Kendrick Lamar has significantly narrowed the gap with Drake in Spotify streams. According to data shared by HipHopNMore’s Navjosh via Chartmetric, the two hip-hop titans have been competing fiercely, with each new release pushing their numbers higher.
Drake initially took the lead with First Person Shooter, featuring J. Cole, released last fall. However, Kendrick Lamar swiftly caught up in March with his collaboration with Metro Boomin and Future on “Like That.” Both tracks have surpassed 300 million streams, with Drake slightly ahead at approximately 319 million, compared to Kendrick’s 309 million.
The competition intensified with the release of Drake’s Push Ups and Kendrick’s Euphoria. Kendrick leads with 135.3 million streams, outpacing Drake’s 93.7 million for Push Ups.
Their next releases, Family Matters and Meet The Grahams, are neck and neck, each hovering around the 50 million stream mark. However, Kendrick has taken a clear lead with the Mustard-produced Not Like Us, which has already amassed 217.7 million streams in less than a month. In contrast, Drake’s final release in this battle, “The Heart Part 6,” is absent from streaming platforms altogether.
Adding to the drama, Drake dropped a controversial diss track, Taylor Made Freestyle, which featured AI-generated vocals of 2Pac and Snoop Dogg. This track was quickly pulled from all platforms after 2Pac’s estate issued a cease-and-desist order. The estate condemned the unauthorized use of 2Pac’s likeness and voice, especially against Kendrick Lamar, who has consistently honored 2Pac’s legacy.
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Drake complied with the estate’s demands, removing the track and avoiding potential legal action. This move has left the battle in a state of uneasy quiet, but fans speculate that more might be on the way. Boi-1da, Drake’s longtime producer, hinted at new developments with a cryptic post on social media, sparking further speculation among fans.