Kanye West has become the first rapper in Billboard Hot 100 history to have a number one song in three different decades – the 2000s, 10s and 20s.
Kanye and Ty Dolla $ign’s track ‘Carnival’ – featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti – made it to number one on the chart this week, moving up from number two and taking the spot from Beyonce’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’.
In all, this is the fifth time Kanye has made it to number one with a track – more than 20 years after his first, which was ‘Slow Jamz’. This is also the first time a rapper has had number ones spanning more than 20 years.
It is also Kanye’s first Billboard number one for more than 12 years – his previous entry was as a featured artist on Katy Perry’s ‘ET’, which spent five weeks atop the chart from April 2011.
Billboard’s Hot 100 chart takes into account all genres and compiles data on sales – digital and physical – radio airplay and streaming (official audio and visual) every week.
‘Carnival’ racked up 33.7 million streams, 3.9 million radio airplay audience impressions and 3,000 downloads from March 1-7, according to Luminate.
In addition, ‘Carnival’ is the second track that Ty Dolla $ign has been involved with to top the chart – he previously made it there in 2018 as a featured artist on Post Malone’s ‘Psycho’.
While Kanye’s achievement puts him in the top 10 of all artists for longest span of number one hits, he has some way to go to get to number one – Brenda Lee set the record earlier this year with 63 years, five months and three weeks between her first and latest chart toppers.
In addition to topping the Billboard Hot 100, it is also number one in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts.
