The most Shazamed hip-hop track of all time
Hip-hop is one of the most popular genres of music worldwide. Since its inception in the 1970s, the culture has spread worldwide and brought people from different corners of the planet together.
The genre was suppressed and looked down on as a small underground scene in the South Bronx for years, with only native New Yorkers aware of its potency. However, with time, breakdancing, graffiti, and emceeing spread across America and quickly around the world.
The genre has given birth to many legends. From early pioneers such as Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow to diamond-selling MCs such as Drake and Kendrick Lamar, hip-hop’s impact on the world is undeniable.
Many hip-hop songs have been discovered using the music recognition app Shazam, which allows people to put a track title and artist to an unknown song they may hear. However, the most Shazamed hip-hop track of all time is a strange and fairly controversial one.
In contemporary hip-hop, the line between pop and rap music can sometimes get blurred. This was evident last year when Nicki Minaj lashed out at the Grammys for putting her hit track ‘Super Freaky Girl’ in the pop category despite her submission to the rap categories.
The grey area has become more prominent over the years as rap becomes more melody-driven and with tracks such as Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ and Iggy Azalea’s ‘Fancy’ recognised as hip-hop by the establishment, sometimes pop and rap become interchangeable.
That said, when thinking about potential musicians with the most Shazamed song of all time, many would jump to legends such as Drake, Nicki Minaj or Kanye West. However, in a surprising twist, Seattle emcee Macklemore has the most Shazamed rap song ever.
Macklemore’s 2011 anthem, ‘Can’t Hold Us’, featuring Ryan Lewis and vocalist Ray Dalton, is the most popular song in the ‘Top Hip-Hop/Rap’ category. However, many question whether the upbeat, positive track really qualifies as rap.
‘Can’t Hold Us’ was a single that featured on Macklemore’s controversial album The Heist, which unbelievably won a Grammy over Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, m.A.A.d City and Drake’s Nothing Was the Same. The unexpected win angered the hip-hop community greatly.
Although the five-times platinum, number one hit is the most Shazamed track, Macklemore is not the most Shazamed artist of all time. That honour sits with Drake, who has accrued over 350 million Shazams.
You can listen to Macklemore’s ‘Can’t Hold Us’ in the video below.