Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Becomes First Diss Track to Hit 1 Billion Streams on Spotify!

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” cleared a historic threshold, having finally crossed 1 billion streams in Spotify, turning it into the first-ever diss song to do that-a sure seal of its impact in the music world.

Upon its release on May 4, 2024, “Not Like Us” immediately took flight, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and breaking a number of streaming records.

Most notably, it set the record for the biggest single-day streams of a hip-hop song, beating previous records held by Drake and Lil Baby’s “Girls Want Girls.”

The track was able to reach the stream of 1 billion in 249 days and became one of the fastest rap songs ever. In a ranking of fast hip-hop songs to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify, “Not Like Us” stands:

• “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow (191 days)
• “God’s Plan” by Drake (226 days)
• “Rockstar” by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (234 days)
• “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar (249 days)
• “Paint The Town Red” by Doja Cat (272 days)
• “The Box” by Roddy Ricch (303 days)
• “ROCKSTAR” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch (308 days)

Success has not come without controversy attached to the song. Drake’s company, Frozen Moments LLC filed a petition against Universal Music Group for practices the label used being unfair to artificially make the song popular.

The petition claimed that allegedly, UMG employed bots and pay-to-play agreements to boost streaming numbers. UMG denied the allegations, proclaiming they only use the very highest ethics with their marketing campaigns.

Despite the controversies, “Not Like Us” still tops charts and streaming platforms, a testament to how large a mark Kendrick Lamar has left in hip-hop. The rapid rise to 1 billion streams further solidifies its widespread popularity and the artist’s sustained appeal.