50 Cent named YouTube’s most-streamed New York rapper for 2024
50 Cent has been announced as the most-streamed New York rapper on YouTube for 2024, racking up 1.89 billion streams. This figure puts him above fellow heavyweights such as Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B.
The G-Unit rapper took to Instagram to react to the news, claiming he’s still the biggest artist in New York City. “I told you I run New York in 05, Nothing has changed! LOL Don’t believe me check the numbers,” he wrote on social media alongside a screenshot of the achievement.
Over the same period, dated from January 21st, 2024, to January 21st, 2025, Minaj was the second most-streamed New York rapper with 1.43 billion YouTube views, followed by Cardi B, who had 921 million views, and Jay-Z, who had 721 million views.
Further down the list was Pop Smoke with 715 million, A$AP Rocky with 619 million, Biggie with 567 million, Busta Rhymes with 412 million, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs with 386 million, DMX with 376 million and Nas with 313 million.
50 tops the list with impressive numbers despite not releasing an album in 11 years, with ‘In Da Club’ sitting at the top of his YouTube successes with a total of 2.2 billion views. He last released his fifth studio album, Animal Ambition, in 2014, which peaked at number four on the Billboard 200.
Fans took to the comments of 50’s post to praise his longevity. “Imagine if the streaming era was around when 50 first came out. Sheesh. Wouldnt be able to calculate that,” one person wrote. Another person added, “Just checked… In Da Club has 2.2 billion views, Candy Shop alone has 1 billion…. 50 did your fav rappers career in two drops.”
50 previously dropped bars about running New York on his 2005 song, ‘I Run New York’, rapping, “The walls have ears lil n*gga, I run New York/ Even when I ain’t there lil n*gga, I run New York/ I said the walls have ears lil n*gga, I hear when you talk/ Let’s get this shit clear lil n*gga, I run New York.” On the 2007 song, ‘I Get Money’, from his Curtis album, he also famously rapped “I run New York” in the chorus.