Only four new rappers have gone platinum since 2006: Drake, Nicki, Kendrick, and Macklemore.
In 2005, a lot of rap artists released their first million-selling albums: Young Jeezy, The Game, and practically the entire city of Houston. But by then, album sales had already started to crater, with rap getting hit harder than most genres. And for the next few years it would only be long-running established artists moving those kinds of units: Jay-Z, Kanye, 50, T.I., Eminem, the usual suspects. Even 2006's biggest new artists, who have since gotten bigger, Rick Ross and Lupe Fiasco, have never moved a million copies of any one album. It's pretty clear: gold is the new platinum.
Drake ended the drought in 2010. But since then, only three rappers have followed in his footsteps. And when you consider that Nicki's second album actually missed the million mark, that means Drake, Macklemore, and Kendrick are the only leaders of the new school currently coming off of platinum albums.
http://www.complex.com/music/2013/09/facts-about-rap/platinum
In 2005, a lot of rap artists released their first million-selling albums: Young Jeezy, The Game, and practically the entire city of Houston. But by then, album sales had already started to crater, with rap getting hit harder than most genres. And for the next few years it would only be long-running established artists moving those kinds of units: Jay-Z, Kanye, 50, T.I., Eminem, the usual suspects. Even 2006's biggest new artists, who have since gotten bigger, Rick Ross and Lupe Fiasco, have never moved a million copies of any one album. It's pretty clear: gold is the new platinum.
Drake ended the drought in 2010. But since then, only three rappers have followed in his footsteps. And when you consider that Nicki's second album actually missed the million mark, that means Drake, Macklemore, and Kendrick are the only leaders of the new school currently coming off of platinum albums.
http://www.complex.com/music/2013/09/facts-about-rap/platinum