We all know hip hop is popular, but a recently released analysis of streaming services has revealed just how popular it actually is.
HITS Daily Double has collected data from a variety of streaming services, and their list of the thirty most streamed musicians is dominated by hip hop acts. Drake tops the list with a commanding lead and almost a billion and half streams, followed by Rhianna and Kanye West in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
With the exception of Justin Beiber's 4th place spot, the top 10 is almost entirely hip hop or R&B acts: Beyonce comes in at 5th with a respectable 592 million streams, followed closely by Future, G-Eazy, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem.
The list puts the level of mainstream popularity that hip hop's biggest artists have achieved into perspective: Drake and company are substantially ahead of traditional "pop" acts like Justin Beiber, One Direction, Fall Out Boy or Selena Gomez. The list doesn't just represent a win for the hip hop industry either; at a time when the importance of minority media representation is more discussed then ever, it's encouraging to see the list filled with people of color.
By Michael Lacerna for RAPstation.com
