Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Blasts In at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100
Plus, Lamar's "Euphoria" leaps 11-3 among his sparring with Drake, whose "Family Matters" debuts at No. 7.The seething rap battle between Kendrick Lamar and Drake spills into the upper reaches of the latest Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, tilted in the former’s favor. Lamar’s “Not Like Us” launches at No. 1, while his “Euphoria” soars 11-3 in its second week on the survey. Plus, Future, Metro Boomin and Lamar’s former three-week leader “Like That” reignites 8-6. Meanwhile, Drake debuts at No. 7 with his top-charting entry in the clash, “Family Matters.”
Lamar lands his fourth Hot 100 No. 1 and ups his career count to 15 top 10s. Drake adds his record-extending 78th Hot 100 top 10.
As previously analyzed, the rappers’ feud dates back at least a decade, while the latest chapter heightened in March with the release of “Like That,” in which Lamar’s verse serves up alleged disses at Drake and J. Cole. Since then, Lamar, Drake, J. Cole and other hip-hop luminaries, including A$AP Rocky, Rick Ross, The Weeknd and Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), have all been involved, either as targets or hurling their own disses.
‘Not Like Us’ No. 1
“Not Like Us,” on pgLang/Interscope Records/ICLG, premieres on the Hot 100 with 70.9 million official streams, 5 million radio airplay audience impressions and 15,000 sold in the U.S. in the week ending May 9, despite the scathing track, which namechecks Drake and his 2021 album Certified Lover Boy, having not been released until late Sunday, May 5 (after the May 3 start of the latest charts’ tracking week).Here’s a recap of Lamar’s four Hot 100 No. 1s, his two most recent of which have debuted at the summit:
- “Not Like Us,” one week at No. 1 to-date, May 18, 2024
- “Like That” (Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar), three weeks, beginning April 6, 2024
- “Humble.,” one week, May 6, 2017
- “Bad Blood” (Taylor Swift feat. Lamar), one week, June 6, 2015
“Not Like Us” arrives as the 1,171st No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 65-year history, and the 79th to debut in the top spot.
The track also starts at No. 1 on Streaming Songs, where it’s Lamar’s fifth chart-topper. Its 70.9 million streams mark the top weekly total among hip-hop titles (defined as those that have hit 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. It surpasses the 67.3 million that Drake’s “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug, drew in its first week, as reflected on rankings dated Sept. 18, 2021.
“Not Like Us” likewise opens atop the multimetric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts, as Lamar logs his fourth leader on each list.
‘Euphoria’ Roars to No. 3
Concurrently, Lamar’s “Euphoria” bounds 11-3 in its second week on the Hot 100. Released April 30 (amid the April 26-May 2 chart tracking week), it drew 49 million streams (up from 28.9 million in its first frame) and 1.9 million in airplay audience (down from 2.5 million) and sold 7,000 (up from 6,000) May 3-9.Thanks to “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria,” Lamar ups his career total to 15 Hot 100 top 10s. He first reached the region in February 2013 as featured – with Drake, as well as 2 Chainz – on A$AP Rocky’s “F**kin Problems.”
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ Blasts In at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100
Plus, Lamar’s “Euphoria” leaps 11-3 among his sparring with Drake, whose “Family Matters” debuts at No. 7.
www.billboard.com
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