As has become a tradition of sorts in recent years, it’s another history-making week for Drake on Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop charts. This time around, the superstar monopolizes the entire top 14 positions of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (dated Sept. 18) as tracks from his new Certified Lover Boy album flood the list. The project itself, meanwhile, begins with the year’s best weekly performance, nearly doubling the previous leader’s starting sum.
Drake captures Nos. 1-14 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, easily a new mark for the largest top-down domination by any artist. The previous best occupation was Nos. 1-3, set first by Lil Wayne through a combination of lead and featured appearances on the chart dated Sept. 10, 2011, and later matched by Drake — as the lead performer on the entire trio — on this year’s March 20 chart.
“Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug, heads the pack as it debuts at No. 1. The track, the project’s first official single, traces its commanding start to 67.3 million U.S. streams in the week ending Sept. 9, according to MRC Data, making it the top-streamed track of the week. Thus, it debuts at No. 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart and Rap Streaming Songs chart; on the latter, Drake runs the table — owning all 15 slots on the rap streaming survey.
Back on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, the “Sexy” start gives Drake a record-extending 23rd No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, distancing himself further from Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, who share second place thanks to 20 champs each.
Future, meanwhile, collects his first No. 1 after two previous runner-up finishes with “Turn on the Lights” in 2012 and “Life Is Good,” featuring Drake, in 2020.
Young Thug checks into the chart penthouse for the third time, all of which have happened in the past year. His first No. 1 came through a featured turn on Travis Scott’s “Franchise,” also featuring M.I.A. in October 2020, and he returned to the top slot in December with “Go Crazy,” a collaboration with Chris Brown.
Plus, with 10 new top 10s in his account, Drake improves his career total to 96 top 10s on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, extending his lead far ahead of second-place James Brown, with 57. Among living artists, Lil Wayne is his closest competitor, though with a distant 50.
Here’s a look at the entire Certified Lover Boy impact on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, including the top 14 shutout:
No. 1, “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug
No. 2, “Girls Want Girls,” featuring Lil Baby
No. 3, “Fair Trade,” featuring Travis Scott
No. 4, “Champagne Poetry”
No. 5, “Knife Talk,” featuring 21 Savage and Project Pat
No. 6, “In the Bible,” featuring Lil Durk and Giveon
No. 7, “Papi’s Home”
No. 8, “TSU”
No. 9, “Love All,” featuring Jay-Z
No. 10, “No Friends in the Industry”
No. 11, “N 2 Deep,” featuring Future
No. 12, “Pipe Down”
No. 13, “7am on Bridle Path”
No. 14, “Race My Mind”
No. 16, “IMY2,” featuring Kid Cudi
No. 17, “You Only Live Twice,” featuring Lil Wayne and Rick Ross
No. 18, “Fountains,” featuring Tems
No. 19, “Get Along Better,” featuring Ty Dolla $ign
No. 21, “F**king Fans”
No. 23, “The Remorse”
Plus, besides conquering the overall R&B/hip-hop genre’s top spot, Drake also rules both individual divisions as “Way 2 Sexy” opens at No. 1 on Hot Rap Songs, while “Race My Mind” begins atop the Hot R&B Songs chart. With the dual domination, Drake achieves the feat for the fifth time, dating to the Hot R&B Songs’ launch in October 2012. Previously, he posted twin chart-toppers with the following four combinations:
R&B No. 1, Rap No. 1; Chart Date
“Tuesday” (IloveMakonnen featuring Drake) and “Only” (Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown); Dec. 27, 2014
“Work” (Rihanna featuring Drake) and “Summer Sixteen”; Feb. 20, 2016
“One Dance” (featuring WizKid and Kyla) and “Too Good” (featuring Rihanna); Sept. 3-Sept. 17, 2016
“Don’t Matter to Me” (featuring Michael Jackson) and “Nice for What”; July 14, 2018
In addition to Drake, two other acts have also accomplished the R&B-rap double. DJ Khaled reigned with the R&B leader “Wild Thoughts,” featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller alongside the rap champ “I’m the One,” featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper and Lil Wayne for four weeks in 2017. Two years later, Lizzo also joined the club thanks to the R&B No. 1 “Good as Hell” and rap No. 1 “Truth Hurts,” which combined for a four-week stretch in November 2019.
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