A list of 15 rappers with the most number 1 hits and their respective songs
Rap music has grown significantly since its inception in the 1970s in the USA. Many stars have emerged from the genre, achieving worldwide success and cementing their names in history. Among them is a select clique of rappers whose records have made it to the top of the charts on more than one occasion. But who are they? And who are the rappers with the most number 1 hits?
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Hip-hop has produced some of the best rappers the world has ever seen. Their success comes from the number of records sold, most number-one hits and their contributions to the genre. Therefore, it is no surprise that many rappers strive to become the best by releasing quality hits that may top the charts. As of 2023, many rappers have achieved top status as some of the best-selling. But who are they?
Rappers with the most number 1 hits
Rappers strive to become the best in the genre through record sales and producing number-one hits. But to get to this point, rappers must be consistent and creative when creating new hip-hop albums. Throughout history, only a few select have earned this prestigious title. So, who are they?
Here are 15 rappers with the most number 1 hits on Billboard with their respective songs.
1. Drake – 12 hits
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- What's My Name? Rihanna ft Drake – 26 October 2010
- Work Rihanna ft. Drake – 27 January 2016
- One Dance ft. Wizkid and Kyla – 5 April 2016
- God's Plan – 19 January 2018
- Nice for What – 6 April 2018
- In My Feelings – 10 July 2018
- Sicko Mode Travis Scott ft. Drake – 21 August 2018
- Toosie Slide – 3 April 2020
- What's Next – 5 March 2021
- Way 2 S*xy ft. Future and Young Thug – 3 September 2021
- Wait for U Future ft. Drake and Tems – 3 May 2022
- Jimmy Cooks Drake ft. 21 Savage – 17 June 2022
Drake is among the rappers with the most number 1 hits on Billboard. He has 12 debut number hits on the top 100 Billboard as of 2023. Drake, born Aubrey Drake Graham, is a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor. Thank Me Later (2010), Take Care (2011), and Nothing Was the Same (2013) were all critical successes that catapulted Drake to the forefront of hip hop.
2. Eminem – 5 hits
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- The Monster ft Rihanna – 29 October 2013
- Love the Way You Lie ft Rihanna – 18 June 2010
- Not Afraid – 29 April 2010
- Crack a Bottle ft Dr Dre and 50 Cent – 2 February 2009
- Lose Yourself – 28 October 2002
How many number 1 hits does Eminem have? The rapper has five number-one debut hits on the top Billboard 100. Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known as Eminem, is a rapper, songwriter, and record producer from the United States.
He is among the greatest rappers credited with popularising hip-hop in middle-class America. He has received 15 Grammys, eight American Music Awards, seventeen Billboard Music Awards, an Oscar, a Primetime Emmy, and an MTV Europe Music Global Icon Award.
3. P Diddy – 5 hits
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- Shake Ya Tailfeather ft Nelly and Murphy Lee – 29 June 2003
- Bump, Bump, Bump B2K ft P. Diddy – 23 October 2002
- Mo Money Mo Problems, The Notorious BIG ft Puff Daddy and Mase – 15 July 1997
- I'll Be Missing You ft Faith Evans and 112 – 27 May 1997
- Can't Nobody Hold Me Down ft Mase – 25 January 1997
Sean Love Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or Diddy, is a rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive from the United States. He began his career as a talent director at Uptown Records before launching his record label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993.
4. Ludacris – 5 hits
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- Break Your Heart Taio Cruz ft. Ludacris – 13 September 2009
- Glamorous Fergie ft. Ludacris – 23 January 2007
- Money Maker ft Pharrell – 17 July 2006
- Yeah! Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris – 27 January 2004
- Stand Up ft Shawnna – 19 August 2003
Ludacris, born Christopher Brian Bridges, is an American rapper, actor, producer, and executive. Ludacris was born in Champaign, Illinois, and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, when he was nine, where he first began rapping.
5. Cardi B – 5 hits
Source: Instagram
- Up 5 – February 2021
- WAP ft Megan Thee Stallion – 6 August 2020
- Girls Like You Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – 30 May 2018
- I Like It ft Bad Bunny and J Balvin – 25 May 2018
- Bodak Yellow – 16 June 2017
Cardi B, real name Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus, is a rapper from the United States. She first became well-known as an Instagram and Vine influencer. She was a regular cast member of the VH1 reality television programme Love & Hip Hop: New York from early 2015 to early 2017.
Cardi gained additional recognition after releasing her two mixtapes, Gangsta B*tch Music, Vol. 1 (2016) and Vol. 2 (2017).
6. Jay-Z – 4 hits
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- Empire State of Mind ft Alicia Keys – 20 October 2009
- Umbrella Rihanna ft. Jay-Z – 29 March 2007
- Crazy in Love Beyonce ft. Jay-Z – 14 May 2003
- Heartbreaker Mariah Carey ft. Jay-Z – 23 August 1999
Who has the most #1 albums rap? Rapper Jay-Z has most number-one rap album in the world. In addition to rap, Jay Z is also a record producer and entrepreneur. He founded Roc Nation and is regarded as a rap legend.
Jay Z was the first rapper inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition, he is the first rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Time magazine named him one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2013.
7. Kanye West – 4 hits
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- E.T. Katy Perry ft. Kanye West – 11 February 2011
- Stronger – 31 July 2007
- Gold Digger ft Jamie Foxx – 5 July 2005
- Slow Jamz ft Twista and Jamie Foxx – 2 December 2003
Kanye West is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. With over 160 million records sold, West is one of the best-selling musicians ever. With 22 Grammy Awards, he also holds the record for the most ever won by a rapper. Kanye has also appeared on the Billboard Top 100 more than any other rapper.
8. Nelly – 4 hits
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- Grillz ft Paul Wall and Ali & Gipp – 1 November 2005
- Shake Ya Tailfeather ft P Diddy and Murphy Lee – 29 June 2003
- Dilemma ft Kelly Rowland – 25 June 2002
- Hot in Here – 7 May 2002
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr is an American rapper better known by his stage name Nelly. He began his music career in 1993 with the hip-hop group St. Lunatics and signed to Universal Records in 1999. In the year 2000, Nelly launched his solo career through Universal. His debut album Country Grammar, featured the title track and the single "Ride wit Me".
9. 50 Cent – 4 hits
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- Crack a Bottle Eminem ft. Dr Dre and 50 Cent – 2 February 2009
- Candy Shop ft Olivia – 8 February 2005
- 21 Questions ft Nate Dogg – 4 March 2003
- In da Club – 7 January 2003
How many number 1 hits does 50 Cent have? The rapper has four number-one hits to his name. 50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson III, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, and businessman. He is a Queens native from the South Jamaica section and started his musical career in 2000.
Following the mixtape Guess Who's Back release in 2002, Eminem discovered 50 Cent and got him signed to Shady Records, run by Dr Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
10. TI – 4 hits
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- Blurred Lines Robin Thicke ft. TI and Pharrell Williams – 26 March 2013
- Live Your Life ft Rihanna – 16 September 2008
- Whatever You Like – 29 July 2008
- My Love Justin Timberlake ft. TI – 24 October 2006
Clifford Joseph Harris Jr, also known as TI and Tip, is an American rapper born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is one of the best-selling hip-hop artists of all time and a pioneer of hip-hop subgenre trap music.
11. Travis Scott – 4 hits
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- Franchise ft Young Thug and MIA – 25 September 2020
- The Scotts – 24 April 2020
- Highest in the Room – 4 October 2019
- Sicko Mode ft Drake – 21 August 2018
Travis Scott, born Jacques Berman Webster II, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Rodeo (2015) was his debut studio album, and Antidote was the lead single. Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016), his second album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The following year, Scott released Huncho Jack, a collaborative album with Quavo.
12. Lil Wayne – 3 hits
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- I'm the One DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne – 28 April 2017
- Down Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne – 23 November 2009
- Lollipop – 13 March 2008
How many number 1 hits does Lil Wayne have? The rapper has three number-one debut hits on Billboard 100. Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, better known as Lil Wayne, is a rapper, singer, and songwriter from the United States. Tha Block Is Hot (1999), Tha Carter (2004), and Tha Carter II (2005) are among the rapper's thirteen albums.
Wayne has five Grammys, eleven BET Awards, four Billboard Awards, two MTV Awards, and eight NAACP Image Awards.
13. OutKast – 3 hits
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- The Way You Move ft Sleepy Brown – 25 August 2003
- Hey Ya! – 25 August 2003
- Ms Jackson – 24 October 2000
In 1992, the hip-hop duo Outkast was founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The group comprises Rappers André "3000" Benjamin and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. From the middle of the 1990s to the beginning of the 2000s, the duo enjoyed both critical and commercial success.
Outkast's intricate lyricism, enduring melodies, and uplifting themes contributed to the spread of Southern hip-hop.
14. Flo Rida – 3 hits
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- Whistle – 24 April 2012
- Right Round – ft Kesha 27 January 2009
- Low – 9 October 2007
Tramar Lacel Dillard, better known as Flo Rida, is a rapper and singer from the United States. Mail on Sunday (2008) was Flo Rida's debut studio album, followed by ROOTS, Only One Flo (Part 1), and Wild Ones. Flo Rida is one of the best-selling music artists, having sold over 80 million records worldwide.
15. Ja Rule – 3 hits
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- Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix) Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule – 7 January 2002
- Always on Time ft Ashanti – 27 November 2001
- I'm Real (Murder Remix) Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule – 19 June 2001
Ja Rule, real name Jeffrey Bruce Atkins, is an American rapper, songwriter, singer, record producer, and actor. Ja Rule produced several songs that peaked in the top 20 of the American Billboard Hot 100 chart. Between You and Me, I'm Real (Murder Remix), and Ain't It Funny were among them.
Who is the artist with the most #1 hit records?
Who has the most 1 hits in music history? According to Billboard, the Beatles hold the record for the most number-one hits with 20 hits. They earned their status between 1964 and 1970. Mariah Carey and Rihanna closely follow them with 18 and 14 hits, respectively.
Who is the number 1 rapper of all time?
With over 200 million records sold, Eminem is the best-selling rapper in history. He is also the sixth best-selling solo artist of all time, with thirteen Billboard 200 number-one albums. Eminem has sold 47.4 million albums and 107.5 million singles in the United States.
The rappers with the most number 1 hits include Eminem, Drake and P Diddy. These rappers belong to a clique of hall-of-fame whose talent, hard work and desire have placed them at the top. If you love rap music, you can attest to the success of these hip-hop musicians as a fan and acknowledge that they are some of the best in the rap game.
Yen.com.gh published an interesting article about the best hip-hop producers of all time and their net worth. If you love rap music, discovering rap's most prominent music producers will interest you.
From Dr Dre to DJ Premier, rap has had its fair share of the best talent. These producers are the best in the game and are regarded by fans as legends. So, who are they, and how much are their net worth?
Source: YEN.com.gh
