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Drake and Kendrick Lamar ruled the airwaves throughout 2026.
As part of iHeartRadio's Rewind, which drops Thursday, November 11, the Grammy Award-winning lyricists were revealed as the top two most popular Hip-Hop artists of 2026. Drizzy leads the list thanks to multiple bangers from his ICEMAN album including "Janice STFU," "2 Hard 4 The Radio," and "Shabang." Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar continues his reign with GNX tracks like "luther" featuring SZA, "tv off" and "Not Like Us." The top 5 rounds out with Gunna, Cardi B and GloRilla, who've captivated fans with their array of recent hits.
Cardi B impacted hip-hop stations across the country with hits like "ErrTime" and "Safe" featuring Kehlani from her sophomore album AM I THE DRAMA? Although her debut album arrived in 2024, Big Glo's smash hits "I Luv Her" with T-Pain and "Whatchu Know Bout Me" featurig Sexyy Red have become staples on playlists everywhere. While Cardi B and GloRilla have maintained their dominance on the radio, Gunna shattered all expectations with "wgft."
The Atlanta native's collaboration with Burna Boy is the No. 1 Hip-Hop song of 2026 after garnering the most total audience spins (TAS) and streams from iHeartRadio stations across the country as well as on the iHeartRadio app. G Herbo comes in second with "Went Legit" followed by Dave & Tems' "Raindance." Belly Gang Kushington comes in at No. 4 with his hit "Friend Do" with YKNIECE, and DaBaby closes out the top 5 with "Pop Dat Thang."
Interested in learning more about the songs and artists that people just couldn’t get enough of across the U.S. this year? Registered iHeartRadio users can find their own personalized iHeartRewind on the iHeartRadio app now.