical lyricism, but the production and their voices match the spooky aesthetic.

As we get into these colder and longer nights, I hope you add them to your Halloween playlist. Let this spark your interest and lead you into a new world of spooky music you have never seen before!