Kendrick Lamar Smashes Streaming Record, Leaves Drake Playing Catch-Up
Kendrick Lamar just secured another major win over Drake, setting a new streaming milestone that cements his dominance in hip-hop. Following his epic Super Bowl halftime performance, Kendrick now boasts a staggering 88.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the highest ever for a rapper on the platform.
For context, that’s well ahead of his longtime rival Drake, who currently sits at 75.3 million listeners. While Kendrick still trails global superstars like Bruno Mars (151 million) and The Weeknd (124.5 million), his record-breaking numbers prove that his music is resonating stronger than ever.
Kendrick’s post-Super Bowl streaming surge has been nothing short of massive. His viral Drake diss track “Not Like Us” saw a 430% increase in plays on Spotify, while hits like “HUMBLE.,” “DNA,” and “All the Stars” also skyrocketed past 200%. Over on Apple Music, Kendrick completely dominated the charts, holding all five top spots the morning after his performance. His album GNX even shot back to No. 1 on the platform.
And it’s not just streams—Kendrick is winning where it really counts: the bag. When it comes to the financial side of his rap battle with Drake, Lamar is leading by a landslide. Billboard estimates that their diss tracks collectively pulled in $15.4 million, with Kendrick taking home nearly 87% of that. His biggest earner? “Not Like Us”, which alone generated $7.6 million in revenue.
With these numbers, Kendrick is proving once again why he’s one of the most powerful forces in hip-hop today. Whether it’s record-breaking streams, chart domination, or raking in millions, he’s keeping his foot on the gas—and on Drake’s neck.
Is this the start of a new era for Kendrick? Or will Drake bounce back? Either way, hip-hop fans are in for a show.