Rapper Badshah has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the fifth most-viewed hip-hop artist globally on YouTube, with more than 26.1 billion views. According to music analytics platform Chartmasters, he is the only Indian artist to feature in the top five, a list otherwise dominated by international stars Drake, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne.
Exclusive Indian Representation in Global Hip-Hop
This ranking places Badshah in an elite bracket that no other Indian artist has reached. While fellow Indian artists, the late Sidhu Moosewala and Karan Aujla, appear on Chartmasters’ broader list of the 1,000 most-viewed hip-hop artists on YouTube, neither has broken into the top five. Badshah's achievement underscores the growing influence of Indian hip-hop on the world stage.
Two Decades of Musical Dominance
The milestone comes at the two-decade mark of Badshah’s career, which spans more than 150 releases. These releases have collectively amassed over 25 billion streams across digital platforms. On Spotify, Badshah leads Indian hip-hop artists with 19.9 million monthly listeners, ahead of prominent names such as Yo Yo Honey Singh, AP Dhillon, Karan Aujla, Shubh, and Hanumankind.
Among India's Top YouTube Performers
Alongside Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, Neha Kakkar, and Lata Mangeshkar, Badshah also ranks among India’s most successful YouTube performers across all genres. This achievement signals a significant milestone for Indian hip-hop, highlighting the genre’s growing weight on the global stage.
