Top 20 Best Selling Rap Albums of All Time

Below are the top 20 best selling rap/hip hop albums of all time. Due to inefficiency of data collection out of the country, this list consist of U.S sales alone.



20. 50 Cent- The Masacre (2003)- 5.2 million copies sold

19.  Eminem- Encore (2004)- 5.3 million copies sold

18. Snoop Dogg- DoggyStyle (1993)- 5.4 million copies sold.

17. Outkast- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)- 5.5 million copies sold.

16. Fugees- The Score (1996)- 6 million copies sold.

15. Nelly- Nellyville (2002)- 6.5 million copies sold.

14. Vanilla Ice- To The Extreme (1990)- 7.0 copies sold.

13. Puff Daddy and The Family- No Way Out (1997)- 7.1 million copies sold.

12. Dr Dre- 2001 (Chronic 2001)- 7.2 million copies sold.

11. Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)- 8.0 million copies sold.

10. 50 Cent- Get Rich or Die Trying (2003)- 8.2 million copies sold

9.  Nelly- Country Grammar (2000)- 8.5 million copies sold.

8.  Will Smith- Big Willie Styles (1997)- 9 million copies sold.

7.  Beastie Boys- Licensed to Ill (1986)- 9.2 million copies sold.

6.  2Pac-All Eyez on Me (1995)- 9.5 million copies

5.  Eminem- Eminem Show (2002)- 9.6 million copies sold.

4.  The Notorious B.I.G- Life After death (1997)- 10 million copies sold

3.  MC Hammer- Hammer Please Don't Hurt 'Em (1990)- 10 million copies

2.  2Pac- Greatest Hits (1998)- 10.2 million copies sold.

1.  Eminem- The Marshall Marthers LP (2000)- 10.6 million copies sold.


WOW! What an eye opening list. Back when Hammer was popping, i knew he was successful, but i didn't know he was this successful. I guess back then, people didn't really care about album sales. But now, people are so keen on knowing what this rapper or that rapper's album sold; and then use that to judge the quality of the album.


Eminem is just in another lane when it comes to album sales, and i don't think anyone can touch him right now. Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle album was the fastest selling album back in 1993, when it sold 800, 000 copies in its first week...Eminem beat that record in 2000 when his The Marshall Mathers LP sold 1.7 million copies in its first week out. That record still stands till today.


Most of the albums on the list are from the 90s, and early 00s. I guess illegal downloads on the internet have really hurt album sales.