Drake secured Apple Music’s most-streamed artist position for 2025, while Kendrick Lamar‘s Grammy-winning diss track “Not Like Us” claimed the platform’s top rap song for the second consecutive year.
Apple Music announced Tuesday that the Toronto rapper earned the streaming service’s highest artist ranking, driven by momentum from his February collaboration Some Sexy Songs 4 U with PartyNextDoor and tracks from his upcoming “Iceman” album rollout.
The platform’s “’25 Replay” data revealed Lamar’s Drake-targeted track maintained its dominance in Hip-Hop categories, marking the first time any rap song held the genre’s top position across back-to-back years on Apple Music.
“Not Like Us” finished as 2025’s most-streamed rap song worldwide despite Rosé and Bruno Mars‘ “APT.” claiming the overall number one position across all genres.
The competing chart positions highlight the complex aftermath of Hip-Hop’s most publicized feud in recent memory.
The conflict erupted in 2024 with multiple diss tracks exchanged between the artists, culminating in “Not Like Us” becoming a cultural phenomenon that extended beyond music. Kendrick Lamar’s track earned five Grammy Awards in February 2025, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year, the ceremony’s most prestigious honors.
The Compton rapper dedicated his Record of the Year victory to “the culture” during his acceptance speech. Drake ultimately filed a legal response to the track over claims he was unfairly labeled a pedophile, which ruined his reputation and put his life in danger.
A federal judge dismissed his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group in October 2025, rejecting claims that the label intentionally promoted false statements about him in “Not Like Us.”
The Apple Music nod caps off a banner year in which both artists achieved significant milestones. Drake reached RIAA Diamond certification status for multiple tracks, while Kendrick Lamar’s surprise album GNX generated over 2 million sales within weeks of its November release.
Drake’s streaming dominance comes as he prepares to release Iceman, his first full-length studio album since the feud’s peak.
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