More than 10 years after his debut, J. Cole at last lands his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as “My.Life,” a collaboration with 21 Savage and rising North Carolina rapper Morray, debuts atop the chart dated May 29. The new champ leads 10 new cuts by the rap superstar onto the list as his new album, The Off-Season, arrives on the album charts.
“My.life” starts at the summit thanks largely to its 41.1 million U.S. streams in the week ending May 20, according to MRC Data. The sum easily grants a No. 1 entrance on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart, where it marks J. Cole’s third leader. He previously reigned with 2019’s “Middle Child,” and, notably, “My.Life” evicts the rapper’s second No. 1, “Interlude,” which debuted at No. 1 last week after J. Cole released the track early to serve as an Off-Season preview.
With the switch, J. Cole is the first act to replace himself atop R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs since Drake, in 2018. That year, his Scorpion album arrival triggered a No. 1 debut for the album cut “Nonstop” in July, which subsequently gave way to “In My Feelings” the following week as its social media challenge, spurred by Shiggy, exploded.
While streams are the main driver of “My.Life,” the single also sold 3,000 downloads in the week ending May 20, enough to prompt a No. 13 start on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales.
As noted, “My.Life” gives J. Cole his first No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, after 17 previous top 10 trips. Before “My.Life,” the rapper’s best showing was the No. 2 result for “Middle Child” in 2019.
21 Savage, meanwhile, locks up his second No. 1 and first as a lead, following a featured turn on Post Malone’s “Rockstar,” which ran up 14 frames in charge in 2017-18. Newcomer Morray picks up his first leader.
Behind “My.Life,” J. Cole nabs nine more new entries on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs:
No. 3, “Amari”
No. 5, “Pride.Is.the.Devil,” with Lil Baby
No. 6, “95.South”
No. 9, “Applying.Pressure”
No. 10, “100.Mil’,” with Bas
No. 13, “Let.Go.My.Hand,” with Bas & 6lack
No. 14, “Punchin’.the.Clock”
No. 17, “Hunger.on.Hillside,” with Bas
No. 22, “Close”
In addition, he posts two more appearances on this week’s chart: “Interlude” slides 5-12 in its second week, while “The.Climb.Back” does just that and re-enters at No. 15.
All the tracks appear on the rap star’s new album, The Off-Season, which debuts at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts thanks to its 282,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending May 20. On both lists, the entrance secures J. Cole’s sixth No. 1 set.
With the heavy activity surrounding The Off-Season and its singles, J. Cole leaps 12-1 to crown the Billboard Artist 100 for the third week in his career. The chart ranks artist popularity through four music consumption metrics – album sales, track sales, radio airplay, streaming – and social media fan interaction.
