NJTransit2000

12mo

This is facts.

Never underestimate just how big Em actually is.

I think it’s obvious he’s still more famous than Drake. He’s also the only rapper that can compete with him on end of year album sales charts. No one else is coming close.

Block Muteson

12mo

Taylor Swift as well. The two best musical artists in the world.

thegreatdivine

12mo

It's been dominance since way before 2016. You can't just use album sales to account for dominance. You have to consider everything from hit singles to overall impact. For instance, up until 2013, Eminem was still scoring bigger album debuts than Drake but I wouldn't say he dominated over Drake that year. Drake had the more impactful album and had way bigger singles. Same in 2012 and even 2011.

When people speak on Drake's run, it's less about when he became the #1 guy because that's quite subjective and more about how long he's been dominating the game and that started in 2009 with So Far Gone's impact, Best I Ever Had/Successful being hits and the omnipresence his features gave him starting from then.

Bobby_96

12mo

I think Eminem, 50, Snoop, and Pac are still rappers that White grandmas and people in 3rd world countries are still most familiar with even in 2024.

thegreatdivine

12mo

I count Drake's run of dominance from 2009 because that's quite literally when it started. He's been the most dominant rapper amongst his peers since then. By 2010, the only rapper who was outselling him was Eminem and I'm not just talking about first week numbers. Carter 4 had the biggert debut week compared to Take Care but Take Care has outsold/out-charted that album BY FAR. By 2011, he was already the most consistent hitmaker in the rap game.

I'm definitely not counting his run from 2013 or 2014. That s*** started from 2009.

Bobby_96

12mo

It's funny how people still count Eminem out when MTBMB was still one of the best selling albums of 2020 regardless of genre and he's killing it in streaming while being semi-retired.

Go to any country in the world outside North America and I bet more people know who Eminem is than Drake.

thegreatdivine

12mo

To me, when I speak of Drake's run of dominance, it's way different because Eminem will ALWAYS put up numbers. His fan base is too big/dedicated for him to ever be counted out that way but dominance is way more than album debut week numbers. It's everything from overall impact, to hits, etc. Eminem isn't really an impactful presence in rap and he hasn't been for well over a decade now. He drops his albums, they score huge debuts but by week 2, we're all off it. Nothing is staying as a hit. We're not discussing these albums. Nothing.

NJTransit2000

12mo

Before 2013 the other top rappers (Em, Jay, Ye, Wayne) are sill doing well in terms of end of year album sales, single charting, tour gross numbers compared to Drake. Some are even doing better. So Drake isn’t dominating, he’s competing at a high level and is insanely consistent so his numbers are tallying up fast (at an early career stage since he was still in his mid-20s).

In 2013 it’s less competing and more complete domination for Drake. Like he’s an empire and the others are just villages trying to go toe to toe but its no longer working.

Bobby_96

12mo

I agree that Drake is far more outgoing and prolific in music and features than Eminem.

But I dunno...saying Eminem is less impactful than Drake reeks of recency bias. Eminem was/is bigger globally, inspired a lot of rappers, and basically popularized the phrase "stan" which he's making a documentary on rn.

Drake's obviously bigger rn but we have to remember that Em debuted a whole decade before Drake.

Maxim Gorky

12mo

To think Drake was the biggest rapper in 2010 is insane f***ing revisionism

You zoomers should stick to painting your nails pink or whatever you do

thegreatdivine

12mo

Eminem isn't bigger globally as far as numbers go and he hasn't been bigger than Drake globally since at least 2014. Hits matter a lot and Drake has added new hits to his catalog every year for 15 straight years. Even Eminem didn't manage a stretch that long. Obviously, if we're speaking of popularity, Eminem is crazy popular and so is his music but that's music from 10-20 years ago, not anything recent. That also matters in these discussions, unfortunately.

And look, Eminem is solidified. He definitely doesn't have to compete with anyone and he's in a league of his own as far as his own peers are concerned.

Mr America

12mo

We wasnt even on that, we legit heard it on radio and saw him on tv lmao why are yall acting like drake was some nobody until 2012-2014

Water Giver

12mo

Niggas in Elementary was on RapRadar and 2DopeBoyz getting news about JCole, Big Sean & Wiz in they emails as they bumping Charles Hamilton, XV, Blu & Asher Roth too frfr they was on AudioMack when it still allowed downloads frfr niggas was born with an internet connection

Niggas knew Kendrick when he still had the Dot frfr and bumping Beam Me Up Scotty by Nicki all day with the baddies at lunch time frfr

20 dollar concerts and all that frfr

Maxim Gorky

12mo

2009, So Far Gone came out in summer. He was not the number one rapper off So Far Gone...2009, I would say Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem were the big rappers. Lil Wayne was important too.

2010 was Eminem's year. Kanye dropped MBDTF, Lil Wayne had two big albums (one was a rock album). B.O.B. was bigger than Drake this year as well.

2011 was Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, Nicki Minaj, Jay Z & Kanye (Watch the Throne), Lil Wayne (Carter IV). Drake had hot features. Take Care didnt even reach #1 the week it came out because of Carter IV. I'd put Drake at the upper level here but he wasn't "number one" yet.

2012 Drake might have been top 3 since a lot of the big names didnt drop.

2013 you have Nothing Was The Same, which was big, but you shouldnt forget that Eminem dropped a big album, Kanye dropped, Jay dropped as well, Wale dropped (he was still big at the time), Mac Miller dropped, and Macklemore was having an insane run (now mostly forgotten about)

The mega stardom of Drake was when Views was about to drop. At that point you couldnt deny his fame and he became very successful overseas as well, mostly due to pop songs like One Dance or Hotline Bling

The rap domination I would say started in 2014 with an amazing feature run. When he dropped two big tapes in 2015 and he won against Meek Mill he was the new top dog. Before that he always shared the crown with others

Wonyoungism

12mo

whos his bottom

Maxim Gorky

12mo

2009, So Far Gone came out in summer. He was not the number one rapper off So Far Gone...2009, I would say Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem were the big rappers. Lil Wayne was important too.

2010 was Eminem's year. Kanye dropped MBDTF, Lil Wayne had two big albums (one was a rock album). B.O.B. was bigger than Drake this year as well.

2011 was Eminem, Wiz Khalifa, Nicki Minaj, Jay Z & Kanye (Watch the Throne), Lil Wayne (Carter IV). Drake had hot features. Take Care didnt even reach #1 the week it came out because of Carter IV. I'd put Drake at the upper level here but he wasn't "number one" yet.

2012 Drake might have been top 3 since a lot of the big names didnt drop.

2013 you have Nothing Was The Same, which was big, but you shouldnt forget that Eminem dropped a big album, Kanye dropped, Jay dropped as well, Wale dropped (he was still big at the time), Mac Miller dropped, and Macklemore was having an insane run (now mostly forgotten about)

The mega stardom of Drake was when Views was about to drop. At that point you couldnt deny his fame and he became very successful overseas as well, mostly due to pop songs like One Dance or Hotline Bling

The rap domination I would say started in 2014 with an amazing feature run. When he dropped two big tapes in 2015 and he won against Meek Mill he was the new top dog. Before that he always shared the crown with others

Htownwolf

12mo

Insane revisionist history
Take care sold 600k first week

Mr America

12mo

He started gaining mainstream success around 2008, and 16 years later he still the most talked about rapper, its crazy. Has anyone else ever dominated this long?

Maxim Gorky

12mo

Insane revisionism. Are you a child? Drake was not popular in 2008. Even in 2009 - 2012, he wasn't "on top" yet, as successful as he may have been. The first year he indisputably ran was 2014 (off features alone btw). Before that, he was never #1 rapper. So we are talking about a 10 year run right now. He would still have to be #1 until 2034 which is a long time away

KYBlueGrass99

12mo

It’ll be interesting to hear what a 45-50yo Drake will sound like. If you look at pictures of him from ten years ago and look at him now, he’s aged quite a bit.