Hot Rap Songs Explained

Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. Streaming data and digital downloads were added to the methodology of determining chart rankings in 2012.^[1] From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single sold in that given week.^[2] The song with the most weeks at number one is "Old Town Road", with a total of 20 weeks.

Chart statistics and other facts

Artists with the most number-one singles

Number	Artist	Source
29		^[3]
11		^[4]
		^[5]
10		^[6]
		^[7]
8		^[8]
7		^[9]
		^[10]
6		^[11]
		^[12]
		^[13]
5		^[14]
		^[15]
		^[16]
		^[17]
4		^[18]
		^[19]
		^[20]
		^[21]
		^[22]
		^[23] -->

Note: Rihanna is a featured artist on all her number-one singles.^[15]

Artists with the most consecutive weeks at number one

• 29 weeks - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ("Thrift Shop", "Can't Hold Us")
• 25 weeks – Lil Wayne ("Lollipop", "A Milli")
• 20 weeks – Drake ("I'm On One", "Headlines"); T-Pain ("Good Life", "Low"); T.I. ("Whatever You Like", "Live Your Life")
• 19 weeks – 50 Cent ("Candy Shop", "Hate It Or Love It", "Just A Lil Bit"); Lil Nas X ("Old Town Road")

Note: Above chart only considers songs that charted in 2004 or later

Artists simultaneously occupying the top three positions

• 50 Cent: April 2, 2005^[24]

1. "Candy Shop" (featuring Olivia) (No. 1 April 2, 2005)
2. "Hate It or Love It" (with The Game) (No. 2 April 2, 2005)
3. "How We Do" (with The Game) (No. 3 April 2, 2005)

• Drake: October 8, 2011 through October 22, 2011^{[25] [26] [27]}

1. "I'm On One" (with DJ Khaled, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne) (No. 1 October 8, No. 2 October 15, and No. 3 October 22, 2011)
2. "Headlines" (No. 2 October 8 and No. 1 October 15, and October 22, 2011)
3. "She Will" (with Lil Wayne) (No. 3 October 8 and October 15, and No. 2 October 22, 2011)

Songs with the most weeks at number one

Weeks	Song	Artist	Year(s)	Source
20	"Old Town Road"	Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus	2019	^[28]
19	"Industry Baby"	Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow	2021–2022	^[29]
18	"Hot Boyz"		1999–2000
	"Lollipop"		2008
	"Fancy"		2014
	"Hotline Bling"		2015–2016	^[30]
17	"Mood"	24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior	2020–2021	^[31]
15	"Best I Ever Had"	Drake	2009
	"Thrift Shop"		2013
	"Timber"		2014
	"See You Again"		2015
	"Rockstar"		2017	^[32]
14	"Flava in Ya Ear"		1994
	"The Motto"		2012
	"Can't Hold Us"		2013

Self-replacement at number one

Lead artist

• Bow Wow — "Let Me Hold You" (Bow Wow feat. Omarion) (7 weeks) → "Like You" (Bow Wow feat. Ciara) (4 weeks) (September 10, 2005)
• Lil Wayne — "Lollipop" (Lil Wayne feat. Static Major) (18 weeks) → "A Milli" (7 weeks) (July 26, 2008)
• T.I. — "Whatever You Like" (10 weeks) → "Live Your Life" (T.I. feat. Rihanna) (10 weeks) (November 29, 2008)
• Drake — "Make Me Proud" (Drake feat. Nicki Minaj) (1 week) → "The Motto" (Drake feat. Lil Wayne) (14 weeks) (February 18, 2012)
• Macklemore & Ryan Lewis — "Thrift Shop" (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz) (15 weeks) → "Can't Hold Us" (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton) (14 weeks) (May 4, 2013)
• Drake — "God's Plan" (11 weeks) → "Nice For What" (8 weeks) (April 21, 2018)
• Drake — "Nice For What" (8 weeks) → "In My Feelings" (11 weeks) (July 21, 2018)
• Post Malone — "Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)" (Post Malone & Swae Lee) (11 weeks) → "Wow." (1 week) (April 6, 2019)

Featured artist

• T-Pain — "Good Life" (Kanye West feat. T-Pain) (9 weeks) (November 3, 2007) → "Low" (Flo Rida feat. T-Pain) (11 weeks) (January 5, 2008)
• Kanye West — "Run This Town" (Jay-Z feat. Rihanna & Kanye West) (7 weeks) → "Forever" (Drake feat. Kanye West, Lil Wayne, & Eminem) (1 week) (November 14, 2009)

Combined (lead and featured artist)

• 50 Cent — "Candy Shop" (50 Cent feat. Olivia) (6 weeks) → "Hate It or Love It" (The Game feat. 50 Cent) (4 weeks) (April 23, 2005) → "Just a Lil Bit" (50 Cent) (9 weeks) (May 21, 2005)
• Drake — "Fancy" (Drake feat. T.I. & Swizz Beatz) (1 week) → "Right Above It" (Lil Wayne feat. Drake) (5 weeks) (November 6, 2010)
• Chris Brown — "Look at Me Now" (Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes) (10 weeks) → "My Last" (Big Sean feat. Chris Brown) (2 weeks) (July 2, 2011)
• 2 Chainz — "Mercy" (Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz) (9 weeks) → "No Lie" (2 Chainz feat. Drake) (6 weeks) (September 8, 2012)
• Travis Scott — "Zeze" (Kodak Black feat. Travis Scott & Offset) (1 week) → "SICKO MODE" (Travis Scott) (10 weeks) (November 3, 2018)

Total weeks at number one per decade

2000s

Total number weeks at number one as a lead or featured artist

1. Missy Elliott – 56 weeks
2. T.I – 49 weeks
3. Bow Wow – 40 weeks
4. Kanye West – 32 weeks
5. T-Pain – 29 weeks
6. Ludacris – 29 weeks
7. Lil Wayne – 28 weeks
8. Nelly – 25 weeks
9. Snoop Dogg – 20 weeks

2010s

Total number weeks at number one as a lead or featured artist

1. Drake – 125 weeks
2. Lil Wayne – 53 weeks
3. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – 29 weeks
4. Post Malone – 28 weeks
5. Jay-Z – 25 weeks
6. Nicki Minaj – 25 weeks
7. Iggy Azalea – 24 weeks
8. Pitbull – 21 weeks
9. Rihanna – 20 weeks
10. Kanye West, Lil Nas X – 19 weeks
11. Eminem, Charli XCX – 18 weeks

See also

• List of Billboard number-one rap singles of the 1980s and 1990s
• List of Billboard number-one rap singles of the 2000s
• List of Billboard Hot Rap Songs number ones of the 2010s
• Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
• Billboard charts

Notes and References

1. Taylor Swift, Rihanna & PSY Buoyed by Billboard Chart Changes . . . October 11, 2012 . March 4, 2014 . Pietroluongo, Silvio.
2. Rap Chart Changes From Sales To Airplay . . . 114 . 23 . June 8, 2002 . October 17, 2013 . 10.
3. Web site: Drake Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 29 September 2023.
4. Web site: Lil Wayne Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
5. Web site: Kanye West Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
6. Web site: Puff Daddy Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 22 May 2021.
7. Web site: Nicki Minaj Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 24 August 2022.
8. Web site: LL Cool J Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 13 April 2020.
9. Web site: 50 Cent Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
10. Web site: T.I. Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
11. Web site: Cardi B Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 24 August 2022.
12. Web site: Ice Cube Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
13. Web site: Nelly Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
14. Web site: Eminem Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 13 April 2020.
15. Web site: Rihanna Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
16. Web site: Chris Brown Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 18 April 2023.
17. Web site: Post Malone Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 18 April 2023.
18. Web site: Chubb Rock Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
19. Web site: MC Lyte Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 4 Sep 2020.
20. Web site: Public Enemy Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
21. Web site: T-Pain Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
22. Web site: Ludacris Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 14 May 2019.
23. Web site: Chris Brown Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . 16 December 2021.
24. Web site: Rap Songs: Week of April 02, 2005 . . 2005-04-02 . 2011-10-03.
25. Web site: Marc Anthony, Toby Keith, Drake, Coldplay Score Landmark No. 1s . . 2011-10-03 . 2011-10-03.
26. Web site: Rap Songs: Week of October 08, 2011 . . 2011-10-08 . 2011-10-03.
27. Web site: Rap Songs: Week of October 22, 2011 . . 2011-10-22 . 2011-10-27.
28. Rap Music: Top Rap Songs Chart. Billboard. 2 January 2013. 2019-08-24.
29. Adele Back Atop Hot 100, 'Bruno,' Elton John & Dua Lipa, Kodak Black Hit Top 10. 2022-01-10. Billboard. 10 January 2022. en.
30. News: Mendizabal. Amaya. Drake's 'Hotline Bling' Ties Hot Rap Songs Chart Record. 15 May 2018. billboard.com. Billboard Music. 25 January 2016.
31. Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Leads Hot 100 for 8th Week, The Weeknd's 'Blinding Lights' Marks a Year in Top 10. 2021-03-25. Billboard. 8 March 2021. en.
32. Web site: "Rockstar" Hot Rap Songs Chart History . billboard.com . Billboard Music . 6 July 2018.