Rap music artists list

Drake

Dan Martensen

As Billboard celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Hot Rap Songs chart, which made its debut on March 11, 1989, we've delved into the tally's history to countdown the top 100 rap songs, and here we dive even deeper and list the top 50 Hot Rap Songs artists, the artists with the most No. 1s, the artists with the most top 10s, and more.

HOT RAP SONGS: TOP 50 ARTISTS (1989-2014):
1. DRAKE
2. JAY Z
3. LIL WAYNE
4. LL COOL J
5. KANYE WEST
6. T.I.
7. 50 CENT
8. LUDACRIS
9. DIDDY
10. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
11. SNOOP DOGG
12. NELLY
13. EMINEM
14. ICE CUBE
15. BUSTA RHYMES
16. NICKI MINAJ
17. OUTKAST
18. BOW WOW
19. HEAVY D & THE BOYZ
20. 2PAC
21. MC LYTE
22. TOO $HORT
23. LIL JON
24. FABOLOUS
25. FLO RIDA
26. PUBLIC ENEMY
27. PITBULL
28. M.C. HAMMER
29. MISSY ELLIOTT
30. NAUGHTY BY NATURE
31. BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY
32. SEAN PAUL
33. RICK ROSS
34. CHUBB ROCK
35. YOUNG JEEZY
36. SALT-N-PEPA
37. TWISTA
38. DA BRAT
39. KRIS KROSS
40. MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS
41. YING YANG TWINS
42. 69 BOYZ
43. NAS
44. CYPRESS HILL
45. CHINGY
46. SOULJA BOY
47. PLIES
48. YO-YO
49. FAT JOE
50. DR. DRE

Artists with the Most No. 1s:
1. Drake (13)
2. Diddy (10)
3. Kanye West (9)
4. LL Cool J (8)
5. TIE:
50 Cent (7)
Bow Wow (7)
Lil Wayne (7)
T.I. (7)
9. TIE:
Ice Cub (6)
Nelly (6)
The Notorious B.I.G. (6)
Artists with the Most Top 10s:
1. Lil Wayne (38)
2. Jay Z (34)
3. Drake (29)
4. Kanye West (26)
5. Diddy (24)
6. TIE:
LL Cool J (22)
Ludacris (22)
8.T.I. (21)
9. 50 Cent (20)
10. TIE:
Eminem (19)
Snoop Dogg (19)
Songs with the Most Weeks at No. 1:
1. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott featuring Nas, Eve & Q-Tip “Hot Boyz” (18 weeks, first reached 11/27/99)
2. TIE:
Drake “Best I Ever Had” (15 weeks, first reached 6/13/09)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz “Thrift Shop” (15 weeks, first reached 1/19/13)
4. TIE:
Drake featuring Lil Wayne “The Motto” (14 weeks, 2/18/12)
Lil Wayne featuring Static Major “Lollipop” (14 weeks, first reached 4/19/08)
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton “Can’t Hold Us” (14 weeks, first reached 5/4/13)
Craig Mack “Flava In Ya Ear” (14 weeks, first reached 9/10/94)
8. DJ Khaled featuring Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne “I’m On One” (13 weeks, first reached 7/16/11)

These 25th Anniversary Hot Rap Songs and Artist rankings are based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Rap Songs chart, since the chart’s inception in the March 11, 1989, issue. Rankings are based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 having the greatest value and weeks at lower positions proportionately less. Due to various changes in chart rules, chart length and methodology throughout the years, songs had varying reigns at No. 1 and on the chart. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from all 25 years, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference in turnover rates from those periods.

MORE BILLBOARD ANNIVERSARY CHARTS:
Hot 100 55th Anniversary: Top 100 Songs