The biggest story in hip-hop is the main attraction on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart, where the top six songs on the list dated May 18 all stem from the highly publicized feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
Lamar wins the battle – at least from a chart perspective – as his “Not Like Us” debuts at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart, which combines streaming, radio airplay and sales data for its ranks. The Mustard-produced cut launches with 70.9 million official U.S. streams in the tracking week of May 3 – 9, according to Luminate, and nabs Lamar a record from his rival. The song’s streaming sum becomes the highest one-week count for a hip-hop title (defined as songs that have appeared or are eligible for Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart), since YouTube song user-generated content was removed from chart calculations in 2020, taking the honor from Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug, which racked up 67.3 million streams in its debut week.
Beyond its massive streaming mark, “Not Like Us” also registered 5 million radio audience impressions and sold 15,000 downloads in the same tracking period.
As previously detailed, Drake and Lamar’s feud origin dates back at least a decade, though the latest stage kicked off with the March release of “Like That,” Lamar’s collaboration with Future and Metro Boomin, in which the Pulitzer Prize winner responded to perceived disses from Drake and J. Cole with attacks of his own. The sparring between Drake and Lamar reached its pinnacle at the top of May, with the pair releasing six songs between them in the span of April 30 – May 5.
Back on Hot Rap Songs, Lamar also captures the No. 2 slot with “Euphoria,” which holds at the runner-up rank for a second consecutive week, largely through 49 million official U.S. streams. “Like That,” a former six-week champ slides from the penthouse to No. 3 as Lamar’s more recent cuts ride streaming gains to the top two spots.
On Drake’s side, the superstar’s “Family Matters,” debuts at No. 4, spurred by 38 million streams, while his first entry into the battle, “Push Ups,” is pushed 4-6 in its third week on the list. Between the two, Lamar’s “Meet the Grahams” starts at No. 5.
Although the battle may have ended – neither side has issued a new track since May 5 – several of the tracks could linger for weeks to become. “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” have each been officially promoted by his label to the mainstream R&B/hip-hop and rhythmic formats, with the former debuting at No. 35 on both the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay charts. Given their proven streaming popularity with consumers, the hits could continue to generate significant play in the weeks ahead.
