Numbers don’t lie. People do, but numbers are speakers of truth. So when Billboard officially ranked Drake as the top R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the 21st century, cementing his dominance over the past two decades it came down to numbers and probably a little respect but we won’t focus on that part right now.
Get this, although Drizzy didn’t hit the Billboard charts until 2009, the 6God has racked up historic numbers. Between 2000 and 2024, he notched 30 No. 1 records on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and 15 No. 1 albums on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with both solo and collaborative releases contributing to the total.
In case you were unaware, he also leads all artists in the history of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with 135 top 10 hits and 355 total entries.
His 15 No. 1 albums held the top spot for a combined 67 weeks, proving his staying power across streaming and sales.
Drake has repeatedly claimed the title of Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, topping the recap in 2012, from 2015 through 2018, again in 2021, 2022, and 2024. Billboard notes that he not only boasts the strongest run of the last quarter-century but also holds the all-time record for both songs and albums on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
That’s called longevity.
If you’re curious, rounding out Billboard’s top 10 list of 21st century R&B/Hip-Hop acts are Beyoncé at No. 2, The Weeknd at No. 3, Chris Brown at No. 4, Usher at No. 5, Lil Wayne at No. 6, Jay-Z at No. 7, Rihanna at No. 8, Eminem at No. 9, and Alicia Keys at No. 10.
But yeah, Drake is that guy, well that guy of the century by Billboards account. Maybe ours too.