After years of dominating the hip-hop genre, rapper Drake has been dubbed the Top Artist of the 2010s and the Artist of the Decade, Billboard unveiled in its decade-themed chart on Tuesday (May 11). The OVO boss sealed the victory by beating out fellow megastars Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and Adele, who placed second through fifth on the Top Artists of 2010 chart, respectively. He took to Instagram Stories to share his elation after having dinner with one of his favorite artists, the incomparable Ron Isley of The Isley Brothers.
“Today was one of those days it doesn’t feel real,” he wrote on his 15-second post. “Waking up to artist of the decade then having dinner with my idol @ronaldisley and listening to the stories behind every song that shaped my love for emotional music and created my formula for a lot of my writing… high on life right now my g’z.”
Drake via his IG story pic.twitter.com/dIxQ6LweU7
— Drake Direct (@DrakeDirect_) May 12, 2021
Billboard released multiple decade-end charts, spotlighting the top artists in country, rock, R&B/hip-hop, Latin, Christian, gospel, dance/electronic and overall touring revenue between Dec. 1, 2009, and Sept. 30, 2019. The final ranking on the overall Top Artists chart is calculated based on “activity on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and the Billboard 200 albums tally, as well as social media data and touring revenue from Billboard Boxscore.”
Drake’s breakthrough mixtape, So Far Gone, reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the No. 2 Hot 100 single, “Best I Ever Had” in 2009; All but one of his solo projects have peaked on the album chart thus far. Racking up nine No. 1 debuts, six chart-topping singles, and multiple Billboard chart records broken, Drake has remained omnipresent throughout the last decade. His reign on the charts has reserved him a place within the annals of music history, next to the most commercially accomplished entertainers of all-time. And not only is Drake’s win a feather in his own cap but one for hip-hop as well, as it stands as the latest testament to the culture’s global impact and influence.
The Toronto native—who holds the record for the most Billboard Music Awards (27) and is gearing up to drop his sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy—will receive the Artist of the Decade Award during this year’s BBMAs. Hosted by Nick Jonas, the award show is set to air live Sunday, May 23 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC. Drake will also be up for several other award categories, including Top Artist, Male Artist, Hot 100 Artist, and Top Streaming Song for his collaboration on Future’s 2020 single, “Life Is Good.”