As hip-hop turns 50, fans around the world are celebrating its golden anniversary. For a genre that started at a block party in the Bronx, this milestone is a testament to the massive impact and influence hip-hop has had in virtually every corner of the globe.
And today on Spotify, hip-hop is thriving, with artists and fans from around the world discovering and connecting with one another. In 2023, nearly a quarter of all streams on Spotify globally are hip-hop music, led by artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, and Metro Boomin.
But it goes further than that . . .
Hip-hop is one of the most-listened-to genres globally on Spotify, and more than 400 million users around the world have streamed hip-hop music in 2023 so far.
RapCaviar ranks as the second most-followed playlist on Spotify.
Around the globe, there are over 53 million user-generated and Spotify-curated playlists on Spotify that mention hip-hop or rap in the title of the playlist, and over 2 billion playlists that contain at least one hip-hop song.
For the past three years, almost half of Spotify's Top 50 most-streamed artists globally have been hip-hop or rap artists.
One of the most distinct aspects of hip-hop culture is its regionality, with the unique sounds coming out of local U.S. scenes like New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Miami helping one of the most dynamic genres in the world flourish.
That's why we're celebrating these iconic regions with a series of original murals created by Raj Dhunna.
NEXT
In New York, Chief Keef, Pop Smoke, and 808 Melo will be featured as we highlight drill's evolution over the years, while Lil' Kim and Cardi B will appear in a second mural honoring the Big Apple's legendary women rappers. In Atlanta, we're toasting the globalization of trap with T.I. and Arc ngel. In Los Angeles, we're saluting Dr. Dre and Mustard, two titans of the West Coast sound. And in Miami, we're paying homage to the provocative flows of Trina.
NEXT
In Mexico, we're also honoring the country's most influential hip-hop stars with a mural that features over 15 artists, including Akwid, Cartel De Santa, Santa Fe Klan, and Gera MX.
It's interesting that hip-hop has become regional, but also region-less at the same time, said Carl Chery, Creative Director, Head of Urban Music, Spotify. Trap is no longer exclusive to Atlanta. We've heard Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole on trap beats. Drill is no longer exclusive to London, Chicago, and New York; it's a global sound. It's always fascinating to see how fast sounds travel now.
But as hip-hop continues to grow and evolve, it's not just U.S. regions that are setting the agenda. In countries and markets across the world, artists and fans are putting their stamp on the genre as they take inspiration from hip-hop's pioneers and innovators in the U.S. and add their own special flair to the music and culture.
In 2023 to date, the Top 10 markets for hip-hop streams on Spotify are . . .
USA
Mexico
Brazil
Germany
France
UK
Spain
India
Canada
Italy
I think American artists approach music with a much more global mindset now. They're aware that there's an entire world to conquer out there, Carl explained. We're also seeing more artists from global markets having success in the U.S. Central Cee is a great example. We're now in a space where culture can originate in Toronto, London, Paris, or Nigeria and make its way to the U.S.
To better understand the global impact hip-hop has had over the last half-century, For the Record talked to Spotify Editors in Mexico, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Colombia, and the Philippines. They shared their insights on the defining moments that helped hip-hop blossom in their countries, what makes each region's sound unique, and exciting local artists the world should be looking out for.
Brazil Hip-hop in Brazil basically started in S o Paulo in the mid-'80s, when young people from different neighborhoods were regularly gathering downtown to have fun and share their cultural inspirations from around the world, like in the classic hip-hop film Wild Style. The political and social climate in Brazil at the time-which revolved around the end of the military dictatorship and a lack of job opportunities, among other things-revealed shared vulnerabilities that united these young fans, who were Black and poor for the most part.
What makes Brazilian hip-hop unique: One distinct aspect of Brazilian hip-hop is that it's strongly linked with drums. As a people with a close relationship with African roots, BR rap incorporates other Brazilian genres, rhythmic constructions influenced by samba and African religions learned from samba and African-matrix religions, and rhyme schemes inspired by repente and embolada-local genres from the northeastern part of the country. These rhyme schemes and influences help emphasize much of the genre's message: A vibrant call for social and racial equity.
Artists to look out for: Orochi, Matu , and RADAR pick Veigh.
Mexico Mexico has a wholesome relationship with hip-hop music, not only because of its closeness to the U.S. but also because the street culture and the fight for the community are integral to Mexican identity. From the earliest days of hip-hop, Mexico has been embracing the sound. This started with the comedian Memo Rios when he recorded a Spanish-language parody of The Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight with funny lyrics. Then in the '80s, Mexican pop began to mix with hip-hop in TV top programs, and hip-hop reached the hood when those who had been deported from the U.S. returned to Mexico. But things really took off in the '90s, as rap collectives started to form and DJs began throwing parties all over the country. That was the decade when Me
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
06/04/2026
Michigan legends bring a new voice to the broadcast as TNT Sports and CBS Sports...
06/04/2026
From high school sports all the way up to the major leagues, building high-quali...
06/04/2026
Quickplay, an AI company for the media and entertainment industry, has been accepted into the Advanced tier of the TwelveLabs Ecosystem Partner Program. Quickpl...
06/04/2026
Grass Valley has announced the Future Playmakers Program, a global initiative to...
06/04/2026
El l der de operaciones impulsa la producci n en estudio mientras encuentra insp...
06/04/2026
The ops leader helps lead the charge in studio for the Spanish-language broadcas...
06/04/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
06/04/2026
The National Hockey League (NHL), in partnership with Verizon and the New Jersey Devils, today announced the opening of the NHL Innovation Lab powered by Verizo...
06/04/2026
Rock League, a new professional curling league, has announced that ESPN+ will stream its inaugural 2026 season for fans in the United States. The first Rock Lea...
06/04/2026
Advanced Systems Group has announced the appointment of Andrea (Andy) Cummis as Vice President of Systems Design and Engineering. In this role, she will lead de...
06/04/2026
Backed by Bolt Ventures, the venture brings Bryson DeChambeau, Grant Horvat, and...
06/04/2026
With this environment we can start that collaboration even earlier because we ca...
06/04/2026
Like the immortal lives of vampires, some stories never really end. That's t...
06/04/2026
As podcasting continues to evolve, growth increasingly means building beyond aud...
06/04/2026
Multiband dynamics plug-in enhanced
California-based developer FSK Audio have released a significant update for their innovative multiband dynamics processo...
06/04/2026
Share official & user-created full-rig presets
IK Multimedia's latest TONEX update makes it possible for users of the popular amp and effects modelling ...
06/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/04/2026
Dalet Showcases Dalia Agentic AI and End-to-End Media Workflows at NAB Show 2026
Brie Clayton April 6, 2026
0 Comments
Dalet, a leading technology and...
06/04/2026
OpenDrives Shows Off Sports Expertise in Sports Business Hub located in NAB Show...
06/04/2026
Proton to Demonstrate 3D Application at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 6, 2026
0 Comments
Yet further creative potential unleashed through innovation in ...
06/04/2026
Autoscript Highlights Voice-Driven Prompting and PTZ Solutions at NAB 2026
Brie Clayton April 6, 2026
0 Comments
Experience Autoscript Voice, PTZ prom...
06/04/2026
Mediaproxy Highlights Significant Enhancements to its LogServer suite at NAB Sho...
06/04/2026
Wayne, N.J., April 6th, 2026 Phantom High-Speed announces the release of PCC 4...
06/04/2026
April 6th, 2026
TRIBECA STUDIOS AND LILLY ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF INAUGURAL VITAL...
06/04/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Expands Kids Entertainment Lineup With Playground App ...
05/04/2026
Tackles all reported bugs!
SoundBridge have just announced the launch of a new update that introduces a couple of minor changes to their remote collaboratio...
04/04/2026
The University of Arizona's Men's Basketball team has only loss twice th...
04/04/2026
1080p HDR arrives, a new generation of storytelling tools takes center stage, an...
04/04/2026
Michigan legends bring a new voice to the broadcast as TNT Sports and CBS Sports...
04/04/2026
Faster, cleaner and more intuitive than ever
The control software for Flock Audio's digitally controlled patchbay systems has just been treated to an up...
04/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/04/2026
DHD Introduces AI-Based Audio Noise Reduction to XD3 IP Core
Brie Clayton April 3, 2026
0 Comments
The accompanying image shows the rear panel of the ...
04/04/2026
Macnica Redefines ST 2110 Flexibility with Two Speeds on One Card
Brie Clayton April 3, 2026
0 Comments
New for NAB Show 2026, MEP100 SmartNIC now sup...
04/04/2026
Unified Media Workflows for Story-Centric Production
Brie Clayton April 3, 2026
0 Comments
Framelight X unifies field capture, editing and publishing ...
03/04/2026
Michigan's Fab Five will reunite for an alternate presentation of the Mich...
03/04/2026
Avid will exhibit at NAB Show 2026 (April 18-22, Booth N2226, Las Vegas Convention Center), demonstrating its Content Core platform and new AI-driven workflow c...
03/04/2026
Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has announced the appointment of Nick Barthee as Chief Operating Officer.
The announcement follows MRMC's transition fro...
03/04/2026
Interra Systems has announced that Elite Media Technologies has selected its BATON file-based QC solution for media workflows. Elite Media Technologies speciali...
03/04/2026
Ateme has announced that Moldtelecom has deployed Ateme technologies across its streaming workflow, covering encoding, delivery, operations, and analytics.
Mol...
03/04/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate Framelight X, its content management platform, at NAB Show 2026. The platform connects capture, ingest, editing, and publishing in...
03/04/2026
Encompass Digital Media and Techex have announced a cloud-native Master Control ...
As hip-hop turns 50, fans around the world are celebrating its golden anniversary. For a genre that started at a block party in the Bronx, this milestone is a testament to the massive impact and influence hip-hop has had in virtually every corner of the globe.
