Last week, Nicki Minaj became the first rapper to surpass 200 million followers on Instagram. By crossing that threshold, the “Do We Have a Problem?” rapper extended her lead as the most-followed rapper on the photo-sharing app. Over the course of her career, Minaj has used social media to her advantage — especially Instagram.
Take the iconic single artwork for her Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 hit “Anaconda,” for example. The bootylicious cover instantly became a viral meme on the platform, further cementing the song’s place in the cultural zeitgeist. On the other hand, rappers like Diddy used Instagram’s livestream feature to host dance-athons to raise money for healthcare workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instagram has been home to a plethora of memorable hip-hop moments over the past decade. From 6ix9ine breaking the Instagram live viewership record (more than 2 million users tuned into the controversial rapper’s livestream) to Drake announcing his surprise Honestly, Nevermind album, Instagram is one of the primary apps of choice among the genre’s biggest and brightest stars.
While the top 20 most followed accounts on Instagram are dominated by brands, actors, athletes and singers (soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo leads with a staggering 470 million followers), Nicki Minaj is the only rapper to appear in that elite group. Other musicians include Selena Gomez (339 million), Ariana Grande (324 million), Beyoncé (270 million), Justin Bieber (251 million) and Taylor Swift (220 million).
So who are the other most followed rappers on Instagram? (For this list, we’re defining a “rapper” as a musician with at least one entry on Billboard‘s Hot Rap Songs chart, and our research is dated July 28, 2022.) The list might not be as predictable as you would think. Take a look at the top 10 most followed rappers on Instagram below, from 10-1.
