Left image via THE CANADIAN PRESS / Chris Young / Right image via AFP via Getty Images / FilmMagic //
Am I living in an alternate timeline here?
If there’s one music genre where ego is front and centre, it’s easily hip hop. From the lyrics to the personas and the never-ending drama, it’s well and truly a staple of the sound. Naturally, most of the entertainment comes from hip hop’s direction, whether it be in the form of beefs or award shows or so on. The latter has once again manifested this Wednesday morning, with Spotify unveiling its list of the ‘Top 50 Most Streamed Rap Albums Of All Time’.
Unsurprisingly, the Avengers of modern day hip hop are all over this bad boy, with the dominant artists being none other than Drake, Eminem, Kanye West Kendrick Lamar. However, it’s none other than deceased rapper, XXXTentacion, who clocked the top spot for his 2018 album ?. Runners up are Drake’s Scorpion and Views, with the late Juice Wrld’s Goodbye & Good Riddance and Travis Scott’s Astroworld completing the top five spots.
In terms of sheer numbers, old mate Drizzy seems to have a permanent residency on this list. His albums are like the uninvited but extremely catchy guests that never want to leave. With records like Scorpion, Views, and More Life claiming multiple spots, it’s clear that Aubrey is determined to dominate both our hearts and our Spotify queues. We can only imagine him unironically raising a glass and saying, “Here’s to never leaving you!” It is worth mentioning though that Views, the 2016 follow up to Nothing Was The Same, was universally hated by critics and fans alike, with it garnering an almost meme-like reputation for just how mid it was. Not good no bad, but just aggressively mediocre, which in my opinion is the worst insult of all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHbmCv3XrsE
Surprisingly, Eminem takes the second spot in terms of albums listed, with notable entries such as The Eminem Show, Recovery, and Kamikaze (I would’ve genuinely lost hope for humanity if Revival somehow ended up on this list). Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West tie for the third most placements, with three albums each making the list. Lamar’s critically acclaimed projects DAMN., Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, and the Black Panther soundtrack earn their well-deserved props, while Kanye’s contributions are acknowledged with The Life Of Pablo, Graduation, and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.
One artist who was seemingly shafted by the streaming gods is Nicki Minaj, who only got one album in at 39, 2014’s The Pinkprint. In accordance with the hip hop ethos of caring way too much about irrelevant rankings, she quickly hit back at the ruling and called out Spotify’s metrics, referencing past data suggesting she’s one of the most streamed rappers of all time. Still, I’ve never been at a house party or club and heard anyone ask the DJ to chuck Nicki Minaj on, but what do I know?
Oh barbz send me that top ten list of the most streamed rappers on Spotify. Can’t find it
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) July 3, 2023
Here 😘 pic.twitter.com/z083EvfJBv
— Calz (@WantSomeOnika_) July 3, 2023
I guess all’s fair in love and hip hop. Check out the full list below.
Our celebration of 50 years of hip-hop continues with the 50 most streamed hip-hop albums on Spotify! Any surprises? pic.twitter.com/OqN9Qo7mJU
— RapCaviar (@RapCaviar) July 3, 2023
