IFPI Crowns Drake The Best-Selling Rapper Of 2025

BY Caroline Fisher
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IFPI Drake Best-Selling Rapper
Jan 14, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Canadian rapper Drake attends the game between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena. Sam Navarro / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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For the eleventh year in a row, Drake has been named the best-selling rapper of the year by the IFPI, surpassing Kendrick Lamar and more.

It's no secret that Drake is one of the most successful rappers of his generation, and now, he has yet another impressive feat under his belt. Recently, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) put out its list of the best-selling global artists of 2025.

The Toronto MC is ranked third, just behind Taylor Swift and Stray Kids. He's been the highest-ranked rapper on the list for eleven years in a row. Other rappers in the 2025 top 20 include Kendrick Lamar, Tyler The Creator, and Eminem.

This is far from the only exciting milestone Drake has hit recently, however. Earlier this month, it was also reported that he was the first rapper to surpass 2 billion streams on Spotify in 2026. He was later named the first artist in history to have 300 songs with over 100 million streams on the platform. Reportedly, the next closest rapper on the list has less than half that number of tracks with over 100 million streams.

When Will Drake Drop ICEMAN?

News of Drake's latest achievement comes ahead of the release of his highly anticipated ninth studio album, ICEMAN. At the time of writing, an official release date has not been confirmed, though it's rumored to be arriving very soon.

Yesterday (February 17), Drake took to his Instagram Story to drop a hint, sharing a video of himself walking outside and commenting on the temperature. “Oooo it’s freezing," he wrote. "About to be."

Drake isn't the only one who's teased the project recently, either. DJ Akademiks also recently shared a snippet of a song that he claims will appear on ICEMAN. Coincidentally, he shared the leak on the night J. Cole dropped The Fall-Off, which some fans weren't happy about

Ak later defended his decision during a livestream. "When people say, 'Why would Ak do it?,' well, I did it for that moment, to be the n***a who did it for that moment," he explained. "If I had a Kendrick [Lamar] snippet, I'd have played it then, even with Drake. If I had a J. Cole snippet, I'd play it during the stream for Drake, too. I don't care. "

About The Author
Caroline Fisher is a News Writer at HotNewHipHop from Chicago, Illinois. She started at HNHH this year, and has since spent her time writing about all that is newsworthy in the world of hip-hop. With a drive for hunting down the hottest stories, she enjoys documenting new developments in culture and entertainment. She also has an appreciation for hip-hop and seeks to cover the most important trends and shifts. She has a Bachelor of Arts which she received at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Having graduated in 2022, she majored in English with a concentration in Media, Rhetoric and Cultural Studies. Specializing all things music, pop culture and entertainment, some of her favorite musical artists include Snoop Dogg, OutKast, and Nicki Minaj. When she’s not writing about music she’s also a fan of attending shows, watching the latest movies, staying up-to-date with current events, photography, and poetry.

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