Drake Named Best-Selling Rapper Worldwide for 11th Straight Year

Drake has been named the best-selling rapper in the world for the eleventh consecutive year, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

The IFPI’s 2025 Global Artist Chart ranks him No. 3 overall, behind Taylor Swift and Stray Kids. He remains the highest-ranked rapper on the list, extending a streak that now spans more than a decade.

Other rappers in the 2025 top 20 include Kendrick Lamar (No. 6), Tyler, The Creator (No. 12), and Eminem (No. 15).

The IFPI ranking measures worldwide performance across streaming, downloads, and physical sales, reflecting total global consumption rather than performance in a single territory.

The top 10 best-selling artists for 2025 worldwide are:

1. Taylor Swift

2. Stray Kids

3. Drake

4. The Weeknd

5. Bad Bunny

6. Kendrick Lamar

7. Morgan Wallen

8. Sabrina Carpenter

9. Billie Eilish

10. Lady Gaga

Swift maintains the No. 1 position for the sixth year in a row. Drake’s placement at No. 3, however, makes him the highest-performing rapper globally for the eleventh straight year.

The IFPI recognition follows a series of streaming records for Drake in early 2026.

Earlier this month, he became the first rapper to surpass 2 billion Spotify streams in 2026 alone. Shortly after, he was confirmed as the first artist in Spotify history to have 300 songs exceed 100 million streams.

According to available figures, the next closest rapper has fewer than half as many tracks past the 100 million mark. The milestone shows his catalogue volume and sustained daily listening, outside individual hits. Both the IFPI ranking and Spotify records point to the same pattern of long-term global demand.

Drake’s sustained performance is built on multiple factors working at once. First, output. While some peers have slowed release schedules, Drake has maintained a steady stream of projects, features, and collaborations. His catalogue spans nearly two decades, and streaming platforms reward volume over time.

Second, range. His music blends rap and R&B with melodic pop structures, allowing it to move across playlists and demographics. That versatility broadens his listening base beyond a single audience segment.

Third, timing. Drake has consistently managed release cycles in ways that keep attention active. Even in years without a solo studio album, his catalogue continues to grow in streams. That consistency is difficult to replicate in a genre where commercial peaks often rise and fall quickly.

He recently hinted at the album on Instagram Stories, posting a video of himself walking outside and commenting on the temperature. “Ooo, it’s freezing,” he wrote.

 Drake’s ninth studio album, ICEMAN, is expected in 2026, though an official release date has not been confirmed. The project follows his 2025 collaborative album Some Sexy Songs 4 U and will mark his first full-length solo release since 2023’s For All The Dogs.

With a new album pending and two major Spotify records already secured this year, Drake enters 2026 with the same distinction he has held for over a decade.

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