Drake has the numbers because he has the popularity from the start, I don't think that's the sole identifier of when he became the top rapper. For me it's when the artistry started matching the hype consistently...
No one's going to outsell Drake because they didn't have The Stimulus Drake got coming in, and they dont have the crossover/non-black appeal that he has...
That being said I do think he took the crown beginning in 2015. Again I'm not really up on 2020s hip hop like that so I don't know what the gap from him to everyone else is now. But he took the title in 2015...
When Kendrick had that Drake feature on Good Kid Maad City, there was no consensus in real time that Drake was the more popping rapper. That was 2012, in fact that's where the "Kendrick is better" shyt started, not the song, the album...
And I consider Take Care a classic just to be clear, but there's some revisionist history going on in this thread...
Drake had the name and The Machine and all the hype but he hadn't separated from his peers. Since 2012 Kendrick has always been seen as artistically as dope or better than Drake by half The Culture it took Drake dropping more often to gain separation. I'd say Kendrick was always challenging Drake but when he disappeared after Damn, he effectively ceded the throne to Drake...
That's the problem with saying Drake has just dominated since Take Care. Take Care itself didnt distinguish him from his peers and thats with it being a fire album, and neither did his next drop (Nothing Was The Same). Credit to him that he put in the work, improved artistically and ramped up his consistency, but there were several names right along with him for a number of years, who eliminated themselves with either wack music, inconsistency, or just stopped working (Kendrick)...
Drake wasn't just dominating the competition, Future and Dot were always right there...
Juice Wrld and X were never going to challenge Drake...
The Hov stray lol...
To go back to OP real quick, Hov was the biggest rapper from post Big/Pac thru 50, and you could argue longer. 1998-2003 though, is a solid 5-year run, most dudes don't have 5 years at the top. 50 really only had 2003-05 and there was this gray area for a year or two until Wayne took it, and Wayne had it from at least 2007 thru 2011...
OP made it a point to compare to Hov, Drake's run at the top has been longer but has the art been as strong? Drake is playing in a time of increased popularity in hip hop in general, its not the same sport Jay-Z was in...
During Drake's height Jay has still showcased his legend with two classics, if dudes are dating Drake's reign to '11. It'll be interesting to see how Drake ages within The Culture once he's no longer #1. Hov hasn't been the biggest rapper in 20 years and yet somehow he's still the biggest rapper every time he drops. If Drake has that going in 2045 we'll have a stronger comparison base, but cats just saying Drake is greater than Hov because of the run at #1, nah...
Not sure how Drake's work is now, I didn't think his drops post-Views have been that great, so I'd agree that for at least a half-decade, his music has been stagnant at minimum. He's eating and thriving off his name and brand and the fact no new challengers have really ascended. Rather than him truly dominating with his music...
There were plenty of guys dropping bombs during Drake's run and again, Future and Dot, those two specifically, can match him blow for blow in everything besides popularity really, and you could argue they have made better music easily...
I'm a Drake fan but he's more Madonna in the 80s, making consistent popular music with The Machine behind him, rather than Michael Jackson completely dominating the competition in both popularity and the quality of the work...
Nah 2011 was a transition year but Wayne was still the biggest rapper that year...
Not gonna argue you down there. You’ve long took your side on the topic
