Drake & 21 Savage’s ‘Flex’ Reaches Apex of R&B/Hip-Hop and Rhythmic Airplay Charts
Written by djfrosty on January 26, 2023
Drake and 21 Savage stunt on the competition on both Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts, as their single “Rich Flex” ascends to a dual domination on the charts dated Jan. 28. The new coronations extend Drake’s records as the artist with the most No. 1s on both charts, while 21 Savage earns his second champ on the former and fourth leader on the latter.
On R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, “Rich Flex” advances from the runner-up rank to lead the chart in its 11th frame. It tops the list with 19.7 million in audience listenership registered in the week ending Jan. 19, a 7% improvement from the week prior, according to Luminate. With the rise, “Rich Flex” became the most-heard song on U.S. monitored R&B and hip-hop radio stations.
The new champ gives Drake his 29th No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, the most among all artists since the chart began in 1992. 21 Savage, as mentioned, collects his second champ and returns to the summit after a break of just over five years, since his featured turn on Post Malone’s “Rockstar,” a two-week champ in December 2017.
As Drake tacks another title to his record tally, here’s a look at the acts with the most No. 1s on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay:
29, Drake
15, Usher
12, Lil Wayne
10, Beyoncé
9, Chris Brown
On Rhythmic Airplay, “Rich Flex” jumps from No. 3. It enters the top slot after a 26% surge in weekly plays that made it the most-played song on U.S. monitored rhythmic radio stations in the week ending Jan. 19. Here, Drake picks up a record-extending 37th chart-topper. 21 Savage banks a fourth champ, as “Rich Flex” joins the aforementioned “Rockstar” (six weeks in 2017-18), “A Lot” (two weeks, 2019) and “Jimmy Cooks,” another collaboration with Drake (one week, 2022).
Elsewhere, on Rap Airplay, “Rich Flex” repeats at the No. 1 spot to secure a second week in charge. There, it increases its grip on the rank with an 11% gain in weekly audience. The single looks to next capture the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay list, which ranks the most-played tracks on U.S. monitored R&B and hip-hop stations. On that chart, “Rich Flex” ranks at No. 2 for a second straight week and finishes second in a tight race with the current champ, GloRilla and Cardi B’s “Tomorrow 2” collaboration. A repeat showdown, however, would likely favor “Flex” thanks to its positive momentum: It logged a 12% bump in plays in the latest tracking week, while “Tomorrow 2” declined 5%.