The first hip-hop group to go platinum was Run-DMC with their 1985 album King of Rock, while Da Brat holds the distinction as the first solo female rapper to achieve platinum status with her 1994 debut Funkdafied; however, Whodini's 1984 album Escape is often cited as hip-hop's first platinum album overall, paving the way for rap's mainstream success.
Fun fact: Eazy-E was the first rapper to have a platinum album INDEPENDENTLY.
Billboard and Vibe presented the first set of rappers on January 11, 2023, and ten more rappers were announced over the course of three weeks. The top rankings were unveiled on February 8, 2023, which crowned Jay-Z the greatest rapper of all time and Nicki Minaj the greatest female rapper of all time.
The Eagles' "Eagles/Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" (Elektra) becomes the RIAA's first Platinum Album, while nearly 50 more albums achieve the prestigious status that year.
Raising Hell (1986) became the first multi-platinum hip-hop record. Run-DMC's cover of "Walk This Way", featuring the group Aerosmith, charted higher on the Billboard Hot 100 than Aerosmith's original version, peaking at number four. It became one of the best-known songs in both hip-hop and rock.
The title of "oldest rapper alive" often goes to Ice-T, born February 16, 1958, due to his long career and continued activity in hip-hop and acting, but pioneer MC Coke La Rock (born 1955) is also a strong contender, considered hip-hop's first MC and still living. While Ice-T (currently in his mid-60s) is a major figure, Coke La Rock, in his late 60s/early 70s, predates him as an original voice from the early 1970s block parties, making him arguably the oldest living person with active roots in rapping.
The "Big 3" of modern hip-hop, particularly dominant in the 2010s and early 2020s, are widely considered to be Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, recognized for their lyrical skills, commercial success, and cultural impact, often compared as the era's top lyrical forces. While debates continue, especially after Kendrick's "Big Me" line and J. Cole acknowledging the trio, they remain central figures in discussions about the genre's elite, though newer artists and past legends like Eminem, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne also feature in "Big 3" conversations for different eras.
Garth Brooks is the highest-certified solo artist and Taylor Swift is the highest-certified female artist. Meanwhile, Drake remains the highest-certified digital singles artist, with 244 million certified units as a lead artist.
The 3rd richest rapper varies slightly by source and date, but generally, after Jay-Z and often Kanye West or Dr. Dre, Sean "Diddy" Combs is consistently listed as the third wealthiest, with fortunes ranging from around $400-$600 million, driven by music, Bad Boy Records, Ciroc Vodka, and other ventures, despite recent legal challenges affecting his standing.
GOAT Rappers
There isn't one single "1st fastest rapper," as records change and different metrics are used (syllables vs. words, underground vs. mainstream), but Twista (formerly Tung Twista) was the first recognized by Guinness World Records in 1992 for 598 syllables in 55 seconds, while Eminem holds records for fastest rap in a #1 single ("Godzilla"), and underground MCs like Rebel XD and Tonedeff have clocked even higher syllable-per-second rates.
Garth Brooks is the artist with nine diamond-certified albums, a record for album sales (10 million+ units each), though Drake now leads in total Diamond certifications (albums and singles combined) with over 10, followed by Post Malone for singles. Brooks' nine diamond albums include classics like Double Live, The Ultimate Hits, and In Pieces, making him the sole artist with this many album awards from the RIAA.
DJ Kool Herc
This historical party is recognized for launching the hip hop movement. DJ Kool Herc also introduced the “breakbeat” DJ technique – a mixing practice he adapted from Jamaican dub music. However, Kool Herc would play funk, soul, and other genres with percussive sections.
Michael Jackson is widely cited as having an estimated 4.8 billion fans, a figure suggesting nearly two-thirds of the world's population admired him at his peak, making him one of history's most popular figures, with media outlets like CNN, BBC, and The Guardian reporting on his immense global reach.
There's no single "number 1 artist of all time" as it's subjective, but Leonardo da Vinci often tops lists for visual art due to masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, while The Beatles are frequently cited as the best-selling music group ever, and Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley are often named as top solo music artists by sales and influence. Modern metrics like Spotify streams point to artists like Bad Bunny or Taylor Swift for recent dominance.
Celebrity Rich List: The world's 18 wealthiest rappers - Drake and Kendrick Lamar net worth
George Strait holds the record for the most platinum albums, with 33 certified by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for selling over one million copies each in the USA, a feat that cements his status as the "King of Country" and leads all artists across genres. He is followed by Elvis Presley and The Beatles in overall platinum awards, but Strait leads the pack specifically for platinum albums.
A well-known 23-minute song is Pink Floyd's "Echoes," from their 1971 album Meddle, taking up an entire side of the original LP; other long tracks include Genesis' "Supper's Ready" (22:54) and Rush's "2112" (20:34), while modern artists also have long pieces like Black Emperor's "Mladic" or Sufjan Stevens' "Impossible Soul".
There's no single "number one" album due to different metrics (sales, critical acclaim, cultural impact), but Michael Jackson's Thriller (1982) is consistently cited as the best-selling album worldwide and a landmark pop record, while The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) often tops US sales charts. Other contenders for "best" often include Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and recent critical favorites like Adele's 21.
Crunk music arose from Miami bass music before 1996 in the southern United States, particularly in African American strip clubs of Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis-based hip hop group Three 6 Mafia were "instrumental for the emergence of the crunk style" in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Deca is a NY based rapper, producer, and visual artist originally from Denver, CO. He's released 12 albums and has gained a reputation and a national following for his vivid storytelling, introspective lyrics, accompanying artwork and handmade visuals.
J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar have been involved in a Hip Hop beef that began with a comment J. Cole made about the "big three" in Hip Hop: The beef begins J. Cole suggested that he, Drake, and Lamar were the "big three" names in hip-hop on his song "First Person Shooter".