Of the 120 songs certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) by the end of October, only 35% of them were Hip-Hop hits.
Thanks to 50 Cent‘s chart-topping 2003 hit, ‘In Da Club,’ the score is closer to evening.
On Wednesday (November 1), the RIAA took to press to announce that ‘Club’ had joined the Diamond club – meaning it’s sold the equivalence of 10 million copies in the United States.
Shining as the 121st plaque of such ilk the organization has awarded for a single over its 71-year history, the certificiation upgrade also marks the 43rd time a Rap song has been certified as high.
The official lead single from 50 Cent’s 2003 debut album, ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin,’ ‘Club’ – his first Diamond-certified single – soared to #1 on the Hot 100 at the height of its popularity and even landed in the top 25 of Billboard and Rolling Stone’s ‘Best Songs of the Decade’ lists respectively.
With the inclusion of the Dr. Dre-produced hit, 50’s cumulative single sales in the U.S. now sit at 44 million.
Look below to see how he responded to the news.