Kendrick Lamar and Playboi Carti Dominate Spotify’s 2025 Rap Charts

As 2025 comes to a close, Spotify has unveiled its list of the most streamed hip-hop albums of the year. Leading the charge are Kendrick Lamar and Playboi Carti, whose albums resonated with millions of listeners. Lamar’s album, GNX, racked up an impressive 2.98 billion streams, while Carti’s MUSIC garnered 2.16 billion streams.

Among the top contenders, Tyler, The Creator‘s CHROMAKOPIA secured the third spot, followed closely by Kanye West‘s Graduation and Lamar’s own DAMN.. Rounding out the top five is Doechii with Alligator Bites Never Heal, followed by Travis Scott‘s UTOPIA.

Notable Rankings and Trends in Hip-Hop Streaming

Other significant entries in the top ten include Drake at number eight with Views, followed by Scott again with ASTROWORLD, and Metro Boomin‘s HEROES & VILLAINS completing the list. Noteworthy albums that were released in 2025 and made it into the top 50 include Central Cee‘s Can’t Rush Greatness, Lil Tecca‘s DOPAMINE, and Lil Baby‘s WHAM.

Interestingly, reports indicate that Kanye West‘s Graduation was the most streamed rap album across all platforms for the year. Additionally, Drake achieved the title of Spotify’s most streamed rapper in 2025, marking his eleventh consecutive year holding this distinction. He further secured this title on Apple Music as well. In contrast, Lamar’s track “Not Like Us” emerged as the most streamed rap song on Apple Music in 2025.

Insights on the Hip-Hop Landscape

While these figures highlight significant achievements, they also reveal a broader narrative regarding the prevalence of earlier albums in the streaming landscape. The relative scarcity of new albums on the list raises questions about the challenges of producing major hits in today’s music industry. This trend is not exclusive to hip-hop; the difficulties of making a breakthrough resonate across various genres.

Looking ahead, 2026 may bring a wave of new releases from influential artists. Both Drake and Playboi Carti are expected to drop new solo albums, alongside highly anticipated projects from artists like Don Toliver, who also made multiple appearances on the 2025 list.

The coming year could either continue the trend of familiar favorites dominating the charts or introduce new blockbuster hits. Only time will tell how the hip-hop landscape evolves as artists prepare to release their upcoming albums.