Drake and Kanye West are two of the world’s biggest hip hop forces, but when push comes to shove, who’s more popular?
Both Kanye West and Drake are immensely popular music artists who’ve been extremely successful in their careers. According to YouGov, however, Drake is the 27th most popular rap and hip hop artist, while Kanye West just falls behind in 29th place.
Read on to learn more about how Kanye West and Drake fare when compared side by side.
Crunching the Numbers
When Central Sauce looked at the stats in 2018, they revealed how the pair face up to one another when it comes to their mainstream success, assessing that Drake comes out on top.
Though Kanye and Drake both have numerous Gold and Platinum awards to honor their music sales, according to RIAA statistics, Drake is the top digital singles artist in the world, with 163.5 million certified units. Kanye, on the other hand, has less than half that figure with 77 million.
When it comes to the charts, Kanye has had 9 number 1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip hop chart, while Drake beats him easily with 37.
Not only that, but Drake has spent 386 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. Kanye, however, has spent 155. Clearly, the figures suggest that Drake has a significant lead.
Social Media
In any popularity contest, social media has to be a top consideration. When it comes to their online presence, both have big followings.
Drake has a staggering 70 million followers on Instagram, where he gives fans a glimpse into his high-flying lifestyle.
Kanye, on the other hand, no longer has a presence on the platform, and deleted his account back in 2018. Whilst he’s returned occasionally since then, mostly for publicity purposes, he mainly keeps away from Instagram.
Though Instagram isn’t his thing, Twitter definitely is and he has 30.6 million followers. What’s more, he was recognized as the 24th most influential person on the platform in 2019, whilst his wife, Kim Kardashian, ranked in 10th place.
Whilst Drake didn’t make the list, he does have slightly bigger following than Kanye, with 39 millions followers on the platform.
As for their YouTube channels, Drake comes in clutch once again with 22 million subscribers compared to Kanye’s respectable 6.31 million. The theme continues with their channel views.
Though both undeniably popular, it seems that Drake is more popular when it comes to social media.
Public Image
When it comes to image, Kanye most definitely divides opinion. He famously interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV awards in 2009 to insist that Beyoncé should have received the award instead and announced in 2020 that he’d be running for president.
Drake has also been on the receiving end of public criticism, especially concerning his handling of rumours about his fatherhood and the scrutiny his child’s mother received in 2017.
Who Takes the Crown?
According to YouGov ratings, which are determined by consumer attitudes, behaviors, and opinions, Kanye West is the 4th most famous rap and hip hop music artist, which puts him way ahead of Drake, who is only the 17th most famous.
When it comes to popularity, however, West is the 29th most popular rap and hip hop music artist, whilst Drake is up ahead in 27th place.
What’s more, Kanye West has a 46% negative opinion rating, but Drake’s is only 24%, suggesting that whilst Kanye may have more fame, it may not all be positive attention.
Nevertheless, both rappers are hugely successful, massively wealthy, and each have hordes of dedicated fans to fight their corners, especially as the pair haven’t always been on the best terms.
Watch the YouTube video below to learn more about the rappers’ strained relationship.