When Macklemore is recognized in any hip hop category, the reaction is usually nothing short of an uproar. So was the case with his Best Rap Album Grammy win over Kendrick Lamar, yet Mack continues to come out on top.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Billboard's Hot Rap Chart, the publication decided to calculate the most successful songs in the chart's history. The list was quite varied, but "Thrift Shop" ended up taking the cake, claiming the number one spot
Billboard explained the point system they used to determine the rankings.
The 25th Anniversary Hot Rap Songs ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot Rap Songs chart, since the chart’s inception in the March 11, 1989, issue. Rankings are based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 having the greatest value and weeks at lower positions proportionately less. Due to various changes in chart rules, chart length and methodology throughout the years, songs had varying reigns at No. 1 and on the chart. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from all 25 years, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference in turnover rates from those periods.
Outside of the main list, the publication made a number of other observations from the data, naming Drake as the top artist on the charts, and Lil Wayne as the artist with the most top 10s.
Take a look at some of the lists below, and check out the full breakdown here.
Top 10 Hot Rap Songs
1. Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz, 2013
2. Tootsee Roll – 69 Boyz, 1994
3. Hot Boyz – Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott ft. Eve, Nas & Q-Tip, 1999
4. Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton, 2013
5. Expression – Salt-N-Pepa, 1990
6. Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio ft. L.V., 1995
7. Flava In Ya Ear – Craig Mack, 1994
8. Big Poppa/Warning – The Notorious B.I.G., 1995
9. No Hands – Waka Flocka Flame ft. Roscoe Dash & Wale, 2010
10. The Humpty Dance – Digital Underground, 1990
HOT RAP SONGS: TOP 50 ARTISTS (1989-2014):
1. DRAKE
2. JAY Z
3. LIL WAYNE
4. LL COOL J
5. KANYE WEST
6. T.I.
7. 50 CENT
8. LUDACRIS
9. DIDDY
10. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.
Artists with the Most No. 1s:
1. Drake (13)
2. Diddy (10)
3. Kanye West (9)
4. LL Cool J (8)
5. TIE:
50 Cent (7)
Bow Wow (7)
Lil Wayne (7)
T.I. (7)
9. TIE:
Ice Cub (6)
Nelly (6)
The Notorious B.I.G. (6)
Artists with the Most Top 10s:
1. Lil Wayne (38)
2. Jay Z (34)
3. Drake (29)
4. Kanye West (26)
5. Diddy (24)
6. TIE:
LL Cool J (22)
Ludacris (22)
8.T.I. (21)
9. 50 Cent (20)
10. TIE:
Eminem (19)
Snoop Dogg (19)