"fukumean" Nabs Gunna This Incredible Streaming Milestone For Rap In 2023

When you think of the best hip-hop songs of 2023, there's a lot of variety to pick from when it comes to styles and appeals. Of course, people want their hits, and many massive albums this year like Drake's For All The Dogs and Travis Scott's UTOPIA amassed staggering numbers. With all these highlights in mind from these huge names, you'd expect something like a "MELTDOWN" or a "First Person Shooter" to be the biggest streaming hits, right? Well, instead, Gunna's "fukumean" off of his album a Gift & a Curse ended up being the most streamed rap song of 2023 in the United States.

Furthermore, this isn't so much surprising as it is just a curious and emblematic development when you look at the state of 2020s hip-hop. New sounds are replacing old ones as they bubble up to the top, and artist like Gunna who've built their career in the mainstream for years are now entering its highest echelons. We also can't say this isn't a deserved accolade. "fukumean" is hands-down the catchiest and most structurally engaging song on his project, even if you don't care for the persistent "ee-yah!" vocal sample.

With over 400 million streams across all digital streaming platforms in 2023, this track can now officially call itself the biggest rap hit of the year. What's more is that, through recent live performances and surely more to come, Gunna has ample opportunities to celebrate this feat and his career trajectory as a whole. Not only that, but he's also making sure to stay grounded in the collective that, although strained now due to their RICO case and his plea deal, gave him this shot at stardom. For example, during the College Park native's recent Dubai show, he shouted out Young Thug and advocated for his freedom during his rendition of their track "Hot."

Meanwhile, that conversation dominated a good chunk of the year, but now took more of a backseat. With Thugger's father defending Wunna against his new opps in the game, people are split on how to interpret the state of their relationship. All we can say for sure is that there's a chance he'll come through with the biggest rap song of 2024, too. On that note, stick around on HNHH for more news and the latest updates on Gunna.

About The Author

Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.

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