It was only about a month ago that Drake claimed the record for the most Spotify streams in a single day worldwide, but Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly has already obliterated one of the “Legend” rapper’s records.
In the hip hop industry, the release of a sophomore album can be one of the most frightening moments in rapper’s career.
It’s the album that determines whether a rapper was a passing trend or has staying power in the industry.
Based on Lamar’s sheer artistry, digital buzz and success so far, the “i” rapper may not need a song to proclaim his legendary status soon.
He’s no hip hop legend just yet but major publications are already deeming his album an “instant classic” and praising him as the voice that “hip hop was craving.”
Now, his Spotify streams are supporting those claims.
In the first day alone Lamar’s album racked up 9.6 million streams, soaring past Drake’s previous record of 6.8 million streams in one day that he set with his own surprise release of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.
The album is also available on iTunes, but official numbers from the iTunes store won’t be released until the end of the first week of sales.
It’s an accomplishment that confirms what many hip hop listeners already knew when Lamar first came on to the scene—he is truly an artist with a style that has been matched by no others.
He has also emerged as one of the most humble and grounded hip hop stars in the game, which is a good thing considering the fact that he won’t be pulling in too much money from his Spotify record.
Digital streaming services have been under fire by some artists, including Taylor Swift, who are upset with how little artists get paid from their streams.
To put things in perspective, “All About that Bass” by Meghan Trainor was a huge Spotify success with 40.9 million streams.
Trainor banked less than $340,000 from Spotify.
The payout range breaks down to about $.006 to $.0084 for every stream, according to TIME.
So while the streaming numbers could mean a lot when it comes to popularity, they say very little when it comes to profit.
For those numbers, Lamar’s team will have to wait for iTunes’ report at the end of the week.
But based on Lamar’s recent interviews, lyrical content and $524,000 home, there’s a good chance that he is less concerned about a massive payout and more concerned about the actual impact of his art.
