Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign Bring ‘Carnival’ to No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart
Thanks to a streaming surge, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign’s “Carnival,” featuring Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, springs to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart on the list dated March 9, up from No. 2 last week. The hit stems from West — who now goes by Ye — and Ty Dolla $ign’s collaborative Vultures 1 project, which holds the crown on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for a third week.
“Carnival” rolls into the top spot thanks largely to 32.2 million official U.S. streams in the tracking week of Feb. 23-29, according to Luminate, up 31% from 24.6 million in the prior week. Thanks to the nearly eight million additional clicks, “Carnival” wins the weekly Streaming Gainer award on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for the largest increase in streams among the chart’s 50 titles and retains its No. 1 perch on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart for a third straight frame.
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Although streams provide the heavy lifting, “Carnival” also improves in the other two metrics that contribute to Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs: sales and radio airplay. It sold 2,000 downloads in the Feb. 23-29 tracking week, a 16% bump from the previous week, and registered 2.1 million in airplay audience in the same period, a 258% surge. The radio ramp up includes the first “Carnival” appearance on a Billboard airplay chart – Rhythmic Airplay – where it debuts at No. 36, in its third week since release. While a Ye record would historically yielded quick arrivals on multiple radio charts, the artist’s recent string of hate speech and antisemitic remarks almost certainly caused programmers to tread slowly into playing any new material.
“Carnival” is a cause for celebration for Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti, who each bank a first No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Before the new leader’s arrival, Rich the Kid’s best showing was a No. 8 result for “Plug Walk” in 2018, while Playboi Carti landed a No. 2 hit through a featured spot on Travis Scott’s “FEIN” in August 2023.
Ty Dolla $ign, meanwhile, captures his second No. 1 and first in a leading role. He previously assisted Post Malone on the one-week chart-topper “Psycho” in 2018.
For Ye, “Carnival” adds a ninth No. 1 to his account. Futher, it extends his span of champs to 20 years and two months, dating to his first week in the penthouse on Feb. 21, 2004, when Twista’s “Slow Jamz,” featuring West and Jamie Foxx, seized the throne. As Ye’s collection grows, here’s a look at the rapper’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart-toppers. (While Ye has changed his name in his career, the billings below reflect the artist’s name at the time of each song’s release)
“Slow Jamz,” Twista featuring Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, two weeks at No. 1, beginning Feb. 21, 2004
“Gold Digger,” featuring Jamie Foxx, four, Sept. 24, 2005
“Knock You Down,” Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo, two, June 13, 2009
“Marvin & Chardonnay,” Big Sean featuring Kanye West & Roscoe Dash, one, Oct. 8, 2011
“Ni**as in Paris,” with Jay Z, seven, Nov. 12, 2011
“Mercy,” with Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz, five, July 7, 2012
“FourFiveSeconds,” with Rihanna & Paul McCartney, seven, Feb. 21, 2015
“Hurricane,” one, Sept. 11, 2021
“Carnival,” with Ty Dolla $ign and featuring Rich the Kid & Playboi Carti, one (to date), March 9, 2024
Elsewhere, “Carnival” conquers the Hot Rap Songs chart with a 2-1 gain. There, it secures Ye’s 11th No. 1, Ty Dolla $ign’s third, and a first for both Rich the Kid and Playboi Carti. It also improves on the Billboard Hot 100, climbing 3-2 for its highest rank to date.
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