Drake's Scorpion Milestone
Drake's *Scorpion* hit 400 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200, making it the tenth longest-charting rap album ever. The milestone sparked nostalgia and debates about album longevity in hip-hop.
*Scorpion* was a massive double album, released on June 29, 2018, with 25 tracks split between a hip-hop A-side and an R&B/pop B-side. Upon release, it shattered streaming records, logging over 132 million Spotify streams and 170 million Apple Music streams in its first 24 hours. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 732,000 album-equivalent units, driven by a trio of chart-topping singles: "God's Plan," "Nice for What," and the viral sensation "In My Feelings." All seven of the album's singles reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. Despite its commercial dominance, critical reception for *Scorpion* was often lukewarm. Many reviews pointed to the album's lengthy 90-minute runtime as a weakness, a sentiment that arose in the midst of Drake's high-profile feud with rapper Pusha-T. While 400 weeks is a significant run, *Scorpion* is still chasing the top-tier of hip-hop longevity. Kendrick Lamar’s *good kid, m.A.A.d city* is the longest-charting hip-hop studio album, having spent over 600 weeks on the Billboard 200. The all-time record for a rap album on the chart belongs to Eminem's 2005 compilation, *Curtain Call: The Hits*, which has logged more than 681 weeks. This distinction between a studio album and a greatest hits collection is a key point in longevity debates. This isn't Drake's only album with a long chart life. His 2011 album *Take Care* and 2013's *Nothing Was the Same* have also spent hundreds of weeks on the Billboard 200, cementing his status as a consistent chart force.
