Ongoing feud spills into streaming charts as Drake edges ahead with over 80 million monthly listeners
The long-running rivalry between Drake and Kendrick Lamar has added a new chapter, this time on the streaming charts. According to new figures shared by Chart Data, Drake has officially overtaken Lamar as the most listened-to rapper on Spotify, pulling in 80.65 million monthly listeners compared to Lamar’s 80.62 million.
While the margin is razor-thin, the difference is symbolic. For two artists whose lyrical battles have dominated headlines and timelines over the years, every data point counts, especially when it lands in the middle of a global feud that’s as much about dominance as it is about discography.
Streaming numbers amid the noise
Drake’s slight edge in Spotify monthly listeners follows his headline slot across three nights at Wireless Festival in London. While Lamar is on the road with SZA for their co-headlining “The Championship Tour”, Drake’s public visibility and fresh festival sets may have nudged casual fans and curious listeners back to his catalogue.
Drake recently became the first artist in history to surpass 110 billion total streams on Spotify, a milestone that reflects his sustained presence on both mainstream playlists and social media conversations.
A battle beyond the booth
This minor chart win arrives in the wake of one of the most intense rap beefs in recent memory. The back-and-forth started with Kendrick’s brutal verse on “Like That”, a Metro Boomin and Future track that seemingly reignited their rivalry. That verse opened the floodgates, leading to a volley of diss tracks including Drake’s “Push Ups” and “The Heart Part 6”, and Kendrick’s now-iconic “Not Like Us”, which broke first-day streaming records.
The lyrical blows weren’t the only part of the feud. Kendrick used his Super Bowl half-time performance in February to make a veiled jab, performing a censored version of “Not Like Us” and dropping the line, “You know there’s only one opportunity to win a championship. No round twos.”
Drake, meanwhile, escalated tensions off the mic. He filed a pre-action defamation complaint against Universal Music Group and Spotify, accusing both of artificially inflating streams and using bots to boost Lamar’s numbers. He also alleged a pay-for-play scheme behind “Not Like Us” gaining traction. The legal complaint was ultimately withdrawn before proceeding to a full lawsuit.
Drake vs Kendrick: Who’s really winning?
While Spotify’s monthly listeners figure is a snapshot that fluctuates daily, it gives Drake a short-term advantage in the metrics war. But when it comes to cultural dominance and public sentiment, Lamar’s “Not Like Us” may have already done the long-term damage.
Kendrick’s camp has remained tight-lipped in recent weeks, but fans are still dissecting the Super Bowl performance, and speculation is mounting about whether he’ll follow up with more music or let the diss stand on its own. As for Drake, the small edge on Spotify is likely to become another point of pride – or bait – depending on how the next few weeks play out. But today, for what it’s worth, Drake is back in front.
