The Biggest Hip-Hop Songs on TikTok in 2022

From girls screaming the song’s hook at the top of their lungs to Lil Baby putting his own spin on the iconic “You thought I was feeling you?” lyric, Ice Spice knows how to make a viral hit. The New York drill rapper burst onto the music scene with her breakout single, “Munch (Feelin’ U),” released mid-August, and was welcomed to instant internet success. The song, which was initially teased back in June, has dominated TikTok, amassing over half a million creations and 28 million streams on Spotify to date, earning Ice Spice an arguable Rookie of the Year nod.

On March 31, Jack Harlow posted a snippet of “First Class” on TikTok, along with a video of him in the studio dancing to it as a teaser. Since then, the 13-second clip has earned upwards of 5.9 million likes in nearly eight months. The song, which has spawned over 500,000 creations on TikTok, is a new age mix of “Glamorous” by Fergie and original content from the former 2020 XXL Freshman. “First Class” is the second single (following “Nail Tech”) from Harlow’s sophomore LP, Come Home the Kids Miss You, released on May 6 via Generation Now/Atlantic Records. The track has also landed Harlow his second chart-topping song on the Hot 100, following last year’s “Industry Baby” with Lil Nas X.

“How can I be homophobic? My bitch is gay,” is the opening line of Central Cee’s provocative single, “Doja,” previewed back in July. With roping lyrics like that, the song took off in no time, literally the same month it was released (July 21), accounting for hundreds of thousands of creations on TikTok. The videos typically revolve around lip dubs that speak to the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. This, along with a Cole Bennett-directed music video, have allowed the U.K. sensation to score a top 20 debut on Billboard’s Global Charts. The track stands as Central Cee’s highest-charting single in the U.K.

Popular Philadelphia rapper Armani White gained traction on TikTok after he teased “Billie Eilish,” his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, numerous times on the app. On April 5, White’s “Big T-shirt” trend, which encouraged TikTokers to trade in their baggy fits for a more stylish look, was one of many videos that made the song an instantly recognizable viral smash. With nearly 3 million creations and counting, the track eventually garnered support from icons such as Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Tom Brady, LeBron James and even the big T-shirt-wearing pop artist of the same name, Billie Eilish.

When TikTok unveiled its “Police Runner” filter, it’s likely that the social media giant had no idea that it would help Finesse2Tymes promote his breakout hit single, “Back End,” which currently sits at 429,000 creations. Through a trend (started in mid-2022) that sees the app’s users making light of double standards, with the line “It’s cool when they do it/It’s a problem when I do it/Fuck ’em!” playing over the clip, Finesse’s track (released on July 22) started to pick up momentum as more people got involved. Most notably YouTube personality MrBeast took part; he’s developed a reputation for his expensive stunts.

With “Betty (Get Money),” Yung Gravy earned his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, two years after landing back-to-back projects on the Billboard 200 (Baby Gravy II with bbno$ and Gasanova). The song, released on June 10, took social media by storm with some help from a TikTok two-step to the Minnesota rapper’s “Damn, Gravy, you so vicious/You so clean, so delicious/How come you ain’t got no misses/Count that paper, count them riches” lyrical sequence, which has notched over 400,000 creations on TikTok.

Lil Uzi Vert is the latest to dial in on TikTok success thanks to a dance trend. His recently released single “Just Wanna Rock” kicked off a challenge that has trended upwards since the song’s inception on Oct. 17. Similar to Blicking, TikTok users, twitch streamers and other content creators have flooded the app with over 500,000 clips of them shaking their hips. And in return, the North Philly rapper has experienced a five-week stay on the Hot 100 for his new party anthem.

Despite not receiving any 2023 Grammy nominations for her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Super Freaky Girl,” Nicki Minaj is a shoo-in for creating viral content. That idea was proven after releasing the track back in August, as TikTok dances (that were created that same month) set the stage for the inevitable trending song. With nearly 600,000 creations at the moment, the flip of Rick James’ 1981 smash “Super Freak” also contributed to the Queen rapper’s 14-week run on the Hot 100.

Back in January, Gunna took social media by storm with the release of “Pushin’ P,” his Grammy-nominated collaboration with Future and Young Thug. The song, which had a snippet surface at the tail end of 2021, inspired TikTokers to create a slew of unique videos where users lip-synch to Future’s “She not a lesbian, for P, she turn Pesbian” line while fingerspelling the letter “P.” The viral videos have accounted for over 600,000 creations on TikTok. The track was featured on Gunna’s DS4Ever earlier this year and debuted at No.7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

GloRilla had social media (and the summer, for that matter) in a chokehold when she teamed up with Hitkidd to drop “F.N.F. (Let’s Go).” The song, which was first previewed in a since-deleted Triller video and has over 300,000 creations on the platform, released on April 29. It was also dubbed an instant hit after the #FNFChallenge came into the picture. Since then, Big Glo and her “ratchet-ass friends” have graced national and international stages. She also signed to Yo Gotti’s CMG imprint and the song debuted at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Flo Milli’s “Conceited” trend is one of many dance crazes to have a viral moment on TikTok. The song serves as the lead single from the former 2021 XXL Freshman’s debut studio album, You Still Here, Ho?, released on July 19 via RCA Records. The Mobile, Ala. rap star was on a tear mid-summer as her fiery single started to pick up steam, thanks to the 40-inch “long-ass weave” that flows down Flo’s back. Accounting for over 700,000 creations, “Conceited” landed at No. 6 on TikTok’s Top Tracks chart in the June 20-26 tracking week.

Rob49 is making major headway this year as an artist on the rise. From teaming up with Lil Baby for the remix of his popular single, “Vulture Island V2,” to signing with Geffen/Interscope, 2022 has been nothing short of a breakout year for the New Orleans-bred newcomer. But nothing beats going viral, as evidenced by a TikTok trend that has made “Vulture Island” (the precursor to Rob’s supercharged collaboration with Lil Baby) the unofficial soundtrack for University of Georgia’s Pi Beta Phi sorority’s cool handshake. Beyond the trend and sound which has over 250,000 video creations, Rob49’s hit single earned the No. 8 spot on TikTok’s Top Tracks chart in the June 27-July 3 tracking week.

What’s better than one viral song? Two. And Memphis rapper GloRilla is the latest to cash in on TikTok’s unrivaled grasp on internet culture. Her collaboration with Cardi B, “Tomorrow 2,” sparked a wave of unique challenges and over 200,000 videos in which some TikTok users assemble their ride-or-die crew while others (including Chicago rapper G Herbo) try to dance like Big Glo.

Still, there’s more to unpack here. Cardi B’s verse on TikTok has over 100,000 creations on the platform. And during an episode of Million Dollaz Worth of Game, the show’s co-host (Gillie Da Kid) was so caught up in the moment while playing her record that he screamed with excitement, and the scream that he let out kick-started a new sound on TikTok, which has nearly 40,000 creations itself. GloRilla also reached a new milestone in her flourishing career, landing at No. 9 on the Hot 100 and giving the CMG artist her first top 10 and top 40 entry.

Yeat and his self-described Gentleminions, plus their formal attire, have taken “Rich Minion” to the next level. From concept to trend, the song (released on June 27) was recorded as backing music for a Cole Bennett-directed trailer for Minions: The Rise of Gru. Throughout the track, the Portland rapper “yeatsplains” economics, most often regarding how much money he got paid to record the very song he’s rapping, which is rumored to be “A million, uh.” Besides inspiring fans to mosh inside theaters, “Rich Minion” has notched nearly 2 million creations while landing at the No. 3 spot on TikTok’s Top Tracks chart in the July 4-10 tracking week.

“I Like You (A Happier Song)” featuring Doja Cat, Post Malone’s seventh longest-running single on the Billboard Hot 100, was one of 12 songs to chart (at the same time) for the Grammy-nominated artist. The track, which currently holds over 55 million views on YouTube, inspired a trend of videos that spotlight Posty’s impressive dance moves. Meanwhile, other clips showcase DIY hair tutorial hacks or recap footage for the New York native’s Twelve Carat Tour, amassing over 120,000 creations on TikTok.

Back in May, Atlanta rapper Future secured his second No.1 song (Drake’s 10th and Tems’ first) with “Wait For U.” The Grammy-nominated collaboration was featured on Future’s I Never Liked You LP, released on April 29, and was followed by the accompanying visual one week later, which currently holds over 62 million views to date on YouTube. “Wait For U” samples Tems’ “Higher” single off the Nigerian singer-songwriter’s debut extended play, For Broken Ears. And the record together has spawned over 50,000 videos on TikTok since its release, thanks to the instrumental. The song’s hashtag has over 50 million posts though, further speaking to the record’s impact.

Debuting at No. 1 isn’t new for Drake. In fact, the Canadian rapper has logged 11 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in his career, the most among active rappers. In July, Drizzy set a new bar in rap after charting twice at the same time: He debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 as a result of his seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind and its 21 Savage collaborative hit, “Jimmy Cooks.” The line, “Bitch, don’t tell me that you model if you ain’t been in Vogue” has sparked a TikTok trend where people who have been featured in the fashion magazine flex their pics, which has amassed over 500,000 creations and counting.

Brooklyn riser Lola Brooke, who’s fresh off a half-time performance for the Brooklyn Nets, is in the middle of a viral moment. In 2021, her breakout hit “Don’t Play With It” featuring Billy B, which currently sits at 4 million views on YouTube, blossomed into a regional anthem. The song has since garnered over 200,000 creations while also peaking at No. 9 on the TikTok Top Tracks chart. Not to mention, the Brooklyn drill rapper was recognized by Cardi B for her efforts. Cardi captioned a recent tweet with Lola’s “Spend all day in it!” line.