Every hip-hop head loves to debate who is the Greatest Rapper of All Time. Focusing on the most coveted distinction in rap, this discussion is a loaded one, with those worthy of GOAT status often measured by influence, lyricism, and flow.
1. Kanye West Album Sales Kanye may not have a single calendar year that rivals the aforementioned MCs, but what he has had is a consistent presence on the charts. In nine consecutive years, from 2004 to 2012,
Kanye had at least one song that charted atop either the Billboard Hot 100, Billboard Hot Rap Songs, or Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, including a three-year run (200709) in which he posted seven 1 singles. Further, he makes his case as a commercial giant with eight 1 albums and 16.3 million albums sold, which cement him as the 1 rapper of his era in both categories. More than anything, though, when it comes to full bodies of work, Kanye is unrivaled amongst his peers.
2. Drake Album Sales (12.1m), 1 Albums (7), 1 Hits (6), 1 Rap Songs On his 2013 loosie, 5 AM in Toronto, Drake famously rapped, Most number-ones ever, how long did it really take me
Well, not long. By early 2012, he already set the record for most number-ones on Billboards Hot Rap Songs chart and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In the six years since, hes made a mockery of his own records, notching his 20th and 19th 1s, respectively, this year, giving him a grand total of 26 songs that have topped at least one of the charts.
If his career-defining summer has proven anything, though, its that Drakes rap peers are no longer who hes chasing: last month, with four new top 10 singles to his credit, Drake leapfrogged Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson to become the man with the most top 10 singles under his own name; and, when it comes to all artists, he only trails The Beatles and Madonna.