There are many artists with raw talents and a knack for releasing songs that resonate with audiences worldwide. They have also been Influential politically, socially and culturally. At some point they have lost the respect of their fans, but, with smooth lyrics and philanthropic acts, they have won the hearts of their fans.
For some artists like Eminem, their names have been on the lips of every hip-hop and rap lover since they came to the limelight in the late 90’s.
The likes of Taylor Swift are already staking a claim as the most influential artists of the 21st century with record-shattering gross records.
From the decades-old, influence of Jay-Z down to the recent rap beef and feuds involving Drake, Gen Z has been highly entertained to witness some of the best musical artists with chart-topping hits, sold-out tours, and provocative personas
Here are some of the most influential artists in 2024.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is an award-winning singer-songwriter born in 1989 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Throughout her career, Swift has been recognized and has been the recipient of multiple awards. She has also broken numerous records, including becoming the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards twice.
Swift’s latest album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ marked her record-breaking seventh studio album to sell over a million copies within a week of its release, reaching 1.913 million copies sold in the U.S.
She is currently in London for the UK leg of her highly praised Eras tour. The tour set a new record as the highest-grossing tour of all time, surpassing the $1 billion mark and overtaking Elton John’s $939 million Farewell Tour. With Taylor Swift tickets sold out whenever she performs, music industry analysts at Pollstar have predicted that the tour could reach $2 billion before concluding in Vancouver.
She has been at the centre of several media controversies over the years, most notably her feud with Kanye West, who interrupted her acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs.
She was also involved in legal disputes surrounding the sale of Big Machine Records to Scooter Braun’s company, which owned the rights to her master recordings. Swift accused Braun of bullying and announced that she would be re-recording her earlier albums.
Drake
The Canadian hotshot is a songwriter, singer, and record producer with a career spanning over a decade. He is indeed one of the most influential artists in 2024. His feud with Kendrick Lamar is an interesting one which escalated after the release of “Like That” on March 22 by Kendrick and Metro Booming. The song contained a diss towards Drake and J. Cole. Drake responded with a diss of his own, “Push Ups”, since then the pair has been going back and forth. Simultaneously breaking multiple streaming records. Neither have publicly made any claim that there is a feud between them, but, fans and collaborators beg to differ.
Away from all the drama, Drake is a successful businessman. He recently invested in and saved Venezia a football club in the Italian league on the break of bankruptcy. He is the first artist to surpass 20 million streams on Spotify and has topped the US
Billboard Hot Rap Singles for most songs on the number one spot. His past relationships have been quite sophisticated. He dated Rihanna, had a short fling with Nicki Minaj, and dated a model and former adult film star, Sophia Brussaux in 2017, they have a son together, Adonis.
Beyoncé
The multiple Grammy Award winner is celebrated as one of the most successful artists in Contemporary music. She is happily married to Jay Z, they have a daughter together, Ivy. She was featured in one of Beyoncé’s greatest songs of all time, Brown Skin Girl. She has great potential.
She has garnered an array of awards including 28 Grammy Awards, the most by any female artist. Also, the first Black female artist to headline Coachella, in 2018. She has openly shown her support for LGBTQ+ rights, and feminism, and was active during the Black Lives Matter Campaign. She also supported Barrack Obama during his presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 and was called to perform at the Presidential inauguration in 2013. Beyoncé has been an Influential figure in music and worldwide.
Her fashion sense is jaw-dropping. The American singer has a fashion brand called Ivy Park, which is her activewear liner which has an extension Ivy Hearts which showcases Valentine-themed wears and accessories. She is a mother, a wife, an icon.
It’s not only Beyoncé’s albums that have drawn attention. In 2016, individuals with conservative political beliefs argued that the “Halo” singer’s Super Bowl performance of “Formation” — where Beyoncé and her backup dancers wore outfits inspired by the Black Panthers — promoted anti-police views.
Kanye West
Also, known as Ye. He came to the limelight with his song “Through the Wire” which was released in 2003. With his electric flows, sleek rap game, charts-topping hip-hop tracks and provocative statements, Ye has cemented his place in the music industry as a global sensation. He is the first artist to have 7 consecutive number-one albums on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. He has 21 Grammy awards and an array of other awards to his name.
He is a reputable businessman also. Ye has fashion brands and ambassadorial deals that have all combined to give her a net worth of $400 million, according to Forbes. Yeezy is one of them. He collaborates with Nike, Adidas, and Gap on this one which features a wide variety of apparel and classic wear for all.
Furthermore, his 5% stake in his ex-wife’s brand Skins makes up his fortune.
He has had his Twitter account suspended over his “death con3” statement on the Jews. His Instagram was also, blocked for his anti-semitic remarks. All these controversies built up and, hundreds of people rose against him, calling on Adidas to cut him off. Adidas cancelled their deal with his brand his net worth dwindled.
Even with this, Ye is a statement that trials and tribulations only make a man stronger. That is what his fans love about him, he gets beat down, and tomorrow he is up. Today, he is one of the most inspiring and influential musicians in the world.
Jay Z
Shawn Corey Carter professionally known as Jay Z is a father figure in the game of hip-hop and rap, he is one of the best to have ever done it. His career spans over two decades with 24 Grammy Awards to show for his longevity and impact in the music industry. His legacy is enduring. He is married to a superstar, Beyoncé.
The Hip-hop mogul is the co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records and Roc Nation. He was once named the greatest rapper of all time by Vibe and Billboard. He is the first solo, and living rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Time named him among one of the top 100 most influential people in 2013.
El Presidente as he is fondly called is a vocal character on and off the mic.
Thus, he has had a few fallouts with some artists like Nas. During his speech at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, Jay Z spoke against the cruelty of the organization against his wife and black artists. He reminded them of Beyoncé’s numerous awards and recognition and posed a question, asking why she has never won the Album of the Year. He called their system biased. To him, black artists like The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, and Frank Ocean should have Grammy Awards to their names. He encouraged all artist to strive harder and called for a change in their selection and nomination system.
Eminem
Eminem paved the way for white rappers at the start of the millennium. After critics scrutinized and Jim Carrey ridiculed Vanilla Ice, Eminem fought his way to the top of every sceptical cypher from Detroit to L.A. Once discovered by Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine, he transformed the antagonism, shock, humour, and verbal agility of battle rap into a commercial success.
He rapped with a gymnastic style, interlocking syllables across entire phrases for multiple lines, like flips in a floor routine.
All but two of his 11 LPs have achieved platinum status (with the remaining two being gold), and his influence can be seen in the early work of artists ranging from Tyler, the Creator to Kendrick Lamar. Despite rapping with more rigidity than before, Eminem still pushes the boundaries of the genre’s linguistic potential.
Eminem first appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2000 for being the “fastest-selling rap artist” with his third album, The Marshall Mathers LP.
He has ten number-one albums on the Billboard 200—all debuting consecutively at the top, making him the first artist to accomplish this feat—and five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
Eminem holds the record for the second most consecutive number-one studio albums at 10, trailing only Jay-Z, who has 11. In 2013, following the release of The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Eminem had eight albums simultaneously on the top 200 chart.
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