Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Ricardo Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images, Prince Williams/Wireimage
Kendrick Lamar’s latest Drake diss, “Not Like Us,” debuted at No. 1, while “euphoria” rose to No. 3. They both top Drake’s own diss, “Family Matters.” Here’s how their beef currently stands on the charts.
Rap beefs aren’t won by the numbers, but if they were, Kendrick Lamar would be running away with this one. The rapper’s “euphoria” debuted at No. 11 on this week’s “Hot 100” — six spots above the Drake diss track “Push Ups” at No. 17. That’s an especially big achievement considering “euphoria” was working off a shortened week of streams after being dropped on a Tuesday, April 30. Sure, these tracks are old news in beef time, but Lamar may be in for an even bigger win when his latest, “Not Like Us,” hits the chart next week. That song has already broken the single-day American streaming record on Spotify with 6.59 million, beating … Drake, who had previously held the title for his 2021 Lil Baby collab, “Girls Want Girls.” With numbers like that, “Not Like Us” could notch a top spot on the chart or even a No. 1 debut. And remember, that would be Lamar’s second in this beef after the song that started it all, “Like That,” with Metro Boomin and Future, spent three weeks at No. 1. Sure, Drake’s “Family Matters” has been putting up numbers this week too, especially on YouTube, but if “Not Like Us” keeps going like that, it won’t be enough. Rappers may lie, but the numbers don’t.
Lamar is still not like Drake on the charts because he continues racking up hits during this beef. His last diss, “Not Like Us,” debuted at No. 1, knocking off Taylor Swift and Post Malone’s “Fortnight” despite being released days into the tracking week on a Sunday, May 5. The top debut came after “Not Like Us” broke streaming records, and it’s Lamar’s second solo No. 1, after 2017’s “Humble.” It’s also his second of the beef, after “Like That” with Metro Boomin and Future started it all. Lamar’s new hit has company at the top with “euphoria” rising to No. 3 after its debut at No. 11 last week. Drake’s “Family Matters” also rose but only to No. 7. “The Heart Part 6,” Drake’s response to “Not Like Us,” is nowhere to be seen in the top ten since it hasn’t officially been released on streaming services. That’s no way to hit back.
