   the billboard hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the united states. published by billboard magazine, the data are compiled by nielsen soundscan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales and airplay. in 2002, there were seven singles that topped the chart, the lowest number of singles to top the chart in a single year ever (if the two songs which peaked in 2001 are included, 2002 would have the second lowest number of chart-topping singles in a year, behind 2005). although nine singles reached number one in fifty-two issues of the magazine in the calendar year, two songs began their peak position in 2001 and are thus excluded. in 2002, five acts earned their first u.s. number one single, either as a lead artist or featured guest. singer ashanti was the first act to achieve the feat with rapper ja rule's "always on time". she later scored her first number-one single as a lead artist with "foolish". singer kelly rowland, then-member of the girl group destiny's child, earned her first number-one solo single with "dilemma", a song by rapper nelly, who received his first number-one with "hot in herre" during this year. the ascent of "lose yourself" to number one gave rapper eminem his first chart-topping single since he began releasing albums in 1999. kelly clarkson gained her first number-one single with "a moment like this".  clarkson and ashanti were the only acts to have topped the chart this year with a debut single. in 2002, ja rule, ashanti, and nelly had two number-one singles in the billboard hot&nbsp;100.{{cite news|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/68904/chart-beat-bonus|title=chart beat bonus: oh 'boy'|date=2003-09-26|work=billboard|publisher=nielsen business 
2002_record_charts Lists_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_songs