Seven years after “RNP” first linked them, Anderson .Paak and Cordae finally have a No. 1 album together. Their joint project Heavy Is the Crown debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart (chart dated Nov. 7, 2026), Billboard reported Nov. 3 — the first chart-topper on that list for either artist.

The 11-track album, released October 23, 2026 (Hi Level / Apeshit / Mass Appeal / EMPIRE) and announced August 19, moved 30,000 equivalent album units in its first week in the U.S. in the Oct. 23–29 tracking week (Luminate), with 19,000 of those coming from actual album sales and 11,000 from streaming — in an era when most rap No. 1s are streamed, not bought. It also opened at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, the week’s highest-ranking debut, and No. 2 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

The record carries production from J. Cole and 9th Wonder, plus Swizz Beatz and Conductor Williams, and its streaming standout is “Airbender,” which pulled 2.4 million official U.S. on-demand streams in the opening week and debuted at No. 21 on Hot Rap Songs — .Paak’s first entry on that chart ever, and Cordae’s fourth.

For context on how long this took: Cordae’s previous best on the rap chart was No. 4 with 2022’s From a Birds Eye View, and .Paak’s was No. 3 with NxWorries’ Yes Lawd! back in 2016. Cordae’s The Lost Boy peaked at No. 6 in 2019, and .Paak’s Oxnard peaked at No. 5 in 2018. The two first teamed up on “RNP” seven years ago, in 2019, and this is their first full album together. Seven years, one joint album, and now the crown fits.

Anderson .Paak in 2024 — photo by John Sears / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Read more from HotNewHipHop.