Drake vs. Kanye — Did Certified Loved Boy Or Donda Sell More?

It’s a tale as old as time; Drake vs. Kanye, Champagne Papi, and Yeezy. A rap rivalry we all love to revel in over and over again. Now with the new release of both of their long-awaited albums, Certified Lover Boy and Donda, the question can finally be asked — which album is doing better? Here’s the breakdown of the Drake and Kanye album sales, as well as the reception from critics and fans alike.

According to Billboard, Certified Lover Boy is the No. 1 album in the country right now, knocking Kanye’s newest musical venture out of the top spot after only a week at No.1. Towering over Kanye’s Donda, Drake’s new project has quickly become the best-selling album of 2021 thus far; doubling Donda’s week-in, week-out earnings. Still, Kanye is no pushover. With Drake reigning supreme, The Chicago rapper still retains the second spot on the charts. 

Released on August 29th, Donda moved 309,000 album units to reach the No. 1 chart position and captured the largest release week of the year. Five days later, Certified Lover Boy sold 613,000 album units, dwarfing Kanye’s long-awaited symphonic melodrama.

Whether a coincidence or by design, this particular showdown between Kanye and Drake could have been the stuff of legend; if either of the albums were better received.

Unanimously, both projects have been viewed by fans and critics as if nothing else – predictable. Predictability is about the worst quality any musician can have in the industry, but sadly though both artists in this case turned in lackluster performances. A good ole’ fashion Kanye-Drake feud is something people go wild for, but without solid works to back it up, everything else misses the mark. 

These are two masters we’re talking about. No rapper has dominated the charts more than Drake over the past two decades. No artist has been more creatively provocative than Kanye throughout the many iterations of his meteoric existence, and still, it all fizzles out. 

This isn’t to say either album is genuinely bad, just that many fans were let down. Nothing new was brought to the table. These men have helped shape the Hip-Hop genre, and now seem to have become beholden to it. With future outings, hopefully, Kanye and Drake are able to break a mold they have become so accustomed to shattering.