Kendrick Lamar has done it again. The Compton legend just became the first rapper to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Lamar’s numbers surged following a whirlwind year marked by high-profile battles, a surprise album drop, and a historic Super Bowl performance. His scathing back-and-forth with Drake — reignited by his verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 — set things fully in motion.

Subsequently, Lamar released a series of diss tracks aimed at Drake, including “Euphoria,” “6:16 in LA,” “Meet the Grahams,” and “Not Like Us.” The latter not only topped the charts but also garnered critical acclaim, winning five awards at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

But beef alone doesn’t build a legacy. Lamar capitalized on the momentum with GNX, a surprise album that dropped in November 2024. It was his first full-length project since 2022’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and it did not disappoint. His performance at the Super Bowl LIX halftime show on February 9, 2025, attracted a record-breaking 133.5 million viewers, surpassing previous viewership records.

Hip-hop is a genre that has long dictated the cultural conversation, but for years, streaming records were largely owned by pop and R&B acts. Prior to Lamar’s achievement, artists such as The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish had surpassed the 100 million monthly listener mark on Spotify. The Weeknd was the first to do so in February 2023, followed by Taylor Swift in August 2023, and Billie Eilish in June 2024. 

Now, a rapper sits at the top.

For an artist like Kendrick Lamar, this is yet another chapter in an already legendary career. The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper has built his name on quality over quantity, on lyricism over gimmicks.