In 1970, Hip-Hop became a significant cultural movement and form of art in the African-American community. What makes Hip-Hop unique is that it isn’t just music. It’s the art of self-expression with many factors.
For instance, in Hip-Hop, there’s the DJ who entertains and plays recorded music for an audience, the MC who raps lyrics they’ve written, breakdancers who excel in performance, which is also known as choreography, and artists who specialize in visual art, such as graffiti and special effects. From Grandmaster Flash to MC Lyte, numerous Hip-Hop legends have utilized the genre to express their pain, truth, and happiness regarding the pleasures of life they cherish.
Moreover, Hip-Hop has become one of the most popular genres in the mainstream music industry. This, in turn, has ultimately allowed Hip-Hop artists to have successful world tours, win prestigious awards, score multimillion brand deals, and garner over one billion streams on popular music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. As we all know, we’ve just begun 2023, and Hip-Hop is already in demand, especially on Spotify!
Check out the ten rappers below who have accumulated more than 20 billion streams on Spotify since New Year’s!
1. Drake
With 74.1 billion streams, global superstar Drake ranks as the most streamed rapper on Spotify at the beginning of 2023. Moreover, Drake and 21 Savage’s recent collaboration album “Her Loss” has sold 1,093,000 units since its release, making it no surprise why their hit single “Rich Flex” has garnered 252,662,835 streams on Spotify! In addition, Drake has garnered more than 14 billion views on YouTube since the beginning of 2023. It’s exciting to see how Drake will continue to dominate and outdo himself this year!
2. Eminem
Covers of CDs by American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor, Eminem, Shutterstock (Kraft74)
Since the beginning of the year, lyrical mastermind Eminem has accumulated 36.7 billion streams on Spotify, making it no surprise why he has garnered more than 25 billion views on YouTube, making him the most viewed rapper on the platform thus far. Moreover, his hit single “Mockingbird,” released in 2004, is set to reach 1 billion streams this year. So far, it has garnered 850,022,167 streams throughout the past decade.
3. Kanye West
Throughout the years, Kanye West has become known for his infamous theories. However, we can’t deny his intelligence and talent. We’re only one week into the new year, and West has already gained 33.2 billion streams on Spotify. Moreover, Jay-Z and West’s hit single “Ni**gas In Paris” has accumulated 1,038,515,892 streams on Spotify since its release in 2011. His tenth studio album “DONDA,” released in 2021, debuted on the Spotify global chart with 95.1 million streams, becoming one of the biggest Spotify global debuts of all time!
4. Travis Scott
Travis Scott performing live music show concert on night club stage, Shutterstock (Hurricane Hank)
With 31.7 billion streams, Houston’s finest, Travis Scott, ranks as the fourth most streamed rapper on Spotify at the beginning of 2023. Although Scott was snubbed at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards (2019), his third studio album, “Astroworld,” was a massive success. In 2021, Scott’s album “Astroworld” became the first Hip-Hop album to have every track surpass 100 million streams on Spotify! Moreover, his fourth studio album, “Utopia,” is one of the year’s most anticipated albums. It’s exciting to see if “Utopia” will surpass “Astroworld” regarding streams and sales.
5. Juice WRLD
In 2019, Juice WRLD passed away after suffering a seizure at Chicago’s Midway airport. Although he isn’t with us, he still deserves his recognition. Since the beginning of 2023, Juice WRLD has garnered 28.5 billion streams on Spotify. In addition, his hit single “Lucid Dreams,” released in 2018, has accumulated 2,129,585,303 streams on Spotify throughout the past five years! The beauty of music is its ability to touch people’s hearts. It’s nice to see that his fans haven’t forgotten him and are dedicated to paying their respect by streaming his music daily.
6. Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is kicking off 2023 with 27.8 billion streams on Spotify! His recent album “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” debuted on the Spotify global chart with 99.6 million streams, making Lamar one of the “heavy hitters” in Hip-Hop! Moreover, his highly praised single “N95” has gained 215,532,336 streams on Spotify, and the official music video has garnered 55 million views on YouTube!
7. Nicki Minaj
With 27.1 billion streams, Hip-Hop Empress Nicki Minaj ranks as the seventh most streamed rapper on Spotify! By being the only female on this list, it’s evident that Minaj has a significant impact on the Hip-Hop culture, and her legacy could never be undone. Minaj’s record-breaking single “Super Freaky Girl” accumulated 305,430,954 streams on Spotify in just 144 days, ultimately becoming the fastest solo female rap song to reach 300 million streams on the platform! Moreover, during the first week of 2023, “Super Freaky Girl” ranked at No.51 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, allowing Minaj to surpass Missy Elliot’s record (13 years) by becoming the female rapper with the most consecutive years charting on Billboard (14 years).
8. Future
Time to take the mask’s off. In 2023, the future is bright! Hip-Hop star Future is kicking off 2023 with 26.4 billion streams on Spotify! His solo hit single “Mask Off” has garnered 1,293,976,545 streams on Spotify since its release in 2017. Moreover, his recent album “I Never Liked You” was the No.1 best-selling rap album in 2022, making him one of the “chart-dominating” rappers in the industry! In addition, Future’s top-charting album, “I Never Liked You,” was certified platinum by the RIAA in 2022, allowing him to have a collection of 9 certified platinum albums, which is a major accomplishment!
9. Quavo
On Oct. 31, 2022, things took a turn for the group, “Unc & Phew.” Takeoff, a notable member of the group, was fatally shot during an altercation, causing him to lose his life, and ultimately leading Quavo to lose not only a group member but a friend and family member as well. Takeoff and Quavo’s (Unc & Phew) viral single “Hotel Lobby” debuted at No.59 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and has accumulated 135,834,813 streams on Spotify, making it no surprise that Quavo has accumulated 25.8 billion streams on Spotify since the beginning of 2023!
10. XXXTentacion
In 2018, XXXTentacion was fatally shot, causing him to be rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. As previously mentioned, the beauty of music is its ability to capture people’s hearts. Since his death, XXXTentacion fans have continued to stream his music daily as if he were still walking amongst the living. For instance, his songs “Jocelyn Flores,” “Hope,” and “SAD!” have accumulated more than 1 billion streams. In addition, XXXTentacion has garnered 25.6 billion streams on Spotify overall since the beginning of 2023. On Jan.3, 2023, it was announced that XXXTentacion’s remarkable single “Jocelyn Flores” is the sixth longest charting song in US Spotify history!
If you’re a Hip-Hop commentator or just a fan of the genre, make sure to add Trill Mag to your favorites, bookmarks, reading list, and/or home screen to stay updated on the latest news in Hip-Hop! You don’t want to miss out!
