2024 was a year full of ups and downs for Drake. The Toronto rapper went back and forth with Kendrick Lamar in a viral lyrical battle, and the general consensus is that Kendrick came out on top. He later filed a lawsuit against Univeral Music Group over Kendrick’s diss track “Not Like Us.” He accuses the company of knowingly spreading the “false and malicious” narrative that he’s a pedophile by promoting the song.
This earned him even more ridiculing online, as social media users and peers continue to blast him for what they see as a threat to artistic freedom. On the flip side, Drake wrapped up his highly successful “It’s All A Blur” tour, announced an Australian tour, and has maintained a fiercely loyal fanbase. He’s had consistently impressive streaming numbers for some time now, and it looks like 2025 will be no different. According to a new post by Kurrco, he even beat Kendrick to his latest milestone.
Drake Becomes The First Rapper To Reach 1 Billion Streams On Spotify In 2025
The first two rappers to earn 1 BILLION streams on Spotify in 2025 👀
▫️ #1 — Drake (~27 days)
▫️ #2 — Kendrick Lamar (~29 days) pic.twitter.com/OiCFxcIMKs— Kurrco (@Kurrco) January 30, 2025
Drake was the first rapper to reach one billion streams on Spotify, followed by Kendrick, per the outlet. Reportedly, it took Drake only 27 days to reach that number, and took Kendrick 29 days. Clearly, Drake hasn’t taken a hit on the streaming front despite his legal battle with UMG. Some think that this may not always be the case, however. During a recent stream, DJ Akademiks shared his theory that UMG will try to teach Drake a lesson the next time he drops an album.
“The industry is upset at Drake badly,” Akademiks claimed. “The word on the street is that when Drake drops next, they’re gonna humble him. I promise you. I’ve talked to them all. They say they’re gonna humble him… And not humble him by doing anything crazy or weird. They’re gonna humble him because the things they claim they’ve done for him, they will never do. I don’t know what that means. That’s the promise I heard.”
