The race for the largest debut week in hip-hop during the 2020s continues to highlight just how dominant superstar releases have become in the streaming era, with blockbuster albums regularly posting numbers once considered nearly impossible.
Drake remains at the top of the decade’s leaderboard with Certified Lover Boy, which opened with a massive 613,000 units in its first week. The project still stands comfortably ahead of the competition as newer releases continue battling for position behind it.
Highest first-week sales for Rap albums in the 2020s so far
▫️ 613K — Certified Lover Boy
▫️ 497K — Legends Never Die
▫️ 496K — UTOPIA
▫️ 463K — ICEMAN
▫️ 404K — Her Loss
▫️ 402K — For All The Dogs
▫️ 361K — DAYS BEFORE RODEO
▫️ 319K — GNX
▫️ 309K — Donda
▫️ 300K — CHROMAKOPIA
▫️ 298K — MUSIC
▫️ 296K — Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers
▫️ 288K — Eternal Atake
▫️ 282K — The Off-Season
▫️ 281K — The Death Of Slim Shady
▫️ 280K — The Fall-Off
The rankings showcase a decade largely controlled by rap’s established elite, including Drake, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, J. Cole, Eminem, and Lil Uzi Vert. Several projects benefited from highly anticipated rollouts, exclusive merchandise bundles, and enormous streaming traffic within hours of release.
One of the more notable entries is ICEMAN, which surged into fourth place with 463,000 first-week units, outperforming several albums from veteran chart giants. Meanwhile, UTOPIA narrowly missed the 500,000 mark and remains one of the strongest commercial performances of Travis Scott’s career.
Posthumous releases also continue to carry major commercial weight. Juice WRLD’s Legends Never Die still holds the second-highest debut of the decade with 497,000 units, reflecting the late rapper’s enduring connection with listeners years after his death.
As streaming continues reshaping how albums are consumed, blockbuster opening weeks have become both a cultural event and a competitive benchmark. With several major artists still expected to release projects before the decade closes, the leaderboard may not stay settled for long.
