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The Weeknd Breaks His Own Spotify Record And Creates New Ones

October 13, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The Weeknd has a pretty strong claim to the title of biggest artist in the world, and he’s not only surpassing others in that process, but also himself. Moreover, he once again broke the record for most Spotify monthly listeners worldwide, now past the 120 million mark. The last person to break the record for the most Spotify monthly listeners was… Well, Abel Tesfaye himself. In addition, he also reportedly became the first artist to have 19 songs with over 1 billion streams on the platform, and it probably won’t be long before he hits 20. However, some reports suggest that he already hit 20 or is still at 18, so it’s a bit unclear at the moment.

Regardless, there’s no doubt that The Weeknd will surpass this goal soon, and will probably create a lot of other records through his outstanding commercial performance. As for what could’ve caused this rise in monthly listeners, it’s likely that the Playboi Carti collab “Timeless” contributed to a surge in listenership and commercial performance. Given how excited fans were for it and how much this duo has captivated them before, it also helps that they received the new record quite well.

The Weeknd Breaks His Own Record

What’s more is that The Weeknd has a massive moment coming up that will probably make his commercial performance exceed even more than it already is. Hurry Up Tomorrow is reportedly right around the corner, and while we don’t have a release date yet, it’s one of the most anticipated albums right now. It will also be the final album under this moniker and conclude the After Hours Til Dawn trilogy, so a couple of different eras will wrap up with this drop.

Meanwhile, Abel recently responded to praise from another massive artist. “How does The Weeknd still have that sweet young sounding falsetto?” Nicki Minaj recently tweeted. He responded by quote-tweeting her post with some heart emojis, and it’s always great to see fellow superstars praise each other and motivate each other to keep their foot on the gas. As impressive as Spotify numbers are, none of them could ever match to artistic respect and the love of your peers.

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Drake Clinches Massive “Views” Milestone And Creates A New Spotify Record

September 30, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Even as fans and media figures continue to debate around this year’s battle and other narratives, Drake keeps finding success from his past work. Moreover, Views recently reached a massive Spotify milestone, becoming only the third rap album ever on the platform to surpass 10 billion total streams. Not only that, but the Toronto superstar became the only MC at press time to have two albums cross the 10 billion streams mark, the first of which was Scorpion. To no one’s surprise, all of his projects on the streaming service have over a billion total streams each, an accolade few artists have been able to even approach.

Elsewhere, Drake actually recently focused on congratulating another artist for their success as he hit the studio to presumably record new material. He shared a clip on Instagram of Chilly “Gonz” Gonzales praising their collaborations in the past during a recent interview. “Thank you Gonz,” the 6ix God shared online. “This guy was my neighbor, and we ended up making incredible pieces together, one of the greatest musicians of all time to me.”

Drake’s Views Numbers Continue To Impress

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Meanwhile, others like A$AP Bari wonder whether or not Drake will be able to come back from his loss to Kendrick Lamar. “Nah, it can never be over for Drake. Drake is Drake,” he expressed on a podcast. “Hell no, hell no. It can never be over for Drake, honestly. I just feel like – Well, I was mad at the point of, like… I feel like, you know, if you gon’ start some s**t, finish it, you feel me? But that’s what we from. We from Harlem, we from New York, just period. You know, I’ma start a fight, I’ma finish it, you feel me? Nah, I feel like it was something that ticked him off and he wasn’t trying to take it that far. You understand?”

However, some of Drake’s most recent releases didn’t get the same fanfare that even the most meager Views cuts got on impact. He and Snowd4y recently released an animated music video for “Wah Gwan Delilah,” reigniting some memes about the parody cover. But we’ll see what the future holds…

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Travis Scott Enters “Big Three” Of The Most Streamed Rappers On Spotify Of All Time

September 20, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Travis Scott continues to be one of the biggest rappers on the planet, and his reach and success is starting to reach all-time legend status commercially. Moreover, per streaming metrics confirmed by Kworb, he surpassed Kanye West to become the third-most streamed rapper of all time on Spotify (if we’re not counting Bad Bunny…) and the ninth-most streamed artist from any genre on the platform. For those curious, Ye is at number ten on the all-time list with 48 billion streams and La Flame has 49 billion. Eminem lands at number seven on the all-time list with 51 billion total streams as the second-most streamed rapper on the platform.

To no one’s surprise, Drake is Spotify’s most streamed artist of all time at press time, and his 103 billion streams suggest that he will stay there for a long time. Back to Travis Scott, though: this huge streaming push probably saw a lot of assistance from his re-release of DAYS BEFORE RODEO, which landed on Spotify for the first time in history ten years after its initial release. The project was very successful, and actually might still have a shot at a No. 1 placement on the Billboard 200 thanks to a new sales surge.

Travis Scott Is Among The Top 3 Most Streamed Rappers Ever On Spotify

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That whole chart debacle with Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet might be the stuff of legend one day thanks to how juicy and contentious the tea was. Nevertheless, all success is relative, which means that Travis Scott should still be feeling amazing these days about his artistry and career. His South American tour as of late has been a hit as well, expanding his global reach more than it already had. For this and many other reasons, the Houston superstar will probably continue to dominate the numbers game and bring his fans some compelling work.

After all, Travis Scott has teased that he’s already cooking stuff up, and he’s teased that it won’t be long before he’s back with another project, album, single… Who knows? Either way, it’s exciting to see, especially considering how long fans had to wait for UTOPIA to finally manifest. Maybe its follow-up will be what turns him into the second-most streamed rapper of all time on Spotify…

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Kendrick Lamar Breaks This Diss Track Streaming Record With “Not Like Us”

August 10, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The beef that refused to die just keeps on making Kendrick Lamar and Drake more money, and they don’t even have to outright reference it for that narrative to create all the more interest in their music. For example, Drizzy’s new 100 GIGS drop recently placed him over Kendrick in Spotify monthly listening numbers, which K.Dot had dethroned him for due to the streaming success of cuts like “Euphoria,” “Like That”… and, of course, “Not Like Us.” The Toronto superstar has a massive fanbase that was going to eat his stuff up either way, but the battle has more casual fans as well as ardent haters hanging onto every word more so than usual.

As for Kendrick Lamar, his numbers have always been great, but they’ve never been as much of a direct and disrespectful challenge until the aforementioned West Coast banger dropped. Now, a song that makes its PDF-file allegations crystal clear and clowns Drake for being a conniving colonizer that should go fetch Gatorade for the real players is making almost as many numbers as either artist’s most accessible and widely palatable material. In fact, “Not Like Us” recently surpassed Tupac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” as the most streamed diss track of all time; while only the Spotify numbers show up here, they most likely indicate activity across all major platforms.

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Is The Most Streamed Diss Track Of All Time

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Not only that, but it will likely rival some of Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s biggest hits numbers-wise when it’s all said and done. It’s also ironic but oddly fitting that “Not Like Us” surpassed a Tupac classic as the most streamed diss track of all time. After all, ‘Pac played a more integral role in this battle than many might have expected at its onset thanks to A.I. vocal manipulations, lyrical references, and arguments over The Boy’s purchase of his ring.

Meanwhile, there are still some people out there who were saddened by this whole battle, including the legendary André 3000. Maybe they would rather live in a world in which cuts like “Tuscan Leather” or “The Art Of Peer Pressure” get the frenzied streaming love that “Push Ups” and “Not Like Us” have. But we can’t deny the sheer quality of these battle tracks, and neither can a lot of fans out there. So whether you’re a Drake fan who refused to like the song to begin with or a Kendrick Lamar fan who’s already tired of it… it looks like you’re going to have to step this way and then step that way for a while longer.

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Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” Breaks Drake’s Record For Most Single-Day Rap Song Streams On Spotify

May 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss “Not Like Us” continues to rack up stream after stream, and it seems more likely than ever that folks will be ringing this song off for the whole summer. Moreover, it now officially holds the records for the most single-day streams for any rap song in global Spotify history, with around 12.809 million streams presumably on Friday (May 10). This officially dethrones Drake and Lil Baby’s Certified Lover Boy collab “Girls Want Girls,” which held this record ever since 2021 with 12.385 million streams. This newest diss track had gotten very close to breaking this record the previous day, so this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

However, if we’re talking numbers, neither artist should really see this as anything less than an overall net positive for them. Drake is still breaking records and seeing similar commercial success to Kendrick Lamar with his own diss tracks, even if there is a winner in this tight race. But perhaps this is the only metric we’ll be able to use to compare the two now that the battle seemingly died down. At least, that’s what Top Dawg himself suggested in a recent tweet, claiming K.Dot’s victory over the 6ix God.

Kendrick Lamar Surpasses Drake’s Spotify Record By Dissing Him

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” officially breaks the all-time record for biggest streaming day for a hip-hop song in global Spotify history (12.809 million).

It surpasses Drake and Lil Baby’s “Girls Want Girls”. pic.twitter.com/xF6Mtl4VvQ

— chart data (@chartdata) May 11, 2024

But is this really the end? Drake may have recently re-listed his Beverly Hills property, but there are still plenty of theories and rumors going around that he could want revenge with another drop. Also, Kendrick Lamar himself did not claim victory in this battle, which rings especially true when you consider his promise that he could still go further down the rabbit hole. As such, perhaps we’re in for a different kind of beef to anything we’ve ever seen in the genre: a war with multiple battles, differently timed engagements, and no guarantee of decisive, eternal glory.

Alas, more likely than not, that’s just a speculative fantasy. But Drake and Kendrick Lamar’s battle was about as ugly as people wanted, even uglier than they expected, and highly entertaining for at least a brief moment for even the most hardened skeptic. Now Twitter die-hards are coming up with excuses to fight each other’s claims and others are calling to attention the more troublesome and exploitative aspects of this feud as it relates to female trauma, the culture, the music industry, and entertainment/celebrity culture at large. As for the actual back-and-forth, we’ll have to see if the battlefield remains quiet until we get an official stand-down.

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Ty Dolla Sign Enjoys “Vultures” Success, Reaches Massive Streaming Accolade

February 11, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Everyone’s talking about the new album Vultures in regards to its most popular artist, Kanye West. Even though a lot of the project sounds like it came from him and is oriented around his status, it’s a collab album. A big issue with our coverage of this LP -– and that of most publications, for that matter -– is that we might not have properly taken the time to give Ty Dolla $ign his flowers. Say what you will about his association with Ye’s antisemitism, but he is the glue that holds Vultures together, and is its most consistently great force. Fortunately, based on the numbers, the 41-year-old is definitely getting his due praise.

Moreover, a new report emerged suggesting that Ty Dolla Sign is now the ninth most streamed artist on Spotify. Apparently, this reflects a jump of 155 spots from before Vultures had released on the platform after a long wait, which is an amazing feat. Given the discrepancy between his popularity and that of Kanye West, we’re glad that this opportunity at least put him on the spotlight in a way that would boost his visibility, his numbers, and his acclaim. No matter what on God’s green Earth is going on during any given album cut, you can bet on the Los Angeles native to deliver a strong chorus or melodic line.

Ty Dolla Sign Goes Up With The Release Of Vultures

What’s more is that his emotion and perspective also shines through in a very engaging and compelling way. For example, Ty Dolla Sign’s half on the track “Talking,” plus the music video, shows his dedication and passion as a father. Contrasted with the wild statements that Kanye West espouses, this gets to the heart of their collaborative project in a much more clear and unencumbered way. As such, he’s definitely a saving grace on Vultures for those looking for something deeper, although we have to give the production its due credit, too.

If you’re interested in who else made this album what it is, you can find the features and production credits here. Do you think that the rap-R&B artist is worty of this praise and success? Let us know what you thought about him on Vultures down in the comments section below. As always, for more news and the latest updates on Ty Dolla Sign, stay logged into HNHH.

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Frank Ocean Makes History As Independent Artist Thanks To Streaming Numbers

December 30, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Frank Ocean is a complex leader in the art world, as he is as mysterious and reserved as he is beloved and sought-after. Moreover, this unique position and the strength of his incredible and consistently quality discography made him one of the most popular artists working today. Now, the former Odd Future crooner became the most streamed independent artist of all time after reaching over 14 billion streams on Spotify (note: he wasn’t always independent). When folks shared this news online, many reacted with more theories as to when he will finally drop his full-length follow-up to 2016’s Blonde. Those are as unfounded as ever, but things may change very soon.

Furthermore, die-hards went into a frenzy earlier this year when Frank Ocean teased not one, but two new songs over the course of a few days. Sonically, they seem quite sparse, cavernous, chilled-out, and minimal, while nonetheless displaying some vocal charisma and engaging soundscapes. Of course, this didn’t really manifest into anything, but fans hope that there will be much more to chew on in 2024. After all, the 36-year-old couldn’t have performed at Coachella this year and teased a new project for nothing, right? …Right?

Frank Ocean Reaches Massive Milestone As Independent Artist

Frank Ocean has surpassed 14 BILLION streams making him the most streamed independent artist of all time. pic.twitter.com/WSLaHXDd2u

— Frank Ocean Updates (@blahnded) December 29, 2023

Regardless, this whole debacle actually turned quite ironic recently thanks to an interaction with another artist who’s infamous for not dropping music. Playboi Carti posted a screenshot of a DM he allegedly sent Frank Ocean asking for him to drop the snippet that he teased, and thus, he promoted both of their rollouts and social media activity. If there’s anyone that can convince a hibernating beast to leave their cave, maybe it’s their mate snoozing right next to them. As such, hopefully this inspires some more movement in this regard, or at least gives him more motivation to keep going.

Meanwhile, that motivation is something that the “Lens” icon provided to none other than the one and only André 3000. Not only did he listen and give his thoughts on his new album New Blue Sun before it came out, but 3 Stacks also spoke recently about how it was a “blessing” for artists like Frank to give him feature spots after his career started to wrap up. Here’s hoping he’s not in that phase yet. For more news and the latest updates on Frank Ocean, the most streamed independent artist of all time, stick around on HNHH.

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“fukumean” Nabs Gunna This Incredible Streaming Milestone For Rap In 2023

December 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

When you think of the best hip-hop songs of 2023, there’s a lot of variety to pick from when it comes to styles and appeals. Of course, people want their hits, and many massive albums this year like Drake’s For All The Dogs and Travis Scott’s UTOPIA amassed staggering numbers. With all these highlights in mind from these huge names, you’d expect something like a “MELTDOWN” or a “First Person Shooter” to be the biggest streaming hits, right? Well, instead, Gunna’s “fukumean” off of his album a Gift & a Curse ended up being the most streamed rap song of 2023 in the United States.

Furthermore, this isn’t so much surprising as it is just a curious and emblematic development when you look at the state of 2020s hip-hop. New sounds are replacing old ones as they bubble up to the top, and artist like Gunna who’ve built their career in the mainstream for years are now entering its highest echelons. We also can’t say this isn’t a deserved accolade. “fukumean” is hands-down the catchiest and most structurally engaging song on his project, even if you don’t care for the persistent “ee-yah!” vocal sample.

Gunna’s “fukumean” Dominated Hip-Hop Streams This Year

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With over 400 million streams across all digital streaming platforms in 2023, this track can now officially call itself the biggest rap hit of the year. What’s more is that, through recent live performances and surely more to come, Gunna has ample opportunities to celebrate this feat and his career trajectory as a whole. Not only that, but he’s also making sure to stay grounded in the collective that, although strained now due to their RICO case and his plea deal, gave him this shot at stardom. For example, during the College Park native’s recent Dubai show, he shouted out Young Thug and advocated for his freedom during his rendition of their track “Hot.”

Meanwhile, that conversation dominated a good chunk of the year, but now took more of a backseat. With Thugger’s father defending Wunna against his new opps in the game, people are split on how to interpret the state of their relationship. All we can say for sure is that there’s a chance he’ll come through with the biggest rap song of 2024, too. On that note, stick around on HNHH for more news and the latest updates on Gunna.

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Gunna Dethrones Drake For 2023’s Most Streamed Hip-Hop Song In The U.S.

September 17, 2023 by newhiphopnews

One of the prevailing narratives around hip-hop in 2023 has been its relative downturn in commercial success compared to past years. While that argument is true for top chart placements and such, to say that rap is “dying” would be a massive misconception. After all, there have been no shortage of massive tracks this year, and one of the genre’s most money-making artists just got beat out by an “underdog” story from a massive MC in his own right. Moreover, Gunna’s “fukumean” just recently beat out Drake’s “Search & Rescue” as the most streamed rap song from this year in the United States.

Considering the tight pull that both lyricists have over the game right now, this shouldn’t come as much surprise. Wunna’s album a Gift & a Curse prompted one of the most diverse discussion topics in rap, centered around his plea deal in the YSL RICO case. As for Drake, he dominates commercial metrics all the time, and getting past him is no easy task. With his upcoming album For All The Dogs releasing soon, maybe a cut from that (or a few) will reclaim this accolade.

“fukumean” Versus “Search & Rescue”: Gunna Takes The Crown

Of course, thanks to the aforementioned controversy around his release, we haven’t seen these two link up in some time. Still, we can’t really say whether that’s explicitly because of Drake “picking a side” in the “snitching” conversation. In fact, most of the developments in that area revolve around gossip, bars open to interpretation, and very little from the actual artists. For example, despite all the ruckus, Gunna still gave Young Thug a birthday shoutout at his recent show. For now, all we can really take in as fans and listeners is the music itself, and in that regard, Wunna certainly made his mark this year.

Meanwhile, the 6 God will likely join that conversation of the best rap-adjacent albums of the year alongside a Gift & a Curse very soon. His recent single with SZA, “Slime You Out,” took more of an R&B direction, but there will probably be some killer verses on here. One thing’s for sure, though: don’t expect this to diminish “fukumean” or “Search & Rescue” on the aux for the rest of 2023. On that note, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Gunna and Drake.

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