Jay-Z just reached a Billboard milestone that only five other artists have ever achieved. Thanks to “Mood 4 Eva,” his Lion King: The Gift collaboration with Beyonce, Donald Glover (as Childish Gambino), and Malian singer Oumou Sangaré, Jay has become the sixth solo artist to appear on the Hot 100 chart 100 times. “Mood 4 Eva” will debut at No. 9 on the upcoming August 3 chart.
According to Billboard.com, the only five other acts in the 60-year history of the trade magazine’s respected musical charts have ever reached the milestone are Drake with 196 appearances, Lil Wayne (163), Elvis Presley (109), and Nicki Minaj (103), with the Glee cast clocking the most entries at 207. The next closest artist behind Jay is Kanye West with 96 and behind him, Chris Brown with 95. The only other artist with more than 90 is James Brown, who will likely not be joining the “100 club.” Jay has five additional Hot 100 appearances that don’t count toward his solo record, since they were recorded with wife Beyonce as The Carters on last year’s Everything Is Love LP.
Jay’s first Hot 100 appearance was way back in 1996 with “Ain’t No N*gga” featuring Foxy Brown. He’s since accumulated four No. 1 records and 21 top 10s. As Billboard points out, in a bit of poignant circumstance, Jay reaches his latest milestone the same week his and Beyonce’s daughter, Blue Ivy, recorded her own first appearance on the Hot 100 for an appearance on the same album. She appears with mom Beyonce on “Brown Skin Girl” with SAINT JHN and Wizkid and debuts at No. 76.
