Kanye West has added another historic achievement to his résumé. Following a massive update from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the rapper and producer has officially become the artist with the most RIAA Gold and Platinum-certified songs of all time, reaching 137 certified hits.
The milestone pushes Ye past NBA YoungBoy, while also strengthening his position among the most commercially successful artists in RIAA history. With 271 million certified units, he now ranks as the second most RIAA-certified artist overall, trailing only Drake, who leads with 333 million.
Several of Ye’s biggest singles received significant certification upgrades during the latest RIAA sweep. “Heartless” climbed to 14× Platinum, matching “Stronger,” which also reached 14× Platinum. Released in 2008 as part of 808s & Heartbreak, “Heartless” became one of Ye’s defining hits, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helping reshape modern melodic hip-hop. “Stronger,” built around a memorable Daft Punk sample, topped the Hot 100 in 2007 and remains one of the biggest songs of his career.
Among the other standout certifications, “Gold Digger” featuring Jamie Foxx advanced to 13× Platinum. The 2005 smash spent 10 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and served as the lead single from Late Registration, becoming one of the defining rap singles of the 2000s.
Meanwhile, “N****s in Paris,” Kanye West’s blockbuster collaboration with JAY-Z from the 2011 joint album Watch the Throne, earned 12× Platinum status. The catalog-wide update also included numerous additional certifications across Ye’s discography, reflecting the continued longevity of songs spanning nearly two decades.
The new certifications arrive during a busy period for Kanye West. Earlier this month, he announced a New Orleans concert on August 28, adding to his previously confirmed September 3 and 4 stadium performances at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Those shows follow the release of BULLY, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 152,000 equivalent album units, while placing 16 of its 18 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100.
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