13 rappers from across the globe who scored hits on the Billboard charts
The global influence of Hip Hop has led to numerous international artists making significant impacts on the U.S. music scene, as reflected in their Billboard chart performances. Canadian artists have been particularly successful, with Drake standing out as one of the most dominant forces in rap. His numerous No. 1 albums, record-breaking streaming numbers, and consistent chart-topping singles have made him a Billboard powerhouse.
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The U.K. has produced several chart-successful rappers, including Dave, whose unique stylings found an audience in the U.S., and M.I.A., whose fusion of Hip Hop with world music elements led to mainstream success. Australian rapper Iggy Azalea made history by matching a feat previously achieved only by The Beatles, holding the No. 1 and No. 2 spots simultaneously on the Hot 100 with her first two charting singles.
Latin American influences have also made their mark, with artists like J Balvin, a Colombian star, consistently charting and collaborating with major U.S. artists. In the Far East, Hip Hop culture expanded into countries like South Korea and Japan, the latter of which Tokyo frontrunner Yuki Chiba calls home.
Below lies 13 examples of foreign heavyweights who found their way to the Billboard charts. These international artists have not only achieved commercial success, but have also contributed to the diversification of Hip Hop and brought unique cultural perspectives and musical styles to the American mainstream. For clarity, artists who were born elsewhere yet are considered members of the home team due to their legal status (think French Montana and 21 Savage) weren’t included.
1. Skepta
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbj2Zss-5GY
While Skepta earned his legendary status as a U.K. star much earlier, his fourth studio album, Konnichiwa, helped to truly launch his status in the U.S. As his biggest to date, that album managed to land him on the Billboard 200 – a groundbreaking feat for the unapologetic grime veteran. His collaborations with American artists further added to his stat sheet. ASAP Rocky’s “Praise The Lord (Da Shine),” which Skepta also produced, peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard 200. Another track the Boy Better Know frontman appeared on, Kid Cudi’s “Show Out,” had similar success on the same chart.
2. Central Cee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDddlvCfTiw
After a couple of Bubbling Under Hot 100 appearances, West London’s Central Cee scored his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with an On The Radar Radio freestyle alongside Drake. He continued to clock placements on that chart via featured appearances like “Too Much” with The Kid LAROI and Jungkook, "H.Y.B." with J. Cole and Bas, and “Did It First” with Ice Spice. His Lil Baby-assisted “BAND4BAND” is one of his biggest to date, which peaked within the Hot 100’s top 20 and at No. 6 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart.
3. Iggy Azalea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-zpOMYRi0w
When it comes to the Billboard charts, Australian talent Iggy Azalea has been doing it big for some time. Of her many Hot 100 placements, “Fancy” with Charli XCX and “Black Widow” with Rita Ora peaked at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively (it should be noted that “Fancy” managed to top that chart seven different weeks overall). Collaborations on T.I.’s “No Mediocre” and Ariana Grande’s “Problem” also found Hot 100 success. Her debut album, The New Classic, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, where it stayed for 43 weeks.
4. Dave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSY3i5XHHXo
Dave is a wunderkind who first received heavy American attention thanks to Drake, who jumped on a remix of the rapper’s regional hit “Wanna Know.” With that said, the South Londoner broke into the top 30 of Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart with “Sprinter,” a collaboration with Central Cee from the duo’s Split Decision EP. Other tracks from Dave, including “Starlight” and “Clash” with Stormzy, scored placements on the Billboard Global 200.
5. Yuki Chiba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdxSbc0ap-s
Previously known as KOHH, Japanese-Korean artist Yuki Chiba is a relative newcomer as far as Billboard is concerned. As the publication revealed, his third album DIRT II, reached No. 14 on the World Albums chart. More recently, the “It G Ma” standout hit big as a feature on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Mamushi” — the bilingual effort from MEGAN found a home within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
6. J Balvin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTlNMmZKwpA
In addition to being a mainstay on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, many of J Balvin’s songs and collaborations have found their way to the Hot 100, including “Mi Gente” with Willy William and Beyoncé, “X” with Nicky Jam, “In Da Getto” with Skrillex, and “Ginza.” Other tracks were alongside Puerto Rican powerhouse Bad Bunny – including “I Like That,” the duo’s No. 1 smash with Cardi B that remained on said chart for almost an entire year. The Colombia frontrunner’s projects have also fared well, with Vibras, Jose, Colores, Energia, and Oasis (another Bad Bunny link-up) landing on the Billboard 200.
7. M.I.A.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewRjZoRtu0Y
When it comes to songs, M.I.A.’s biggest hit as a solo artist was “Paper Planes,” a viral success that peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on that chart for 20 weeks. As a featured artist on Travis Scott’s “Franchise,” the British rapper of South Asian descent also scored a Hot 100 No. 1. Her albums – all except for Mata, in fact – have regularly appeared on the Billboard 200 as well, with /\/\ /\ Y /\ (or MAYA) reaching the top 10.
8. Belly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJUUw3piMl8
Palestinian-Canadian emcee Belly has two Billboard Hot 100 tracks (as a main artist) under his belt: “Might Not,” which features longtime collaborator The Weekend, and “Better Believe,” which saw those two joined by Young Thug. As a contributor, his appearance on Nipsey Hussle’s “Double Up” also scored him a position on that chart. Album-wise, the critically acclaimed drops IMMIGRANT and See You Next Wednesday successfully reached the Billboard 200.
9. Tinie Tempah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgFyi74DVjc
Britain’s Tinie Tempah could be considered an early mover when it comes to crossover stardom in the U.S. Following U.K. hits like “Pass Out” and “Frisky” with Labrinth, “Written In The Stars” with Eric Turner skyrocketed to No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on that chart for 20 weeks. Another single, the Wiz Khalifa-assisted “Till I’m Gone,” found lesser yet equally impressive success. Tinie’s debut LP, Disc-Overy, peaked at 21 on the Billboard 200.
10. Shyne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYrqqLNmLZM
Nowadays, Moses Michael Levi “Shyne” Barrow is much more focused on Belizean politics than Hip Hop, but his time as a rapper can’t go unnoticed. Under labels like Bad Boy and Def Jam, his two studio albums were top-five hits on the Billboard 200 – even though he was incarcerated during the release of his second, Godfather Buried Alive. The Barrington Levy-assisted "Bad Boyz” single earned a spot on the Hot 100 while others like “That’s Gangsta,” “More Or Less” with Foxy Brown, and “Jimmy Choo” with Ashanti earned spots on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart.
11. PSY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkMNOlYcpHg
To get it out the way: PSY effectively shook the world with “Gangnam Style,” an unavoidable genre-bending smash that took over charts around the world – including the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 2 and stayed around for 31 weeks. Other singles like “Gentleman,” “Hangover” with Snoop Dogg, and “Daddy” featuring CL were also Hot 100 successes.
12. K’naan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTJSt4wP2ME
Following projects like My Life Is a Movie and The Dusty Foot Philosopher, K’naan caught the world’s attention with Troubadour, which landed comfortably on the Billboard 200, the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums, and the Top Rap Albums charts. That album’s breakout single, “Wavin’ Flag,” was a minor hit on its own before being utilized as a charity single for Haiti and for a Coca-Cola promotion during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. That final push helped to get the Somali-Canadian's heartfelt number to the Billboard Hot 100.
13. Drake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpVfcZ0ZcFM
While Drake is arguably the king of rap for his generation (emphasis on “arguably”) and has roots in the American South, the OVO boss has been repping his Canadian stomping grounds from day one and remains Toronto’s musical darling. As such, all of his Billboard successes have to be recognized for this list. Song-wise, Drizzy has managed to get well over 300 songs on the Hot 100 – 13 of which are No. 1s, tying Michael Jackson’s record. He’s also got 16 albums (solo or otherwise) on the Billboard 200, with 13 of those projects scoring the top spot, often for several consecutive weeks.
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