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Diddy & Russell Simmons

During the ’90s and onto the mid 2000s, having a monstrous label behind you was all you really needed to sell a few million records, and although many of those rap dynasties have fallen, some are still pretty influential today.

According to a study by Polygraph, it turns out the most successful label in hip-hop history is Def Jam, with a cumulative 1,925 weeks on the chart. The top 10 has some odd mentions, like Ruffhouse and the Iggy Azalea-assisted Grand Hustle. Young Money comes in at number two despite only being around the past six years, but with Lil Wayne’s run and the emergence of Drake and Nicki Minaj, it’s not hard to believe the influence they’ve had on the genre. In fact, Young Money has had the most charting songs for the past five years, an unprecedented record.

The infographic even takes it back to 1989, the inception year of Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles chart, with Def Jam’s legendary roster that included LL Cool J, Public Enemy, and Slick Rick. It wasn’t until the mid-’90s, however, that labels began to play an even more integral part in the game with the likes of Bad Boy and Death Row. It also marked the beginning of the East Coast versus West Coast feud.

The interactive infographic is chock-full of interesting stats, which you can check out here.

SOURCE: Polygraph | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

Def Jam Is The Most Successful Hip-Hop Label…Of All Time  was originally published on globalgrind.com