With eye-popping color and golden ass statues in a raunchy visual, and an infinitely quotable single for a soundtrack, the video for Cardi B's Megan Thee Stallion-featured single "Wap" has received over 155 million YouTube views in just three weeks. This is the latest rap video to permeate pop culture and it should eventually be among the most-watched music videos of all time. Today, we're highlighting the rap videos that already have.
Since launching in 2005, YouTube has seen numerous rap videos eclipse the 1 billion-view threshold and even more have gotten over 100 million or more. Sitting near the very top are artists like Wiz Khalifa ("See You More" featuring Charlie Puth—YouTube's third-most-viewed music video of all time) and Eminem ("Love the Way You Lie" featuring rihanna), two rap titans whose most-watched visuals combined pop hooks with emotional lyrics. Meanwhile, artists like Drake employed meme iconography ("Hotline Bling") and heartwarming charity ("God's Plan") to secure their spots. What do the most viewed rap music videos have in common?
"These are by and large songs that have been global hits to some extent at least as opposed to regional hits," says YouTube Music Trends manager Kevin Meenan. Meenan also points to the success of videos that managed to become culturally significant beyond the normal limits of the songs they were made for.
"If you look at [Drake's] 'Hotline Bling,' you look at [Rae Sremmurd's] 'Black Beatles,' ['Migos'] 'Bad and Boujee,' [Lil Pump's] 'Gucci Gang,' these are kind of these songs that kinda had a life beyond the song," shares Meenan. "They kinda were a part of culture, a part of internet culture, a part of meme culture and kinda transcended the song itself."
Meenan points to Future's Drake-featured "Life Is Good" video as an example. "The Future and Drake track where the song itself ['Life Is Good'] hasn't been a No. 1 hit on Billboard charts, but it actually has been a hit for us. It's actually the most-played song of this year in the U.S.," he says. "I think that's because of the video. It's a humorous, fun video, it's obviously about as big of an all-star collab that you can imagine in 2020, basically. But, it's interesting where the video has kinda given the song it's own life."
Today, XXL, with the help of YouTube, takes a look at the hip-hop music videos that managed to have their own life. Here are the artists with the most YouTube views of all time for a single music video.
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“See You Again”
Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth
YouTube View Count: 4,703,480,023
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“Love the Way You Lie”
Eminem Featuring Rihanna
YouTube View Count: 2,050,549,710
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“Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)”
Silentó
YouTube View Count: 1,759,294,701
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“Starboy”
YouTube View Count: 1,737,787,380
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“Hotline Bling”
Drake
YouTube View Count: 1,653,153,673
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“Bang Bang”
Nicki Minaj, Jessie J and Ariana Grande
YouTube View Count: 1,543,211,295
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“Thrift Shop”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
YouTube View Count: 1,469,357,818
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“I’m the One”
DJ Khaled Featuring Chance The Rapper, Quavo, Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber
YouTube View Count: 1,439,328,015
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“Not Afraid”
Eminem
YouTube View Count: 1,427,227,869
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“Congratulations”
Post Malone Featuring Quavo
YouTube View Count: 1,242,191,542
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“Timber”
Pitbull Featuring Ke$ha
YouTube View Count: 1,225,931,941
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“I Like It”
Cardi B Featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin
YouTube View Count: 1,213,525,984
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“God’s Plan”
Drake
YouTube View Count: 1,187,807,535
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“Sunflower”
Post Malone and Swae Lee
YouTube View Account: 1,156,706,756
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“Bebe”
6ix9ine Featuring Anuel AA
YouTube View Count: 1,148,095,989
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“Unforgettable”
French Montana Featuring Swae Lee
YouTube View Count: 1,123,841,318
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“Rap God”
Eminem
YouTube View Count: 1,096,134,323
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“Gucci Gang”
Lil Pump
YouTube View Count: 1,073,369,872
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“Rain Over Me”
Pitbull Featuring Marc Anthony
YouTube View Count: 1,028,350,217
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“Taste”
Tyga Featuring Offset
YouTube View Count: 1,023,696,853
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“Loyal”
Chris Brown Featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga
YouTube View Count: 1,001,711,922
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“Fancy”
Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX
YouTube View Count: 991,626,443
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“Turn Down for What”
DJ Snake and Lil Jon
YouTube View Count: 983,848,296
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“Bad and Boujee”
Migos Featuring Lil Uzi Vert
YouTube View Count: 979,785,420
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“Tusa”
Karol G and Nicki Minaj
YouTube View Count: 977,683,937
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“In Da Club”
50 Cent
YouTube View Count: 962,432,628
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“Without Me”
Eminem
YouTube View Count: 960,824,926
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“Anaconda”
Nicki Minaj
YouTube View Count: 951,827,763
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“Wild Thoughts”
DJ Khaled Featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller
YouTube View Count: 938,617,487
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“Life Is Good”
Future Featuring Drake
YouTube View Count: 930,298,932
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“Bodak Yellow”
Cardi B
YouTube View Count: 915,314,597
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“Fefe”
6ix9ine Featuring Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz
YouTube View Count: 912,861,688
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“White Iverson”
Post Malone
YouTube View Count: 844,835,592
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“Super Bass”
Nicki Minaj
YouTube View Count: 844,162,301
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“Dilemma”
Nelly Featuring Kelly Rowland
YouTube View Count: 816,370,241
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“Can’t Hold Us”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton
YouTube View Count: 801,251,405
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“Scream & Shout”
Will.i.am Featuring Britney Spears
YouTube View Count: 800,644,578
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“No Type”
Rae Sremmurd
YouTube View Count: 799,679,224
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“Black Beatles”
Rae Sremmurd Featuring Gucci Mane
YouTube View Count: 795,026,685
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“Psycho”
Post Malone Featuring Ty Dolla $ign
YouTube View Count: 784,805,861
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“When I’m Gone”
Eminem
YouTube View Count: 782,503,734
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“Still D.R.E.”
Dr. Dre Featuring Snoop Dogg
YouTube View Count: 782,421,533
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“Ritmo (Bad Boys For Life)”
Black Eyed Peas Featuring J Balvin
YouTube View Count: 753,532,188
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“Give Me Everything”
Pitbull Featuring Ne-Yo
YouTube View Count: 753,325,679
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“We Are One (Ole Ola)”
Pitbull Featuring Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte
YouTube View Count: 744,168,878
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“International Love”
Pitbull Featuring Chris Brown
YouTube View Count: 731,982,861
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“Humble.”
Kendrick Lamar
YouTube View Count: 730,945,267
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“Rockstar”
Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
YouTube View Count: 730,402,534
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“The Monster”
Eminem Featuring Rihanna
YouTube View Count: 719,035,587
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“This Is America”
Childish Gambino
YouTube View Count: 713,015,747
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“Trap Queen”
Fetty Wap
YouTube View Count: 700,155,183
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“Sicko Mode”
Travis Scott and Drake
YouTube View Count: 655,223,125
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“Hot Nigga”
Bobby Shmurda
YouTube View Count: 652,221,191
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“Freaky Friday”
Lil Dicky Featuring Chris Brown
YouTube View Count: 629,133,646
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“Mirrors”
Lil Wayne Featuring Bruno Mars
YouTube View Count: 624,123,259
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“Moonlight”
XXXTentacion
YouTube View Count: 621,978,820
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“Low Life”
Future Featuring The Weeknd
YouTube View Count: 616,974,472
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“Candy Shop”
50 Cent Featuring Olivia
YouTube View Count: 594,896,083
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“Black Widow”
Iggy Azalea
YouTube View Count: 586,366,957