Kendrick Lamar‘s monster year continues to go from strength to strength as “Not Like Us” has officially become the best-selling song of 2024 in the U.S.
While its total sales are unclear, Chart Data reported on Thursday (August 1) that the Drake diss song is now the most successful of the year.
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Though not yet officially certified by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), “Not Like Us” reached one million equivalent units in less than two weeks after its release in May and surpassed two million sales the following month.
Through Spotify and YouTube alone, “Not Like Us” and its accompanying music video have racked up over 800 million plays.
Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" is now the #1 best selling song in the US in 2024 by total units. pic.twitter.com/NHAw19TsRf
— chart data (@chartdata) August 1, 2024
The Mustard-produced anthem has also topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice, initially in its first week and again two months later after its highly anticipated video was released.
Adding insult to injury for Drake, the song has also broken several records previously held by the 6 God.
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Following its arrival at the height of K. Dot and Drizzy’s feud in early May, “Not Like Us” earned the biggest single-day streams of any rap song in U.S. Spotify history with 10.986 million, easily eclipsing the 6.593 million streams Drake and Lil Baby’s “Girls Like Girls” achieved in 2021.
It later became the fastest rap song to achieve 500 million streams on Spotify, dethroning “God’s Plan.”
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The success of “Not Like Us” and its accompanying music video have also had a positive impact outside of Kendrick’s catalog.
Compton-based Tam’s Burgers, which is featured prominently in the video, reported that business was up 30 to 40 percent following its release.
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Having known Kendrick since he was a teen, the owners didn’t charge for the filming and instead worked out a deal to have their logo appear in the clip.
The owners have also offered the Compton rapper a lifetime’s supply of free meals as a token of their appreciation.
The accolades could continue well into next year for Kendrick Lamar, with “Not Like Us” recently being tipped for success at the 2025 Grammy Awards by the Recording Academy’s CEO.
In an interview with TMZ, Harvey Mason Jr. praised the track by saying: “Obviously, it’s a hot record, it’s amazing artistry, great writing. The talent on that record is incredible. You have artists who have been nominated before and Kendrick obviously has been successful in the organization.
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“I don’t see any reason why it couldn’t [win]. It’s all about the quality of the record. It’s really about the members. If the members like it, then it’ll be nominated.”
Mason Jr. was then asked if the fact that the song is a diss record and contains explosive allegations such as Drake being a pedophile would prevent it from being nominated.
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“I don’t think so,” he replied. “The voting members of the Academy appreciate greatness, appreciate what’s hot, what’s going on. That’s a relevant record, it’s impacting on so many levels with so much creativity and talent. I like to believe that the Academy members recognize that and they vote appropriately.”
If “Not Like Us” were to win a Grammy, it would become the first rap diss song to do so. Drake’s Meek Mill diss “Back to Back” was nominated for Best Rap Performance in 2016 but lost out to Kendrick’s “Alright.”
