Does Kendrick completely dominate? Drake sells/streams more and has 4x more Instagram followers. On this list, K.Dot's 21st among richest rappers, even behind Akon. Akon. I'm not saying that these factors are most important, but the rest of the "domination" criteria is going to have to be really subjective and it's not as if money and popularity don't mean anything in hip-hop. (And if Kanye hadn't gone full racist, we don't even realistically have this convo.)

Pro sports is an awkward analogy because in that world, the best get paid the best. I love Kendrick and he's probably my favorite of his generation. But tbh, the rap game -- much less the "music industry" game -- does not bend and change tempo at the wave of his baton, not in the way that Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Daddy Yankee, etc. lord over their fields. Kendrick's a household name yet he isn't. He's kind of a fencesitter: chasing that status of Black Cool but, hey, Tay Tay wants a verse? No problem.