Eminem Crowned ‘King of Hip-Hop’ by Rolling Stone

Using a variety of criteria, Rolling Stone has crunched some numbers to instate Eminem as the "King of Hip-Hop." Several factors were considered in their rubric to crown the monarch, including: album sales, chart rankings, YouTube views, concert grosses and more. All of these categories were only measured during the period spanning from 2009 through the first seven months of 2011.

Despite their claims that "king" is a gender-neutral term (it clearly isn't), only one woman, Nicki Minaj, appears on the list. Slim Shady also beat out Lil Wayne and Drake, who finish at second and third respectively. Top earners and 'Watch The Throne' hitsmiths Jay-Z and Kanye West come in at four and five. Especially with the duo's royal connotations, readers are sure to have a comment or two addressing the rankings.

Rolling Stone's last coronation, which crowned Lady Gaga the Queen of Pop, didn't go over too well. Their decision was overruled after the readers staged a coup and gave the title to Madonna by larger than a 2 to 1 margin. Check out their rankings for 'The King of Hip-Hop' here.