Kendrick Lamar has turned his chart-topping streak and Grammy Award-winning momentum into a global stage takeover as he prepares to resume his Grand National World Tour in Mexico City on September 23.
The Compton rapper’s collaboration with SZA, “luther,” spent 13 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the longest reign for a Hip-Hop track in chart history. The duo also became the first male-female solo pairing to hold the top spot for over 11 weeks. Their second joint effort, “30 For 30,” from the deluxe edition of SZA’s SOS, remains on the chart, helping extend Lamar’s unprecedented run.
According to data shared by Bars, Lamar is the only rapper in 2025 to appear on the Hot 100 for nearly every week of the year. “luther” accounts for roughly a quarter of that presence, while other tracks from his GNX project—like “Not Like Us,” “tv off” and “peekaboo”—also contributed to his chart dominance.
Lamar’s commercial success has been matched by critical acclaim. At the 2025 Grammy Awards in February, he swept major categories with “Not Like Us,” a pointed diss track aimed at Drake, which he also performed during the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. The performance marked a rare moment of spectacle from the usually reserved artist.
The beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar began in 2013, when Kendrick called out Drake (and others) on his verse in Big Sean’s “Control,” declaring his intent to lyrically outdo his peers. Over the years, both artists downplayed the feud publicly but continued to send subliminal shots in their music, with Lamar notably escalating things in 2024 by rejecting the notion of the “Big Three” (Drake, J. Cole and Lamar) on Future & Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” and instead declaring himself the sole leader in rap.
The track sparked a furious, highly public sequence of diss tracks throughout the spring of 2024—Drake responded with “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle,” while Kendrick fired back with “Euphoria,” “6:16 in LA,” and the explosive “Not Like Us,” each track featuring increasingly personal and controversial allegations. The exchange became so heated that Drake is currently suing Universal Music Group, his own label, over the alleged promotion and tactics behind Kendrick’s diss tracks.
The feud has grabbed public attention for its lyrical intensity, personal accusations and impact on Hip-Hop culture, with some critics likening its influence to the genre’s most legendary battles.
Despite keeping a low profile when it comes to solo releases, Lamar made a surprise appearance in Los Angeles earlier this month to join Clipse on stage for their joint track “Chains & Whips” from Let God Sort Em Out. The Grand National World Tour, which has already spanned multiple continents, will enter its penultimate leg with shows across South America and Mexico.
