Kendrick Lamar has the week’s biggest new single, while Kodak Black has the biggest new album
Billboard Artist Top 10
For the magazine dated April 22, 2017
See the full chart at http://www.billboard.com/charts/artist-100
| Billboard Artist Top 10 | Name | Billboard 200 Album Rank | Billboard Hot 100 Singles | Highest Charting Single |
| 1 | Ed Sheeran | 2 | 2 | 1: Shape Of You |
| 2 | Drake | 1 | 10 | 23: Passionfruit |
| 3 | Bruno Mars | 4 | 2 | 3: That’s What I Like |
| 4 | Kendrick Lamar | 50 | 4 | 2: Humble |
| 5 | Chainsmokers | 41 | 4 | 5: Something Just Like This |
| 6 | Kodak Black | 3 | 3 | 8: Tunnel Vision |
| 7 | Weeknd | 11 | 2 | 7: I Feel It Coming |
| 8 | Future | 8 & 20 | 5 | 11: Mask Off |
| 9 | Keith Urban | 13 | 1 | 38: The Fighter |
| 10 | Mastodon | 7 | – |
This week Ed Sheeran makes it to 11 weeks at #1 with “Shape Of You,” defending against a strong debut by Kendrick Lamar. That chart momentum allows him to take over the top of the Artist 100 after ceding it to Drake for 2 weeks. @champagnepapi maintains his hold at #1 on the Billboard 200 with More Life, although the playlist’s singles slide down the Hot 100. The Academy of Country Music Awards also help country acts move up the charts, led by Keith Urban, who is back in the Artist Top 10 for the first time since May 2016.
Heavy metal band Mastodon earn their third top 10 album this week and take #10 on the Artist 100
Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE” Comeback
Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar quickly went from an indie hip-hop up-and-comer in 2011 to being one of the genre’s biggest stars with 2015’s To Pimp A Butterfly, which won the Rap Album of the Year Grammy. Since then, @kendricklamar released untitled unmastered, a selection of demos and outtakes, and over the last few weeks Lamar signaled that it is his turn to release the Great Rap Album of 2017. His statement was “The Heart (Part 4),” a single warning fellow rappers “y’all got ’til April 7th to get your s**t together.” On it, Lamar flows over four dissimilar beats reminding his rivals that “I am the greatest rapper alive.” Having said that, it is surprising that the first track off the new album DAMN. is called “HUMBLE.” Is Kendrick humble on it? Not really. He asks his rivals to humble themselves and acknowledge his greatness though later on the track he says “I stay modest ’bout it.” Whether @kendricklamar is humble or humblebragging, his hat is in the ring for the Great Rap Album of 2017 crown. Big Sean, Future, and Drake, you are on notice!
Kendrick Lamar’s Instagram currently only includes two album images
Kodak Black’s Painting Pictures Arrives
Kodak Black’s hit “Tunnel Vision” first appeared on Scoreboard three weeks ago as part of the spring singles roundup. Since then the South Florida rapper continued to court controversy. As of April 7th he is accused of attacking a female bartender in Miami in February, and that is just another addition to his list of legal troubles. He is currently in Broward County jail in Florida for violating his probation. It was during that probation that he went to the Miami club where the latest incident happened. As Kodak Black’s cases work though the court system, his music is making an impact on the charts with debut album Painting Pictures coming in at #3 on this week’s Billboard 200. On it, @kodakblack addresses his repeat arrests immediately. Opening track “Day For Day” includes the line “I was already sentenced, before I came up out the womb” and name-checks a number of Kodak’s homies in prison. He later brings in Future to trade verses on “Conscience,” an explanation of how the streets took Kodak’s conscience away. It has certainly been a tumultuous year so far for @kodakblack, here’s hoping this young hip-hop star maintains his voice while working his legal issues out.
Struggle and success are two sides of one coin on Kodak Black’s Painting Pictures