We already know that hip hop is among the most dominate force in music and popular culture alike, but this summer was particularly special. On top of the No. 1 rap debuts from artists like Drake, Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar and Straight Outta Compton's big screen success, rap dominated in both online searches and media mentions for the summer.

According to XXL, rap artists easily topped lists on Google’s U.S. search engine, Google Play and YouTube, respectively. Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” stands as the most popular song on Google Play, behind Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen,” while both singles earned second and third place spots on the 10 most played YouTube songs, behind Silento’s “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).”  

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Fetty’s “Trap Queen” had a good showing, snatching another No. 1 placement for the 10 most searched songs on Google. Other heavily searched and played artists include The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars.

As far as albums go, Meek Mill’s Dreams Worth More Than Money garnered a ton of press, per early data, reported by All Hip Hop.  

The findings, to be officially released by Mediate, compiled more than 22 million articles published between June 1 and Sept. 1, and Meek snagged the No. 2 spot among summer LPs with the most media coverage, just below Miguel’s WildHeart.

Dr. Dre’s Compton rounded out the Top 10, preceded by R&B and pop selections such as The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness in ninth place and Jill Scott’s Woman at No. 6.

Even if we technically have a few more weeks until the season ends, the numbers don’t lie: rap ruled the summer of 2015.    

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(Photos from Left: Ethan Miller/Getty Images, Charley Gallay/Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)