Kendrick's Historic 2025: 11B Streams, Surprise Album, and Tour Triumphs Amid Drake Rivalry

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Kendrick Lamar has dominated headlines over the past few days, capping off one of the most historic years in hip-hop history. According to Ratings Game Music, the Compton rapper officially crossed the 11 billion-stream mark on Spotify in 2025 across all credits, securing the biggest streaming year of his entire career. What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that he accomplished it without dropping a single solo track this year, relying instead on the viral staying power of existing tracks like "Not Like Us," "luther," and "tv now."

His streaming dominance comes on the heels of what LAist describes as a banner year that included his surprise album drop of GNX on November 22, his sixth studio album since 2022's Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. The 12-track project features collaborations with SZA, producers Jack Antonoff and Kamasi Washington, and has already racked up nine Grammy nominations for 2026, according to Architeg Prints.

On the touring front, Kendrick wrapped up his massively successful Grand National Tour with SZA in early December. According to Melodic Mag, the tour was one of the most ambitious of 2025, featuring a 50-song setlist and elaborate choreography across stadium dates from April through December. His earlier Super Bowl LIX halftime performance in February was historic, breaking records as the most-watched halftime show of all time, according to Melodic Mag.

Recent drama has also surfaced regarding authenticity in his fanbase. Over the weekend, X briefly revealed account location information, prompting DJ Akademiks and others to allege that many of Kendrick's most vocal supporters on social media were actually based in India rather than claiming to be from Compton, though Complex reports that this feature was removed due to inaccuracy concerns.

Meanwhile, tensions with Drake persist. Drake is reportedly preparing his own tour in response to Kendrick's success, according to Rolling Out, with the goal of dethroning him as the reigning king of hip-hop touring. Drake is expected to release his Iceman album before year's end, though a specific date hasn't been confirmed.

In other developments, Kendrick's long-delayed comedy film with South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone has been postponed indefinitely, as reported by Hypebeast, with no new release date announced as of late November.

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