It's time to reveal the best-selling rappers of all time! Music charts and rankings about hip hop artists abound online, but few offer the kind of rigorous, data-driven perspective needed to cut through the noise. Many of these lists are riddled with inconsistencies, rely on outdated metrics, or skew heavily toward one market - the U.S. The following ranking actually reflects the global scale and commercial depth of hip-hop.

Reaching the masses way back in 1979 thanks to Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight, rap went on to become the most significant genre of the modern era, with artists dominating sales charts from New York to Lagos, Toronto to Seoul. Yet comparing success across eras and continents isn’t straightforward.

Legacy artists built their careers in the age of CDs and cassette tapes; today’s stars thrive in the hyper-competitive world of streaming, viral singles, and playlist placements. To make sense of it all, this ranking relies on a unified measurement - equivalent album sales (EAS) - which fairly weighs pure album sales, compilations, digital and physical singles, and audio and video streaming performance.

To maintain the integrity of this ranking as a representation of rap-driven careers, artists whose commercial success is primarily tied to non-rap material have been excluded. These include the likes Post Malone, and The Black Eyed Peas. This list focuses strictly on artists whose core output is rooted in hip-hop.

Eminem, with over 224 million EAS, has a monumental lead, while newer-generation artists like Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert show how streaming is renewing the leaderboard. Meanwhile, legends like Jay-Z, 2Pac, and Snoop Dogg maintain strong positions thanks to broad catalogs and great sales numbers through various formats. This list features the 34 rappers who’ve crossed the 30 million EAS threshold.

Making it is no small feat. Some globally recognized names missed the cut despite massive hits. Several artists need to build a larger catalog to get there, like Gunna, Young Thug, Playboi Carti, Cardi B, or DaBaby. Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Fugees and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony got smash albums in the 1990s, but they also miss the ranking due to limited material. It highlights how the biggest selling lists require consistency and cross-format appeal rather than flash-in-the-pan success. Here are hip-hop’s biggies, ranked from #34 to #1, by their total career EAS.

Best-selling rappers ranking

#35 – Flo Rida – 30.0 million EAS

Flo Rida is the quintessential singles-era success story, with monstrous hits yet terrible album sales. Bursting onto the scene in the late 2000s with Low, he became a fixture in clubs and on radio playlists worldwide. Tracks like Right Round, Club Can’t Handle Me, and Whistle drove him to dizzying digital single sales - topping 103 million downloads and ringtones.

His ability to churn out global party anthems helped him remain relevant for nearly a decade, especially in international markets where dance-pop hybrids thrived until mid-2010s.

But while he dominates in digital, his album and streaming numbers are modest by comparison. His recurring streams are just enough to bring him into the 30-million sellers club.

#34 – Doja Cat – 31.1 million EAS

A breakout star of the streaming generation, Doja Cat has ridden viral momentum and genre-blurring versatility to rapid commercial success. Her presence on TikTok-era platforms gave hits like Say So, Woman, and Paint the Town Red immense traction, turning her into one of the most streamed female rappers globally. Her catalog is still relatively young, but she is already up to 31.1 million EAS.

Her trajectory is emblematic of modern artists who emerged in a fully digital landscape. With streaming now the dominant music consumption format, Doja Cat's rapid rise mirrors the market shift where physical and download sales have been eclipsed by platform plays. Her strong digital footprint reflects this evolution, and her continued growth could push her significantly higher in coming years.

#33 – DMX – 31.6 million EAS

DMX was a force of nature at the turn of the millennium. He achieved the rare feat of having his first five studio albums debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, a testament to his massive fan base and gritty charisma. Tracks like Party Up, Ruff Ryders’ Anthem, and X Gon’ Give It to Ya became generational anthems. His pure album sales exceeded 23 million, supported by strong physical single numbers and durable digital performance.

Despite his early 2000s dominance in the US, DMX failed to go global, with only X Gon’ Give It to Ya becoming a moderate hit worldwide, which places a cap on his EAS.

The rapper passed away in April 2021 at the age of 50, following a heart attack reportedly triggered by a drug overdose. His death prompted widespread tributes and renewed interest in his catalog.

#32 – Nas – 32.8 million EAS

One of hip-hop’s most respected lyricists, Nas built his legacy on the strength of albums like Illmatic, It Was Written, and more recently, the Grammy-winning King’s Disease series. He has sold over 21 million pure albums, a significant number in any era, and his classic albums have allowed him to accumulate over 5 million EAS from streaming.

His career trajectory reflects consistency and artistry more than trend-chasing, which means he hasn't always matched his peers in headline-grabbing singles or explosive streaming spikes. Still, his catalog is deep, and his appeal remains potent decades after his debut.

#31 – Wiz Khalifa – 33.0 million EAS

Wiz Khalifa rode the weed-rap wave into mainstream fame with Black and Yellow, before achieving pop immortality through See You Again - one of the most-streamed songs of its era. His singles catalog is remarkably strong, with 78 million digital units, while streaming added over 21 million EAS to his tally.

While his albums have modest pure sales, his ability to land massive collaborations and sustain relevance in digital formats has carried his total EAS over the 33 million mark. His mix of stoner anthems and crossover ballads placed him in a unique commercial lane. That being said, the monumental flop of his last album - after four consecutive top-2 records 2022's Multiverse completely missed Billboard's Top 200 list - suggests that he is more likely to go down this ranking from now on, unless he reverses this trend.

#30 – MC Hammer – 33.5 million EAS

MC Hammer was hip-hop’s first true pop superstar, bringing the genre to daytime TV and international audiences with U Can’t Touch This. The song's parent album, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ’Em, was a juggernaut, selling over 16 million copies worldwide. Add in Too Legit to Quit and you’ve got a pair of albums that defined early ’90s rap’s mainstream crossover.

Despite this explosive start, his fame declined rapidly by mid-decade, and streaming hasn't done much to lift his numbers in recent years. Still, thanks to huge pure sales, strong physical singles, and the massive cultural reach of his early material, he comfortably lands at #30.

#29 – Tyler, the Creator – 33.7 million EAS

Tyler, the Creator has carved out one of the most unique paths in modern hip-hop. From the shock-rap antics of Goblin to the sophisticated, genre-blurring soundscapes of IGOR and Call Me If You Get Lost, he's grown into a critical darling and commercial force.

His pure album sales are impressive by today's standards, especially as his recent albums sell a ton of vinyl records week after week. While his digital single sales are relatively modest due to the absence of crossover hits, his streaming numbers are impressive, especially for a genre-pushing artist. His influence on both fashion and alternative rap aesthetics is huge right now, and expect him to continue rising among the top-ranked rappers in the upcoming years.

#28 – Sean Combs – 34.8 million EAS

Arguably the most infamous artist in this list, Sean Combs appears at #28 with 35 million EAS. First known as Puff Daddy - P. Diddy later on -, he got one of the biggest hits of the 1990s with his tribute to Notorious B.I.G., I'll Be Missing You.

The persistent questions about his role on 2Pac's killing didn't prevent him from developing a solid career. His debut single Can't Nobody Hold Me Down was already a monster hit in the US. Both songs were part of his first album, No Way Out, which went on to sell 9.5 million pure copies. Mainly known as a producer, songs like Come with Me, Satisfy You, I Need a Girl (both parts), Shake Ya Tailfeather, Last Night, and Coming Home kept the flow of hits coming until 2010.

The near 29 million sales he amassed with physical singles are an all-time record for a rapper. Before making headlines in recent years with numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and assault, Combs was known as one of the richest music artists thanks to several successful businesses, from the Sean John clothing line to record label Bad Boy Records.

#27 – Lil Baby – 35.1 million EAS

A flagship artist of the streaming era, Lil Baby rose rapidly through a prolific release schedule and relentless run of features. Hits like Drip Too Hard and Woah played on repeat across every platform, and his album My Turn was a massive streaming success. It was the best-selling album of 2020 in the US, surpassing Taylor Swift's Folklore, and remains the only rap album to top the annual Soundscan / Luminate ranking in the past six years.

Unlike many trap artists with similar momentum, Lil Baby has remained remarkably consistent, and while his pure sales are minimal, his recurring streams are among the highest in this tier. At just under a decade into his career, he’s already in the upper third of this ranking, and the upcoming release of his 5th studio album Dominique will push his EAS higher.

#26 – Ludacris – 35.7 million EAS

During the 2000s, Ludacris dominated US charts with Southern charm and endless charisma. Albums like Word of Mouf, Chicken-n-Beer, and Release Therapy kept him in the platinum club year after year. And his standout singles, from Stand Up to Money Maker, maintained heavy radio play for a full decade.

In a way similar to DMX, he wasn't able to become a global star. Not with his own material at least - as a featured act, he participated in some of the biggest successes of the 2000s, from Usher's Yeah! to Fergie's Glamorous to Justin Bieber's Baby. Out of his 92 million digital sales, 64 million comes from features, which are weighted down (a featured act receives on average 40% of the song's units) in our methodology.

His streaming numbers have tapered off in the last few years and he hasn’t released a full studio album in quite some time, since 2015's Ludaversal, meaning his sales are increasing slowly at the moment. Still, with nearly 36 million EAS, he ranks #27 among the best-selling rappers of all-time.

#25 – OutKast – 35.7 million EAS

OutKast, the Atlanta duo of André 3000 and Big Boi, were pioneers of experimental Southern hip-hop. From the groundbreaking ATLiens to the genre-busting double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, their innovation was matched by massive success. The latter effort went Diamond in only a year in the US - for 5 million sales as it is a double record - and won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2004.

Despite disbanding as a creative unit after their peak, their back catalog remains strong, with Hey Ya! and Ms. Jackson still pulling serious streaming weight as they combine for nearly 3 billion streams on Spotify alone. They are so high in part thanks to their large global appeal, as both songs were #1s in various countries. This success pushes OutKast into the top 25 best-selling hip hop artists with 35.7 million EAS.

#24 – Metro Boomin – 35.8 million EAS

One of modern rap’s most influential producers, Metro Boomin has redefined the sonic identity of trap. While he initially rose to fame crafting hits for others, his own projects like Not All Heroes Wear Capes and Heroes & Villains made him a name in his own right.

With a producer-led catalog built almost entirely on streaming, Metro Boomin exemplifies the power of collaboration and digital-first releases. His work with Future, 21 Savage, and The Weeknd continues to generate enormous reach, pushing his EAS steadily upward. It's worth noting his tally includes only material where he is explicitly credited, leaving out a lot of material that he produced for others.

#23 – Will Smith – 36.0 million EAS

Before he was a Hollywood megastar, Will Smith - aka The Fresh Prince - was one of the first rappers to achieve mainstream global success. With DJ Jazzy Jeff, he won the first-ever rap Grammy for Parents Just Don’t Understand, and solo hits like Gettin’ Jiggy wit It, Men in Black and Wild Wild West pushed his brand of clean, upbeat hip-hop into pop charts. In fact, with over 17 million copies, he ranks second among the highest selling rappers for physical singles.

Big Willie Style became one of the rare rap albums of the 1990s to top 10 million pure sales, while 2005's Switch extended his string of hits many years after his debut. His musical output has slowed significantly since then, but the sheer impact of his late ’90s success keeps his sales total competitive at 36 million EAS. He is a pop culture icon, though now more for his acting legacy than music.

#22 – The Notorious B.I.G. – 36.5 million EAS

The Notorious B.I.G. had a tragically short career, but its impact is still huge. His debut Ready to Die helped revive East Coast rap, while the posthumous Life After Death became one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of its era.

The rapper was killed in 1997 at just 24 years old. In the decades since, his catalog has remained consistently popular, with enduring hits like Juicy and Hypnotize gaining renewed interest through streaming. Despite only two proper studio albums, his influence and sales have never waned.

#21 – Pitbull – 37.0 million EAS

Pitbull transitioned from Miami battle rapper to global hitmaker thanks to a savvy embrace of club-pop fusion. With tracks like Give Me Everything, Timber, and I Know You Want Me, he became a worldwide radio staple in the early 2010s. His presence on this list is up for debate, I'll let everyone make up their own mind on him being a primary rapper or not, as he is really a close call.

While his pure album sales are modest, his digital single numbers all around the world are enormous, totaling 98 million sales. His streaming figures are strong too, leading him to 37 million EAS overall.

#20 – Lil Uzi Vert – 38.9 million EAS

One of the leaders of the impressive generation of talents that arrived in the second half of the 2010s, Lil Uzi Vert brought a melodic, emo-rap fusion to the mainstream. Their unorthodox flow and eclectic sound on Luv Is Rage 2 and Eternal Atake performed strongly, with tracks like XO Tour Llif3 becoming modern anthems. Their stage presence and fashion-forward style have also made them a Gen Z icon.

With negligible pure sales, as expected from artists debuting in the last 10 years, Lil Uzi Vert's streaming volume is massive - earning nearly 39 million EAS mostly through digital traction. Their momentum has slowed, as the last album Eternal Atake 2 was a disappointment, new hits will be welcome to turn things around and go even higher than #20 on this list.

#19 – 21 Savage – 39.2 million EAS

21 Savage has built the first part of his career through introspection, gradually evolving from the dark, minimalist sound of Savage Mode to more polished, reflective records like i am > i was. His collaborations with Metro Boomin and Drake have massively expanded his reach.

Born in London - one of only two artists on this list not born in North America - he grew up in Atlanta, a hotbed of talented rappers (OutKast, Ludacris, Soulja Boy, Lil Jon, T.I., Jeezy, 2 Chainz, Future, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Gucci Mane, Playboi Carti, Gunna, Latto, Quavo, Offset, etc.).

His catalog thrives almost entirely on streaming, and while he’s light on pure sales, his sustained digital relevance and smart partnerships push him just under the 40 million mark. His subdued delivery and real-life narratives have carved out a unique niche in trap music.

#18 – Dr. Dre – 44.2 million EAS

More than just a rapper, Dr. Dre is a cultural architect. The godfather of Compton's hip hop, he defined the West Coast sound for more than 20 years. The mastermind of legendary gangsta rap group N.W.A., he then dropped the classic record The Chronic 1992.

His behind-the-scenes role as producer and mogul powered Snoop Dogg and Warren G to superstardom, while he featured on two of the biggest hits of the 1990s, 2Pac's California Love and Blackstreet's No Diggity.

His second solo effort, 2001, became another classic rap album featuring signature tracks like Still D.R.E., The Next Episode and Forgot About Dre. They are evergreen hits on streaming platforms. Late 1990s and early 2000s were another golden age for him as a producer, catapulting Eminem and 50 Cent on top of the world, while crafting hits for Eve, Mary J. Blige, Gwen Stefani and The Game.

Despite a tiny catalog as a primary artist made of only 3 albums plus standalone songs, Dr. Dre ranks #18 among the best selling rappers of all-time with 44 million EAS.

#17 – J. Cole – 46.2 million EAS

One of the main faces of conscious rap, J. Cole developed his career on thoughtful songwriting and self-produced albums. Works like 2014 Forest Hills Drive, KOD, and The Off-Season combine introspection with chart presence, winning him both fan loyalty and critical acclaim.

Each of his six studio albums went to #1 in the US - although he has yet to top the singles chart. Not everything is about chart peaks, as illustrated by 2015's No Role Modelz. Peaking at #36 in the US, the song has charted on US Top 200 Spotify chart for a record-breaking 3,369 days. After taking 18 months to go Platinum, No Role Modelz is now 14xPlatinum.

His aversion to guest features and focus on full-length projects have made him a standout in an era of fast consumption. That is working out pretty well for him as he is up to 46 million EAS.

#16 – Beastie Boys – 46.6 million EAS

Beastie Boys were hip-hop’s first global rockstars, bringing punk energy and irreverence to the genre. Their 1986 debut Licensed to Ill became the first rap album to top the Billboard 200, featuring classics like (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party) and No Sleep till Brooklyn. It went Diamond in the long run, topping 10 million sales in the US alone.

The trio’s success extended well into the 1990s, with Ill Communication and Hello Nasty contributing to a deep catalog that boasts strong physical sales and surprising streaming legs. The death of founding member Adam Yauch (MCA) in 2012 was a major loss, prompting the band to call it a day, but the popularity of their work endures. Ranking at #16, they are the best selling group of the list.

#15 – XXXTentacion – 47.4 million EAS

Very few artists ever did as much as XXXTentacion in such a short time. Shot and killed in June 2018 at just 20 years old, he left behind an impressive catalog. Breaking over the main audience with Look at Me! in 2015 from his mixtape Revenge, the deeply emotional lyrics of songs like Jocelyn Flores and Sad! instantly made him a youth icon, and the flagship of the then rising emo rap movement.

His two studio albums 17 and ? were outstanding successes. They combine for over 21 billion streams on Spotify, both ranking among the 10 most streamed rap albums ever. If his career was cut short, the sustained interest in his catalog and the posthumously released material put him among the 15 biggest rappers of all-time with over 47 million EAS.

#14 – Juice WRLD – 48.5 million EAS

It's almost a sad irony to meet Juice WRLD just after XXXTentacion. Alongside him and Lil Peep, they truly embodied emo rap. They exploded at the same time, and all three passed away at 20/21 in quick succession.

Juice WRLD too had time to release only two albums, Goodbye & Good Riddance and Death Race for Love. They rank as #6 and #19 among the most streamed rap albums on Spotify, while the posthumous effort Legends Never Die ranks #16. The former includes Lucid Dreams and All Girls Are The Same, which are approaching 3 billion and 2 billion streams, respectively.

These numbers are pushing the rapper's catalog into elite territory, now closing in on 50 million EAS, with streaming continuing to carry his numbers upward.

#13 – Nelly – 49.1 million EAS

At the height of the early 2000s, Nelly was one of the biggest names in global music. His 12-million selling debut Country Grammar and follow-up Nellyville were commercial juggernauts, spawning anthems like Hot in Herre and Dilemma. He captured a moment when Southern rap merged with pop radio and took over the charts.

Despite the hit of 2010's Just A Dream, his relevance has faded after the 2000-2005 madness. If his new releases have been underperforming for quite some time, his golden tunes remain popular, as illustrated by Dilemma recently surpassing 1 billion streams on Spotify. Nelly ranks 13th among the best-selling rappers.

#12 – 50 Cent – 55.1 million EAS

We enter the 50-million sellers club, jumping straight to 55 million with iconic 2000s figure 50 Cent. He exploded onto the scene with Get Rich or Die Tryin’, one of the most impactful rap debuts of all time. Singles like In da Club and 21 Questions were inescapable, while his partnership with Eminem and Dr. Dre helped push him into the mainstream spotlight.

2005's The Massacre maintained his hype thanks to the success of Candy Shop, but his star vanished after he lost the much touted battle against Kanye West's Graduation with Curtis.

Despite this situation, his early 2000s output remains massively popular. He also saw a streaming resurgence thanks to his role in the Power TV series and nostalgic appeal of his biggest hits, pushing him to 17 million EAS from streams, over two times more than his contemporary rapper Nelly who sold virtually the same number of units in pure sales.

#11 – Future – 57.0 million EAS

Future is the trap workhorse of the last decade, known for his prolific output and trendsetting style. Albums like DS2, Future, and High Off Life all solidified his place in digital-first rap. Hits like Mask Off and Life Is Good are streaming monsters.

While he lacks blockbuster pure sales and global appeal, his massive catalog volume and enduring streaming strength - along with countless high-profile collaborations - have quietly made him one of hip-hop’s most commercially reliable names. Up to 57 million EAS, he is at the door of the all-time top 10.

#10 – Nicki Minaj – 60.2 million EAS

The most successful female rapper of all time by a considerable margin, Nicki Minaj turned flamboyant lyricism and genre-crossing collaborations into a highly valuable catalog. Out of her five studio albums, three peaked at #1 and two at #2, while her success overseas is also notably stronger than most artists in this ranking.

She came to prominence at the start of the 2010s with huge pop-rap smashes Super Bass and Starships. Since then, she confirmed many times over she was a commercial force with songs like Pound the Alarm, Bang Bang, Anaconda, MotorSport, Trollz, Do We Have a Problem?, Super Freaky Girl and Barbie World.

This formidable singles output combines for a massive 133 million digital sales, one of the highest digital single totals in music history. Her streaming strength and loyal fanbase have ensured a steady rise in EAS, pushing her into the top 10 overall with 60 million EAS.

#9 – Lil Wayne – 64.2 million EAS

A titan of the mixtape era, Lil Wayne transformed Southern hip-hop through sheer volume, charisma, reinvention, and his raw, scratchy voice. Although all his projects performed well and he's never shy about dropping viral verses, what truly sets him apart is his Tha Carter series. Perhaps the most popular album series in rap history, the mere mention of a new title sets the rap community on fire.

Volume III remains his magnum opus. Its debut was a shocker when it shifted over a million sales at retail on its first week, when the feat felt impossible - it wasn't done in over 3 years and the album sales market was collapsing every year. It was also the first rap album to top US annual sales in 5 years, and won the Grammy award for Best Rap Album, while Lollipop won Best Rap Song and A Milli Best Rap Solo Performance.

While his digital single numbers are staggering - 167 million - he also benefited from the tail end of the physical era. His influence on the current rap landscape is profound, with many modern superstars citing him as their primary inspiration. Nearly 3 decades after his debut as part of the Hot Boys, his Tha Carter VI album that is coming on June 6, 2025 is heavily anticipated.

#8 – Snoop Dogg – 65.1 million EAS

Snoop Dogg has had one of the longest and most versatile careers in hip-hop. From his breakout on Doggystyle - the first debut album to enter at #1 on the Billboard 200 - to reinventions across funk, reggae, and EDM, he’s remained a cultural mainstay.

After his record breaking debut, his outputs were a bit all over the place. With countless studio albums, mixtapes, soundtracks, collaborative efforts, EPs, it doesn't seem that he has been doing that well. It all adds up though, building a huge total of 38 million album sales and 12 million physical singles.

His own material also records 32 million digital sales, led by digital-era hits like Drop It Like It's Hot and Young, Wild & Free as well as classics like Gin and Juice. To that, we still need to add his healthy features that combine for 68 million sales, with songs like Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang, Still D.R.E., The Next Episode (Dr. Dre), P.I.M.P. (50 Cent), Buttons (The Pussycat Dolls), I Wanna Love You (Akon), California Gurls (Katy Perry), Wiggle (Jason Derulo), and many more.

Snoop Dogg is, one of the most recognizable faces in global music, ranks #8 among the best-selling rappers of all-time with 65 million EAS.

#7 – Travis Scott – 65.9 million EAS

Travis Scott has turned chaos into spectacle, mixing psychedelic trap with stadium-level ambition. Astroworld was a cultural phenomenon, and his ability to make every album an event propelled him into modern rap’s top tier.

This doesn't come without strong songs though. Scott for sure has many of them. With 3.6 billion streams combined over his various versions, Goosebumps is the most streamed rap song on Spotify. Sicko Mode is massive as well at 2.5 billion, while Highest In The Room is at 2 billion.

His discography remains lean but effective, and his innovative marketing strategies like his Fortnite concert tend to nail it every time. He has climbed all the way up to #7 in this all-time leaderboard in very fast fashion, although entering the top 6 will require more hard work.

#6 – Kendrick Lamar – 73.9 million EAS

After a stacked ranking in positions #34-#7, gaps between members of top 6 get much wider. Here, we reach artists that have been able to smash with multiple projects, with a global audience, retaining a strong popularity over 10+ years.

And the first of these is no other than Compton star Kendrick Lamar. His early critical acclaim soon met with commercial strength, and he just keeps getting bigger an bigger, especially at a global level. Albums like good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly, and DAMN. earned him a Pulitzer Prize and chart-topping success.

His pure album sales are closing in on 10 million copies, an impressive number nowadays. All his studio albums are evergreen catalog sellers. His crossover hits came a bit too late for heavy digital sales, although he still does well at 44 million. As for his streams, he stands on 60 million EAS thanks to audio and video plays.

While he owns huge hits - Humble claims 2.6 billion streams on Spotify, 6th highest tally ever for a rap song - what's even more impressive is the consistency of his catalog. From his last five studio albums, 54 out of 78 of their songs received more than 100 million streams.

#5 – 2Pac – 87.7 million EAS

A poetic rebel and enduring symbol of hip-hop’s conscience, 2Pac remains one of the genre’s most influential voices. Double album All Eyez on Me is an absolute classic of the genre, but also a best-seller with over 25 million units across all formats.

More records like Me Against The World (10 million) and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (9 million) gave depth to his catalog, that still generates plenty of sales activity through all metrics year after year.

Impressive since he was shot and killed in 1996 at just 25 years old. A regular feature on GOAT conversations, 2Pac lands at 5 among the best-selling rap artists ever with 88 million EAS, quite a feat for someone who had so little time when rap was nowhere near as mainstream and global as it became later on.

#4 – Jay-Z – 101.5 million EAS

Since releasing his debut album nearly 30 years ago, Jay-Z released 18 studio albums, going Gold 18 times, Platinum 17 times, and multi-Platinum with 14 releases. This outstanding longevity puts him in the pantheon of rap music.

Commercial hits, many of his albums are also critically acclaimed, including classics The Blueprint, The Black Album, and Watch the Throne - the latter in collaboration with Kanye West. His catalog includes iconic tracks too like Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem), 03 Bonnie & Clyde, 99 Problems, Excuse Me Miss, Empire State of Mind, and N**** in Paris.

His features also tend to perform very well, as shown by his participations on US chart toppers Heartbreaker (Mariah Carey), Crazy in Love (Beyoncé) and Umbrella (Rihanna) among many other hits.

Beyond the music, he’s become a cultural mogul, expanding into many areas, while being one half of the ultimate power couple of the music industry with his wife Beyoncé. His streaming numbers may not dominate like younger stars, but his 54 million album sales, 170 million digital units and still 23 million EAS from streams ensure his place among rap’s Mount Rushmore. They also make him one in only four rappers with sales surpassing 100 million EAS.

#3 – Kanye West – 120.6 million EAS

From the promising rapper on The College Dropout to the most controversial artist on Earth, the trajectory of Kanye West is one of a kind. Love him or hate him, his influence and sales numbers speak for themselves.

Ever since he debuted, his releases have been piling gold and platinum certifications - and it's not just in the US. His global impact far exceeds the names we listed previously, explaining the jump to 120 million EAS.

He sold over 28 million albums, mostly in the 2000s, before turning into a prolific hit maker with 166 million digital sales. There too we can note that unlike many rappers with heavy digital sales, most of his units are coming from his own songs rather than features.

No need to say that records like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and The Life of Pablo are stone cold classics. His total sales put him firmly into the all-time top 3 biggest rappers.

#2 – Drake – 169.4 million EAS

Ever since we can remember, Drake has been the inevitable face of the streaming world. Since Thank Me Later, he’s churned out hits across mixtapes, albums, and collaborative projects, with tracks like One Dance, Hotline Bling, and God’s Plan setting digital records. Views and Scorpion were the most streamed albums in the world in 2016 and 2018, respectively, while the latter held for many years the biggest first week of all time.

His catalog is monumental, with no less than 208 tracks exceeding 100 million streams, counting only his leading songs. All-credits, he stands on 112 billion streams, still leading the way, although Taylor Swift claimed the top when we focus on lead songs.

With 172 million digital tracks sold despite missing nearly half of the period, Drake has been a powerhouse for longer than he is often credited. The success of his new project with PartyNextDoor shows that even with his controversial feud with Kendrick Lamar, he is still incredibly popular. His 169 million EAS to date won't contradict that either.

#1 – Eminem – 224.2 million EAS

With a 55 million lead over the runner up, and more sales than Kanye West and Jay-Z combined, the legacy of Eminem is unbelievable. Indeed, he stands alone at the summit of the hip hop pyramid. Launching into superstardom with The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP, he never really slowed down, putting together a stunning catalog through the years.

It includes some of the best-selling rap albums of all time, with The Eminem Show (#1, 41 million), The Marshall Mathers LP (#2, 37 million), Recovery (#5, 22 million), Encore (#7, 20 million), and 8 Mile (#8, 20 million), all adding to his mammoth totals.

His lyrical dexterity, controversy-fueled fame, and crossover appeal helped him dominate physical sales in the 2000s, destroy iTunes statistics - 205 million digital sales - with tracks like Lose Yourself and Love the Way You Lie, and compete among streaming giants with 67 million EAS in this metric. Even if Drake is increasing fast, so is Eminem whose global impact is unparalleled in the rap game.

The best-selling artists list, updated

All-time lists are much more dynamic than most would expect - unknown names like Travis Scott can reach the top 10 in only a few years.

Our sortable and filterable list of the best-selling artists of all time is the perfect way to keep track of this ranking, and the sales and streams evolution of artists. If you want to dig deeper into one artist statistics, head to his Artist Dashboard page, as shown by this example of Eminem’s. If you want to compare two rappers across a large set of statistics, this tool is your dream come true.

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