My understanding was that Kanye sold more in the US but 50 sold more internationally

Hip-Hop wasn't international yet ?

I wouldn’t even say it was truly national before Eminem

It was a big genre no doubt (thanks largely to Aftermath) but it didn’t fully sweep into pop culture until Eminem

drake
50
wayne
pac

all have a legitimate claim to it for different reasons

This

Eminem & 50 ultimately are the ones that catapulted HipHop globally to the point that their impact is still widespread to this day.

We can throw Snoop Dogg in this as well he is an international icon for sure

ngl, i can't really speak on it since i was a baby around that time, but i swear i've seen documentary showing japan/uk interest in hip-hop culture/music influence since late 80s/early 90s.

50

Eminem

There's really never been anything like him in the 21st century.

Thats pretty insane for someone who isnt really active

Eminem and 50 had peaks that transcended hip hop.

Like I remember little kids and grandparents who never paid attention to hip hop name dropping them out of nowhere.

I wasn't allowed to listen to rap around my mom for the longest time as a kid but I instantly recognized 50 Cent and the kids around me would talk about this nigga like he was a Marvel superhero like Iron Man lol.

AM radio stations were calling for Eminem boycotts. And 50 Cent also being scapegoated for glorifying crime to people. Their controversies played right into their fame just like the music and marketing.

Drake is popular no doubt and his run on top lasted longer than everyone else but he simply comes off too "normie" to stand out. I can't explain it.

Like, outside of his hit singles, Drake doesn't really stand out that much. He has no iconic image, iconic name, etc. and his marketing is kinda run of the mill. OVO clothing never really caught on and he didn't have a movie, video games, etc. like Em/50.

Also, 50 Cent literally just announced a show in India this year and Indians flooded his IG comment section thanking him. That's not the 1st time he toured India either.

Also, this could just be my Wayne stannery talking but Wayne's peak in 07-11 also felt bigger than peak Drake at least in America.

Overseas, Drake's music was more global and poppy but, in America, Wayne was like the definition of rap music in America during that time lol.

50 was an icon, Drake is some guy with a bunch of huge songs

Wayne around CIII was a higher peak than anyone we’ve seen last decade tbh he was f***ing everywhere man lol

Yeah man.

I remember niggas getting shamed in my school for not owning a copy of C3 lol.

And this was in 2008 where CD sales were on decline and there was the Great Recession. I remember kids in the hood and suburbs alike urging each other to get a copy of C3.

And Wayne's mixtape songs and feature verses were getting played like smash hits.

That's why, like you said before, charting positions don't mean s***.

Wayne's Upgrade U freestyle had more dudes memorizing the bars on there than Jay's actual verse on that song but the charts can't determine that.

Em objectively but 50

It felt like that but he don’t even have a top five peak as a rapper

50, G-Unit was a movement

His Eastern European fan base is f***ing insane

It’s just cool to hate Drake because he’s been the biggest and the best for so long

Em isn’t getting enough credit ITT

I agree tbh. His numbers are astronomical even by Pop/Rock band standards.

Plus, 8 Mile grossed more worldwide than Space Jam.

Nah

2016 Drake was insane. I think he and Wayne may be tied but Wayne was def not bigger than 2016-2018 Drake at any point in his career

I agree with you on 50 and Em though but I'd put Drake ahead of 50 due to commercial longevity. 50 had two huge albums but that's really it, nothing Drake has released hasn't been huge tbh

waynes peak in usa was huge i would say top 3 biggest in usa with em and drake.

50 cent is doing a worldwide tour going to places like India, Budapest, Norway places Drake will never go

Drake peak might be bigger in North America but cmon now