AceShowbiz - Kanye West has become the first American artist to exceed 250 million certified units in the United States, as updated by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). This milestone was reached through a July 2025 certification update that upgraded 69 of his songs.

The RIAA’s latest update boosted Kanye West’s total certified sales to 271 million units, marking a new record for an American artist. Among the newly upgraded tracks, “Stronger” and “Heartless” each achieved 14-times Platinum status, while “Gold Digger” was certified 13-times Platinum. Other notable certifications include “Mercy” at 8-times Platinum and “Through the Wire” at 3-times Platinum. These certifications reflect combined sales and streaming equivalents, with Platinum representing one million units and Gold 500,000 units. Kanye West holds 117 Gold-certified singles, the most by any artist in the U.S., narrowly edging out NBA YoungBoy, who has 114.

While Kanye West leads American artists with 271 million certified units, Canadian rapper Drake tops the overall U.S. certification chart with 333 million units. Taylor Swift follows Kanye as the second highest American artist, with 247.5 million certified units. The RIAA counts only records where Kanye is the lead artist, excluding featured appearances.

Kanye West first rose to fame with his 2004 debut album "The College Dropout," which established him as a defining figure in hip-hop. His impact on music has been reflected not only in sales but in numerous award nominations and cultural influence over the years.

This certification milestone underscores Kanye West’s enduring commercial success and influence in the music industry. Surpassing 250 million certified units cements his status as a trailblazer among American artists, reflecting both his prolific output and sustained popularity across multiple generations of listeners.