Eminem and Big Sean are the Detroit rap legends of old. But there’s a new king in town, and his name is BabyTron. The 22-year-old scam rapper from Ypsilanti, Michigan exploded in popularity last year thanks to his extensive catalog of mixtapes and inclusion in the XXL 2022 Freshman Class.

BabyTron is part of a new breed of Detroit rappers that are breaking every musical rule in the book. They rap off-beat. Occasionally, they don’t even try to rhyme. Their bars are just goofy, and often based on internet and credit card scams. BabyTron fits this classification to a tee, and he has arguably done it best. His puns and references are the funniest, and he releases a remarkable amount of music.

Tron’s third album, “Bin Reaper 3: Old Testament,” released on Friday. To celebrate, here are five of my favorite songs by him and the other artists that helped popularize this rap subgenre taking Detroit by storm.

BabyTron – “Emperor of the Universe”

One thing that makes BabyTron so unique is his willingness to rap on any beat. In “Emperor of the Universe,” he raps on 21 of them — in a five-minute song. It’s a hilarious proof of concept that features some recognizable beats and showcases Tron’s versatility. He has a few songs that use the same gimmick, including “King of the Galaxy,” “Prince of the Mitten” and “Prince of the Mitten 2.”

BabyTron – “Manute Bol”

It wouldn’t be a BabyTron song without obscure NBA references — he has a bar dedicated to Robert Covington in one of his other tracks. Devoting an entire song to Manute Bol, though? Now that’s dedication to the bit.

ShittyBoyz – “Super Smash Bros”

BabyTron is not just successful as a solo artist; he’s also one-third of the ShittyBoyz. Alongside fellow Detroit scam rappers StanWill and TrDee, the ShittyBoyz released a whopping six albums in under four years. Super Smash Bros was their biggest single from 2019, and still one of the funniest songs I’ve ever heard. 

TeeJayx6 – “Swipe Story”

Friend of the ShittyBoyz, TeeJayx6 was widely credited with helping to popularize scam rap with a couple of viral hits in 2019. Among them is “Swipe Story,” in which TeeJayx6 recounts committing credit card fraud to purchase electronics in vivid, instructional detail. “Let me tell y’all about this one time at WalMart” remains the greatest opening bar on any song, ever.

BabyTron – “The Office”

He raps over the soundtrack from “The Office.” Who does that? The song is really nothing special. But come on, it’s “The Office” soundtrack. The man will truly rap over anything. Crazy.