Hip-hop loves data.

Matt Daniels at Polygraph, who last year brought us a detailed data study of which rappers have the largest vocabulary, is at it again. This time, Daniels teamed up with Rhymesayers’ Kevin Beacham for a look at the most successful labels in hip-hop.

Using data from Billboard’s charts going back to 1989, the pair have drawn up a new set of interactive data maps looking at the rise and fall of various hip-hop empires and the spread of the music from a New York stronghold to its current power base in the south.

There’s a lot to go through and digest so we really recommend you get stuck in, but here’s one of the most interesting facts their data search has turned up: despite being only six years old, Young Money is the second most successful hip-hop label since 1989 after Def Jam.

Head over to Polygraph to read and interact with the full research. You can press play on the maps for a nifty year-by-year animation.

Read next: The 100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records Of All Time

Latest

Latest



		
	
Share Tweet